(27-05-2016, 09:39 PM)tigerted Wrote: Alfie interesting you mention you have done a bit of spannering as yesterday I met a fella who supposedly as raced the TT, he seemed genuine enough, and he was telling me how crucial getting the bike set up is for the rider. So given that would you say that plays as big a part as having a powerful engine.

Without a doubt Tigerted, having trust in how the bike responds to the rider's input I would say is more important than absolute horsepower, a lot of bhp will get you to a certain level/speed but only a machine that you can trust in that last few inches of road will take you further. Bruce knows exactly where he's going on a lap but as yet the bike doesn't and it will respond differently in the same place on the road the faster he goes, using more speed, lean angle and throttle etc than the lap before for any rider will always result in a different machine response and the amount of road used in doing so, one of the most important things on high speed road courses is getting the bike to change direction with precision at high speed over ripples, bumps etc, the big gyroscopic effects and big rider input(standing on the pegs/pushing and pulling hard on the bars) involved are something that you only get to practice on the course once a lap, there isn't any simulation or test track for this but Padgetts/Bruce's previous experience/knowledge is a very good starting point, another example is JMcG, i've seen his Honda is up to 10mph down on the BMW's / Kawasaki's past the pits but he looks ever so comfortable in racing terms elsewhere you see him on the course and the lap speed is the product of this. Clive and Bruce look like a perfect package with the riders feedback and team support/knowledge, they also get on together on a personal level too which is a definite bonus.