It may come as a surprise to a lot of us that some of the world’s top motorcycle racers aren’t even holders of motorcycle licenses for the street. Indeed, you could go as far as to say that motorcycle racers are on a whole different level when compared to us mere mortals, but this hasn’t stopped a few of the world’s best from giving it a go on public roads.
In 2021, World Superbike legend and multiple time world champion Jonathan Rea finally got his hands on a motorcycle license. Surely, swinging a leg over his Z900RS was a totally new experience, as the Briton is undoubtedly more accustomed to machines pumping out twice, if not thrice the output. It makes me wonder why racers, despite having access to some of the best bikes in the world, as well as the most exhilarating circuits, would still opt to acquire a motorcycle license.
That being said, there are plenty of things to love about road riding. You meet some of the coolest, nicest people on the road, and one can’t deny that the community surrounding the motorcycle world is really awesome. It’s perhaps for these reasons that Pecco Bagnaia, who is currently in the running for the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, decided to get in on the road riding action, too.
That’s right, the Italian motorcycle rider, who currently sits on the second top spot in the 2022 MotoGP standings, has just acquired his A3 license in Italy. This means he can ride whatever motorcycle he desires, and is not restricted to small and mid-size machines. In the MotoGP roster, very few racers actually engage in street riding, or at least, post about their roadgoing endeavors on social media. As such, Pecco now joins the likes of Johann Zarco, a fellow Ducati racer with a known passion for classic Ducatis, as well as embarking on long cross-country rides aboard his beloved steeds.
