ERGONOMICS

Getting the bike to fit the rider is just as important as set-up. Specific for Mlav, there are zero offset ’bars and the very strange humpy seat (there to push back on and then sit on top of on the straights) which is now the 10th incarnation of the season. The tank is the same as Guintoli and Lowes used in WorldSBK in 2016, and has been shaped to suit Michael – it’s a bit tatty and looks rather rudimentary, but it works. The footrests are all Lightech and utilise the standard rear master cylinder – neither rider uses a thumb brake, and Mlav reckons he overused it (scrubbed too much speed off) when running one.