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/128361
A lot has been going on at the Team Makita Suzuki pits, with the off-season acquisition of Ricky Carmichael, the anivaJ of the new RM-Z450 four-stroke, and the continuing sculpting of some of the sport's hottest-rising I25cc stars in Broc Hepler and Davi Milsaps. We spoke with team manager five-time World Champion Roger DeCoster before Anaheim I about the team's latest progress. co: Are you happy with where you're at as far as testing and preparation for the 2005 season? rogerdecoster: I think we're ready. We started testing a long time ago, and I think we're as ready as we can be. Ricky is ready. He rode a lot, we tried a lot of things, from tires, to engine, to chassis, the suspension and all of that, and I feel, especially with Ricky, we're really ready. en: How has Ricky been adapting to the RM250, and Is he happy with It? rogerdec05ter: Actually, the bike is not so different from last year, it's just finetuning it to his liking: His size, the seat shape, the suspension settings, finetuning the engine - the way the power comes on to the way he likes it - and all that. Ricky doesn't like to decide very qUick; he rides a long time, rides back and forth and finally makes his choice, but once he makes his choice he doesn't waver. We pretty much had it [the setup) settled before the Canadian rounds. parts. He's with Cernics; Ron Meredith is coordinating the team and running the team for him. They have their own sponsors, and some of his accessories are by different companies. They run different tires than we do and a few other different things, but the main things on the bike, like the suspension and the engine, are the same [as the factory team's). en: What's it been like working with Ricky? rogerdecoster: He's a professional. If you need to test the whole week from morning to night, it's no problem. There were weeks we tested literally every day from sun-up to sundown. The whole team enjoys working with him. He's not the easiest guy to work with, but indirectly he ;s the easiest, because he knows what he wants and you keep hammering on it until it's right. en: How has the RM-Z450 testing been going with Sebastian Tortelli? rogerdecoster: Sebastien seems to be quite happy with the bike. We have to see more in the races, but he seems to be happy. He's faster on the four-stroke than on the two-stroke. It's [the 450) better than I expected for our first year; we expected more things breaking than we've experienced. We've mostly worked on the power delivery and the suspension setup. en: How much Involvement do you have with Travis Pastrana and his team? rogerdecoster: Not so much, only a little bit with the bike. He gets factory en: How's the 125 team coming along? rogerdecoster: Broc [Hepler) came back; he had some surgery done on his shoulder at the end of November, and he has been recuperating well. He has been testing good and looks good on the track. I think Davi [Milsaps) has a little ways to go, but luckily he's riding the East Coast, so he has a little more time. He has the speed but needs a little more work on the endurance. Hopefully he'll be there by the first East Coast round. David Vuillemin: Dark Horse? Reed, James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael and Kevin Windham, it's by no means an insult. While much of the attention lately has been focused on the aforementioned riders, David Vuillemin is quite happy hanging back in the shadows, with a smirk on his face, ready to remind everyone that DV is still around and will be a threat for this year's title. We chatted a little bit with Vuillemin before the gate dropped for Anaheim I. en: 50. how did the offseason go for you. and are you ready to go racing again? davidvulllemin: I feel good. I had arm-pump surgery after Glen Helen [final National round]. It was bothering me a lot in the outdoor Nationals, so that's out of the way, so I feel really good. As outlandish as it may sound, Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin is going into the 2005 season as an underdog. But when your competition is guys like Chad en: Did you do anything differently to prepare yourself for the '05 season? davidvuillemin: I trained a little differently this year. I've done my homework. I know it's going to be difficult this year, so I changed up a few things - I changed my diet, I changed my training. I've made big changes. I've been riding my bicycle around, and I'm running now; I've never run in my life. I did my physical training test, and it's all good right now. [But) I think I'll be [better) three weeks from now, because I'm not as good as Iwant to be, but in the next three weeks I'll be good. en: In a way, you're considered an underdog going into the new season. How does that make you feel? davidvuillemin: I think it's the same for everybody. There's a lot of attention [on the other riders) and that's going to put pressure on those guys. It's good for me, because I don't like attention and stuff, so it's good for me to ride my own, do my own training, ride by myself, and get ready the best I can. There is no pressure on me. It's going to be a tough season; there're a lot of good guys. en: You'lI be riding the new VZ250 two-stroke with the aluminum frame. What do you think of the new bike? davidvuillemin: The bike is a little different. It's a great bike with the new frame; it's really light. It was a good direction to go [with the aluminum frame). We have a lot of fun on the bike; I think it should be good. en: Why not race the four-stroke? davidvuillemin: I think we have a lot of experience on the 250, and we know we have a bike that wins races, so why change? I think all the best guys but Kevin [Windham) is on a two-stroke right now. en: What are your thoughts on the upcoming season In general? davidvuillemin: There are lot of good guys this year. It's going to be a fun season for you guys [the media) and for the fans, and that's what it's all about. Hopefully, I'll be riding good.