Hendersonville, North Carolina: The Öhlins USA Road Racing department — masters of dynamic management — just completed a week-long test at Jennings GP racetrack, Jennings, Florida, preparing a number of teams for the American Superbike and Daytona Sportbike classes of the 2009 AMA Superbike series. The bikes that took part in this test were the 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2009 Yamaha YZ-F R6, 2008 Suzuki GS-R1000, and Buell 1125R. Mike “T-Man” Fitzgerald, Öhlins USA Road Racing Manager, put the suspensions of the attending race bikes through a gamut of settings from Ä to Zed. Fitzgerald said, “Our testing began with 2008 equipment to establish a baseline, then we moved to trying some proven products in combination with new front fork and shock settings, keeping in mind the rule changes in AMA Pro Racing for 2009, and that every racer in the series will be using the Dunlop Spec tires. The new 2009 model bikes are very promising and we look forward to more testing real soon in the upcoming weeks.” Thermosman continued, “Conditions had the riders circulated Jennings at about 1.5 seconds off the record pace, with one rider unofficially matching the track record despite high winds. The biggest gain for us was with the 2009 Yamaha R6. Both new front fork and shocks settings were developed, along with a different chassis set up that got high marks from the rider. The teams and riders that participated in the test now have a great platform to work from, and we have baseline information to share with other racers using our products.” And, “What some street riders and amateur racers don’t realize is that, at Öhlins USA, building high-quality, fully adjustable shocks is only half the job. The other half is finding the perfect settings for each shock and fork, and each bike, and each track, and then each rider.” The next scheduled test for Öhlins USA will be dedicated to Kawasaki’s equipment, since the demand for information about the “Green” bikes has soared. This test will also be more focused on club-level racing. Any racer who wishes to participate in testing should contact the Öhlins USA Road Race Department. Öhlins USA distributes and services the world’s leading performance suspension for automobiles, motorcycles, and ATVs. Öhlins develops its proprietary and innovative suspension components at the highest levels of racing from open-wheel car racing, to Moto GP, to off-road competition on two and four wheels. Öhlins USA also provides training for service centers and dealers. www.Ohlinsusa.com