WSBK Superbike Test: Technical innovations seen in Barcelona

De Corrado Andrea Bertoli / Corsedimoto.com

During the two days of testing in Montmeló, the manufacturers involved made numerous changes. Here's an overview of what's new.

The Superbike tests of March 31 and April 1, 2021, which saw the motorcycles derived from the series compete on the Barcelona circuit, finally give us an idea of the forces present for the season ahead. The times show us a Jonathan Rhea certainly in great shape, but he is pursued by very strong competition. What is surprising is that the first four positions in the timesheets are occupied by four different bikes. The technical balance between the five manufacturers on the 2021 Superbike grid goes hand in hand with the intense development work that all the teams carried out during these sunny and fruitful testing days in Montmeló. Many new features were seen on the track, more or less close to being adopted in racing.

BMW, the bittersweet debut of the M1000RR
For the Munich manufacturer, Barcelona was the ideal testing ground for its new flagship model, the M1000RR. Unfortunately, the factory driver Michael van der Mark fell and finished the second day in 14th position, more than 1,6 seconds behind the best time. Jonas Folger et Tom Sykes did better, finishing fourth and sixth respectively. The factory team tested the effectiveness of the new aerodynamic fins, while different chassis and swingarm combinations were compared. There was also a new exhaust system, as well as updated electronics made available to the satellite teams. Unlike other factory teams, who brought new Brembo front brake calipers to the track, BMW used the latest Nissin calipers.

Honda, new HRC parts from Japan
Given the expectations and investments of the Maison à l'Aile d'Or, we cannot look back with pleasure at the tenth time achieved by Leon Haslam during the second day of testing, because he was more than a second behind Jonathan Rhea. Over the winter, HRC's racing department in Japan produced many new components to equip the CBR1000RR. In Barcelona, updates were made to the engine, as well as a new exhaust and a different swingarm. On the electronics front, a new type of torque sensor has been implemented, which has yet to see racing use. Hoping to return their four-cylinder to the top of the category, Tokyo engineers perfected the motorcycle's ergonomics: New saddles were introduced, designed specifically for Leon Haslam et Alvaro Bautista.

Yamaha, some changes in the fairing
The Yamaha R1 is a mature racing machine. The Iwata-based company chose to give satellite team GRT a significant role in its strategy, and so it's no surprise that the third-fastest time was achieved by the up-and-coming Garrett gerloff. Factory drivers Andrea Locatelli et Toprak Razgatlioglu are further down the rankings, but while the Italian driver has every excuse for his inexperience in the category, the fast Toprak was unfortunately stopped by a positive Coronavirus test. The technical equipment brought to the tests included an evolution of the engine and some refinements in the shape of the nose of the bike, in order to adapt to a new shape of the airbox intake duct.

Ducati, great development in the different teams
Borgo Panigale has no equal in terms of technical evolution. The Aruba factory team brought a new swingarm to Superbike testing, tested by Scott Redding. The British driver set the second fastest time of the second day, thus confirming his position as likely opponent of Jonathan Rhea. Private teams also participate in comparing new materials, such as exhausts: Motocorsa's Panigale V4R is equipped with a new complete Termignoni system in titanium, while Barni's is supplied by SC-Project. Marco Barnabò's team also switched from Showa suspension to Öhlins suspension, for the benefit of its driver Tito Rabat.

Kawasaki, Akashi does not sleep on his laurels
After six seasons of Superbike domination at the hands of Jonathan Rhea, Kawasaki is looking to raise the bar even higher in the championship. With the first time in the general classification, the Northern Irishman from KRT clearly showed the level of competitiveness of the ZX-10RR. The latest developments in engine preparation have allowed the “green” to approach the monstrous speed of the Ducati, making it an increasingly complete weapon. On top of that, the factory team tested new aerodynamic profiles front and rear, as well as a pair of redesigned swingarms. In the specific case ofAlex Lowes, seventh on the second day of Superbike testing, a fuel tank equipped with a new support wedge arrived. Will Kawasaki's constant development be enough to keep its rivals at bay in 2021?