Times fall on day two for Repsol Honda riders.
Max Biaggi and team mate Nicky Hayden put in an impressive 208 laps combined laps today in good weather on the second day of the scheduled three-day Phillip Island test.
Both riders worked very hard on the suspension set-up of their 2005-spec RC211V’s looking for the optimum balance. Biaggi dipped into the 1 minute 29 second bracket (nearly one second faster than he qualified here last October for the GP). His team mate, who secured his first MotoGP podium here in his rookie season in 2003, gathered much data again that the 23-year-old American will hope to use to good effect in tomorrow’s final day at the undulating 4.4km circuit.
Max Biaggi,
93 laps. Best lap: 1m 29.970s
Thursday; 96 laps. Best lap: 1m 30.652s
‘I felt stronger today even though I had a crash. We’ve definitely improved again today with a better suspension setting and the machine felt more consistent for a long period of time. I’m preferring the lower rear suspension link at the moment, the lap time between that and the upper link is the same but the feeling is slightly better with the lower link. But then a single lap doesn’t mean you will be fast in a race condition. The crash was my own fault really. We tried a new tyre and I knew quickly that the tyre could well be an improvement but it caused some chatter and the machine needed adjusting for the tyre. I lost the front at turn six on the lap I was coming back into the pits to make the adjustment, turn six was where the chatter was worst.’
Nicky Hayden,
115 laps. Best lap 1m 30.430s
Thursday; 97 laps. Best lap: 1m 30.530s
‘We really got working on some chassis testing today, spent a lot of time trying to make the changes work and it was a valuable exercise. We then had a go with what I’m normally used to but I suppose that’s what testing is all about. I tried the lower rear suspension link today, for the first time since a test in Malaysia in 2003. There’s very little difference between the upper and lower links and I think it really boils down to what feels most comfortable for the rider. I did a lot of laps today, maybe too many, which is something we want to address tomorrow and hopefully I can get a good run on a rear race tyre and grab a fast lap along the way.’
