Motorcycles and news

The day began for the team at 10.30am and conditions were good, with the temperature hovering around the 21-degree mark and with very low humidity. The Team were continuing the test programme, which began in November with the new Honda RC212V. For this first day of the test, the Team was looking to find a good base set-up for the 800cc machine. Work continued on the settings for the front suspension and geometry while more work was also carried out on the various engine mappings of the Honda RC212V.

The Team’s decision to halt the test early to allow Shinya more time to recover in time for day two of the test proved to be the correct one, as just 30 minutes after Shinya left the circuit to return to his hotel and rest, a sudden shower interrupted the day’s work for the other teams testing at the Australian circuit. Before he was forced to halt testing, Shinya had completed 48 laps and had set a best time of 1′32.230″.

Testing will continue for the Konica Minolta Honda team tomorrow and Thursday of this week.

Shinya Nakano ­ Rider, Konica Minolta Honda (48 laps ­ 1′32.230″)

“I started to run a slight fever the night before the test and also began to get a little bit of a stomach ache. Unfortunately both of these symptoms carried on through to today and worsened. Because of my condition, it was decided with the team to reduce our programme of testing for the day and let me recover and aim to be in much better health for tomorrow. I think this was best choice as we tested up to 2.30pm in afternoon just 30 minutes before the rain hit, so hopefully we’ve not lost much time. I’m going to rest now for the rest of the day and hopefully I’ll be much better by tomorrow.”

Giulio Bernardelle ­ Technical Director, Konica Minolta Honda

“This test is very important because we have reached our third test with the new 800cc machine and we are starting to learn the full effects of the various changes we are making to the settings of the Honda RC212V. Today our work concentrated on the various engine maps that we have for the bike and further adjustment and refinement of the front geometry of the machine. We are hopeful that we are heading in the right direction, as here at Phillip Island we didn’t have the big chattering problems that we had in Sepang. We now hope that Shinya is feeling much better for tomorrow’s work.”

Phillip Island lap record: Marco Melandri (Honda) 2005, 1m30.332s
Phillip Island pole record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2006, 1m29.020s

Temperature: air 24 / track from 20 to 30C

Unofficial times, Tuesday 30 January: