VOL. 56 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 20, 2019 P29
Cluzel and Corentin Perolari
ended their final pre-season test
days in fourth and fifth place,
respectively. Their fellow French-
man, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki
Puccetti Racing) was sixth, and
the final rider inside the 1:34 lap-
time barrier.
Mahias' teammate, Hikari Oku-
bo, was seventh, and a former
Puccetti rider, Hector Barbera
(Team Toth by Willirace Yamaha)
placed eighth for his new team.
The top 10 was completed
by new Kallio Yamaha signing
Thomas Gradinger, and MPM
WILSPort Racedays Honda rider,
Hannes Soomer.
Gordon Ritchie
Final Day Two WorldSBK Testing
Top Five Results:
1. Alvaro Bautista (Duc) 1:30.303
2. Tom Sykes (BMW) 1:30.539
3. Leon Haslam (Kaw) 1:30.668
4. Jonathan Rea (Kaw) 1:30.722
5. Marco Melandri (Yam) 1:30.760
KRT Official Launch 2019
K
awasaki's official WorldSBK
Kawasaki Racing Team was
launched in its final form to the
world at the Silverwater Resort,
near San Remo and Phillip Is-
land, on Saturday, February 16.
As well as showing off the
new bike colors and riders'
leather and helmet designs,
the launch was deliberately
held just a few days before the
start of the new season, which
will take place at Phillip Island,
February 22-24.
After speeches from various
Kawasaki staff and others, the
riders took to the stage in their
new leathers and unveiled a
bike, which does not look that
much different from the 2018
version, aside from many more
(and larger) Showa stickers.
The Japanese suspension
company joins Elf, Motocard
and Monster Energy as a main
team partner, and not just a
technical partner as is has
been in the past.
Shortly before showing his
new bike off, the four-time and
record-breaking World Cham-
pion Jonathan Rea stated,
"Winter testing has gone really
smoothly this year. With a new
bike, generally it has taken
me quite a long time to adapt
to the bike in the past and is
seems like Kawasaki are not
just taking the new regulations
and the new bike, but all my
comments for these last years,
and applied it to this bike."
Rea's engine revs higher
than last year's, by deliberate
design, and he has had pleas-
ant experiences of that already.
"I feel like I do not have to
change gear anymore when
the bike is not even making
good power. The bike revs
much better and I can actu-
ally feel fast. That is positive
in racing and it means we
have a little bit more freedom
with the final gearing and the
sprockets. Last year we lost
a lot to our competitors on
acceleration and top speed.
And to being limited to our
rpm. I felt many times we
were fighting with a blunt
knife. This year we have
sharpened the knife well and
truly, and we are ready to
carve."
Gordon Ritchie
Jonathan Rea's
KRT Kawasaki revs
higher for 2019.
