What’s harder to comprehend

Toni Bou or Michael Dunlop, no question. I could possibly ride a national mx track, but no way could I even ride their tracks remotely on there level or type.

Trials

I'm with you on the Isle of Man stuff, absolute lunacy. 

Erzberg Rodeo. 

This.

There's a reason when we tell people we ride dirt bikes that they ask "so do you do like backflips and stuff?" 

Freestyle is the hardest to comprehend for the average person.

Isle of man TT

Road circuit with nearly a 38 mile lap with an average speed of 136mph and a few hay bales to stop you slamming into a stone wall/tree/house.

Not much else in the world comes close to the skills required + size of balls of the guys at the front of that race.

Michael Dunlop Isle of Man TT stuff when I watch I feel my jaw dropping every second of the race it’s crazy

This skill of all professional two wheeled racers are amazing, but the average Joe rider can navigate their way around a road, moto or enduro circuit, albeit at a much slower pace and usually without much finesse.
However put them on a Trials course? No way a mere mortal can even do the majority of obstacles. Top level Trials is beyond comprehension.

Modern freestyle broke my brain the first time I saw someone doing a backflip in real life. This was years after it had been done and I've spent a lifetime on dirt bikes and watched all the Nitro Circus DVD's and such. I was at a SX in the pits and saw someone go for a backflip and I instantly covered my mouth and was like OH SHIT when I saw a dude start going upside down.

The amount of time those guys spend in the air blows my mind when I think about how little time I have to rip a tear off on the jumps I do.

arena trails at the top level is plain nuts, 

for the most dangerous,  the Isle of Mann and the other Irish real road course racers are f n crazy,  

Isle of Mann and freestyle MX.

I've seen modern freestyle MX at the Aussie F1 Grand Prix at ground level and found myself looking away...it legit looked like a massive accident unfolding in front of me then they just land it.

Insane.

I could get around a National track, a supercross track, a motoGP track and Isle of Man TT (be it significantly slower than those guys)…but watching Jarvis ride a 300 like a trials bike and Trials in general…there is no possible way I could even get through a trials course…it just plain boggles my mind…for me, it’s that.  
 

freestyle MX a close second…

Trials.

Isle of Mann.

Freeriding.

I could ride a SX track, National track, IOM TT course, Moto GP track, even Extreme enduro, albeit, considerably slower than the pros do. 

I couldn't do what Toni Bou does. I simply couldn't do it.

Watching Marc Marquez slide around and squaring up corners like no other on the track.

Pretty much this.  as a lifetime motocross racer.  I can imagine myself doing just about everything on a motorcycle.........except a backflip.  I could never imagine committing to one.  I remember when Carey Hart did both of his, I was like WOW! but when the Godfather boosted 2 large gaps in a row I knew Freestyle had changed forever and I wanted nothing to do with that.  Trix are 4 kidz

Maybe it’s the difference between a closed course and a public road, but I get a lot more nervous watching Isle of Mann than I do MotoGP. Both are doing insane shit on 2 wheels, but the Isle of Mann guys are a different breed. 

It all depends on what you consider "doing what the pros do"

I can ride a trials bike over small easy course. I can roll over a sx track. 

When you say you can't do what Toni bou. Just coz his course is gnarly. I think that's the equivalent of riding an sx track and saying you have to triple every obstacle. You cannot do it. 

Any1 can ride a road bike. But to say you have to hit that corner 5th flat to qualify for the motogp race. So watching the motogp guy you may not be able to comprehend how they are going so fast. But to say oh I can ride a road bike. Doesn't mean we can do what marquez can.

Yes 100% agree.

most Joe’s can do what the pros do, it’s just our limit is a lot lower level then their limit. 
 

You only really learn this when you share a track with a MXGP rider or equivalent in any sport & you directly compare. 

What makes Jett so impressive is his limit looks very comfortable to him, where as riders like Hampshire are crazy fast but you get the sense something could happen. 

Agreed, an inconsistent road surface (a literal road in this case) plus an extreme lack of run-off should be enough to make anyone nervous.

The initial margin for error being so small, before that lack of run-off becomes a major or even fatal issue, and the speed those crazy bastards go around it, is just insane.

It's like if putting in a genuinely fast lap at the modern Nordschleife was an 8, this is turning it up to 11.

After he turned laps at the isle of mann,  even Rossi said those guys were nuts.

Toni Bou in general and Casey Stoner turn 3 Phillip Island drifting at 160 Mph

Call me crazy or soft or whatever but I just can't get into an event where the expected norm is a few deaths every year. 

JH84 going round a rough lommel or valkensward. Boggles my mind seeing how he makes that look so easy.

For me it’s watching the likes of Billy Bolt and Graham Jarvis. I don’t understand how they make it looks so easy. 
 

And the guys that do fully backwards/upside down whips. How they can bring that back to 2 wheels blows my mind. If I get 3 degrees crooked in the air I land with a brown stain in my pants. 

Georges Jobe jumping over Andre Malherbe at Hawkstone Park. Was able to watch in person, just incredible to see for fans, first time in a 500cc GP it had been done.

 Georges being presented with my painting of photographer Nick Haskell’s iconic shot

I think, from  an outside looking in perspective, freestyle motocross, trials, and TT style road racing are probably tops. From the perspective of knowing a little bit about motorcycles and the riding of them, top level competition in any discipline is unfathomably and equally difficult.

I was showing people at work some onboard from the TT this year, a couple of them actually couldn't watch. Everyone's jaw hit the floor when a little headshake occurred.

Seeing that in person must have been other worldly, I'm jealous.