GixerGaz
11-01-2007, 13:21
http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6740&d=1168518072http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6741&d=1168518072
A motorcycle that works well at Phillip Island, works well just about anywhere - making this weekend's final Pirelli pre-season test at the challenging Australian racetrack of the utmost importance.
The first Pirelli test, at Valencia, was sensationally led by WSBK star rookie Max Biaggi before reigning champion Troy Bayliss restored order at Qatar - and the Australian is again expected to be hard to beat at his home track.
Taking on Bayliss and Ducati will be the top team from each rival manufacturer - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki - as all seek to adapt Pirelli's future tyres to suit their new machines, which are themselves under intense development in preparation for the Qatar season opener on February 24.
Bayliss took the first win of his second championship season at Phillip Island almost a year ago, after another Aussie - and double world champion - Troy Corser had won race one. The pair will return to Phillip Island having experienced very different fortunes since that day - Bayliss winning a further seven races in a row to effectively settle the championship early and then extend his Ducati contract, while Corser didn't win again and lost his Alstare Suzuki seat. But Corser is fired up for his new challenge at Yamaha and will be putting all his renowned development skills into turning the R1 into a potential Phillip Island, and perhaps world championship, winner.
Bayliss will be joined at the test by young team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi, while Corser's team-mate Noriyuki Haga will complete the Yamaha Motor Italia garage.
For former World Superbike champion James Toseland and former four-times 250cc world champion Biaggi, the Aussie duo of Bayliss and Corser will be good benchmarks to measure their overall performance by, and in testing each rider has already shown a great desire to make 2007 their year.
Toseland, riding a modified version of his 2006 Ten Kate Honda, is now something of an SBK veteran, even if he is still only 26, but vastly experienced MotoGP rider Biaggi is a rookie to the SBK class in 2007. To complicate things further, Biaggi has a new GSX-R1000 to help develop - and claims there is much work still to do - but can count on the experience of Alstare Suzuki team-mate and proven SBK race winner, Yukio Kagayama, to help with that task. Toseland will be joined at the test by another Italian and former grand prix rider – Roberto Rolfo - his 2007 team-mate.
Kawasaki took one race win in 2006, but the man who claimed it for them - Chris Walker - has been overlooked in favour of Regis Laconi and Fonsi Nieto in PSG-1's reduced two-man 2007 line-up. Both are keen to prove they deserve the second chance and will be looking to Phillip Island as another opportunity to turn one-lap speed into consistent pace over a race distance, in readiness for round two the championship at the Aussie venue in March 2007.
In the World Supersport championship, it will be a surprise if dominant Ten Kate Honda riders Sebastien Charpentier - the reigning double world champion - and team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu aren't at the front this weekend on their new CBR600RRs, but Yamaha's European based Aussies Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes are likely to keep them honest.
Gianluca Nannelli will also be looking to provide his latest upset on the ageing 749 Ducati, while the welcome return of a full factory Kawasaki effort sees the GIL Motorsports awasaki squad firmly in place at Phillip Island, with their riders - 2002 champion Fabien Foret and always-impressive Pere Riba - on the latest spec of 600cc Kawasaki
A motorcycle that works well at Phillip Island, works well just about anywhere - making this weekend's final Pirelli pre-season test at the challenging Australian racetrack of the utmost importance.
The first Pirelli test, at Valencia, was sensationally led by WSBK star rookie Max Biaggi before reigning champion Troy Bayliss restored order at Qatar - and the Australian is again expected to be hard to beat at his home track.
Taking on Bayliss and Ducati will be the top team from each rival manufacturer - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki - as all seek to adapt Pirelli's future tyres to suit their new machines, which are themselves under intense development in preparation for the Qatar season opener on February 24.
Bayliss took the first win of his second championship season at Phillip Island almost a year ago, after another Aussie - and double world champion - Troy Corser had won race one. The pair will return to Phillip Island having experienced very different fortunes since that day - Bayliss winning a further seven races in a row to effectively settle the championship early and then extend his Ducati contract, while Corser didn't win again and lost his Alstare Suzuki seat. But Corser is fired up for his new challenge at Yamaha and will be putting all his renowned development skills into turning the R1 into a potential Phillip Island, and perhaps world championship, winner.
Bayliss will be joined at the test by young team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi, while Corser's team-mate Noriyuki Haga will complete the Yamaha Motor Italia garage.
For former World Superbike champion James Toseland and former four-times 250cc world champion Biaggi, the Aussie duo of Bayliss and Corser will be good benchmarks to measure their overall performance by, and in testing each rider has already shown a great desire to make 2007 their year.
Toseland, riding a modified version of his 2006 Ten Kate Honda, is now something of an SBK veteran, even if he is still only 26, but vastly experienced MotoGP rider Biaggi is a rookie to the SBK class in 2007. To complicate things further, Biaggi has a new GSX-R1000 to help develop - and claims there is much work still to do - but can count on the experience of Alstare Suzuki team-mate and proven SBK race winner, Yukio Kagayama, to help with that task. Toseland will be joined at the test by another Italian and former grand prix rider – Roberto Rolfo - his 2007 team-mate.
Kawasaki took one race win in 2006, but the man who claimed it for them - Chris Walker - has been overlooked in favour of Regis Laconi and Fonsi Nieto in PSG-1's reduced two-man 2007 line-up. Both are keen to prove they deserve the second chance and will be looking to Phillip Island as another opportunity to turn one-lap speed into consistent pace over a race distance, in readiness for round two the championship at the Aussie venue in March 2007.
In the World Supersport championship, it will be a surprise if dominant Ten Kate Honda riders Sebastien Charpentier - the reigning double world champion - and team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu aren't at the front this weekend on their new CBR600RRs, but Yamaha's European based Aussies Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes are likely to keep them honest.
Gianluca Nannelli will also be looking to provide his latest upset on the ageing 749 Ducati, while the welcome return of a full factory Kawasaki effort sees the GIL Motorsports awasaki squad firmly in place at Phillip Island, with their riders - 2002 champion Fabien Foret and always-impressive Pere Riba - on the latest spec of 600cc Kawasaki