2023-11-04 15:23:11
It doesn’t often happen that a rider changes one bike for another and the sensations are positive as soon as they start. Perhaps the closest case in the WSBK is found in Álvaro Bautista, who as soon as he got off the Honda to get on the Ducati found an immediate ‘feel’, and now there are two world championships in a row. Not identical but similar is the situation with Rea, whose adaptation to the Yamaha R1 is going smoothlyor so the pilot lets us see.
The six-time WSBK world champion with Kawasaki seems to have hit it off quite well with Yamaha, in every way, both on the track and in the box environment. The one from Larne has already accumulated 90 laps on the bike after the Jerez test, and he posted his best lap on the last day, just before closing the shutter of his box with 68 laps completed since 10:00 in the morning; The 1:39.179 set by Rea earned him a third place finish, seven tenths behind the fastest driver in the test, Remy Gardner. who carries a Yamaha satellite motorcycle.
Rhea confesses that she has “Lots of material to test, from chassis parts to electronics”, and that they are still to come, he mentions, “some pieces from 2024 that the satellite team already used. I have to try a lot of different things until I get a basic tuning. I need patience in this regard and I have to do it step by step. I think that when we come to Australia we will have a good starting point”. For this, Rea still has almost 10 days of testing left until the season starts.
It seems that the change in structure has surprised the Northern Irishman, who says that “Yamaha and its two teams work at a high level”, mentioning the “impressed” that is “because of their technical capabilities, how they think about the future and what they want to develop”. Although the comparisons are odious, Rea already says that she sees ““More positive things at Yamaha, it suits my style well.”
In reference to the Kawasaki, he says that his old ZX-10RR “gripped better with new tires”, and also mentions missing “the engine brake”. She is not worried, she explains that “We need to improve, but it takes a lot of work and I admit it: I am not the leading development driver, I know how to drive fast, but I find it difficult to make precise statements to have a clear direction for development”.
Rhea expresses that it is “very natural to ride this motorcycle”, and even calls it “awesome” their own record before closing the two days of testing. “You don’t have to ride the Yamaha like Toprak to be fast“, says the one from Larne after a more than positive initial contact with a new motorcycle.
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After all, Rea has been riding a Ninja ZX-10RR for the last nine years. Even with those, the pilot has been able to take over from Razgatlioglu: “Everything is going well. The R1 is very easy to use, not necessarily easy to push to the absolute limit, but it is easy to ride. Generates plenty of traction, encouraging you to go fast and inspiring confidence”, He conveyed his feelings on the Japanese motorcycle.
#ride #Yamaha #Toprak #fast