BSB: Haslam confident of hard tyre advantage

Leon Haslam is hoping the advantage he has shown on the harder option Pirelli rear tyre in recent rounds will give him the upper hand as racing gets underway at the penultimate round of the 2016 MCE British Superbike Championship tomorrow. 

The JG Speedfit Kawasaki man qualified third for tomorrow’s first race and has been in the mix throughout the weekend despite suffering from throttle connection and engine braking issues once again. 

With temperatures relatively low at the Dutch circuit, Haslam is confident his advantage with the hard option rear tyre, as shown when he took three dominant race wins at Oulton Park last month, will help him claw back some of Shane Byrne’s 27-point series lead.

TOP STORIES

• Video: 14 years since the legendary 2002 WSB finale
• Husqvarna 701 gets updated engine for 2017
• New BMW K1600GTL spied
• Insurance comparisons with this Triumph Rocket III
• Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide first ride

He told MCN: “We’ve been having quite a lot of problems with the throttle connection and engine braking, but even with those issues we’ve always been in the top three so I think once we solve them it should be a lot better.”

“As race strategies and tyre choice go, I’m fairly happy we just need to solve these issues. We can’t get the soft tyre to work but I’m not too concerned as I don’t think anyone can and at the same time I can still do 1’36 laps on a hard. 

“The chassis felt quite good in the wet but the problems we’ve been having with the electronics certainly didn’t help.”

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.