THE RACE PAD

GPFAX 447 HH

£67.65 per pair 1m 11.251 seconds

Just like a pair of old slippers, I felt right at home once the GPFAX pads had joined the party. They’re what I race on and having worked my way up to their fitment, I’d been reminded of exactly how good they were. Make no mistake, these are not aimed at the road market, or even the slower end of the track day scene; they’re the choice of those wanting to chase tenths at every opportunity, featuring a focused compound that requires a bit of heat to get it activated. If you’re not squeezing them hard enough, you simply won’t get the best of them, but when they’re in their zone, you don’t half know about it. The stopping power they offered was utterly brilliant, delivering loads of initial bite and faultless consistency, corner after corner, lap after lap. I rated the EPs highly, but with the GPs on board, rear end lifting started to happen and the odd bit of backing in. I had to recalibrate my lever pressure when trailing because being greedy with these pads would have seen me on my arse long before I made an apex. The whole track took on a different flow, allowing me to break deeper and harder, never struggling to get the big Suzuki hauled up in time. It meant I could concentrate on other areas of my riding, which was as much of a relief as anything. Yes, they wear a bit quicker (you’ll probably want a new set every two to three track days), but that’s an investment worth making. You won’t get better for the same price.