For the record, I’m from the generation that still gets amazed seeing motorcycles—any motorcycles—on television. I grew up in a time when motorcycles were completely absent from TV. Because of that, I can’t bring myself to complain about the level of coverage the sport gets today; I remember all too well what it was like to have no coverage at all.

So, to see the three Hayden brothers sitting on the couch next to Jay Leno last night on The Tonight Show? Surreal. Truly stunning.

It’s been a banner year for the Hayden family in the mainstream spotlight—Nicky appeared on both The Today Show and The Tonight Show, had a full-page ad in USA Today celebrating his USGP win, and even got a mention in People Magazine.
In the bigger picture, though, all this attention raises a question: is this a fleeting trend where young, good-looking, personable motorcycle racers are momentarily in vogue? Or are we witnessing a slow, seismic shift in how the American mainstream sees roadracing and its athletes?

History urges caution. Back in 1988, many believed that Pepsi’s sponsorship of the Suzuki GP team marked the last barrier falling between motorcycle racing and a true mainstream breakthrough. But that wasn’t the case—today, outside-industry sponsors (that aren't tobacco-related) are even rarer than they were in the late '80s. Time, as always, will tell.

In 1993, I asked my kinda-friend and fellow motorcycle enthusiast Jay Leno if there was any chance of having then-world champion Kevin Schwantz on The Tonight Show to talk about his title and Grand Prix racing. Leno asked his producers, who reportedly wanted to know only one thing: “Is he a jumper like Evel Knievel? Can he do those stunts on the show? If yes, maybe. If not, no."

As Leno confided at the time:

“Look, let’s say I went in there and demanded that they put Kevin on the show. Even if I did that, they still would not do it.”

So yes—times have changed.

Whether this marks a brief moment in the spotlight or the beginning of something lasting, one thing is certain: motorcycle racing has rarely looked better to the outside world. And for now, that’s worth celebrating.