James Toseland Interview – What’s next for James?

www.inter-bike.co.uk

However he still found time to talk frankly and openly to us here at www.inter-bike.co.uk about what’s next for him following his announcement earlier this month of his immediate retirement from competitive motorcycle racing, following the injury sustained to his wrist whilst testing at Aragon, Spain in March.

Question: “What are your thoughts on your retirement?”

Answer: Frustrating and disappointing for me and a lot of people obviously that enjoy watching me racing, but unfortunately the injury I sustained to my wrist, I haven’t got the range of movement at all in the wrist so I can’t ride competitively. If I can’t do the job I know I can do, unfortunately it forced me to say yes…… I’ve had a good time of it but without the chance and opportunity of winning race out there, I’ve realised that’s all I do it for. To ride round in an uncompetitive position would be more upsetting for me…… I’m slowly getting everything together to concentrate on what’s next.”

Question: “What now for the future for James Toseland?”

Answer: You know the one thing I do love, .I’ve always loved as much as I do with racing, is music. I’ve met a few people over the years; I’ve had the pleasure of playing with some fantastic musicians, Jules Holland, the members of Queen. You know I’m hoping to see if someone will give me an opportunity to do that professionally. I’m still young enough to have a good go at it and I feel like I could have a good go of it now. You know I’m talented enough if I work on it to be good. That’s my immediate objective to go into it, but if not then obviously I will always be involved in the motorcycle industry anyway, whether it be through commentary or anything that’s involved in motorcycling, I’ll be involved. I’m not going to leave the scene……”

Question: “So you are still planning to have a continuous involvement in motorcycling?”

Answer: “ I will be involved, the life that’s its given me and everything that I’ve got from motorcycling, I love that and that’s why, another reason why I have to finish because the only reason I went racing was because I love riding a motorcycle, that is the only thing. I don’t particularly enjoy the politics of it…….., but riding a motorcycle and the motorcycling people and the family that it is, I got great joy from. So, I will always be involved in it at some level”

Question: “So you will still be part of the motorcycling family?”

Answer: “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do in life or what profession, if you’re a biker and get your leathers on, it’s just everybody kinder like all of a sudden you stick a set of leathers and you get on a motorbike, it doesn’t matter you are, what you are doing everybody’s got a really nice respect for everybody. It’s a community that I enjoy being in, so I’ll always be in that.

Question: “What have been your best memories of your racing career?”

Answer: “Crossing the line at Magny Cours twice to lift the crown, that moment was very, very special, the Brands Hatch weekend getting a double there, listening to the national anthem, throwing my leathers in the crowd, the whole weekend was amazing. Playing in my band at races with all the crowd there and the reaction from that and the pleasure I got from that playing in front of everybody. I had two great years in MotoGP……,I will always have that. I achieved that, it didn’t go exactly to plan, I really did everything I could and that’s the one thing I’m going to take away from my career. I did the maximum I could with whatever I had, the package I had, the maximum I could, with myself, my training, the work on the track with the supporters or anything. I did everything I could and there will be regrets…… it will be a little bit easier to finish in that way. I’ve been forced now, I’ve kinda just got slower and slower, I’ve been forced out of competitive racing. I have put everything into it, I’ve had a great career and I’ve had some amazing times….. “

Answer: “ It could have happened at any point, I had some crashes when I was 17, 18, I could have done exactly the same and it could have put me out, there’s also people in worst situations, other people have had retire with much serious injuries…….. it is a dangerous sport and my injury has forced me to retire but my quality of life is still very, very good, which I am thankful for and I’m still able to do my other thing, playing piano. I only had 24 hours to save the hand before it was paralysed and I’d have lost that as well and it would have been very difficult to quantify that. To quantify having to retire in my head and to set my self up to making that decision has not been very easy at all……”

Question: “So will you still be riding non-competitively and for pleasure?”

Answer: “Yes I can still ride for pleasure; I can still ride a motorcycle, but unfortunately at the level I wanted to stay at and with the team and the bike that I was on another rider can do a better job now and its time to give someone another opportunity

Answer: “ I have been supported by them for many years and I hope the relationship can carry on even though I’m not riding, I did have a lot of support over the years. I’m sure people will enjoy me being at these events and helping out with advice and tips and things like that, cause I did know how to ride a motorbike, pretty handy. I feel like I’ve got a lot of experience I could pass on……… I enjoy it, because it does make a difference to people. Some of the questions people have asked me just this morning, things like -  I do this, what do you think of this? Well you really want to change that to not only make yourself a better rider, but safer. I take it for granted what I do on a motorcycle, but some of these people have only passed their test recently. In the Superstock team our team runs I’m helping a young French rider Silvan Barrier, even someone that is professional, I’ll be helping him out, and he’s just been so thankful for the information that I’ve given him and the help that I’ve been giving him. So even though it’s someone at that level, if I can help at that level, then a relative newcomer it’s going to make a big difference….”

Question: “What advice would you give to somebody starting out in motorcycle racing that wants to build a successful career?”

Answer: “It’s not just about rider’s talents anymore, unfortunately. To get a rider in GP 3 next year, or MotoGP or Moto 2 you are looking to have to take sponsors to the team to actually get a signature. We’re not taking £10,000, or £20,000 we talking £100,000’s.So unless you’ve €100,000 you can’t even get in the Moto 2 paddock at the moment and that’s disappointing, especially for the UK. I’m not sure what it’s like in the other countries, but I’m sure it’s similar….. the people behind it are not relatively rich people and the people getting their kids involved are not overly wealthy people and this is going to be a big problem.”

Question: ”Is it a regret of yours that as a sport (motorcycling) it now involves a lot of money?

Answer: “I think I was the last of the era, in the late 90’s early 00’s that people took you on and paid you to do your job. I think there are only about 3 people next year who are getting paid in Moto 2. The game is changing that way. As a young lad now wanting to get into motorcycling, you need to think of it, how many years you need to do practise wise, till you get to the level of Moto 2, that’s at least a 5 year process to bringing a kid to actually being good enough to get in there. Well the expense of that, taking him to the tracks, taking him with a crew, the damage and all the rest of it, you try and quantify all of that cost and then when they are good enough to even be considered for Moto 2, then they say yes you can have the bike for a €150,000. The problem is as Moto 2 or even MotoGP 3 they are talking about a lot of money as well, so…… to just even get that kind of money in your hand to be able to give your son or daughter the opportunity to do that, if he’s not gone into MotoGP and have a career, you’ve got a long way before he succeeds at that, so to even think about getting paid for the job. You can imagine I’s just going to prise a lot of people out of the game…….

It’s all to do with the economic crisis, nobody is selling motorcycles unfortunately and it’s all sponsor driven, so if people rely on sponsors alone, sponsors can have a big say on which rider they want.

Question: “Your era has been the last where it’s not been all about money, has possibly that made it more enjoyable?”

Answer: “I didn’t know any other kind of time, I didn’t know any other way. All I did was ride a motorbike fast and when I rode it fast I got rewarded.” 

Interview and picture by Jon Booth – www.inter-bike.co.uk

Thanks to Bennetts Insurance for facilitating the interview