Jonathan Rea was in Jerez this week for two days of World Superbike testing, completing 173 laps. The Pata Yamaha rider worked with three different bikes and various components, already feeling competitive aboard the YZF-R1.
The six-time world champion told worldsbk.com: ‘It’s been really positive and I’ve really enjoyed riding the bike at this test, especially on day one when the temperature was warmer than expected and similar to the race. We were able to get a lot of work done. I had 3 bikes to try different options on and loads of different parts. We never managed to put everything together to be perfect but we still have a lot of time and we got through the main test items. We managed just about everything on the list; some items we can discard, some very interesting going forwards’.
While acknowledging he hasn’t yet reached the bike’s limits, Rea ensured he already feels competitive: ‘I completed the test with a race simulation which was positive; the more laps I do on the R1, the more I understand it and how it behaves in certain conditions and also, the more confidence I get. I don’t feel like I’ve found the limit with the bike yet. I’m understanding the last part of braking but I feel competitive already’.