Back on Two-Wheels after the Crash

Hey! I'm back on two wheels but admittedly not in quite the sense that I'm craving. My neck collar came off three weeks ago, and that means that I'm allowed to ride my pushbike, but sadly, still not the Suzuki GSX-R1000. That's still a few more weeks away, and in the hands of the consultant at Bumrungrad Hospital's rather good fracture clinic.

In the meantime, one human power will have to do. It's good training, and I'm pleased to find my fitness level return quickly. I can only average about 30km/h and so far, the fastest I've been is 60km/h. That's unlikely to be enough to keep my motorcycling skills sharp.

Time in the saddle of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 is what will really count, so I'm doing what I can now so that it's ready for a high-speed assault before the big rains come down. As I remember, it's about fast enough to create its own climate. The weather so far has been glorious, and as good as you could hope for enjoying late-season thrills on a sportsbike.

Tires are always critical to enjoying your sportsbike, and the right set can make your bike capable of riding the whole year – if you don't mind to get wet.

The Dunlop Qualifier currently adorning the Suzuki GSX-R1000 are brilliant as a fast road and trackday tire, and they perform acceptable in poorer condition too. Now it's time for something different and hopefully even more versatile.

I haven't spent much time on the Pirelli Diablo Corsa III, so I'm putting that right now. The GSX-R1000 has run on Bridgestones, Michelins, Metzelers, and Dunlops so far, so a set of Pirellis is due. The Diablo Corsa III is a fast road/track tire like the others I've used before, so it's an ideal comparison. Unusually, it's only dual compound at the rear, as Pirelli claims that a single rubber is all you need at the front. We'll see how it goes back-to-back with key rivals soon.