The second day of practice in 2008 allowed the Repsol KTM Team riders to continue learning the secrets of the KTM that they will ride this season. Julián Simón did 57 laps and worked on getting a better…
In the afternoon the wind got up and so the times did not get better, although at the end of the day the times were at the same level of those set in the morning, which means the team is positive about the work to be done tomorrow. He will use the set up that he finished the day with and then carry on the positive work of collecting useful data, as well as expanding his knowledge of the new machine.Regarding the 125cc riders, Rabat also concentrated on finding a riding position he feels comfortable with. So far the Repsol rider is riding a KTM that his new teammate rode on last season iu the Spanish Championship, and the difference in height between the two means that the bike is a little small for Rabat. After solving these problems, he was able to continue trying to find the best set up on his KTM. The day`s work was also positive for Marc Márquez, who in the morning set some good times. In the afternoon Márquez fell, because of the strong wind, but was uninjured after losing adherence on the front wheel of his KTM coming out of the second curve. The Repsol rider, who will be 15 on 17th February, was badly affected by the wind because he is very light and so the optimum weight for this bike is not reached, meaning that he is not able to ride so well the wind is strong and gusty.Tomorrow is the third and final day of practice in Jerez, the riders then turn their sights to the Circuito Ricardo Tormo de Cheste, where Rabat and Márquez will finally be able to premiere the KTM 2008.Julián Simón, 1’44.479 secs, 57 laps Today we carried on the work related to the front end. We still have some difficulties when taking curves, and so that is why I worked on the front end set up, but I am still not as comfortable as I would like to be. We did some work with a new more open steering that we had leftover to try from yesterday, it is a bit more like the one I had on the previous Honda. With this change we saw straght away that I could set the same times as yesterday and so we began to try new things on other parts of the bike, with new geometries, different springs on the front and back, but in the end this was taking us backwards, in the end though it allowed us to get some things clear at the end of the day and get a good base.Esteve Rabat, 1’49,4 secs, 54 laps Today we were able to do more laps and get used to the bike better. I am having problems getting used to the chassis on the KTM, as I am having problems with stability which makes it difficult when I try to take a curve. The bike started to bounce around and I cannot ride comfortably. But well, we are getting used to it and we carried on trying different set ups on the chassis. Today we changed the footrests because we are riding the bike that Marc used in the CEV last season, and for me it was too small, so we put some longer ones on and this made things better and let me ride more comfortably. the important thing now is toget a good pace nn both the curves as well as when braking, and bit by bit we will get better.Marc Márquez, 1’49,7 secs, 50 laps This morning went better than yesterday but better than in the afternoon. We began with yesterday`s set up and that was when I set my fastest time, a 49.7. After that we used a shorter handlebar and other things that did not work out for me, because when we changed the handlebar we also changed the set up on the suspension and the whole bike was not so good. I was not very comfortable so at the end of the day I got the longer handlebar put back on. But the wind got up in the afternoon and at one point a gust made me fall. I was drifting out of the second curve and so I leaned a bit extra and a gust threw me to the floor. I was unhurt but it was too late, by then the track was very cold and I did not get back on the bike. But well things have gone quite well in spite of everything and I am pleased. Tomorrow we will start with the longer handlebar and try to get a better pace and to complete the whole set up.
