MCE British Superbike series leader Shane Byrne is determined to be back on the podium top step at this weekend’s Assen round and says he needs to find something to beat the in-form Ryuichi Kiyonari.

Byrne hasn’t won a race since Knockhill and saw his massive points advantage trimmed to just 26 over Josh Brookes under the Showdown rules. The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki man is well aware that one non-finish means his lead is wiped out.

"We have a 26 point advantage but that is nowhere near enough at this point of the season. We did the best we could during the Main Season so we were ready for the Showdown, but 26 points in reality is just one mechanical issue or one slip off - a few average results and then both Josh and Kiyo will be snapping at my heels,” said Byrne.

"Our focus is on improving the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki a little bit and for me to try and find whatever it is we need to find to start beating Kiyo. He has come on really strong in the last few rounds and in some ways I felt a bit unlucky not to have won a race at Donington Park, but we are there in the wet and the dry so if we can continue that form into the end of the season and hopefully sneak a win or two or six, or the seven races we have left, then that would be fantastic.

"It will be cool to be back at Assen, especially as a few of us got to test there the other week and it was a beautiful day. It was a good chance for us to fire a few things in that we wouldn't have been able to try at an event. We tried some stuff that we can work with and hopefully we can jump back up on the top step there and do some winning again because that is what we come racing for.”