Kiwi Rider August Vol.1 2023 | Page 63

Taupo is one I won ’ t forget in a while - my arms still haven ’ t forgotten it either . Coming into the pits I couldn ’ t wipe the smile off my face ; body full of adrenaline , a buzz that gives me goosebumps just thinking about it . Heading home after just two sessions on the bike , I had some good time during the week to process and understand the weekend . Firstly , I definitely knew I had my work cut out on the big bike , but I was up for the challenge . Secondly , I don ’ t think people understand just how much of a jump it is to a Superbike from a 600cc machine . I can feel I almost have to teach myself how to ride all over again - almost double the horsepower and it kinda feels like double the input as a rider . These bikes need to be taken very seriously .
ROUND 2 - MANFEILD Rolling up to Manfeild for round two I was feeling a little more at ease - I now had an idea of what to expect . That said , I was still gobsmacked at just how fast the bike is . That first session really changed my idea of the track ; the big long straights of Manfeild were no more . On a 600 this is a track where there ’ s usually a lot of time to decide your next move . On the 1000 , there ’ s constant slide from the back wheel , to keep you occupied . The weekend was quite tough for me , trying to find a setup that worked , but I guess that should be expected . Mixed weather conditions and a lot of out of the seat moments kept me on my toes , but I was happy enough with how it all went . I took P8 overall for the weekend , which I was happy with .
HEADING SOUTH FOR A PODIUM On the S1000RR we are lucky enough to have a Motec dash , which gives us access to all kinds of data like suspension travel , wheel spin , lean angle , traction control , engine braking , just to
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