TAZ MAC’S TAKE…
British Supersport champ Tarran Mackenzie knows a thing or two about racing a Supersport bike, so what does he think of the series?
FB: What made you want to go into supersport?
TM: For me, I’m not the tallest or biggest guy in the world so it seemed like the right step from stock 600 – it would’ve been a bit too big of a step to go to a 1,000cc straight away. I figured a supersport bike would be easier and more manageable, and I thought maybe with a good showing it would be the best route try and progress to the world stage, like Sam Lowes did. It worked out well for him.
FB: When you jumped on one it just clicked straight away. How?
TM: Between me and you, I don’t understand really, it just felt nice to ride! Yeah, they’re a little faster but even so, I’d say they’re almost easier to ride, as they have bits like the Motec electronics and a quickshifter. I was lucky it was the same sort of riding style actually, as I didn’t do much testing but I managed to get out at the first round and finish second which was cool.
FB: What’s a supersport bike like to ride compared to a superbike, and what do you prefer?
TM: Pft, they’re massively different! The power, the way to set it up, the way to ride… it’s crazy. I definitely prefer a superbike now, but when I first jumped on I thought it was just stupidly fast…
FB: And what’s the best way to ride a supersport bike?
TM: Exactly the same as a 600 stocker really! It’s strange, but the Kawasaki and Yamaha were very different to ride: the Kawasaki was happiest ridden like a thousand, so brake deep and late and then fire it out – I did my very best to imitate Kenan Sofuoglu in that respect. The R6 on the other hand felt easier to ride, with a little more front end feel, and was happiest when carrying the corner speed through.
FB: How did it set you up for Moto2, and how different was that class?
TM: Unfortunately, Moto2 was completely different as it had so many variables. In Supersport you have a front fork and a rear shock to mess about with, whereas in Moto2 you can change everything: Chassis, swingarms, forks, tyres – even the geometry of the bike. I found that jumping from Supersport to Superbike is actually better, and even jumping from Moto2 to Superbike was actually easier in all honesty!
FB: Do you feel it’s almost slightly pointless then, as a class?
TM: Absolutely not. As a stepping stone, for close racing and for some great battles on fun bikes you can’t beat it. For me personally, it was great as it opened up some big doors, and then from World Supersport or BSB you can then progress even further. The world needs Supersport racing!