Shane Byrne’s opening-round struggles might have raised a few eyebrows in the MCE Insurance British Superbike paddock – but ahead of round two at Thruxton he insists a slow start was par for the course.
As a two-time former champion Byrne was inevitably installed as one of the pre-season favourites heading into the season opener at Brands Hatch on Easter weekend.
With the Kent circuit a home round for the Sittingbourne rider, plus the pair of the podium finishes he bagged there last year, to end up in seventh was a shock for Byrne and his backers alike.
However, despite admitting his embarrassment at being so far off the pace the 35-year-old has been quick to offer some mitigating circumstances – his off-season switch from Honda to Kawasaki machinery, the rule changes plus the Kent Bank Holiday downpours.
And so while Byrne is anxious to get back to the sharp end this weekend there’s been no reaching for the panic button in the Paul Bird Motorsport camp.
“This year the bike is very different from last year so it will take a bit of time to get used to,” he added. “The superbike is not so super anymore and to be fair the regular riders on the roads have got better machines than ours in a way.
“Comparing this year’s Kawasaki to last year’s Honda is very difficult and so it takes a bit of getting used to and it is hard.
“But I am really enjoying riding the Kawasaki. With the way the rules are I still want to win every race.”
Byrne was far from the only rider to suffer on an abridged opening day’s racing at Brands Hatch with 2011 champion Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty – who ended the campaign fourth – both crashing out.
Their struggles contributed to Samsung Honda’s Jon Kirkham second-ever BSB victory – a result that Byrne could see the positives in.
“Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty falling in the first race took a bit of pressure off me. I certainly didn’t want to come and finish down in seventh, that was dreadful,” he added.
“But watching some of the guys who will probably be up there like Michael Laverty and Tommy Hill go down I ended up thinking it wasn’t too bad.”