How do the world’s greatest MotoGP riders perform those impossible feats? This great nine-minute video breaks down the science of going fast. 

If you’re a MotoGP fan (if you’re not, you’re really missing out) no doubt you have often stared in wonder at your television screen, dumbfounded by the amazing feats the world’s greatest motorcycle racers can perform lap after lap, with their two tiny contact patches barely grazing the pavement at preposterous angles. Sometimes it can be difficult to believe your own eyes, and the writers and commentators are known to say that the riders are “defying the laws of physics.”

Of course, in truth we know that the riders are not defying the laws of physics at all. They are using their technical knowledge, experience, and world-class athletic prowess to exploit the laws of physics to the absolute maximum. Many of the techniques they use are utterly foreign to four-wheeled drivers and even to most casual street motorcyclists. But fortunately, popular YouTuber Mike on Bikes (20 million views) has put together this informative and engaging video. In nine minutes, he breaks down 10 methods the MotoGP riders use to go fast. Enjoy the video.