Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127655
World Superbike teams Down Under By Bernie McGuire lthough there is over two months to go before the first round of the World Superbike Championship at Donington Park in England on May 1, World Champion Scott Russell seems to have fired the first shot with lap-record setting ti mes d uring the recent Australian tests. The 1994 season will be the first time that both Russell and two-time World Ch ampion Doug Polen have crossed swords in the World Superbike Series, and both the factory Kawasaki and Honda teams recently completed tests at both Eastem Creek and Phillip Island . The edge thus far goes to Russell, who scorched around the Eastern Creek circuit in one-minute, 33.89 seconds mo re than seven-tenths quicker than Aussie Troy Corser's official lap record of 1:34.67. Corser set the time while earning the 1993 Au stralian Sup erb ike Championship. Russell's new teammate, Terry Rymer, also fared well, lapping Eastern Creek in 1:34.6, to equal Corser's record . Polen, on the other hand, only managed a string of l:35s during HRC's session at Eastem Creek. "If the championship started tomorrow, Honda would be in real trouble," Russell said on February 10 in Australia. "The information we ha ve is th at th e RC45 tests, at Phillip Island and Eastern Creek, were not ver y encouraging. I think they have a lot of work to do . I just w ish the first round w as ne xt w eek because I'm read y to go now. "Basically, we tried a lot of new stuff and we got the new bike where I thought we wanted to be at the end of five da ys. We learned a lot abou t the new bike - what does what. " Answering Polen's claims that he could reduce his Eas tern Creek lap times if he felt like it, Russell said: "For A , as lon g as I've raced Doug, he 's always been trying to ps ych everybody out li ke th is. That's his deal because he has to do that - to convince himself that he can do it. Some riders are bot hered by Doug psyching them ou t, but th a t sort of stuff ju st bo u nces right off me. I've just heard and read enough about it. I'm just glad that Doug will be . in Europe this yea r because we have never reall y run head -t ohead for a champ ionship. We raced against eac h other in the 1988 AMA Supe rbike Champions hip, but he w a s with the factory team and 1was on a privateer Suzuki. This year will be the first really good test." Russell left Australia brimming with confidence. "I do feel really good about the coming season," he said. "I think everyone is expecting a lot from the other teams and prob ab ly co un ti ng Kawasa ki out a little bit. My warning is that the y sho uldn't do that. We were able to run very strong last year against all the bikes, and I don't see the bikes th at we have to compete against th is year being that mu ch better. They will be better, but ou rs will be better also . I'm confident that we will do real well. I know it' s going to be a tough year, but I am just as determined to retain the title as I was last year ." Though most were tight-lipped about the test, it is believed that Kawasaki tested several new fram es, with the focus being on adding stiffness. The team also tested various engine components as well as a variety of rear linkages. cv (Abo ve left) Doug Polen's fl rst ride on the Honda RC45. (Above) Polen 's teammate Aaron Slight at speed In Aust ralia. (Left ) Muzzy Kawasaki teammates Terry Rymer and World Superbike Champ ion Scott Russell. (Below) Slight and Polen pose at Eastern Creek.