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/914766
IN THE WIND P26 BEAUBIER FINISHES 2017 ON TOP C ameron Beaubier finished the end-of-year MotoAmerica Dunlop tire test on top at Thun- derhill Raceway in Northern California, held over December 6-8. The test saw only a handful of riders in atten- dance: Beaubier's Monster Energy/Yamalube/Ya- maha Factory Racing team, chief Superbike rivals Yoshimura Suzuki with 2017 MotoAmerica Super- bike Champion Toni Elias and Roger Hayden, M4 Ecstar Suzuki's Valentin Debise and Team M55's Michael Gilbert on their Supersport-spec 600s, Andrew Lee on his Kawasaki ZX-10R and Junior Cup racer Cory Ventura (Friday only) on a Yamaha R3. Two-time Superbike champion Beaubier showed no ill-effects of his injured shoulder that was sustained late in the 2017 season to take a 1:44.896 time. "The shoulder is good," Beaubier said of the right shoulder he injured in race two at the Pitts- burgh International Race Complex in August. "Coming into the test, I've been struggling a little bit with it at home and feel like it's a good 85 per- cent, but I've been at that 85 percent for a while now. Just riding myself back into shape is what's helping me. It surprised me. I did well, put in a lot of laps over the past three days and did good lap times. I thought I'd forgotten how to ride, but after that first session I felt good and it's just so nice to ride again. I did the best times I've done around here and I didn't think that would be the case coming into this test." Elias took second at the test with a 1:45.1, but unfortunately ended the test by crashing out and sliding into teammate Hayden, taking them both down. Two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Garrett Gerloff made an impres- sive debut in the Superbike class, finishing in third with a 1:45.23 lap as he adjusts to the rigor of riding a Superbike. "I wasn't last," Gerloff joked while looking at the lap times. "I feel really good. I'm super happy with the way that everything has progressed. Every- thing has taken a big jump for me this week and being able to compare myself with the competi- tion is a big part of progressing and learning what needs to change. We made some really big im- provements and our race setup, with a used tire, is really good, really consistent and I think that's the most important thing we got out of this test." Hayden, who finished second to Elias in the 2017 MotoAmerica Motul Superbike Champion- ship, ended up fourth with his 1:46.0 with Debise fastest of the two Supersport riders in attendance with a 1:47.95. CN Cameron Beaubier showed no ill effects from his surgically repaired shoulder to lead the Superbike testers at Thunderhill Raceway Park.