...In the grand scheme of things I might be exaggerating a bit on this one. It's more of a kink than a full-blown corner, but when the speedo needle is well past the 280kph (170mph) mark even a gentle bend takes some mastering. Ah, here we are...For the first real

use two fingers to brake and it's a fine line between having the lever too far out, so you can't put enough pressure on it, and too far in so your outside two fingers are getting trapped all the time. You're able to adjust this master cylinder finely

plan came to nothing, but the grand master of MotoGP had already publicly said that the racing is more exciting on those big old production-bike armchairs than in rarified MotoGP.Rossi is the prototype series’ greatest asset, biggest crowd

trademarks to MV Agusta including a removable 6-speed gearbox and a slipper clutch which assures precise control even during the most violent braking manoeuvres. The electronic management system has been continuously evolved, the traction control employs a

Clutch: Wet multi-plateGearbox: Constant mesh six-speedOil capacity: Four litresChassisFrame: Twin-spar aluminium beamSwingarm: Single-sided cast aluminium with shaft driveFront wheel: Cast aluminium five-spoke 17 x 3.5inRear wheel: Cast aluminium five

lovely deep purring sound while the seating position, which initially feels odd with its highish pegs and short reach to the bars, isn’t too uncomfortable. Hell, even the clutch is light. Fair play, even at slow speeds you can feel how terrible the brakes

watching. My first lap took the whole 10-minute session. Next time round and with the patience and encouragement of the instructors, things began to come together. I managed to master (kind of) the throttle, keep the bike rolling at a constant speed

, and you sacrifice speed and open the door to an inside pass over the hill. Even if you make it into the braking zone down into MG first, that means very little. The hairpin right rewards courage and brutality in equal measure, and is even tolerant towards

on the sidewall, and check it's seated properly on the rim all the way round - and the tyre must be the correct speed rating for the bike and not marked 'Not for Road Use'. Check for cuts and damage to the sidewall and tread area, and make sure it's at the correct

.5 kilometers of Assen's once glorious track at maximum speed before the race on Saturday.That Old Black MagicAt least there are still a few sections left of the venerable circuit which still recall just how mighty a track Assen once was. With the old North Loop