This video of a Suzuki Hayabusa rider trying to keep up with Guy Martin on a Honda Africa Twin shows you don’t need a powerful sports bike to go fast, just skill!
The YouTube video was posted yesterday by rider Justin Price in the “comedy” category after a Time Attack track day at Cadwell Park, UK, and has already had more than 20,000 views.
We only have Justin’s word that it was Guy and we’re not sure why guy would be at an amateur track day, but even if it isn’t him, this guy still can ride.
While we can’t see what tyres are on the adventure bike, we imagine they aren’t knobbies.
Amateur riders can learn a lot of skills by riding behind a talented rider such as this road racing Isle of Man veteran.
Skill lessons
Assuming it really is Guy, the first lesson is to be super-smooth.
He flows the bike through the corners with very little body movement or unsettling attitude on the bike itself.
Rather than hanging off like on his race bike, he sits upright and lets the bike do the work, although he still manages to get his knee down through the flip-flops.
(How many times do you see “boy racers” hanging off their bikes, but still going slow?)
This “Guy” doesn’t change his line in a corner nor miss an apex, unlike the trailing rider.
Although, there is one long double-apex right-hander where he does correct his line and even dab some mid-corner brake.
He also applies the brakes hard and gets off the brakes well before the apex, rather than trail braking through corners.
Guy is off the brake well before the apexBeing quick through the bends, he manages to get away even from the Hayabusa. It’s only on the long straights that the big Bus can reel him back in, not through skill, but power.
The Africa Twin has a 998cc parallel twin engine with 68kW of power and 95Nm of torque, as well as skinny tyres on a big 21-inch front rim and long-travel suspension.
That compares with the ‘Busa’s 1340cc four-cylinder engine, 146kW of power, 154N of torque, wide 17-inch rubber and stiffer suspension.
It proves that you don’t need power; you need skill to ride fast.
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What other skill can you learn from this video? Leave your comments below.