Onboard Lap of 2012 Macau Grand Prix

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

When it comes to motorcycle races, there are two that separate the men from the boys: the Isle of Man TT and the Macau Grand Prix. Both races are held on public roads with little to no margin for error. At the Isle, if you make a mistake, you’re flying off the side of a mountain. At Macau, a mistake puts you into a wall.

For only the third time in its history, the 2012 edition of the Isle of Man TT featured no fatalities. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about this year’s Macau race, as Portuguese rider Luis Filipe de Sousa Carreira was killed in a crash during qualifying.

As racers, each of the competitors understands and accepts the risks they’re entering into. Despite the tragic passing of Carreira the race continued. And if you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to compete at Macau, ride along with Austrian Horst Saiger on his Saiger-Racing.com Kawasaki ZX-10R en route to a fifth place finish. Brit Michael Rutter aboard a Honda CBR1000RR won the race. His eighth Macau victory in his illustrious career.

So sit back, crank up the volume, set aside 30 minutes of your time and watch Saiger wrestle his Kawasaki along some narrow Chinese streets, brushing inches past walls and riding wheel to wheel with some of the best road racers on the planet. You won’t be disappointed.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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