STRONG FINISH TO SPANISH TESTS AS JG SPEEDFIT KAWASAKI HEAD BACK TO THE UK FOR FINAL TEST

JG Speedfit Kawasaki return to the UK today bolstered by a successful seven days of testing at Cartagena and Guadix. With the new 2016 ZX-10R Superbike already proving to be strong package, the team now have a clear direction for final development ahead of the final test at Silverstone later this month.

With four days at Cartagena kicking off the final round of Spanish testing, the JG Speedfit Kawasaki trio of James Ellison, Leon Haslam and Peter Hickman were joined on track by a number of their fellow MCE British Superbike Championship contenders. Focusing on development and set up of the new 2016 machine, as opposed to lap times, the trio were able to work through three different chassis variations as well as a range of swingarms and links, with a GBmoto designed link proving to be the most successful.

Moving on to Guadix for a further three days, the team were able to continue to refine the ZX-10R Superbike despite the cold temperatures. Working closely with the factory Showa technicians, all three riders made significant progress with the new suspension to leave the circuit with strong spring and damping settings – overcoming chatter, unfamiliarity and side grip issues to find a great base to work from heading back to the UK.

The team now return their workshops for final development on the bikes, which includes fitting a number of new components including a new tank and seat combination and work on an engine dyno, to further develop their new fly-by-wire throttle maps. With another test day at Silverstone on the 29th March, all three riders will be on track, working through the final settings of their machines, ahead of the season opener at the same circuit on 8-10th April.

Very pleased with the progress made, James Ellison said, “It has been absolutely freezing here at Guadix! I didn’t actually go out for the opening day as it was so cold, we just didn’t think we would get anything useful from it. So although we had a slightly condensed test, we managed to make a big step forward and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable with the Showa suspension. We did some long runs on the final day and I’m happy with our pace – despite it being the coldest day I managed to match my lap time so I’m very pleased. The team have worked so hard, so I just want to say a massive thank you to all of them, we’ve got a good bike to start the season with so I can’t wait for Silverstone!”

Setting the quickest time at Guadix, Leon Haslam added “It’s been a really great few days with the team and I’m very happy. We managed to work through everything we had planned and although it was very cold here, we managed to do a lot of laps and gather a lot of information – I even left with the quickest time. We’re still waiting for a few more parts ahead of Silverstone but our race pace is really strong and I’m feeling confident, so we’ll head to the final test ready to get a good set up sorted ahead of the first round, where we’ll come out fighting!”

Equally as comfortable on the bike Peter Hickman said, “Things have gone really good here in Spain. I’m feeling a lot more comfortable on the bike and I’m real happy with the way it’s working. The team have been working non-stop to give me a bike I’m comfortable with and we now have a clear direction to make some final changes ahead of Silverstone. So all in all, a very positive few days! I can’t wait to bring the JG Speedfit Kawasaki back to the UK at Silverstone and hope to see lots of fans there!”

GBmoto Racing Team Manager Mike Kane concluded, “We’re very pleased with how our final stint of Spanish testing has gone. The boys have worked non-stop, going through various different settings and components – it’s impressive just how strong the new ZX-10R is, the standard chassis performed really well out on track. We can head back to the UK knowing we have a strong package, with all three riders comfortable with the Showa suspension; putting in long and consistent runs, with tyre life in a really good place.

We certainly still have some more development work to do on the bikes, and we will be working on how to exploit both the SC0 and SC1 Pirelli rear tyres more. We will also be focussing on the fly-by-wire system, where we can certainly unlock a lot more potential. The Silverstone test will be used to fully assess various new components and ideas, to make sure we are more than ready for round one – we want to start as we mean to carry on – by winning!”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

BENNETTS SUZUKI CONCLUDES SPANISH TESTING

The Bennetts Suzuki British Superbike Team has concluded its Spanish testing programme following a four-day test at Cartagena and three-day outing at Guadix.

Cartagena was the first opportunity for riders Tommy Bridewell and Ryuichi Kiyonari to really get to grips with their GSX-R1000 machines, while Guadix gave the team a further opportunity to test a variety of components and set-up options ahead of the final two pre-season tests at Silverstone and Donington Park.

Despite the cold conditions during the final three days of testing, Bridewell and Kiyonari put in plenty of laps to continue their preparations for the 2016 MCE British Superbike season and assess the direction they needed to head in with the bikes’ development, as well as continuing to get themselves sharp and focused ahead of the season-opener next month.

Tommy Bridewell:

“Guadix was another good few days’ testing. We worked on more stuff but we were hampered a little bit by the cold conditions and it was difficult to set a bike up properly. But we made the best of it and did a lot of work, and we could still try lots of different things. I think we did the most laps out of anyone there. My GSX-R really feels like mine now, and the recipe is there for a strong season. If conditions are good at Silverstone we’ll probably look to work on a race set-up, but it’s still a test and we’ll be treating it as one.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari:

“I have enjoyed our time out in Spain and everyone has worked hard to prepare for this season. Cartagena was the first time I really had chance to ride the bike, so I spent a lot of time just riding, getting comfortable and getting sharp; and then we tried some different set-up options. At Guadix I tried some different components; different swingarms, different shocks, and we did lots of laps to understand how certain changes affect the bike, and what direction to go in when we are back in the UK.”

Martin Halsall – Bennetts Suzuki Team Owner:

“After a good four days at Cartagena we had another good test at Guadix. It could have been better and the cold didn’t do us any favours, but rather than sit in the garage and moan about it, everyone in the team still worked hard to try different things and gather more information and data ahead of the season. These two tests in Spain have been the first times both Tommy and Kiyo have been able to properly assess the bikes, and they have been two very positive tests. We’ll now go over all of the data and prepare for the final two tests before we go racing next month.”