MIST Suzuki have completed their first test of the brand new Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Portimao with rider Matt Bond lapping more than three second faster on the stock bike than he did on last year's Superstock race bike.
All that was changed on the 2009 bike was brake pads and a set of track tyres and Bond, who also had the 2008 race bike at his disposal, spent the entire weekend on the road bike.
"We worked on the suspension set up over the weekend and the results were quite simply staggering," said team boss Mike Edwards. "Although the conditions were pretty much perfect compared to when we raced at the track last November Matt ended up some 3.4 seconds faster than his race time, i.e. a stock road bike versus an Ohlins and Yoshimura equipped full on SuperStock race bike with 15 hp more and, I would guess, weighing 15 kgs less.
"He was just 1.3 seconds off Brendan Roberts' fastest lap of the race last November and 2.1 seconds off the overall lap record set in a dry qualifying session. It has to be said that the lap record was bettered by 0.9 seconds by fellow European SuperStock regular Barry Burrell over the weekend but he was riding the MS Racing CBR1000RR that his team mate actually won a round of the Championship on last year.
"Despite this Matt was still only 2.8 seconds of this new fastest time. Considering Ten Kate had a hand in building and setting up his bike and that he came from four days testing at Cartagena after a season of racing in 2008 we were all very impressed."
