The Cw Library

THE CW LIBRARY

2002 MotoGP Review and World Superbike Championship

I RECENTLY ENJOYED WATCHING TWO 2002 RACING SEASON REVIEW DVDs, one of the new MotoGP class, the other of last year’s World Superbike season. Each has its special appeal. In MotoGP, you see-albeit at the usual TV distance-the new 990cc four-stroke Grand Prix roadracers. Competition is light because Valentino Rossi and his Honda RC211V are Oil very good, but you also get to see the new clutch/engine-braking systems hang the back ends of these bikes out as if every one of them had a thumb brake. See for yourself the steady improvement in Max Biaggi’s Yamaha YZR-M1. Anyone who hopes to hear unique sounds may be disappointed; at racing rpm, the big four-strokes don’t sound all that different from 500cc twostrokes. The commentary is good, there are short “race reports” by each winner, and the format is pleasant.

The WSB video has an entirely different appeal: the closest, most action-filled championship ever, fought between Ducati’s Troy Bayliss and former Honda rider Colin Edwards. Bayliss wins 13 races, seeming invincible, forever able to wear down any opponent, lord of the circuits. But Edwards is always there and gaining strength. Noriyuki Haga blazes like a meteor, Neil Hodgson (since crowned the ’03 champion) is fast and impressively steady. When Honda makes its RC51 the equal of the Ducati 998, Edwards comes to the front for a series of tremendous wins, full of unbelievable passing, hectic slides and the gallantry of World War I aviators. This one is a lot of fun, and I will watch it again. -Kevin Cameron

2002 MotoGP Review, 190 minutes, $35, and 2002 World Superbike Championship, 220 minutes, $35; Duke Video, 195 Highway 36, West Long Branch, NJ 07764; 800/718-1300; www.duke-usa.com

Flipped Out!

I’M BURNED OUT ON FREESTYLE VIDEOS. SURE, I WAS excited and shocked by the original Crusty Demons of Dirt, but since then it’s been all downhill. So as you might imagine, I wasn’t terribly excited about the idea of spending an hour watching guys do things I’d already seen many times over.

Most of the scenes in Flipped Out! are historical. After all, every backflip ever completed-or not-has been documented on video. Why else would you try such a trick? In fact, some of the more spectacular shots have been shown so many times that what many consider to be the gnarliest move ever performed on a motorcycle has become somewhat mundane.

At least the behind-the-scenes stories of backflip pioneers Caleb Wyatt, Carey Hart and Mike Metzger are interesting. Wyatt never got rich off his stunt, while the oftenbanged-up Hart and Metzger-a purpose-built stunt monkey if there ever was one-went on to become big-time stars. The painful side of the sport is also documented; don’t attempt any of the stuff seen here without a lot of medical insurance.

The backflip was a huge step for freestyle, but I’d wager it-and this film-will become more important with the passage of time.

Just how important depends on how tricks evolve and what role backflips play in their execution. -Jimmy Lewis

Flipped Out!, 73 minutes, $20; Rhino Transport, 3400 W. Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91505; 800/432-0020; www.rhinotransport.com

Basic Suspension Setup

THESE DAYS, THERE SEEMS TO BE A VIDEO FOR JUST about everything related to motorcycling, from basic bike operation to a backflip how-to. A recent addition to the genre, Basic Suspension Setup, focuses on, well, basic suspension setup.

Understanding suspension-how and why it works-is an element of solid riding, whether on-or off-road. BSS focuses on the latter, beginning with the nuts-and-bolts and moving on to pretty involved stuff. Aside from the hot girl checking sag on the box cover, production quality is no frills. But from the scholarly voice-over to the in-garage instruction, the producers get the job done in a way that will be appreciated by anyone who actually wants to learn something. There is enough action

footage to discourage napping, with incorrect settings illustrated by near crashes. Better them than me, I always say! Suspension can be a confusing subject, but BSS covers everything clearly and thoroughly. After a single viewing, even complete novices will be more knowledgeable than 90 percent of the riders at local motocross tracks, who typically have spent a lot of money to have their suspension revalved without having ridden a single lap. After viewing this video, you may opt against revalving simply because you will know how to use those clickers to your advantage. For that reason alone, Basic Suspension Setup is an exceptional value. -Jimmy Lewis Basic Suspension Setup, 34 minutes, $25; Fineline Motorsports, 7522 Slater Ave. #104, Huntington Beach, CA 92647; 714/842-9253; www.finelinesuspension.com