2004 Superbike Track Test

Acceleration testing proved to be nearly as tight as the battle for top-speed honors, with one notable exception. I struggled to get a strong launch with the hydraulic clutch on Honda's CBR, the only non-cable clutch in the group. The high-rpm starts required for a good run caused an intense lurch as the clutch plates grabbed all of a sudden, foiling several of my limited amount of runs. A corrected time of 10.43 at 146 mph isn't hanging about, but it is about three-tenths off the pace.

And what a pace it is: three bikes separated by just seven-thousandth of a second! The interesting thing is that each pulled off its run in a manner distinct from the others.