SBK| Winter Test Jerez: very positive feedback for Kawasaki

The Kawasaki Racing Team concludes the last tests of the year consistently ahead of everyone, with the exception of Thursday 23 November, in which, however, it did not ride.
At Jerez de la Frontera Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes seem to be the pack to beat again in 2018, despite the new regulation: the reigning champion sealed his performances on the track by improving the record lap of the circuit by one second, a 1'37.986 also superior to the MotoGP that they have tested in Jerez these days.

An impressive time which demonstrates how the Northern Irishman is an absolute champion and how it is wrong to consider Superbikes inferior bikes compared to MotoGPs, given that very often the real difference is made by the electronics.

Positive results also for teammate Sykes who goes on holiday with the best time of 1:38:326, three and a half tenths behind Rea: the Englishman excelled on the second and third day on the track, working hard in optics of the new 2018 regulation and always keeping a very fast pace.

“We are relatively happy, I want to thank the team because they worked very hard. We need to make the most of this opportunity, because it's no secret that in 2017 I wasn't as happy and performing as I could have been” – he said Tom Sykes – “In this winter test it is important for me to find my speed, which I know I have, and so far the program is going very well and I am happy with the progress we are making. Considering everything so far we are going in the right direction. I've been alone on the track for a while and it's good to learn how to work with the new regulations for next year."

It was a very intense week for Jonathan Rea who had to miss a day of testing to fly to London where he received the MBE award, and when he returned to the track he suffered a fall which left him with some ailments.
Overall, the reigning Champion is very satisfied with the work on the track, which has allowed him to already find an excellent feeling with his bike.

“Yesterday I was in a suit and tie and today in my Alpinestars suit, another world! The day went well; we tested a lot of things for our 2018 bike. Monday was an initial test and today we mainly focused on the chassis and then the rest of the time we dedicated to Showa. There are many positive aspects, some things are at the same level as before, some better and some worse, but we are carrying out the test – which is not my favorite activity – but it is really positive” – commented Jonathan Rea – “It has been a big fall (Wednesday at turn 12), as soon as I touched the front brake I lost the front and I did everything to try to keep the bike up, even with my knee and elbow, but unfortunately I couldn't do it . Today we maintained a good level with the race tire, so I gained more confidence and was going faster and faster but I crashed. It was important to get back on the bike for my confidence. I hurt my neck a bit in the fall, so I need to treat it, we'll see if we can continue the test tomorrow, but with more peace of mind."