Superbike: It's already time for testing in view of 2015

After just three weeks from the end of the Championship, the holidays for the teams are already practically over, or at least postponed to the break from 21 December to 4 January, and the drivers are ready to work in view of 2015.

Next season, as is known, includes further changes to the regulations, with a view to containing costs and leveling performance, given that this year too we have witnessed the absolute domination of only two manufacturers, Aprilia and Kawasaki.

Among the innovations there is the mandatory use of standard pistons and connecting rods (or in different materials, as long as the weight remains the same), the limits on the transmission (only one set of ratios, with the possibility of changing the crown and pinion) , and the introduction of a price cap on electronics (which however remains in the hands of each company) of eight thousand euros.

The first to verify the status of the new project are Kawasaki and Ducati, who will take to the track today and tomorrow in Aragon with the official riders, Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea, and Davide Giugliano and Chaz Davies respectively.

“I'm happy to get back on the bike immediately – he commented Tom Sykes – This season ended late, and it will feel like we'll be leaving for Australia again before long. We've made some changes to the ZX10-R so I'll get back to development. The 2015 bike has improved a lot this year and David Salom has done a great job, collecting data that will be useful for our progress."

As for Ducati, which this year has used electronics that are closely related to the MotoGP ones, it will first and foremost be a matter of preserving the competitive advantages within the new kit, an operation that manager Ernesto Marinelli in Qatar defined as "very expensive" .
In 2015 the Panigale will be equipped with new exhausts, going from Termignoni to Akrapovic, as also in MotoGP, previewed during the tests at Mugello.

Next week, in Jerez, in addition to them, Aprilia will also take to the track, with Red Devils, who have made Leon Haslam official alongside Toni Elias for next year, Pata Honda with the new World Champion Sylvain Guintoli, and Suzuki.