Vagabundo 0 Posted October 23, 2011 Marco Simoncelli passed away this morning due to injuries sustained in the Malaysian GP. He was a HUGE talent and will be missed by all GP fans. R.I.P. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eddie 0 Posted October 23, 2011 What a tragedy. He was my favorite in the GP circuit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael15 1 Posted October 23, 2011 OMG this is awful news! RIP Marco! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirt dame 559 Posted October 23, 2011 His helmet came off during the crash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteelRain 0 Posted October 24, 2011 Watching the crash live was terrifying. Even before Edwards and Rossi collided with Simoncelli something appeared odd. MotoGP/500cc/Premiere Class has been blessed with with a very positive safety history for the last three decades with only three racing related fatalities: 1983 Michel Frutschi 2003 Daijiro Kato 2011 Marco Simoncelli Sadly, these things happen in racing and it appears that the ones we loose are destined to be greats when they are taken from the fans. Take a moment today and let your loved ones know you appreciate them for loving you even if they do not agree with your decision to ride a motorbike. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Driss 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Rip Marco you were one the best we had this decade. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 508 Posted October 25, 2011 Godspeed Marco, that was a nasty crash, and I'm sure Colin Edwards and Rossi (as well as many others) are having a real hard time with it also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCHWINN 0 Posted October 25, 2011 If you are up to it...There is youtube video available to watch the crash. This link is not a video but a lot of what happened. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2052712/Marco-Simoncelli-crash-Valentino-Rossi-pays-tribute-MotoGP-mourns-death.html?ito=feeds-newsxml Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eddie 0 Posted October 25, 2011 The pic from the front and to the right tells the story. Marco didn't have a chance, and both Edwards and Rossi are probably devastated. Once asked if he was afraid of dying in an accident, Simoncelli apparently responded: "No. You live more for five minutes going fast on a bike like that, than other people do in all of their life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted October 25, 2011 You live more for five minutes going fast on a bike like that, than other people do in all of their life. Yeah, I used to think that. And it's likely true. But I suspect my wife and son might disagree. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted October 25, 2011 Watched the video Robert posted- clearly this was a passionate rider, riding very hard and pushing very hard. So, riding friends- Was he brave or was he foolish? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirt dame 559 Posted October 25, 2011 Watched the video Robert posted- clearly this was a passionate rider, riding very hard and pushing very hard. So, riding friends- Was he brave or was he foolish? His luck ran out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted October 25, 2011 Ok- brave foolish or lucky? This is something with which I've wrestled for years. When does bravery become foolish? And is luck merely superstition? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirt dame 559 Posted October 25, 2011 Foolish, brave or lucky....I don't know. What I would like to know, is what his helmet hit or caught on, that managed to rip it off of his head. It's not often that you hear about a racer's helmet coming off in a crash. He might have survived if his helmet hadn't come off. Sounds like it might have impacted his neck and chest as it peeled forward, from his injuries that he sustained. If it had stayed on, perhaps he wouldn't have had as many injuries to his body, as well keeping his head from such brutal impact. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eddie 0 Posted October 25, 2011 I was watching the race Sunday mornign and watched the crash vid numerous times trying to figure out what happened. Based on the vid - Rossi's front wheel bumps over something and there is a roundish object seen to the right of the front tire - it looks like Rossi's front wheel may have hit him in such a way as to force the helmet off. That would account for the neck trauma. He was coming off the bike as he exited the turn (left foot way off the peg and leg in the air) and was obviously fighting to save it. If he had let it go, he'd have slid off the track and would still be with us. Foolish, brave or lucky....I don't know. What I would like to know, is what his helmet hit or caught on, that managed to rip it off of his head. It Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strega 0 Posted October 25, 2011 There was footage somewhere of his helmet being picked up after the crash, and the chin strap was still together. It looked like it had failed where it connected to the helmet. From that video it appears that Rossi's front tire is what hit Marco's helmet. Those helmets don't come off when strapped on correctly. Only way that helmet is coming off is with the riders head, or if it fails, sadly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eddie 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Thanks. It was stolen, of course, from a FB friend. Nice pic Eddie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desert.rider77 0 Posted October 26, 2011 Ok- brave foolish or lucky? This is something with which I've wrestled for years. When does bravery become foolish? And is luck merely superstition? All three are based on different perspectives. All true from a certain standpoint. The guy died doing what he lived to do. He will be immortalized because of it. Some people want to die of old age in their sleep, others want to live at top speed till they can't anymore. Its obvious who will be the most remembered. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted October 26, 2011 The guy died doing what he lived to do. He will be immortalized because of it. Some people want to die of old age in their sleep, others want to live at top speed till they can't anymore. Its obvious who will be the most remembered. I have a response to this, but it might appear argumentative- let me make it really clear it's a discussion. When I want to be argumentitive, I'll end my sentences with "you moron", or "you BikeSlut" (great- now I have to clarify the clarification) Really, let's talk about this- no hostility. I don't thing dying while doing "something you like" is necessarily an honorable thing. If you're a single orphan, maybe. Think about Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of the HUGELY sucessful INXS. He apparently died of auto asphyxiation while masturbating- clearly died doing something he loved. Does that make him immortal? Maybe- he'll obviously be remembered. If I were killed riding my motorcycle, I would not be immortalized, regardless of the popularity of the phrase. I'd be a self-indulgent jerk who left his wife without a husband and child without a father because I wanted to play dangerous games at high speeds. Maybe it's be because I'm not quite as good as Marco (damn close though!) Obviously, I enjoy riding, and will continue. But this has always bugged me about riding, and I'd like to know what my fellow riders think. <apologies for the adult word> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHunter 15 Posted October 26, 2011 I was tempted not to comment after the use of an adult word like "Bikeslut", but I will. I've seen a lot of folks after they died from simple stuff.....every day life stuff. Car accidents, firearms accidents, infant death syndrome, etc. If people are going to die every day, I'm going to ride. For me, the probability of actually dying on my motorcycle is pretty damned low. Yes, if a car takes me out, I'll wish I was in my truck but ya have to draw a line somewhere. I don't jump off of cliffs with kite strapped to me but I'm not sitting on my couch either. I've never been a risk taker when riding and just enjoy getting out. I don't have the skill some here do and know my limits. I don't give the "I'm leaving my wife and family..." a thought as that would just infringe on my enjoyment. Not selfish IMO, just a choice. Frankly, I'm just not that important and there's more me's where I came from. I've had friends die suddenly from heart attacks, dormant fast acting Leukemia, vehicle accidents..... My line is drawn within my limits and riding. Racing at this level requires a lot of skill and he had it. Stuff happens. More important to me than any "famous" person......here's 2010 for ya. Total Line of Duty Deaths: 136 Aircraft accident: 1 Animal related: 1 Assault: 5 Automobile accident: 32 Drowned: 2 Duty related illness: 6 Explosion: 1 Gunfire: 51 Gunfire (Accidental): 4 Heart attack: 9 Heat exhaustion: 1 Motorcycle accident: 3 Stabbed: 1 Struck by vehicle: 3 Training accident: 1 Vehicle pursuit: 3 Vehicular assault: 11 Weather/Natural disaster: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eddie 0 Posted October 26, 2011 Blather Alert! Blather Alert! Blather Alert! Blather Alert! After using a bike as my sole transportation for 5 years, I stopped riding when I became a full time single dad. I never thought much about dying when riding until my wife took off, although after getting married, I did start wearing a helmet - when it rained. After she left, I could not justify the risks associated with my riding style and the chance of leaving him completely alone. Today... My son is an adult with his own set of issues, and I ride. I've got health insurance, life insurance, and my bike is a quantum leap beyond my previous bikes in safety and performance. I push myself on the street. It's how I stay in the NOW. If I start cruising, I start daydreaming. ONE of the things I like about dual sport riding is the NOW requirement. I fall off when I don't pay attention. Of course, I also fall off when I DO pay attention. Hmmm. Bad things happen on bikes. Risk management and cost analysis have a part to play in my decision to ride. I was riding with a group last year when a riding friend got killed. He was 20' away from me at impact, and I was talking to him when he died. He came around a corner too hot and found traffic stacked up for some Caltrans work. Rather than slam into the bikes ahead of him (Thanks, Robert), he chose to try to thread the needle between an oncoming pickup and the stopped traffic. He lost the front end on the slick dbl yellow and hit the oncoming truck. He died at the scene as rescue arrived. He died doing what he loved. He died surrounded by friends. BUT... He died. And that was the end of all things Robert. A guy I knew, Paul Palika, was killed last winter on the 805. Some jerkoff doing 80 in the rain hydroplaned into a tractor trailer and then shot across into Paul's lane. Dead on the scene. Paul lived, breathed, taught, and worked motorcycle safety. Dead on the scene. There were hundred of riders at his memorial. There is a plaque at the top of the Corkscrew with his name. He is missed, but his story is done. It can happen on any day, in any corner, at any intersection, in any weather, on any ride. My story will end one day. No matter what. I'm hoping I still ride and know I'll still love it when I go. Take care of your family if you are able, but LIVE your life. End of Blather Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
