Recently Kawasaki Riders
Club members were given a chance to ask their Superbike heroes some questions.
From the hundreds of brilliant, funny – and sometimes left field – questions five
lucky winners were selected and their questions put to a brace of the most
popular, long-serving and successful Superbike riders to have ever swung a leg
over a Ninja, Shane “Shakey” Byrne and Chris “The Stalker” Walker. Here is what
they said:
Adrian Knight asked:
“What are the happiest memories of your career so
far, and also which memories would you most like to forget!? Also, who would you say is the toughest rider
you have raced against?”
Shane Byrne Answered:
“Well, that’s three questions in one LOL, I’d love
to say my happiest memories of my career are yet to come!! Winning my 1st race,
my Brands Hatch WSB double and last year’s final round are pretty high up there
though!!
Double Brands Win |
In terms of lows (not Lowes – ha ha), 2000 was a
pretty bad year, I got hurt bad a lot that year, a broken back and a split
liver in two separate crashes!!!
Toughest rider, not too sure to be honest, I think
if you’re a clean rider you get ridden cleanly against. I remember Ruben Xaus
trying to stripe me a couple of times, a BIG block pass put paid to that, what
goes around comes around!!!
Xaus comes off second |
Chris
Walker’s response:
Happiest memory? Easily the World Superbike Win at
Assen. Pouring rain and went off just after the start. It was a fairy tale
race. I literally rode from last to first having just got engaged to Rachel the
week before!
Time to forget? My time on the Shell Advance Honda
in 500GP's – too many maybe’s and too many disappointments to make up for the excitement
of being in GP’s.
A time to forget |
Toughest rider? So many people think they are tough
but it’s a tough business anyway so it takes something special to stand out as being
exceptional. For my money, the “never give up” attitude of Troy Bayliss stands out. Whatever he rode, he rode it to win… and who
can forget him coming out of retirement and winning a MotoGP race – now that’s tough!
Bayliss is super tough |
Simon
Lee was keen to find out what advice the pair of Kawasaki veterans had for
those just starting out saying: If someone
was starting out in competitive racing what would be the best advice you could
give them from your own wealth of experience?'
Chris
Walker is typically enigmatic saying: “I now work with young up & coming
racers at the Chris Walker Race School. The advice I always give them is you
have to be prepared to lose to win. It’s a learning curve, I am still learning….
If I don’t qualify well, or do as well in the race as I expected to, I don’t
just turn my back, I analyse it and learn from it.
Shakey
is more succinct commenting:
“I
guess you have to have a dream and follow it. Listen to only those you know and
trust because all paddocks are full of know it all’s that are full of sh*t!!
A welcome question from David Cook who wanted to know: Of
all the great motorcycle riders, which one would you like to have raced
against?'
Considering his
light the blue touch paper style – no surprise that Shakey nominates all action
hero and recent Suzuka 8 Hour returnee, Kevin Schwantz.
Schwantz never gave up |
For Chris Walker
the chance to reflect on one of the highlights of his brief 500cc GP career: “Rossi...&
I have! He is a legend!
Stalker has raced the greats |
Still
on the subject of past glories Alan
Pucknell asked 'If there is one race in your career that you could go back and
race in again, for whatever reason, good or bad, which one would it be?'
With
his own memories of GP’s (after a stint in the early MotoGP paddock) Shane Byrne
nominated a memorable Italian round saying:
“Mugello Moto GP
2004. I got up to 4th place right behind some Italian guy called Valentino. I
tried too hard and made a big mistake at the final turn and dropped to 10th at
the finish, still in the points but not where I should have ended up:
Byrne had a year in MotoGP |
If anyone thinks
Chris Walker would give an answer other than this then they might as well pack
up and go home:
Donington British
Superbikes 2000 - last round, last race... All I needed was a valve spring
retainer to last another five laps & I would have been British Superbike Champion.
What would I change? Simple: I'd make sure the modified updated ones that
Suzuki sent us the week after were already fitted!
The final question for our racing legends Patrick
Mead asked about the ever-present issue of rider safety:
But for a broken spring eh... |
'While we
all accept racing can be dangerous and no one likes to see riders get hurt, if
there was one thing you could change to help protect riders what would it be?'
Pragmatically,
Shane Byrne reflected on the modern pressures of racing saying:
“I'd
take away the pressure riders get put under to return too quickly whilst still
injured, it's a cut throat business racing bikes, the second your off your bike
someone else will be back handily trying to get on it”
And,
for Chris Walker, the amusing yet wholly understandable plea for riders to
have:
“Free
BUPA private health care”
With
thanks to:
Simon
Lee, Patrick Meads, David Cook ,Alan Pucknell and Adrian Knight. Plus, of
course, Shane “Shakey” Byrne and Chris “Stalker” Walker
Kawasaki Riders Club
Kawasaki Riders Club
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