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/776700
INTERVIEW 2016 WORLDSBK CHAMPION JONATHAN REA P92 that. We thought we had the same base, but we could have more scope to improve. But in reality the bike is actually quite different. Your electronics engineer, Paolo Marchetti, says you spend a lot of time working on engine braking. What are you looking for? I feel like if I can get into the corner smooth and consistently, then I can control the bike on the exit of the corners. The prob- lem is when I close the throttle I need support because I can't affect the bike. If you start touch- ing the clutch, you upset the engine brake. If you start using too much rear brake, you start interrupting the engine brake. I need the engine brake to be precise. When you're decelerat- ing, you're counting on support from the compromise between the balance of the bike to be stable and on the bike being bal- anced, but also from the engine brake side I don't like the bike backing in too much, especially with our engine configuration. When I watch other riders that are backing in, they're using the soft front tire and turning into the apex, whereas I'm doing a lot of counter-steering. There's always that point where I haven't found a nice electronics setting where it comes back into line nicely and I can finish the corner. Do you use a lot of rear brake on corner entry? Not so much, to be honest. Maybe in the corner, close to maximum lean I use a little bit, but on the way in, not really. How has the traction con- trol changed in the time that you've been around? The traction control strategies are very similar to what we had the beginning of last year. It's probably one of the strongest areas of our bike, to be honest. The fueling is very good as well. It's very nice and easy power, but the character of the power and for example the engine character and the state of tune, for me, is a little bit aggressive in a race. I haven't seen the power or torque curve, but I can imagine it's a little bit lumpy in the race bike. The first thing I noticed when I sat on your bike was how wide your bars are—al- most like a dirt bike. Is that because it gives you more leverage or more room to move? It's easier to change direction, but honestly, it's just my style. I'm starting to work with (former World Supersport Champion) Fabian Foret as a bit of a rider coach and that's one thing that we were going to speak to the team about, to bend the bars in a little bit more. But basically, it's more comfortable. I can get tucked in more easily. Where do you see your big areas of improvement in "65 is my number but if you get a chance to run number one you should run it, I think. I come from a motocross background, I was pushing to let me run red plates when I was leading!" A crash in race one at Laustizring when his ZX-10R hit a false neutral was remedied with a win in race two.