2008 Kawasaki Zx14 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Simon and Leo

If you are a track day regular this year, you may well have bumped into former racer and friendly Kiwi, Simon Crafar. I first met him in Malaysia in 1990 when he was riding for a Yamaha dealer team, sweating his way round circuits like Shah Alam and Johor Bahru but with a long term plan to make it onto the World scene. And he didn’t take long as after riding for Honda in the UK in 1992 he moved to WSB in 1994 and enjoyed success with both the Honda and Kawasaki factory teams.

Video: Riding the 2011 MSS Kawasaki ZX-10 Superbike racer

A long time ago a man – some would say living legend – taught me how to ride a speedway bike. In Scandinavian tinged English he told me that the heart of riding a speedway bike was the relationship between my heart and the centre nut of the top yoke. Like a primitive cave dweller, he beat his heart with his fist while he explained this theory whilst his other hand gripped the top yoke.

The Best Racetrack You’ve Never Heard Of

Last week I had the opportunity to ride one of the best tracks in the world, but you’ve probably never heard of it. It’s called the Autopolis International Racing Course and is located in northern Kyushu, Japan, a 90-minute bus ride from the nearest city, Kumamoto. Autopolis is a wonderfully flowing, 2.9-mile track that rises and falls like a symphonic overture, with inclines that range up to 7.2% uphill, 10% downhill.