As close as you’ll get to Moto GP
Track day experience in Austria the ultimate in speed and freedom on two wheels
After what felt like too many long months of COVID-19 lockdowns, we’re all starting to get back on track.
For those who take the “track” part of that presumption literally, there’s a new ultimate motorcycle track day experience available, and it is as close to riding a real Moto GP motorcycle as we mere mortals are likely to get.
I’ll give you the bad news first. It’s not available here in Canada. In fact, it’s not even in North America.
Nope, sorry guys, if you want the ultimate in freedom and speed on two wheels, you’re going to have to hop on a plane and head over to Europe — Spielberg, Austria, in fact. So, right away, this is not for the faint of wallet.
But, my, oh my, what an experience. Basically, you’ll get to ride a Moto 2 race bike around the world-famous Red Bull Ring, home of one of the hardest-fought Moto GP races of the year.
For those of you who don’t know what Moto 2 is, it is the last in a series a stepping stones for those looking to play in the big leagues — Moto GP. A feeder class, if you will. If you’re looking for an automotive equivalent, think Formula 2 feeding Formula One. Essentially, it’s a prototype-style custom-made chassis married to a production-ish engine. One hundred and thirty horsepower is available to power just 135 kilograms. Yes, they’re fast. It should be a thrill. The Ring is a known as a horsepower track — endless straightaways mated to tight hairpins — and that means you might just be able to exercise the full 290-kilometre-an-hour top speed of last year’s Moto 2 racers.
Officially dubbed project-spielberg — the group also rents out race cars and
Porsche GT2 RSes — the Ring’s “experience” division now offers five ex-KTM-factory-team Moto 2 bikes for a variety of riding packages.
For 190 euros — $291 Canadian, at current exchange rates — you get 15 minutes of lead-follow riding; 350 euros gets you 30 minutes, again always following behind an experience race instructor.
But for the full Moto GP experience, there also is a fullboat “training” package, which gets you up to eight hours of riding instruction on these top-flight racers. Plenty of tracks offer rider instruction; none, other than the Red Bull Ring, offers a full day of instruction on one of the most advanced racing motorcycles on the planet for just 600 euros ($920).
It is most definitely the closest we, the unwashed masses, will ever get to riding a Moto GP bike.
Sign up soon. Coronavirus or no, they’re all booked up through the end of July. Visit the Projekt Spielberg website for more information.