Human Performance in Motorcycle Road Racing: A Review of the Literature

Performance in motorcycle road racing is typically considered as the summation of interactions between rider, motorcycle, tires, and environment. Despite the substantial investments made towards the development of motorcycle technology and the business interests of manufacturers, published research focusing on the riders is relatively sparse, and a bike-centered mentality tends to dominate the sport. This manuscript reviews the known human performance aspects of motorcycle road racing and suggests directions for future research. In this sport, riders are exposed to a complex interaction of physiological, mechanical, and psychological stresses, alongside the ever-present potential for injury from crashes or localized muscular overload (i.e., chronic exertional forearm compartmental syndrome). The reviewed literature shows that riders involved in competitive road racing should develop proper levels of body composition, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, specific flexibility, and heat tolerance in addition to their all-important technical riding skills. Furthermore, specific resistance to inertial stresses, visual acuity, mental and physical resilience, psychological strategies, and behavioral awareness all appear to be meaningful contributors to successful performance. Further work is needed to profile riders according to their level to create evidence-based methodologies that improve performance. Additionally, future research should aim to improve safety for these athletes and deepen the understanding about the magnitude of metabolic, mental, technical, biomechanical, and muscular demands in relation to anthropometric characteristics, sex, categories of competition, and success rate.