John Reynolds: PH2 Meets
PH2 talks GSX-Rs with John Reynolds, three times BSB champion and GSX-R1000 development rider
"Three, although it is a bit controversial. BSB claim I only have two but I'm three times British Superbike Champion. I won the 1992 title on a Kawasaki ZXR750, 2001 on the Ducati 996 and 2004 on the Suzuki GSX-R1000. I was also the first person to win a BSB race on an in-line four 1,000cc bike, Brands Hatch 2002, which was quite an achievement as we struggled like hell with the Suzuki to start with."
John helped turn the GSX-R into a winner
"I won the championship on the Ducati in 2001 and a magazine set up a comparison test between the two bikes at Rockingham circuit. I did 10 or 12 laps on the Ducati and then jumped on the GSX-R that James Haydon had been developing for Crescent. At that point I realised just how much work we had to do to turn the Suzuki into a championship contender... The GSX-R1000 was all top end power and I actually learned to ride it by following my team mate, Karl Harris, who was progressing up from a 600. Where on the Ducati you hit the apex and drove out on the torque, due to the Suzuki's the lack of mid-range you had to start turning the power on before the apex, a bit like a two-stroke."
What turned it into a championship winning bike?
"Mid-range. We stopped chasing horsepower and developed some mid-range and tractable power. Then Suzuki released the K3, which was a smaller bike and suited me better as I'm not the tallest of blokes. Right from the word go we were on it, but unfortunately I broke my collar bone at the opening round of the season and gave Shakey the edge. That put pay to the 2003 season and at the start of 2004, Paul Denning said to me 'John, you can't win the championship on the first race of the year, but you can lose it.' We had a great season and I took the first in-line four BSB title. 2005 didn't end quite as well."
Why did your career end?
"The 2005 season started badly as I broke my leg in testing, but we finished well and going into the last round at Brands Hatch, Paul called me and said he had a new contract ready for me to sign. I was up for it, but then I had a massive accident in practice and that was it."
You can meet John in his Suzuki ambassador role
"I was in a hospital bed and Paul came in to have a chat. He said 'what are we doing next year?' and I told him I was done. I was 41 and had spent a lot of time in hospital, which was hard for the family, so I decided to stop racing. Suzuki asked to retain my services as a brand ambassador and then I got asked to become one of the GSX-R development riders."
Which was the first GSX-R you helped develop?
"The GSX-R1000 K9, which had a new engine and chassis. We rode the prototype, which was pretty much a hand built machine, on the roads in Germany and also some tracks. We basically gave it a final shakedown to check everything was ok before it was put into production. I rode the K9 in 2008, so a year before it was released. The beauty of Germany is the fact it has autobahns, so no speed limits..."
You hammered it on the road?
"Oh yeah! It's a road bike and has to be ridden hard on the road so we gave it some stick. We had to check high speed stability, the lights, fuelling, suspension, handling, comfort, everything that matters to road riders. We rode it for two weeks in the end, it was a fascinating experience and I really enjoyed working with the guys who developed the bike."
Retirement hasn't been all pipe and slippers...
"The speedo doesn't go past 299kph! I was looking at the digital speedo and it wouldn't show 300kph, it was stuck on 299. I was sure the revs were still rising so I asked one of the designers and he told me it was the law that it couldn't show 300kph. He didn't seem at all concerned I was going that fast on the road... It was quite a buzz..."
Do you miss the buzz from racing?
"At first I did, but not now. Overtaking a lorry at 120mph when they are already doing 60mph is quite exciting, but I save that for rare occasions in Germany. I still love getting back on track and going fast, just without anyone timing me."
How hard are you riding the bike on track?
"You have to be careful as they stress you can't crash the prototype, but we ride them hard. We are on road tyres and road suspension, but I'm employed to ride the bike as hard as I can, so I try and tie it in knots and really put it through its paces. It is easier to reach the limits of a road bike than a race one. I also give feedback on how the road bike could be improved to help the race teams, whatever I can do to help the bike's development."
Do you test the competitor's bikes?
"Yes, we ride all of them."
What's you take on traction control and electronics?
"Electronics are certainly the way bikes are going, and as safety aids you can't argue against them. It's an extreme example, but just look what happened to Pedrosa when Marquez clipped his swingarm and broke his traction control. The highside was so violent. Race teams feed back their traction control development and it helps make road bikes safer, which can only be a good thing. You may not use traction control that much, but if your rear wheel hits a slippery surface it can save you."
Have you ever used a power mode button?
"During the development of the K9 I used it all the time, but even in my race days we used to turn the power of our bikes down on wet days. I remember racing at Knockhill and I had so much power I couldn't keep the front wheel on the ground up the hill, we actually turned down the power and I went faster. Power modes are very useful in damp conditions, both for road and race bikes."
"The biggest mistake of my life!" says Reynolds!
"Yes. 10 years ago I had launch control and that's was it, no traction control. It's amazing how far bikes have developed in 10 years. I'm sure the current GSX-R1000 road bike could win BSB races back in 2004, it certainly has the power and the chassis is more than good enough."
Do you ride much on the road?
"I do a lot of work with Suzuki and I ride on various rideouts and demo days for them. I still love getting out on two wheels."
Finally, what's the story behind the wing-walking picture of you?
"Ah, that one. It was on the Isle of Man, some PR thing. I was talking with the girls who usually do the walking and they said 'the leathers are fine but you don't want the helmet on'. I said 'If I'm on a wing I want everything I can get to protect me!' What I didn't realise is that on a bike at 200mph you have a fairing to hide behind, on top of a plane you have nothing! It damn nearly ripped my head off ... biggest mistake of my life."
If you want to catch up with John Reynolds, Suzuki is running several test ride days where as well as meeting John, you can ride a new Suzuki for free. The next event is at the Ponderosa Cafe on the Horseshoe Pass on June 1, then Whiteways Cafe in Bury Hill on July 6 and finally Squires Cafe on July 20. All you need to do is present both parts of your driving licence and as well as a test ride you will also get a free bacon roll! See www.suzuki-gb.co.uk.
John Reynolds had a particular stare that would put the chills through me; it was a sort of cold stare, like he's calculating the exact moment when to come past...and there is nothing that could be done.
I am long overdue to catch up with him and talk bikes n drums!
Steve (Mart's mate)
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