Tom Sykes and the official Kawasaki Racing Team completed the first winter test in readiness for the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship campaign, with positive days of progress and evaluation at Motorland Aragon finishing up today, 29th October. The bulk of the testing was completed towards the end of the three days and Sykes set 72 laps on the final day.

With significant numbers of 2016 season parts being tested on the Ninja ZX-10R at this, the first of many winter tests, the team and KHI now expect to make a greater transition to the full 2016-spec machine at the next tests at Jerez de La Frontera, next week. They will also re-confirm the parts and settings that proved so positive at Motorland.
There were significant improvements in the braking stability and engine performance of the WorldSBK spec race machine around Motorland, even in this first full track test, as lone tester Tom Sykes and his crew worked through almost their entire schedule of work.

On a clear final day, after occasional wet conditions earlier in the tests, Sykes set a best lap time of 1’50.6, a mark which he matched with some consistency throughout. Over the whole test Sykes did 139 laps of the long 5.077km circuit in the north of Spain.

The team now heads right across Spain to test at the Andalusia circuit of Jerez de La Frontera, between 3 and 4 November – this time with new World Champion Jonathan Rea (KRT) joining in after the recent birth of his second child meant he missed the first test at Motorland Aragon.
Tom Sykes stated: “We are heading back in a good direction to something we know. We ironed out some teething problems and got a general feel for things on the opening days and then today, when the sun was out from start to finish, we got our heads down and worked through a whole book of tricks. The team worked overtime today – parts in, parts out – all day. They all worked really efficiently and kept us on track for the maximum time possible. The overall performance of the Ninja ZX-10R at these tests is something that excites me. Overall the lap times were really consistent. The feeling was easier to achieve than I have been used to. It is still early days but this has definitely been a good start to our winter test programme.”

Marcel Duinker, Tom Sykes’ Crew Chief, stated: “Today the weather was stable and although we could not do all the scheduled tests, we completed the most important points. At 5pm we were happy with the results. After three or four steps we knew the direction to go in for the start in 2016. Those three or four steps have given a very clear direction. Tom pushed in the same way every time he went out on track and we were very happy to see the results. He did more than race distance on one set of tyres and was a faster than the previous pace, so we have to be happy with the result. We will always find some more things to improve but after one full day I believe we have already done around 50% of our winter test schedule. Tom did not do a full time attack but on fresh tyres, on his fourth lap, he did a best of 1’50.6. He did that kind of lap time several times.”

Ichiro Yoda, KRT Senior Engineer, stated: “The final day of the test was made in near perfect weather. We almost completed the schedule at this Motorland test and now we will look to the Jerez test to perform some more function tests. We used a mix of materials here, but mostly 2016 parts. Maybe in Jerez we can concentrate almost completely on 2016 material because we expect some other steps. After this first test it looks like engine performance and acceleration is better than in 2015. Braking stability was better also.”

2016 Kawasaki Racing Team riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes will take part in their first joint winter test session on 3 and 4 November, at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Spain. After Sykes had a very positive testing experience on his own recently at Motorland Aragon the entire team will now take its next step into the forthcoming FIM Superbike World Championship season, with the new and improved 2016 Ninja ZX-10R.

Rea, who was at home for the birth of his second son during the Motorland tests, is keen to get back into action after testing some 2016 parts at a one-day session at Jerez, immediately after winning the 2015 championship in September.
Sykes found real improvements in the 2016 material and machine set-up he tested in Motorland and is now heading to Jerez to make sure he can make the most of the second test on a busy KRT winter schedule.

Jerez is a particularly useful circuit to evaluate machines and parts as its 4.423km layout features a wide variety of corners and elevation changes. Its location in the south west of Spain usually provides the best weather in Europe during the winter months.

Kawasaki and the entire KRT squad will use their full winter test programme to accelerate the final development of the WorldSBK specification Ninja ZX-10R in readiness for the first round of the new season at the end of February in Australia. The race machine will be directly based on the new showroom model that was launched recently in Spain, which in itself features many ideas and design characteristics first developed in the white heat of WorldSBK racing.

Jonathan Rea stated: “I am really excited to get back onto the bike again. I started to test some new components on the bike in Jerez the day after the race in September and right there and then I had a good feeling with the direction things were going in. Speaking to some of the crew and KHI staff about the Motorland test last week they have moved the bike forward. The areas it has improved in should really help me a lot and I want to try the full potential. I am excited because Pere Riba, my crew chief, has worked really hard with the KHI engineers to make the 2016 bike really competitive for me. We will adopt our step-by-step philosophy again, get through the test programme and not get too excited because there is a lot of mileage and riding to be done before the first round in Phillip Island.”

Tom Sykes stated: “The KRT squad has got a quite heavy winter testing schedule, which is good. We are bound to work through our set-up again and in Jerez we have the added bonus of more new material that will be present on our bike for next year. We want to confirm our findings from the Motorland test last time out so we will try them again because we have a good timescale to work with. Jerez and Aragon are quite different racetracks so we will see how the behaviour and character of the bike is in Jerez. A same or similar result will confirm the very good results from the previous Motorland test and set us off in a good direction again for the rest of the winter.”

Guim Roda, Team Manager KRT, stated: “Our main idea is to continue the testing and good way of working with the parts we have received from KHI. It is the right period of the year to test many of the ideas that the team and the crew chiefs had in mind, to try and find new levels of performance. Testing on two different tracks means you can confirm the operation of the parts we have tried already and Jerez it is always good to work on to make these comparisons. We also need to fix and clarify some small points and details on order to decide the information to give to the team’s suppliers, so that we can start the new season in February with the right amount of the correct material. Jonathan will be with us this time after having had a chance to enjoy his private life and the birth of his son.”

Kawasaki Racing Team pairing Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes made the most of the available track time at Motorland Aragon over a two-day test with the 2016 Ninja ZX-10R while also filming an interview session for the launch of the much anticipated KRT Winter Test Edition of the same bike in its road form at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.

With some new parts to try, and confirmations being made of some components that have been tested already, both Sykes and Rea collected valuable data for their team crew and KHI to evaluate before the next track sessions, to be held in Jerez de la Frontera next week.

Rea, who rode in the short window of opportunity that appeared late on during day one, after heavy fog and low cloud had prevented any meaningful early action, finally set a best lap of 1’50.3 on day two. It was the fastest lap of the tests.
Sykes and his crew had elected not to do any laps on the first day, given the low track temperatures. He was out as soon as the sun had warmed up the track enough on day two. Tom set his best lap time of 1’51.1 and also tried some new parts, in addition reconfirming some existing components and settings.

Jonathan Rea stated: “We tested engine settings with a little bit different inertia and worked with some weight distribution ideas. We also tried a different rear spring and we confirmed everything was fine. I did some back-to-back comparisons with a new rear tyre that Pirelli had brought. It was like an SC1 family with stronger sidewalls, which gave more stability. For me it was a big step my riding style. We also used the new swing arm we first used in Jerez and we reconfirmed that too.”

Tom Sykes stated: “I am very happy considering the track conditions and the limited amount of testing we had. We have only worked with the hard tyres all day and I am really pleased with the lap times and the consistency. Overall the base seems very good and like always we tried some interesting items today. They were positive in some areas and, although there is still work to be done in other areas, generally we did not touch the bike in terms of set-up. We were just checking the updated 2016 parts. I am really pleased with the performance of them.”

Pere Riba, Jonathan Rea’s Crew Chief, stated: “Like the 2016 Ninja ZX-10R road machine, we have new engine inertia characteristics this year and with that it makes everything work differently, so also the engine management must be different. We have just tried different inertia settings to understand the changes. We are still at the stage of collecting information and now is not the time to set-up the bike to be too sharp. We also tried the new swingarm, rear shock and the big things we have to test. Now we can start to eliminate points and start to build the bike. The lap times were very good and Johnny is very confident. It was a positive test and I am very happy.”

Marcel Duinker, Tom Sykes’ Crew Chief, stated: “Today the morning fog was gone quite fast, the sun came out early and we could start testing this afternoon. The three or four priorities we wanted to test here, which we tried in Jerez last week, we worked with again. We have now confirmed on two tracks that this material has improved our general performance. Not only after one lap but also over race distance. We made a couple of steps on the engine and on the chassis and I am very satisfied with this result.”

Kawasaki Racing Team riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes will embark on their latest winter test sessions, starting on Monday 23 November, riding for the second time at Jerez de la Frontera since the end of the season. 2015 FIM Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea will start his test one day after attending the FIM Gala at Jerez on Sunday night, where he collects his FIM medal for winning the title in such spectacular form.

It was a weekend to remember for Kawasaki, as Jonathan Rea won the World Superbike Championship at Jerez (and contributed in his points tally towards the Manufacturers title for Kawasaki), SRC Kawasaki took victory at the prestigious Bol d’Or 24 Hour endurance race and Josh Grant took his first MXGP win at the iconic Glen Helen circuit.

Kawasaki Racing Team rider, Tom Sykes, won the first race at Jerez whilst Rea had to battle for fourth place to gain his first World Championship, in what has been an incredible title campaign, that saw him off the podium for the first time all season. The efforts of the two men plus other Kawasaki pilots combined to mean thatKawasaki also won the Manufacturers Championship for the first time ever.Rea paid tribute to the two previous Northern Irish World Champions Joey Dunlop and Brian Reid, wearing replica helmets in the colours of the two riders on the slow-down lap, both of whom took their titles back in 1986.
After this celebration lap and being thrown high into the air by his pit crew, Rea said, “It feels like a little bit of a weight off my shoulders. I have always believed that we were capable of winning a world championship right after I had stepped off a World Supersport bike onto a Superbike. Now, in this moment, it just feels like my time to be honest.”

Kenan Sofuoglu was again triumphant in the Supersport class to extend his series lead whilst his fellow Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu has already taken the FIM European Superstock 600cc title, on his Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Ninja ZX-6R.

At the final round of the FIM Endurance World Championship at the legendary Bol d’Or, SRC Kawasaki took a hard fought victory after a gruelling 24 hour battle. The three riders Gregory Leblanc, Matthieu Lagrive and Fabien Foret were ecstatic to take victory on French home soil yet again for Gilles Stafler’s hard working team.

At the final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship at the renowned Californian track of Glen Helen, ‘wildcard’ Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Josh Grant took his first ever MX1 GP race win. There was emotion too as Tyla Ratray completed his final GP race and Ryan Villopoto continued his farewell tour to his fans.

Kawasaki Racing Manager, Steve Guttridge, commented: “Bringing Johnny into our Kawasaki Racing Team this year was like a dream come true. He’s delivered everything we expected on the track and much more as part of the team. Racing alongside Tom, it is a dream team and we really have to thank them both for their efforts to deliver these good times with Kawasaki. To also take victory at the legendary Bol d’Or and Glen Helen MXGP means this has been a weekend to remember for Kawasaki!”

Tom Sykes and the official Kawasaki Racing Team will get their 2016 FIM Superbike World Champion preparations off to an early start with their first winter test session between Tuesday 27th October and Thursday 29th October. New world champion Jonathan Rea (KRT), will not be in attendance at this test in Motorland Aragon as his wife is expecting their second child at this time.

After finishing fourth in the first WorldSBK race at Jerez de la Frontera
in Spain Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) became the FIM Superbike World
Champion for the first time in his career.

Born in Northern Ireland in 1987, Jonathan only joined the Kawasaki Racing Team for the 2015 season, after taking part in his first full WSB season in 2009.

He made an immediate impact on the Ninja ZX-10R in winter testing and won the first race of the year for Kawasaki, at Phillip Island on February 22nd. He won 12 of the first 20 races, and has not finished off the podium in any of them, before arriving in Spain to lift his crown.

A Q&A with Jonathan follows, below, plus some of his remarkable facts and statistics and comments from Kawasaki and his KRT team.

Q: What does it feel like, personally, to have a year like this, especially after having been in the championship for such a long time?
JR: Personally, it feels like a little bit of a weight off my shoulders. I have always believed that we were capable of winning a world championship right after I had stepped off a World Supersport bike onto a Superbike. Now, in this moment, it just feels like my time to be honest. It feels a bit like everything has gone my way a bit, even when a couple of things could have gone wrong. Like when the rain came in Portimao and I had a slide with the front in the wet, and caught it on my knee. When I had a big moment at Donington in lap one, and I landed straight back on the seat again, and was able to pick up a second place…
It has just panned out for me so smoothly. I have never had that happen before. I have been in Superbike quite a while and I have had two seasons that were dogged with injury, with my wrist and a femur issues in 2011 and 2013.

Q: How special has this season been after all that earlier frustration?
JR: The most special thing, really, is not just right now where we are, and in the position we are now in. It was joining Kawasaki and a team that had been so successful over the past few seasons, sharing a garage with one of the strongest riders in World Superbike. To come out and win the first race at Phillip Island… that is a feeling and memory that I will take with me for a long time. That felt amazing so from that point on every weekend – where even if we couldn’t qualify on the front row, or even the second row – because we have qualified in seventh or eighth position, we still won quite a few races. It is a testament to all the hard work that not just Pere Riba my crew chief, or Paolo Marchetti my electronics guy, but all the mechanics put into making sure we have a package on Sunday that works. It is proof that the Ninja ZX-10R is, if not the best one, then certainly one of the best packages right now on the grid.

Q: When you are riding at race-winning pace it looks like it is smooth and easy – although, of course it is never easy. What is it about that bike that helps with that, to make it look so smooth?
JR: I also felt that my previous bike fitted me quite well but the development from the KHI side, that our electronic guys Paolo and Danilo do, from the ECU side and engine management, there is no doubt we have the best electronics on the grid. And the two best electronic engineers – not just in our paddock but in the world – inside our box. Those are two massive factors to make the bike good. Then from a chassis point of view the bike just turns so well. I think the positive thing of developing and using Showa suspension is that we have got 100% of their attention. Now the Showa suspension and the way we are working with us has given us an incredible platform. They have shown that they are really behind it. By them solely working for us we have made massive gains.

Q: Coming from a racing background, and knowing that a lot of good riders will not get the chance to be world champion, does that make this year even sweeter to your?
JR: Anybody that has won a championship has not just arrived in that one championship. Everyone has faced adversity and hard times, and come a long way. But since I have been five years old I have been competing in schoolboy Motocross. So I feel like I have been riding competitively for such a long time. I came into the world championships at 20, quite young, but I feel like I have been racing bikes competitively for years and years, so I feel like it has taken me a little longer to achieve that goal. The good thing about it is that as a kid with a dream, I never gave up on my dream. I just kept believing in myself. It has been all nice and ‘limelighty’ at times, but there have been countless hours and days and weeks spent in hospital rooms or physio rooms or with trainers. I feel like I have faced enough injuries already so it also feels nice to have a season like this because it certainly makes up for the hard times that nobody really sees.”

Kawasaki Comments About Rea’s Championship Win

Steve Guttridge: Kawasaki Race Planning Manager: “Bringing Johnny into our Kawasaki Racing Team this year was like a dream come true. He’s delivered everything we expected on the track and much more as part of the team. Racing alongside Tom, it is a dream team and we really have to thank them both for their efforts to deliver these good times with Kawasaki.”

Guim Roda: KRT Team Manager: “I’m so happy for Rea and of course for all the Kawasaki family and all our sponsors, especially Motocard, Elf and Monster. What Johnny completed today is really great and we all have to be proud. Rea has worked all the year close to excellence and this is very difficult to achieve. He proved he is not only a fast rider but also a solid and consistent one. We are happy he found in his Ninja ZX-10R the tool he needs to show his potential. What he found in combination of his mechanics and his crew chief Pere Riba has been great, all done within not even a full year. I cannot wait to see him on the 2016 bike. We cannot forget the great job Tom Sykes did, and is still doing too. He did not start the season so well but now he is getting really strong too. We really wish he can take second place in the championship and that would be something for us all to be proud of too.”

‘Jonathan Rea’ WorldSBK Statistics

Date of Birth: 2 February 1987
WorldSBK Career: 2008 – present day
WorldSBK Race Starts: 161 At Race 1 Jerez
Pole positions: 6
Race wins: 27 At Race 1 Jerez
Podiums: 62 At Race 1 Jerez
Fastest laps: 19 at race one Jerez

First race: Portimao, 2008
First pole: Assen, 2010
First podium: Kyalami Race 2, 2009
First win: Misano Race 2, 2009