World Superbikes

Kawasaki Part Ways With Tom Sykes In WorldSBK

Submitted by David Emmett on

Tom Sykes is to part ways with Kawasaki in the WorldSBK championship. The 2013 WorldSBK champion is to leave the team and manufacturer with which he had virtually all of his success in the series. 

Sykes' departure has been coming for some time. The Yorkshireman has been increasingly unhappy in the team ever since Jonathan Rea joined Kawasaki. Since Rea arrived, development of the bike has been moving away from Sykes and towards Rea, understandably, given just how dominant Rea has been on the ZX-10R, winning three titles in a row and on his way to a fourth.

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2018 Misano WorldSBK: What We Learned At Misano

Submitted by Steve English on

Jonathan Rea may have done the double at the Italian circuitm but WorldSBK was in rude health last weekend

New tires offer a new reference
Pirelli brought a huge tire range to Misano. The Italian manufacturer has been criticized at times but they certainly aren't resting on their laurels in 2018. At their home round there were six front tire options available to teams and a new option to complement the increased profile of the rear tire. This new front tire wasn't to every rider's liking but it is now “the reference for teams” according to numerous engineers. The tire offered stability under braking but was a handful for some riders when they released the brake and tried to enter the corner. It will take time to make it work perfectly and find the correct settings but it was very well received.

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2018 Misano WorldSBK Notes: The Magic Of Misano Strikes For WorldSBK

Submitted by Steve English on

Five riders from four manufacturers stood on the Misano podium to show the strength and depth of WorldSBK

“This is the real Superbike racing” was how Marco Melandri assessed Sunday's racing at Misano and it was hard to argue with the Italian. Under blue skies and a burning sun the action on track was just as hot, with Jonathan Rea, Michael van der Mark and Melandri all fighting it out for the win.

With Chaz Davies keeping a watching brief following his Saturday podium and Eugene Laverty having stood on the Race 1 rostrum it was clear this was the best race weekend of the 2018 season. Five riders spraying Prosecco on the podium and four manufacturers able to see their riders on the box it was a fantastic weekend to bring a close to racing before the summer break.

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A Lap Of Misano With Leon Camier - Flat Out Through Curvone

Submitted by Steve English on

Leon Camier has plenty of experience at Misano. The Red Bull Honda WorldSBK star has ridden at the Italian circuit in Grand Prix and also on a Superbike. He's spent time learning the nuances of the Rimini venue and over that time he's found out one thing: patience is key!

“Misano is a tricky circuit but it's got some interesting quirks,” said Camier. “The opening sector of the lap is very challenging, because if you make a mistake in Turn 1 it affects you for the whole sector. From Turn 1 to Turn 4 it's connected and your speed at the apex of the first corner is the key. You have to carry so much speed through the opening corner but that makes it very easy to run wide and lose time. You have to make sure to get the bike stopped at Turn 1 but you still need to carry massive speed through the corner while not running wide because you need to be in the right place for the entry to Turn 2.

“Carrying so much speed through that corner is exciting but it's also so easy to over cook it. You have to turn the bike on the edge of the tire after you've let off the brake so it's easy to be too hot into that corner. Having a good line through Turn 2 second gear and very important because you carry that speed all the way through to Turn 4. You take a short shift for Turn 3 and carry that speed to Turn 4.”

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