With no tyre warmers fitted, away we went for the first session on the BATT’s (still with road pressures of 2.4bar front and 2.7bar rear). As with the road, a couple turns in and the tyres were heating up nicely giving me the confidence to push, only after 1 lap of warming them up putting my initial hesitancy to rest. We took the first session to get to grips with the bikes, tyres and track.

After dropping the tyre pressures (2.2bar front and 1.7bar rear) we soon headed out of the pitlane once again. This time we did numerous laps at pace. As you do on a KTM, the traction control was disabled, meaning that the full amount of power and torque would be pulsating through the new Hypersport rear tyre. I always feel sorry for any tyre fitted to a Superduke as it’s bound to be subjected to ridiculous amounts of abuse and torture. Having said that the front wheel is seldom on the ground on a Superduke, but even so, we did manage to push it hard through the tight and twisty layout that is Midvaal.

The front feeling was solid, stable and responsive both under hard braking and mid-corner at full lean angle. Not one slip or tuck from the front tyre which cannot be said for the rear as I had it sliding into and out of corners as you do a Superduke with all aids turned off.

Acceleration was beastly out of corners thanks to the grip that the BATT’s were offering and so was mid-corner edge grip. I found myself scraping my knee and bits of the KTM, testament to grip being offered by the UHPs.

So having been abused both out on the road and track, and put up against the well established Metzeler Racetech RR’s we can happily say that the BATT UHPs are on par. Where they will no doubt be better is the price department and the fact that they will be available in three different compounds (SS, S, M). We had on test here the 200/55 rear which will be coming in along with a 180 and 190.