MSS Colchester Kawasaki have this morning confirmed that Michael Rutter and Peter Hickman will ride for them in this year's British Superbike Championship.
As the regulations change to restrict electronics, MSS team boss Nick Morgan chose two riders who he believes will make good use of their riding and throttle control skills. Rutter is world renowned for his sublime riding skills in wet, tricky conditions while Hickman has only ever experienced traction control once, which he used turned down to a low level.
“I’m really looking forward to getting on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R for 2012, I know the power is good and having watched the riders clocking up podiums last year, I could see the whole machine is a good package. I also think the new ‘Ten’ is a good bike for UK tracks with the way it steers," said Rutter.
“It’s true when I rode for Nick in 2007 we struggled a bit with set-up but the bike is completely different now and to be fair to them it was MSS’s first go in the main BSB class, whereas now they have great pedigree and are a much stronger team all round.
“I do like Nick, we go back a long way and I know I’ll be able to get on with the job without all the messing around too. In terms of expectation it’s hard to say how it will all work but my aim is to get into that top six Showdown and by then I know we’ll be firing on all four cylinders. Then with the way the points work- anything could happen. I can’t wait to get out on the new bike and show there’s still some life in the old dog yet!”
Hickman added: “I’ve been talking to Nick for a couple of years but it came together for 2012 over the winter and I’ve got to say I’m really chuffed to be with such a professional team. I keep coming back to Kawasaki; I won the Superstock Cup in 2004 on one and raced one again in Superstock in 2005 before two years on the Hawk Kawasaki bike in 2006-7 with some really good results in the first year.
"The new rules in BSB should maybe close the gap between the very top riders and the rest of the field but I’m sure it will still be the same faces up the front. That said, I haven’t got to re-learn anything as I only experienced traction control for the first time last season and even then had it running in the background rather than using it properly."
