The geometry of road racers has evolved in several ways.
Typically, the old school bikes were weight biased toward the rear, more rear, less front.
They also had far less power to lay down through the rear contact patch.
Thus they could afford the luxury of rearward weight bias; the front end was reliable, solid, Gibralter.
Riders shifted weight to the front end as they went faster, to free up the rear to lay more power down and steer quicker.
With weight forward, then they could wash the front.
They had lighter but narrower wire wheels and tires . . . . great if you're stuck with low horsepower.
They had lots of trail and lazy head angles and often longer wheelbases.
The modern bikes shift weight to the front which allows the rear to lay down their far greater power.
The rider, when going fast, has to pay attention to both ends, all the time.
Wider cast/forged wheels allow a wider contact patch, also to lay down more power.
But, a wide wheel places more of the contact patch farther from the center line of the tire.
That demands more leverage for the rider, so wider wheels demand quicker steering.
So, they have less trail, steep head angles, and short wheelbases.
Wide wheels evolved together with technique, "hanging off" helps lever those wide wheels too - symbiosis.
Solid, as opposed to wire, wheels can handle side loads, riders stand up the bike, side load it and steer it like a car.
At the finish of a turn, the hang off keeps the weight low while they stand the chassis up and reverse counter steer.
The modern roadracer's typical crash is either a front end wash out or a high side initiated at the rear.
The get offs of yesteryear differed, typically a rear end wash out or a rear end wash out save that ended with a high side.
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