Riders Prepare For 2016 WorldSBK Opener

[caption id="attachment_58117" align="alignright"
width="300"] Tom Sykes 2016 World Superbike Jerez Test[/caption]
WorldSBK teams got their first glimpses of each other at the Jerez
circuit in Spain during testing Jan. 26 and 27. While riders
probably don't want to give away too much too soon, the test runs
were competitive and riders pushed their bikes hard. If the track
times were any indication, the KRT Kawasaki team of Tom Sykes and
current World Champion Jonathan Rea are going to be a potent 1-2
punch and perhaps the team to beat in 2016.
Sykes posted the fastest one-lap time at the Jerez circuit at
1:40.882 while Rea posted the third best time at 1:41.210. In
between the two Kawasaki riders
was Aruba.it Racing-Ducati WSB's Chaz Davies at 1:41.041.
The familiar faces of Pata Crescent Yamaha riders Alex Lowes and
Sylvain Giuntoli also placed well. Lowes posted a fifth-best time
of 1:41.505 while Giuntoli turned in a ninth-best lap of
1:42.165.
Pata Hard At Work
[caption id="attachment_58115" align="alignright"
width="300"] Alex Lowes 2016 World Superbike Jerez
Test[/caption]
The Pata Crescent Yamaha team had been working diligently in the
weeks prior to the Jerez test runs. That team and Davies' Ducati
team spent time at the Portimao circuit in Portugal testing
equipment and dialing in their bikes' performance to get ready for
Jerez.
Guintoli, who was the 2014 WorldSBK champion, was running about a
half second behind the Ducati riders at Portimao,. But he didn't
seem too bothered by it.
"We still have a lot of work to do but we have a lot of components
to test," Guintoli said. "We are still very early in what we want
to do. It is important to carry on the development and find a good
base that we can use in Phillip Island [Australia] for the first
round [Feb. 26-28]."
Among the components Guintoli tested were new Ohlins forks. The
forks' performance provided a nice mix of feel and feedback after
his first test ride. But Guintoli said he would know more after
riding at Jerez.
Portimao and Jerez were opportunities for Lowes to get back in the
saddle after he suffered a shoulder injury from a crash in
November. It was also an opportunity for Lowes to test his bike, as
well as his recovery and fitness.
[caption id="attachment_58119" align="alignright"
width="300"] Chaz Davies 2016 World Superbike Jerez
Test[/caption]
"If I can ride to a good level there are plenty of things we have
to work through, if not, then I will get my head down with some
more physio and concentrate on the start of the season in
Australia," he said.
Chaz Davies and teammate Davide Giugliano were also out testing
bike setup. Davies worked with new electronics and new exhaust.
After the Portimao tests, he said it looked as though the team was
going in the right direction as it tested equipment and
electronics.
"Just different strategies and a different way of tuning what we
had before," Davies said. "Trying to get a bit better. On the
tuning side of things, the options are endless and one big focal
point this winter was trying to get something that works just a
little bit better at different times during the race. It seems that
the first impressions are quite good anyway."
Nicky Hayden To Make SBK Debut
[caption id="attachment_58118" align="alignright"
width="300"] Nicky Hayden 2016 World Superbike Jerez
Test[/caption]
Former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden
will be making his WorldSBK debut this year. The veteran rider
turned in the fourth-best time at Jerez despite uncooperative
weather and quite a bit of tinkering with his Honda.
The team was testing a new engine, fork and a rear link. The team
was trying to get the right amount of horsepower out of the bike's
Fireblade engine. Hayden was also trying to get the right feel for
the Ohlins fork he tested. Hayden said the fork felt good in the
turns but it rebounded too fast for his liking when he released the
front brake.
After a few test runs, Hayden had mixed reviews.
"There were some positives to take from day one, although there was
not quite the same grip I had here in November," Hayden said in
Cycle News. "We do not have much time as this is the only test we
are doing before Phillip Island."
The WorldSBK season consists of 14 races. The season opener is at
Phillip Island in Australia Feb. 26-28 and the finale comes at the
Losail International Circuit Oct. 28-30. Along the way, the series
makes stops at the TT Assen Circuit in The Netherlands (April
15-17), Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia (May 13-15), the
Misano World Circuit in Italy (June 17-19) and Laguna Seca in
Salinas, California (July 8-10).
2016 World Superbike Jerez Test Image Gallery
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