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“Big learning curve” at Donington test for one BSB rookie: “It can bite you”
Joe Talbot acknowledges he’s on a “big learning curve” at the start of his BSB career.
Joe Talbot feels he is one a “big learning curve” at the start of his BSB career this season, but feels his first official test at Donington went well as he adapts to a class that is “a big difference” compared to anything he’s raced before.
Talbot was due to step up to BSB in 2025 with the OMG team, but when it faced collapse before being rescued by Nitrous Competitions the Superbike spot was lost and Talbot ended up in British Supersport instead.
A year later and his debut BSB season is just a month away from starting at Oulton Park on 3–5 May having signed for the FS-3 team to ride one of its new Bimotas.
Talbot’s teammate for this year, Max Cook, topped the times at the end of the test. Cook’s speed seemed to leave Talbot slightly disheartened on day one of the test, team owner Nigel Snook said, but Talbot himself explained at the end of day two that, although he was around a second behind Cook’s benchmark, the Donington test was one to be content with.
“For sure, I was in a second of my teammate, and he was the fastest, so within a second of the fastest time isn’t too bad for my first outing, really,” Talbot told Crash.net after the final session at the Donington BSB test on 3–4 April.
“It’s a big difference, the Superbike, to any other class that I’ve rode in; you’ve got to stay on the ball, you’ve got to be concentrating every session, every lap, really, because the thing can bite you. So, a big learning curve for me.
“I’m a second off, so as a rider you know you’re a second off, but the reality is that that’s a good job for my first official test, so if I can keep improving – like, this [test] I’ve improved every session and that’s the way I want to keep on progressing.”
The test was not Talbot’s first time riding a Superbike at Donington, since he filled in for Lee Jackson at DAO Racing last September when there were four sprint-distance races.
On that weekend, Talbot was switching between Superbike and Supersport and had little time to understand the Superbike, something he’s been able to do so far in his 2026 preseason with Bimota.
“Last year I was in and out of racing Supersport and Superbike,” he said it.
“I did it, but obviously I was riding the Superbike incorrectly in areas, obviously I’d never rode one, and then I did that in between sessions – it was hard work.
“Did a good job, scored a couple of points that weekend, but the reality is I didn’t ride it correctly and if maybe the races were longer I would’ve used too much tyre and so on.
“So, the way I’m riding now is better than the way I was riding then – I’ve gone faster in these two days than I did then.
“My riding is still not there, but it’s good to see the bike can do it, which means it’s down to me. As a rider, that’s where you want to be.”
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Joe Talbot acknowledges he’s on a “big learning curve” at the start of his BSB career.
Joe Talbot feels he is one a “big learning curve” at the start of his BSB career this season, but feels his first official test at Donington went well as he adapts to a class that is “a big difference” compared to anything he’s raced before.
Talbot was due to step up to BSB in 2025 with the OMG team, but when it faced collapse before being rescued by Nitrous Competitions the Superbike spot was lost and Talbot ended up in British Supersport instead.
A year later and his debut BSB season is just a month away from starting at Oulton Park on 3–5 May having signed for the FS-3 team to ride one of its new Bimotas.
Talbot’s teammate for this year, Max Cook, topped the times at the end of the test. Cook’s speed seemed to leave Talbot slightly disheartened on day one of the test, team owner Nigel Snook said, but Talbot himself explained at the end of day two that, although he was around a second behind Cook’s benchmark, the Donington test was one to be content with.
“For sure, I was in a second of my teammate, and he was the fastest, so within a second of the fastest time isn’t too bad for my first outing, really,” Talbot told Crash.net after the final session at the Donington BSB test on 3–4 April.
“It’s a big difference, the Superbike, to any other class that I’ve rode in; you’ve got to stay on the ball, you’ve got to be concentrating every session, every lap, really, because the thing can bite you. So, a big learning curve for me.
“I’m a second off, so as a rider you know you’re a second off, but the reality is that that’s a good job for my first official test, so if I can keep improving – like, this [test] I’ve improved every session and that’s the way I want to keep on progressing.”
The test was not Talbot’s first time riding a Superbike at Donington, since he filled in for Lee Jackson at DAO Racing last September when there were four sprint-distance races.
On that weekend, Talbot was switching between Superbike and Supersport and had little time to understand the Superbike, something he’s been able to do so far in his 2026 preseason with Bimota.
“Last year I was in and out of racing Supersport and Superbike,” he said it.
“I did it, but obviously I was riding the Superbike incorrectly in areas, obviously I’d never rode one, and then I did that in between sessions – it was hard work.
“Did a good job, scored a couple of points that weekend, but the reality is I didn’t ride it correctly and if maybe the races were longer I would’ve used too much tyre and so on.
“So, the way I’m riding now is better than the way I was riding then – I’ve gone faster in these two days than I did then.
“My riding is still not there, but it’s good to see the bike can do it, which means it’s down to me. As a rider, that’s where you want to be.”
Joe Talbot feels he is one a “big learning curve” at the start of his BSB career this season, but feels his first official test at Donington went well as he adapts to a class that is “a big difference” compared to anything he’s raced before.
Talbot was due to step up to BSB in 2025 with the OMG team, but when it faced collapse before being rescued by Nitrous Competitions the Superbike spot was lost and Talbot ended up in British Supersport instead.
A year later and his debut BSB season is just a month away from starting at Oulton Park on 3–5 May having signed for the FS-3 team to ride one of its new Bimotas.
Talbot’s teammate for this year, Max Cook, topped the times at the end of the test. Cook’s speed seemed to leave Talbot slightly disheartened on day one of the test, team owner Nigel Snook said, but Talbot himself explained at the end of day two that, although he was around a second behind Cook’s benchmark, the Donington test was one to be content with.
“For sure, I was in a second of my teammate, and he was the fastest, so within a second of the fastest time isn’t too bad for my first outing, really,” Talbot told Crash.net after the final session at the Donington BSB test on 3–4 April.
“It’s a big difference, the Superbike, to any other class that I’ve rode in; you’ve got to stay on the ball, you’ve got to be concentrating every session, every lap, really, because the thing can bite you. So, a big learning curve for me.
“I’m a second off, so as a rider you know you’re a second off, but the reality is that that’s a good job for my first official test, so if I can keep improving – like, this [test] I’ve improved every session and that’s the way I want to keep on progressing.”
The test was not Talbot’s first time riding a Superbike at Donington, since he filled in for Lee Jackson at DAO Racing last September when there were four sprint-distance races.
On that weekend, Talbot was switching between Superbike and Supersport and had little time to understand the Superbike, something he’s been able to do so far in his 2026 preseason with Bimota.
“Last year I was in and out of racing Supersport and Superbike,” he said it.
“I did it, but obviously I was riding the Superbike incorrectly in areas, obviously I’d never rode one, and then I did that in between sessions – it was hard work.
“Did a good job, scored a couple of points that weekend, but the reality is I didn’t ride it correctly and if maybe the races were longer I would’ve used too much tyre and so on.
“So, the way I’m riding now is better than the way I was riding then – I’ve gone faster in these two days than I did then.
“My riding is still not there, but it’s good to see the bike can do it, which means it’s down to me. As a rider, that’s where you want to be.”
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