WSBK – WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez –

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WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

The main World Superbike teams – and a few from MotoGP too! – carry out this week their last tests of the year 2016 in the southern tip of Spain, in Jerez. BMW and Honda in particular have already lifted the camp…

For the Ducati Aruba team, the last tests of 2016 started this very morning: Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri will have three days ahead of them to test new parts on the official Panigale R and offer as much information as possible to engineers. from Bologna.

For the Kawasaki Racing Team, the final tests are in full swing: Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes are using this radiant day on Wednesday to test their new ZX-10RR. They stay put until Friday evening, but the weather forecast announces the return of the gray – and the rain? – for the next two days…

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

Thanks to the Jerez circuit website, we can also monitor posted by the two Ninjas, those of their great rivals red, blue, etc … as well as the times posted by some riders registered in MotoGP with whom they share the track !

Motorcycle speed fans thus have the rare opportunity to compare the lap times of pilots in these two "queen" categories. It is clear that the Superbikes derived from production models and Pirelli pavements are far from being ridiculous compared to MotoGP prototypes equipped with Michelin !

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

Like Ducati and Kawasaki, Yamaha and MV Agusta have dispatched their official team and riders to Jerez: Alex Lowes and Michael van den Mark work on the factory R1, Leon Camier works alone on the F4 RC. Site will relay their statements early next week.

At Aprilia Milwaukee, Eugene Laverty performs his – big? – return to the controls of the RSV4, a week after saying goodbye to the Grand Prix in Valence, this time at the controls of the Desmosedici () then of the RS-GP (). The Irish driver and his teammate Lorenzo Savadori got to know their new team (read their first reactions below).

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

For two WSBK teams, on the other hand, the "fall" tests ended yesterday (Tuesday) evening. At BMW Althea, Jordi Torres and Marcus Reiterberger, the two drivers 2016 – and 2017, although this is not formalized – were able to work on their S1000RR … and on their driving on wet, drying and then dry track !

At Honda Ten Kate, only Stefan Bradl was able to take the controls of the old version of the CBR1000RR Fireblade: "Nicky Hayden will be absent from the two-day winter test which will start for the Honda World Superbike team tomorrow at Circuito de Jerez in Spain ", regretted the Tokyo Reds on Sunday night…

"The 35-year-old American driver twisted his knee during a flat-track training session near Barcelona last Friday just after completing the season’s first winter test at MotorLand Aragón." Repatriated to the United States, the "Kentucky Legend" will finally be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family !

Superbike rider statements

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

Jordi Torres, BMW (last night):
“It’s always good to try out different parts because the riders can find different information and I can understand different parts of the bike. At the moment, I don’t know which is best, but we know how we have to. We may need more time with the Fortis swingarm, but at the moment both offer great performance. The Fortis swingarm is more beneficial to mechanics. It is faster to change the shock and it is easier for them to work with. But for my part, I need the swingarm that performs the best and not the one that allows for faster changes. ".

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

(Jordi Torres, continued)
“This morning we tried to complete the most laps because we need more information for the races when it starts to rain. We are not that good in the wet. We needed to collect more. information and trying different solutions in the rain to find more rear stability. After the two days in Jerez, we have more information and we know better how the BMW reacts in these conditions. On the last day, the conditions were dry and we had a lot of issues with the electronics so we couldn’t do a quick lap. But for me the most important thing is those laps we did in the wet to gather information. ".

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

Stefan Bradl, Honda (last night):
"It was not the ideal time to do a test this week. Yesterday (Monday) we completed 35 laps in the wet, just to get a first feeling on the bike and with the Pirelli rain tires. It was a Pretty positive day and we made the most of it. Tuesday was also disrupted by bad weather with rain until noon. It took a very long time for the track to dry out. We completed 20 laps on slick tires, but there was still a few damp spots. I didn’t stay too long and we didn’t make any changes to the bike as I wasn’t fast enough to have a real feedback. at least managed to do a few laps in the dry and the feeling was very similar to that felt in Aragon. Now it’s time to relax, recharge the batteries to be ready to ride the new Fireblade early next year "

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

Tom Sykes, Kawasaki (last night):
"Conditions were relatively stable on Tuesday. They weren’t always ideal for riding, but we were able to complete a few laps. We didn’t take any risks, it was just a functional test on two or three points. the bike. It was more about gathering information in case the weather was better during the next few days. From this point of view, we had a very good day. We are still looking for some little tips on the new setup, but overall it was a good day. In Aragon we had a good performance with the hard tires from the first lap and over the race distance. I just want to make sure that we are going in the right direction . Jerez is not my best circuit so I would try to be comfortable confirming what we have done before. Slowly we are heading towards our final setup to be ready at Phillip Island. ".

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

(Tom Sykes, continued)
"Unfortunately, the change in the regulations (smaller batteries and adoption of a generator, editor’s note) forces me to move away from my natural driving style which is more akin to a racing style. and I attack even harder on the exit so we just need to sweeten it all. For me it’s more driving than piloting, and I have to get used to it. Overall, as I said in Aragon , we have to adapt because the rules or something change. On that side, a little more consistency might help, but we’re just going to try to adapt to whatever is going on, and the same goes for everyone".

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

Eugene Laverty, Aprilia (Monday evening):
“It’s really nice to come back to the RSV4. I was surprised how quickly I felt comfortable on it. Even though the track was wet I felt like on my bike. We didn’t. not aimed at the lap times in the race today, but my best time was not that far away. It was great working with the new team, and I am impressed by their professionalism. We have a few key technicians from Aprilia who know the bike as well as I do, and we immediately hooked up. I also got to get to know my new teammate Lorenzo a little better and we talked about our experiences with the RSV4 and how to work with it. Everything went through quickly even in these conditions. We hope it will be dry on Tuesday which is most important "

WSBK - WSBK 2017: testing continues in Jerez -

Lorenzo Savadori, Aprilia (Monday evening):
"It was great to get back on the bike so early. Yesterday was difficult because of the rain, but the feeling on the bike was good even in these conditions. I enjoyed working with the team and feel very lucky. They work really hard. It was good to learn the way they operate, to see what we can do. I am very happy to have Eugene as a teammate. He has a lot of experience, that is. a very fast rider and he knows the bike and the team very well. I think we will work well together and we hope to be able to compare some information. ".

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