BERMUDA’S top 600cc racing biker is currently testing himself against some of America’s finest riders.Paul DeCouto has been alternating between blazing around the Southside track and sharpening his skills on the US circuit where he has quickly leapt from novice to expert status in the Superbike class.

DeCouto started off in the amateur ranks as he quickly had to get used to the 170 mph speeds.

“Here (in Bermuda) we peak on a 100 mph. That was what I was concerned with — how would I handle the speeds?”

But even before mid-season he has been bumped up to expert category after just a handful of races including on the VIR track in north Virginia and Summit Point near Baltimore.

DeCouto, who heads off again next week to Barber International Raceway, Alabama with colleague Jevaughn (Squirrel) Simons, 23, said: “I did one race as an expert and was in midpack.”

That’s no mean feat when some of the riders include AMA Superbike ace Robert Jensen and Jeff Wood, who runs his own roadracing school where DeCouto takes a Bermuda group every year to boost their skills.

It has proved invaluable training for DeCouto who said ‘target fixation’ was the vital skill for the rider who wanted to stay on his bike and in the race.

Put simply it’s about looking where you are going. Sounds obvious, but it’s more difficult to do when there is so much going on.

He said: “When there is a crash you don’t want to look at the crash because you will end up crashing too. It’s crazy how it works.

“Here at the lower speeds it’s not so important but out there, I had one point I was right out on the edge of the track as I went to overtake a bike.

“I started looking at the grass preparing for myself coming off the track. Then I remember what he said: ‘Look where you want to go’.

“It’s a good lesson for anything in life but instead of looking at the grass I turned my head slightly and looked down the track where I wanted to go. If I hadn’t I probably would have crashed.

“I am doing 170 mph — at that speed you want to be on that asphalt. With that ten degree difference of where I was looking the bike just slowly pulled right back in.

“My instant reaction was to lean and pull the bike over but all I needed to do was look where I wanted to go.

“It’s the same if you see patches in the track or a pothole — be aware of where it is but don’t look at it or you will hit it.”

DeCouto said the higher speeds are exhilarating. “You are racing with a lot more people too, the grids out there are up to 80 bikes.”

He said the higher level was safer with riders who knew what they were doing. “They are not going to make any silly, sudden lane changes.”

DeCouto, 37, began racing overseas two years ago and now keeps a bike over there. It’s an expensive sport although he is sponsored by the family business CycleCare and the firm also pays for a different Bermudian rider to accompany him each time and get track experience.

Winning isn’t so likely — the main goal is to stay safe and have fun.

But there’s plenty of glory on the home front for DeCouto.

Currently leading 600 cc races at Southside at midpoint in the season having just come first and second in the latest round of racing at the weekend, DeCouto is honest enough to admit he was an illegal pack racer back in the day.

“Now I have taken to a safer thing. On the track you don’t have to worry about cars pulling out in front of you, there are no light posts.

“So to the kids who do that — we have the track now. Everyone is going in the same direction. It doesn’t make sense, getting out there and putting your life in jeopardy.”