Laverty, de Puniet test Suzuki MotoGP bike at Phillip Island

Test rider Randy de Puniet was joined by Voltcom Crescent Suzuki World Superbike rider Eugene Laverty for the first two days, with the latter unfortunately suffering a crash early on the first day due to the slippery and damp conditions. However the Irishman was able to complete 37 laps on Wednesday despite inclement weather that halted much of the testing on every day; and which included a large amount of geese on the circuit obstructing every session.

Both Laverty and de Puniet suffered crashes at Turn 1 due to the slippery surface and de Puniet also fell avoiding a goose that had strayed onto the circuit.

With air temperatures around 15C and track temperatures below 20C - as Australia starts its winter season - fully evaluating the various compound Bridgestone tyres and new Suzuki parts and settings was also a challenge for the team who had hoped to get in more long runs and collect more data for evaluation.

However the team and riders remained upbeat after using every opportunity, when the weather permitted, to evaluate the machine and various settings, with de Puniet still managing to put 36 laps down on two of the days.


Randy de Puniet:
"Overall we were slightly luckier than in Argentina, as at least we could test for more than two hours, but we had to wait most of the time for the track to dry out. The track conditions weren't ideal, though, because of the low temperatures and also it was the first time for this new Suzuki bike here and we needed to make some adjustments.
We also tested some Bridgestone tyres for the next Grand Prix and some suspension balance settings. On the electronics side, I found the new traction control strategies to be very good and it was a step forward for us."


Michael Laverty, in an interview on motogp.com, added that the weather conditions meant the testing didn't go according to plan. In two days, the Irishman only managed to complete 30 laps in dry conditions, and like de Puniet, he suffered a crash, too.

Undergoing more testing on Japan's Okayama ciruit prior to the PI test, Laverty completed only three hours on the Suzuki MotoGP bike, but stated he felt comfortable on the bike and capable of fast lap times.

Laverty added that, compared to his normal World Superbike GSX-R, the MotoGP bike is very manageable, and cited the main differences being around the rear rear of the bike and how the tyres react.

"The base bike is very good [with] a lot of rear grip. . . it has some potential."

Laverty stated that while braking and corner entry were both good, corner exit needs to be improved.

"Even though the bike was faster [than a World Superbike] at the end of the straight, it felt slower, because everything was under control.

"I'd like to ride the bike one more time, that's for sure."

Image: motogp.com