Feature Story
Testing Restarts For
KRT WorldSBK Team
Positive Motorland Test For KRT
Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes made the most of the fair weather during the private WorldSBK tests held this week at the Motorland Aragon Circuit in northern Spain. The 3.15-mile long circuit, located close to the historic town of Alcaniz, provided usable track conditions during both days of testing. KRT riders and their tech staff made the most of this opportunity to test both parts and settings on the recently re-homologated Ninja® ZX™-10RR race machines. Day one saw Rea fastest of all, with Lowes second quickest. More importantly, both riders completed race simulations on day one to find out real-world information about chassis balance and tire wear, after experiencing some issues during the first two rounds of the season at Phillip Island and Mandalika. Continue reading to learn more about the KRT WorldSBK Team tests from the Motorland Aragon Circuit.
Maximizing Momentum
Day one of testing saw Rea fastest of all, with Lowes second quickest. More importantly, both riders completed race simulations on the first day to find out real-world information about chassis balance and tire wear. After experiencing adversity during the first two rounds of the season at Phillip Island and Mandalika due to tire degradation, maintaining traction late in the race has been a topic of discussion entering the Motorland tests.
On day two, Rea was again the fastest over a single lap, thanks to his 1’49.482 pace. After Lowes went for a time attack in the morning session of the final day he was fourth fastest, with a 1’49.585 lap time.
“Jonathan Rea
It has been nice to spin a lot of laps at a circuit that we know well. We were testing some new ideas from a chassis point of view. We also tested a swingarm specification. We have a lot of information for the engineers to put together and try to make a step forward. Yesterday I completed two race simulations with some positive results about the target of the test, which was to take some weight off the front tire. From an electronics point of view, we worked on some other items and different strategies and put it all together. I have to thank all the mechanics and crew because they worked hard. There were a lot of chassis changes that took some time, but they did them all fast. That meant I could maximize track time. This has been probably the most valuable test we have had for the 2023 season because in the winter the conditions are cold and sometimes damp, so you don’t get on track until lunchtime. Here, we were able to be on track from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, so we maximized the good weather. Now we are looking forward to testing again at Barcelona next week, which is another track that can throw up some difficulties. But, I think the information we have gathered here will be very useful there, especially when it comes to making front stability and front grip much better and more linear throughout the longer runs.
“Alex Lowes
We have just finished two days of testing, which entailed a lot of laps and two race simulations on day one. We did a couple of 11-lap runs on the final day to try and improve the bike on used tires, to really settle into that race rhythm. Obviously, that is what we have been struggling with in the first couple of rounds this season. I tried one time attack on the final morning and I did a 1’49.585, which was good enough, really. I am not too worried about that but we need to improve on the used tires. We had a few ideas today and tried a few new things on the front of the bike, including triple clamps. We also tried some settings to put me in a different position. That took a few laps to get used to and it is something I am going to explore a little bit more at Montmelo. In general, we still need to focus on the next test, work hard, and see if we can improve before the next round at Assen.
“Nathalie Fase, Team Manager
F&H Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team is proud to line up this season with two young, strong talented riders in the FIM Motocross MX2 World Championship. Kevin Horgmo who finished fourth in the world championship with us last season looks stronger than ever after a perfect winter preparation and is ready to go for it. Our new Spanish talented member of the team David Braceras has recovered well from a minor injury earlier this winter period and we are confident that everything will work out with him step by step during the season.
