BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team - Winter Testing - Jerez

Winter testing – Jerez.

22nd to 23rd January 2013.

Jerez, 23rd January 2013. The RR is back on track: The BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team continued its preparation for the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship with two days of testing with the new 2013 race version of the BMW S 1000 RR in Jerez (ESP). On Tuesday, rain affected the testing programme on the Andalusian track but today it was sunny and the team was able to work in good weather conditions. In total, works rider Marco Melandri (ITA) completed 153 laps (677 km). His team-mate Chaz Davies (GBR) did 124 laps (549 km) on his RR.

Marco Melandri:

Bike: BMW S 1000 RR

“I am happy with this test. Today was a very good day and we could work a lot. As over the winter break I was struggling with a shoulder injury, it was not too bad that we had wet conditions yesterday because I could do some laps and train the shoulder without too much pressure. Today was very positive and I think we are well prepared for Phillip Island. We tested a lot of things, for example regarding electronics and got a clear understanding which direction we have to take. Of course, there is still work to do but especially with the chassis and the electronics we made a good step. Overall, I will head to Australia in a very confident and happy mood.”

Chaz Davies:

Bike: BMW S 1000 RR

“I am very happy. Since the last test back in November we made really good progress. I am starting to get a really good feeling for the bike. I did not go to the limit today so it is good to see that the lap times were not too bad. I am very happy about that. The guys did a great job over winter and have made many improvements to the bike. Also within in the crew we get not know each other better and better. So everything is going in the right direction. For sure, I still need more time and laps on the bike but we will do more testing in Australia and continue the progression.”

Andrea Dosoli (Technical Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team):

“Overall, it was a good test. It was nice to be back on track after the winter break. For sure, it was a very busy winter and everyone was working really hard to prepare the 2013 race version of the RR. It was good to see that at its first outing, the new machine was working well and that we improved in many areas, especially in terms of chassis and engine. This is the result of the great job everybody in the newly structured team did over the last weeks and we are very happy about that. We believe that the bike has a lot of potential and that we are well prepared for Phillip Island.

We have been working mainly on the chassis, comparing the 2013 bike to the 2012 version and evaluating some new parts and the feedback from both riders was positive. Both riders are happy with the new bike and have a good feeling with it. Marco was consistently faster than at the November test, even if the track was slower now. We are also happy that his physical condition is fine now after his shoulder injury. At this test, we could confirm that his shoulder is working well and that everything will be okay for the first race. Chaz improved his feeling with the bike a lot and is feeling comfortable on the RR. In terms of lap times, he reduced the gap to the competitors significantly. In addition, he and his crew gel together more and more.”

Serafino Foti (Sport Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team):

“It was a positive test for us. The team and the riders are very happy with the work we have done and with the results we have achieved. Regarding the first race, we are very confident. Now we will continue to work hard back at home and we will use another four days of testing in Australia to further improve. Overall, we look forward to the season start in a positive mood.”