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/128205
Are you still enjoying racing after all these years? Q More. Much more. I have ridden more than 200 GPs, but I feel younger and more motivated than ever. I especially enjoy understanding bike setup more, so I can go faster in not so many laps. This coming season should be more fun for me, and for everyone, I think. A QHOW can you beat Honda? work better. As simple as that. The potential of the four-strokes is very high. Much more than we are doing at the moment. Lap times will drop a lot in the future. So we need to find the improvements before they do. CN A In 2003 Barros will pilot the. Yamaha M1 on the Gaulolses team. four companies looking for me. My first priority was to find the best machine. And the best machine last year was the Honda. But the offer I had from Honda was only for Bridgestone tires. I was a little disappointed in that. and I said, "No thank you." It seemed that the Yamaha's results had been improving, and I decided to take that offer, because I didn't think Aprilia or Kawasaki would be so competitive. Then I tested the Yamaha after Valencia, and though it was different from the Honda, my lap time was the same. So I feel that Yamaha finished last year at the same level as Honda. Right now, I'm quite happy with the machines. From Valencia to now, the Yamaha is completely different - engine, suspension, chassis, everything. And now this Yamaha is definitely better than last year's Honda. You can use a softer tire with the Yamaha than the Honda - that proves that it is better. What are the weak points of the bike? What are you trying to fix? Q The braking stability and many little things. Not specifically like one thing - it's the balance overall we must fix. A over the last years your career has been fairly erratic. Is that fair? For the last three years, I think ( have been very constant. My feeling is ... my family give me security, and my training has improved me physically Q A and mentality. And more maturity. Maybe the mind becomes more clear, and you clln Illso find machine problems more quickly. It's definitely my age (laughs}. Ufe gives you many obstacles, but life continues. So I'm not perfect. You can alwllys come better. YOU talk about your r.mIIy. Is It not distracting to you compared witll when you were a Q single man? Absolutel Y the opposite. I have three daughters 12, 8 and 7. I can say my hobby is my family. I like to be with my kids, and I like to bring one child at a time to the track, when possible. Three at one time would be too much! A DO you regard yourself as a more natural fourstroke rider than two-stroke? In the last years I think I rode the two-stroke very well. But with the NSR, if you did not have a factory machine... Valentino is a very good rider, but if we all had the same material, maybe he would still win, but not 10 races in a season. Last season ( was finishing races 15 or 25 seconds faster than the previous year's two-stroke winning time and still arriving fifth. But I have had some good success also riding four-s~~eciallyat the 8 Hour. Of course, at the rnorntftt the four-strokes are easier to ride than the ~-strokes - less of a razor's edge. But that change in the future. ~ What A Long Strange Trip It's Been Riding for Yamaha gives Alex Barros a full house of Japanese factory teams - he's ridden for Suzuki and Honda in the past, as well as for Cagiva, in a long-term career that started in 1986 when he was 15 (He lied about his age to get an international license). At that time, Barros shared the paddock with the likes of Eddie Lawson, Freddie Spencer and Wayne Gardner. Now he is among the cream of a whole new generation of stars. Barros will start his 210th GP at Suzuka on April 6 - a record. 1986: Autisa 80cc - two eighth places in nine GPs, 13th overall 1987: Arbizu 80cc - best of seventh, 17th overall 1988: Races in Brazil 1989: Yamaha 250cc - best of ninth, 18th overall 1990 to 1992: Cagiva 500cc, best of third at Dutch IT and 12th overall 1993 to 1994: Suzuki 500cc, wins first GP at Jarama 1996 to 2002: various Honda 500cc, including one year on the factory twin (1999). Wins twice in 2000, once in 2001, and twice more (on the four-stroke) in 2003 cue I e n ... _ S • MARCH 19,2003 49