Rain disrupts opening day of three-day Jerez MotoGP test
. By Bikeland Staff
Unseasonably cool weather and occasional showers disrupted
proceedings on the opening day of the three-day MotoGP test at Jerez.
Despite the delays and a slow to dry track surface the three Honda
RC212V riders in attendance at the test Dani Pedrosa, Marco Melandri
and Shinya Nakano made the best of the bleak conditions to gather
valuable technical data.
Dani Pedrosa took the Repsol Honda out in both wet and dry
conditions, his first run on the machine since he underwent minor
surgery to his left arm on November 3. The diminutive Spaniard was
the busiest of the three Honda men putting in 44-laps of the 4.423 km
Andalusia circuit.
Pedrosa's team worked on machine balance playing with spring rates
and different suspension settings plus some engine mapping settings
for the difficult half-wet and half-dry conditions. However, the team
refrained from trying changes to geometry as they have yet to
optimise the best base line settings for dry conditions. With the
rain persisting Pedrosa tested three types of rain tyre for Michelin
and was pleased with their performance.
Melandri, a three-time MotoGP race winner in 2006, riding the Gresini
Honda RC212V, spent his dry laps fitting himself to the new riding
position and learning what he could about the chassis and suspension
of machine. There was no time for engine work or mapping changes to
the four-cylinder RC212V.
The rain offered the team ideal conditions to test the range of wet
tyres that new for 2007 supplier Bridgestone brought to Jerez.
Melandri, another rider returning from arm surgery, was impressed
with his debut on the RC212V. "My initial impression of the new bike
is favourable," the Italian said at the end of his 36-lap stint on
the four-cylinder four-stroke.
New boy to Honda Shinya Nakano made his first acquaintance with both
the RC212V on Michelin tyres and his new Konica Minolta team. Despite
the changeable conditions the genial Japanese star was more than
impressed with the RC212V. In the opening laps of his dry session
Nakano confirmed his riding position and basic balance of the machine
plus the Michelin tyres, Nakano's first MotoGP excursion on the
French manufacturers tyres. When the rain came he elected not to test
in the wet conditions due to his lack of kilometres on the Honda.
Honda rider lap times and quotes:
Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1m 44.030s - 44 laps. 19 dry laps, 25
wet. "Today we didn't get to test much really because of the weather,
but it was useful for me to get back into the rhythm of riding a
MotoGP bike after nearly one month off. If the weather is good
tomorrow then I will be fine to do a full day's practice - so today
was worth it as a warm up, and the arm felt fine."
Marco Melandri, Gresini Honda: 1m 44.40s - 36 laps. 10 dry laps, 24
wet. "It was a good day even when it rained. The bike is so much
different to the 990cc but I like it. The feeling is almost same in
some ways but the driveability much better, basically because there
is less power. The 990cc always wants to push into the corners but
the 800cc changes direction so much better, you can focus on riding
the bike rather than fighting it into turns. I only got in about 10
laps in the dry before the rain came but I felt good on the wet
surface with the Bridgestone tyres. We have two more days and I hope
it stays dry because I have to learn as much as possible about this
bike, we need many laps during the winter tests."
Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda: 1m 46.200s - 36 laps. "I only
did 17-laps so it is difficult to see everything. The engine feels
positive, very smooth and the initial feeling is the handling should
be good. When I first sat on the bike it didn't feel so small but
riding it did feel small and easy to move around. Tyre grip was good
in the dry and I had a good feeling about that but it is far too
early to say this or that is OK or not. We have two more days testing
here at Jerez and I will have a better understanding of the bike
when the test has finished."