ON TRACK...HONDA FIREBLADE RR-R SP

To kick things off, I decided the Fireblade would be the weapon of choice to get my senses sharpened and the ball rolling for this year's Ultimate Sports Bike track test.

- TIM NEAVE

I'd been using this very Fireblade SP for a couple of recent track guide videos we've made for the Fast Bikes YouTube channel, so I was somewhat familiar with its characteristics and figured it would be best to get up to speed with the Michelin Power Slick 2s and Donington Park before letting rip on the other rocket ships.

My first impression of the Honda was that it felt fantastic straight out the box. The connection with the newly-resurfaced Donington Park tarmac was loaded with feel, and when you've got that sense of control and understanding of where the grip level is at, you can really have a lot of fun. The chassis is very precise, poised, and spoke to me in a way I immediately understood; where I looked, the bike went, and when I cracked the gas, I could feel the rear tyre and build in the throttle with confidence.

I say it was fantastic straight out of the box, but I'd better add that I had fiddled with the electronic rider settings the week before when I'd been riding the bike, and this had massively improved the performance.