Favourite Laverda 1000 3cE and I might as well tell it, now:
Back in ’83, having spent the day hooning round Goodwood, I was on my way to spend the following day hooning round Cadwell Park. As I journeyed up the A1 at a respectable, post Track Day clip, I spotted a bike coming up from behind. SOP, I trimmed back to 70 mph, and clocked that it was a Kawasaki GPZ900, the recent “fastest production bike” taking that “honour” from the Jota. Usual come on, roll on the throttle in fifth, he bites, drop a gear and get after him, he definitely had an edge in acceleration but, to my surprise and even more to his, I began to reel him in on top speed. Not by much, 3-5 mph, so I wasn’t going to roll off until I had pulled past him. Afterwards, we pulled into a petrol station. He reckoned he was indicating 155 when I went past him.