Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

DunlopIDaytona Tire Test' us all really happy. I can tell that spinning the tires works pretty good and the tires are holding up quite well. Definitely, you need to be J;eal aggressive and go at it, and if you don't spin the tires then you're not going forward that much, I guess." Gobert spent his time on the freshout-of-the-crate 1996 ZX-7R Superbike. "The factory virtually pulled these off the production line and shipped them to us," team owner Rob Muzzy said. "We're very happy because this is the earliest by far that we've received our race bikes for the next season." Muzzy's Mike Smith slotted into third on a 1995 machine with Doug Chandler fifth after testing a combination of machinery: a 1995 machine, the same machine with a 1996 engine, and the complete 1996 bike. "All the new tires are a lot better than what we had last year," Chandler said. . But, even though they were able to do substantial endurance testing - new Yoshimura Suzuki pilot Aaron Yates did a simulated Daytona 200 during a Suzuki test on Sunday - Dunlop's Jim Allen knows that a test is not a race. "We've only gotten through a test, we haven't gotten through a race," Allen said. "The race is this level plus 20 percent. The race is always tougher. The tires that did race times here we'll definitely have available for general sale, plus backup contingency fronts and rears." In the end, the "general atmosphere on our part and the attitude on the part of the riders was generally much more positive than in years past People are genuinely happy with the tires," Allen (]Ii concluded. (Left) Aaron Yates tested the new Suzuki GSXR750 Superblke as well as the 750cc Superaport blka. (Above) Tom Klpp tested averythlng Yamaha had to offer as Jamie Jemes was racing C8ra and not In ettendlInce for the test. YOSHIMURA SUZUKI Pascal PIcotte VANCE & HINES YAMAHA! YAMAHA WORLD SUPERBIKE Colin Ed\wards The forever-Y01Dlg Texan spent much of last year struggling with getting the power down on the YZF750 Yamaha and spent much of this test sorting out new suspension components on his World Superbike mount. Unfortunately, his test was cut short on Saturday afternoon because the bikes had to be crated up for shipment and he wasn't able to better his time of 1:50.99, though he surely would have. "0hJins have new forks that they wanted me to try and that helped a lot. Under braking there's a little more feel. With the other ones you had to wait till you were done braking before you could flick it. These you can brake all the way to the apex. The engine's getting better. It was peaky, hard to put the power to the ground. This weekend we made some big imp!ovements. I shouldn't say we; Yamaha made some big improvements. The bike's running a little bit easier on tires. "The stuff Dunlop brought out..,51s last year was really hairbaJL They did some serious development on these things. There's a IittJe more traction. I've been leaving it to everyone else to string laps together. After 15-16 Japs, you can still do 51s and low 515. I didn't go out to run 5Is, I went out to run a comfortable pace and give them what they wanted. .. " "The bike I've been running all weekend has 2000 kilometers (1240 miles) on It. My other bike was 3 mph faster. It was not ~ ~p like I wanted. ~ hooked up with Pascal (Picotte) one time. It would have been dIfficult to draft by him. (Doug) Chandler's bike is pretty quick on top. It was fast. I might have had a little on; acce~era tion. The only place I did have him was in braking. I turned off the bram a httl~. (Anthony) Gobert's bike was a little slower. It handled all right, accelerated okay, It just didn't have top-end performance. Tom Kipp l!') 0\ 0\ ....-t cr) ....-t I-< C1) "S ~ o C1) 14 . The 7S0cc Supersport Champion was the busiest man at the test. In the absence of Varice & Hines Yamaha teammate Jamie James, Kipp had five Superbikes and two Supersport machines to test. In the end, he set his fast time (1:51.00) in the final minutes on his 1995 Superbike with the baseline settings he used in the final race at Firebird Raceway with Daytona gearing. "When Jamie Games) was hurt for two or three races, I wouldn't say it was a burden. but the whole team focused on one bike. It's real team oriented. They share things with each other, Jamie's guys and my guys. When Jamie was out there was one project. That's where the development came from. "For us it was a fantastic test. It was probably the most successful test I've had with this team. We got to try a lot of things. I have a lot of confidence with the chassis and suspension components, the engine components. . "I tested a lot of World Superbike type stuff and we had some ideas from last year. The first day I stuck with the Superpsort tire testing. I kind of knew where we were going to end up. r had a few steps to take to get there. "I rode around with standard tires until the last half hour today. Then I put the '96 raO! stuff on. It's awesome. It works great. I did a 51-flat on the new tires. It works a lot better in right-hand comers. You can get out of the horseshoes. It hooks up better and there's better overall traction.n The French Canadian moves from the irHine four of the Muzzy Kawasaki to the Yoshimura Suzuki, one of three new team members. He'd heard the new GSXR750 would be competitive, but he was more impressed with the team. "So far rm really happy. I think we've got a really, really good package. We still need a little more testing to try something different. We were struggling with suspension. Some of the Showa's better than 0hJins and some of the Ohlins is better than Showa, SO we need to cut both bikes in half and put one together. Powerwise I think we've got really, really good top speed. We might need a little more midranse for the short tracks. But for next Daytona . in March I think we're going to have a really, reaIJy . good package. "I didn't know that I had fast time yeIlerday. I did that on the race tire (from last year). I did a 52-something this morning with 22 laps on the rear tire. It was a little different setup than qualifying tires; with them we're down to 495. For sure I can do 50s. Qualifying tires are worth at least a second a lap. "We're trying to get it to hold the line better. It kiIJs all the midcorner speed. You've got to really square off the comer. The tire is really hard comP<;"IDd, ~d, so.~'ve. to square it more if you really want to make a really good lap time with qualifying tire you've got to make that thing hold the !iDe really tight on the inside line, like Miguel (DuHamel). "I was out with Colin (Edwards) yesterday. My bike was a little faster. And Miguel. I was a IittJe faster than Miguel also on top speed. He's got a little more midrange than me. My bike needs to be a little lighter to get from one side to another. And much faster than (Anthony) Gobert, but it's their first time on that thing. . Aaron Yates Aaron Yates moves up to the factory level after success as part of the Team Suzuki Sport support effort. The Georgian found out at the last AMA ationa! at Firebird that he'd be on the YoMimura Suzuki squad, having spumed an offer from Eraldo Ferracci. Yalles will continue to raO! the 750cc Supersport while campaigning a Superbike for the first full season. For the first time in his young career, Yates can concentrate on riding. '1t's a very large step. I don't have to do anything but go to the races. I don't have to stay up all Right workingon the bike and then drive to the races. "The new bike is such an improvement. It's an awesome Supersport bike. In three laps I did a 57.2 with stock forks and a stock shock. (He ended up with the best 750cc Supersport time of 1:55.67.) It handles better, it accelerates better, it's light. It's more comfortable. We didn't even adjust the shock. . "It's improved a lot since I first rode it in October. We had a problem WIth the brakes and they got that sorted out. It's getting better every time. I got into 515 with the race tire. . "On the Superbike, the powerband is so smooth that you don't realize tha~ the bike is as fast as it is. It doesn't hit so hard. You're getting from here to there quicker. It's kind of scary at first, but once you get the hang of it and get used to the speed, it's not so bad. "I found I was faster than (Anthony) Gobert on top end. His seemed to pull out of the turns better."

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