Imitation game
E verything looks so much easier from the sidelines: wheelies, rolling burnouts, pub fights. And the same goes for hustling a superbike. I was at Cadwell Park recently to watch the spectacle that is British Superbikes, and found myself among the folks critiquing the slower riders: “What are they doing out there? I could ride faster than that!” Of course you could, mate, if you found a big dollop of talent and lost five stone. In truth, riding any bike at that level of competition is ruthlessly difficult… it’s just that these guys make it look easy. How do I know this? Well, I spent six years trailing around mid-pack in the BSB circus, perfecting my excuse book, which was out in force the day after Cadwell BSB when Fags and I pulled off the most blinding of blags to ride Michael Laverty’s McAms Yamaha R1 superbike around the aforementioned circuit. And it scared the crap out of me.
I’ve ridden countless laps of Cadwell, on countless steeds of all sizes, but my sojourn on the big Yam, with all of its 225 ponies, was something else. My brain was taxed to the limit; incapable of calculating the vicious speed at which one corner morphed into the next. It was nothing short of mesmerising, especially when compared to the otherwise brilliant Yamaha R1M we were riding simultaneously and comparing it against. But I’ll leave Al to go into the intricacies of those differences in this issue’s cover test.
In a complete contrast of speed, I’ve also been racing in Indonesia this month in the Suzuki Asian Challenge on diddy GSX-R150s. According to BSB’s Taylor Mackenzie, who carried my bags on the trip, I could have done with a 250cc motor; you’ll find more of his insults and a load more of my excuses on page 54. Sticking with the small bike theme, for those interested in a belter of a beginner bike, you’ll also want to take in Pretty Boy Stevens’ launch review of the new GSX-R125 and its naked sibling, the GSX-S125. From what he’s told me, he had a lot of fun putting them through their paces.
It’s been another busy month, but that’s the nature of maximising the last few weeks of summer. It’s been a corker of a season so far, with many great memories having being made. I hope you can say the same. And if you can’t, get out there and do something about it. Take that trip, do that trackday, buy that trick part you want. Because, as wise folk have often said, you only regret the things you didn’t do. So get cracking while there’s still chance.