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/311007
IN THE WIND P28 MIRROR IMAGE N o fewer than 21 riders set times in the one-day World Superbike test at Imola, Italy on Monday, a day after the race at the same site. To no one's surprise Pata Honda's Jonathan Rea was fastest, using some new electron- ics strategies to set a 1:47.225, which was only just inside the lap record (Tom Sykes in 2013, with a 1:47.274) and slightly faster than the 1:47.356 Rea set en route to victory in Sunday's race two. "We changed the balance of the bike a little bit and we had some test items, electronically, to help maintain the lap times at the end," Rea said. "We had a good day. The bike is working really well now in the wet or the dry and I am excited about Donington." Ducati's Chaz Davies put him- PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE As he was at Imola on Sunday, Jonathan Rea was fast again on Monday during the official World Superbike test in Italy. IT'S A 350! T he FIM tore down Red Bull KTM's Antonio Carioli's mo- torcycle that he rode to fourth place in Sunday's Motocross Grand Prix of Spain and have verified that it is 350cc in capac- ity. Carioli is currently leading the MXGP World Championship in the class that allows motorcycles of up to 450cc. "We very much welcome this move by the FIM officials because it is important for our company image, and for our in- ternational reputation that Tony's factory bike not only complies with FIM rules, but also that it is verified as a 350cc," said Pit Beirer, head of KTM Motors- ports. Beirer said customers, rivals and, most importantly, the sport's governing body should have the official assurance that the bike in question conforms to the size as stated on the machine's official specifications and is completely in line with FIM regulations. "We also want our custom- ers to know that for KTM it is naturally vital that with the 350cc SX-F, what they see is what they get," Beirer said. "The fact that Tony [Cairoli] has competed so successfully on the 350 SX-F since he joined our factory team in 2010 is a tribute to his excep- tional riding skills. It goes with- out saying that also underlines KTM's ongoing commitment to R&D and the deployment of technical expertise that is sec- ond to none." Cairoli has won four consecu- tive world titles in the big-bike category on the KTM 350 SX-F since joining the official KTM fac- tory team. PHOTOGRAPHY BY KTM IMAGES/RAY ARCHER The FIM tore down Antonio Cairoli's KTM to verify that it is indeed a 350. continued on page 30