Hello again....

Just less than two weeks before the season kicks off & I thought it was about time dust off the old blog and catch up with how it’s all going in the land of superbike.

Well….. Testing has certainly been an eye-opener…

The first outing was down in the south of Spain at Cartagena in mid-February. It was the 1st time I’d been on a bike since the final world supersport race at Magny Cours back in October & I want to point out my 1st ride on anything larger than a 600!

No amount of training in the gym really works you in the same as a race bike does, especially one that kicks out over 200 horse power.

Initial thoughts on the bike were:

1. Its an animal
   
2. The straights suddenly got shorter
   
3. Front tyre wear isn’t an issue – its always in the air
   
4. Underpant wear may be high this year?
   

It’s a very different challenge to anything I’ve raced before.
When I moved from 125 to 250, and 250 to Supersport, the change in riding style was minimal, and I could get away with running the same lines, opening the throttle in the same place, with a similar angle of lean. But try to do anything like that with a superbike and its ready and waiting to set you straight with a one way flight ticket to the gravel trap - and its not 1st class.

By the end of the test, complete with popped blisters, I was starting to make friends with the bike, we’re definitely on first name terms but a good amount of respect is still required.

With the Dunlop tests at Albacete, then onto Valencia it’s was a flat out dash back to sunny Snetterton & I’ve been clocking the miles. But it’s clear that it’s still taking me time to click with the bike – even more so when I go to a different track that throws up new erm… "Challenges". I still have to think about my riding – the style of slower mid corner to stand the bike up for a good exit isn’t quite natural… but is coming.

My team are also new to superbike and are also learning, but with advice from SMR Racing (who built and raced the bike in 06) we’re definitely going the right direction.

The best thing about it, is it’s a fresh start & after a few years on supersport has fired us all up again

With a bit of luck I hope to get in a few more laps before brands? That first round is going to push our learning even further – all going well me and the bike will be getting on well & on each others Christmas card lists come the race!

The intention this year is definitely to update the blog a whole lot more than 2006 so call again soon……..

TT