After a difficult first weekend in Valencia for Pierre Texier, we are here in Aragon to dispute the second and third race of the 2016 season of the Europe Superbike championship.
We participated in two days of testing at this track.
We had unfortunately not received any new race parts for our Kawasaki ZX10R so we only had to look for chassis and electronics adjustments, with limited success.
We finally received the new fairings, consistent with the regulations, but only one week before the race and we had to paint it by ourselves given the time. Congratulations to Pierre for this great work.
Tire warmers should we be delivered on the circuit but the supplier has failed us, which unfortunately will have adverse consequences on the progress of our race weekend.
Friday free practices :
In our tests we observed a slight improvement with the hard tire at the front and the softer rear. These tires are available for the race, we will stay on this configuration.
The first session goes wrong, Pierre returns to the fourth laps as expected but it does not come out. We have an electric failure on the bike! This is solved but after the end of the session. Fortunately we had carried out the tests!
The second session goes well, the track is very hot and if our lap times are not exceptional they are better than those of our competitors.
Pierre sometimes feels an important chattering, this is never good news.
We have not yet found a large radiator adapted to this new bike and the engine warms up much in these climatic conditions, which worries us.
I meet Mr. Taleo in the paddock, I explain my need and three hours later I have the final model radiator Taleo Technoracing in hands! it arrived by courier from Madrid! Mr. Taleo even helped me to mount it :-) One more solved problem, what's next!
Saturday, qualifying :
After analyzing our data and a night of reflection I decided to make a radical change to the geometry of the bike.
It is with much stress I look Pierre take the track ... And the result is very positive! He immediately takes the fourth time of the session and keeps almost to the end. He finished the session sixth.
The chattering is decreased and is sensitive to certain adjustments, however our setting window is very small between a lack of rear grip and chattering.
The second qualifying session takes place under a blazing sun.
It is likely that our choice of rear tire was not the most suitable for these conditions, but we did not have enough tire warmers for a loan to roll hard tire so we will never know.
Pierre has a problem with the new tire, he is not improving, he stays on the track for too many laps and, if a solution is found quickly to his lack of grip, he left him just enough time to validate it, but not to make a final lap time. Too bad he is only eleventh and ranking ninth in combined.
We worked all weekend on the electronics settings to give the motorcycle the behavior sought by Pierre but with little success on the lack of trail acceleration in second gear ... or it turns out that the bike is not set to the correct anti-wheeling map since the beginning of the weekend!
This is a good track for improvement to validate the warm-up on Sunday morning.
The gearbox is to be checked, Pierre had complained of problems to upshift in third gear on lean.
Disassembly, assembly, nothing wrong, probably a shimming to improve but it is not the moment to change the gearbox.
Sunday morning, the warm-up is going well, Pierre is seventh on old tires, without forcing.
We are quite worried overlooked in fuel consumption. According to our calculations we will have to go, for the first time, with a full tank. Pierre should be able to cross the line before meeting de-gauging problems, at least in theory...
I add half a kilo of lead on the bike to ensure compliance with the empty tank.
The first race at 11 am:
There is really a lot of wind on the grid.
Pierre is third row inner side, this is really not a good place because there are often clashes at the first corner here.
After a gentle warm-up lap to save fuel, Pierre takes a good start and goes smoothly the first corner, almost to its original position.
He quickly makes the positions to his opponents, he his not fast enought, surely the grip problem at the back that is back. He does his best as always and profiting more crashes, ranks eighth in the race.
We are of course very disappointed with the result.
Pierre confirms a lack of rear grip, no way to accelerate on the angle.
Missing at least 0.05 bar in the rear tire. Pressure setup error? Poor estimation of the temperature of the track due to the wind? That's a mystery.
You can watch the first race here.
The second race at 2 pm:
The track is slightly warmer than in the morning, the pressure is adjusted taking into account the measurements of the first race.
Full tank was enough, we are more confident and withdraw the extra weight.
Pierre takes a great start and ranks in fourth place at the first corner!
But the front of the bike is abnormally heavy, the angle changes require much effort.
Pierre manages to retain fourth rank in a lap and a half before being overtaken by Barragan then Climent at the start of the third lap.
He has two close pursuers but the first falls in the fourth lap and the second gives up the next lap.
From the ninth lap again Pierre looses grip at the rear, his lap times increase and we fear that he gets rejoined by the seventh.
He adapts his riding and manages to limit the rise of its rivals and maintain his sixth position at the finish line.
Bravo, another great riding demonstration.
Even a tire pressure problem, this time at the front too!
No doubt about the initial pressure ... must look elsewhere. We find that the rim turned into the tire, at least 2 degres, here that might explain it.
We check then the wheel of the first race, it turned at least 90 degrees! To the front, no way to know because we did not mark on the tire.
All these efforts ruined by a problem never encountered before, it is frustrating but this are also the joys of motorsport.
The can watch the second race here.
The TV keeps focused on Pierre during the three first laps! Commentators talk about Pierre during the whole race, bust mostly at the begining after its "incredible start".
We of course thank our partners KART System, LS2, Pam Racing, Louit moto and Poupiz Performance.
No news coming from Japan, we sought and found solutions elsewhere and have high hopes of progress at the next race in Barcelona.
Matthieu Texier.