MA 2023 Silly Season

With the GSXR 1000 effectively dieing, is M4 even going to have a team?

 

I'm sure if Suzuki sponsorship goes away they will find another platform.

 

Is it really going away? Or will it be like the Hayabusa, where it was discontinued, revamped, and re-released?

 

From the pics on RRW that JU took at the recent Dunlop test, Kayla was wearing MP13 logo leathers. Based on her statement that she was going to be racing twins with a venture to SS when she turns 16, I would venture to guess that she will be on an MP13 R7 and R6 with coaching from JH4.

 

Oh my Lord, Cam Pete ran a 1:41.8... What's the Buttonwillow lap record? That's the fastest I've seen by far

https://www.roadracingworld.com/new...r-making-bmw-superbike-debut-at-buttonwillow/

Edit: I guess it could be a different track configuration than I'm used to, I don't know that track well

 

Strong Yamaha ties so probably a good guess

 

MP confirmed Kayla is riding in twins (on Cory Ventura's former ride, I believe) on her Patreon yesterday, the MP13 team is also running a Jr. Cup team with Aiden Sneed

 

Looks like Attack were the only people to run full race tires yesterday. Everyone else was on the Q5. On the Q5 times posted by Attack Beaubier was only a tenth off Gagne. Not bad for a first time in the BMW. Hopefully make 2023 spicy, especially if Danillo is back.

 

I wonder how much different the Moto2 Dunlops are from the MotoA Dunlops? I know they're made at completely different facilities, but I wonder how they translate to the rider.

I might try Dunlops next year.

 

My two cents on the Dunlop's. The fronts are amazing once you learn the feel and crank the pressure up. I ran 39~40psi hot. The rears feel like a mixed bag. In my experience you either run in the recommended pressure range and get a lot of life but a lot of spin up on initial throttle. Drop the pressure and they get super sticky but shred and pump a lot.

Interested how others feel because I think I'm the only people that runs Dunlop's on a 600 at my club.

Edit: I may try mixing pirelli rears with the Dunlop front.

 

What's even more impressive to me is Beaubier on a Q5 (street tire I think) is that close to attack on a full race slick?

New tire and new bike yet that close!!! Woo Hoo

 

The most comparable times were with both bikes on Q5s. Gagne did a 1:45.48, Beaubier did a 1:45.58. And yes, the Q5 seems to be a genuine DOT not the "race special" ones we've seen in the past.

 

I was on Pirelli all year this year. At first I tried the SC2 front and absolutely hated it. It felt numb to me and I had no confidence going into corners. Switched to the SC1 front and loved it. That thing had so much feedback, but it seemed sluggish on initial turn in (I like to think I'm pretty hard on the brakes). Later in the year TST was out of SC1 fronts so i went back to SC2 front. For some reason it started to click. I could turn in while WAYYY harder on the lever than with the SC1.. I even started bumping the front PSI up. I was up around 39psi or so at the PIRC round. I ran SC2's from VMD all the way through the rest of the season. For the rear I ran SC1 and SC0 depending on track temp. Mostly SC1's because I feel like they were a bit more forgiving. Especially at weird tracks like Grattan. I fricken love Pirelli..

Honestly, the main reason I'm considering Dunlop is because of cost. I raced WERA North Central this year, so only 6 rounds.. Next year I plan to race all of WERA North Central and all of the CCS Midwest rounds that don't conflict. So that 11-12 rounds of racing.. $50-60 savings a set of tires adds up.. especially with these stupid 1000's ... Eventually I'd like to maybe see if I could qualify for an MA round, but I'm still a year out at best for that. Only other tires I've raced on are the Bridgestones.


Back on MA 2023--- Has anyone heard what Kyle Wyman's plans are? Is he coming back to Superbike at all?

 

I haven't ridden the production version of the Q5 yet. I tested some a year and half ago in development and was less than 1.5 sec. off full on slick times, on a 600.

Ken

 

The 2023 Dunlop spec tires are quite different compared to the 2022 tires so it's going to take a bit for everyone to find their way. The front is a 120/75 and the rear is a 200/65. We tried them at the GNF and the front gave a totally different feel.

 

Hopefully, Ducati brass send Danilo back next year so he can show us how much better of a rider he is than everyone else. For the second year in a row.

 

Nothing has materialized. I would love to be in SBK as it is all I chased for a decade. But Harley has also truly given me the dream scenario and I’m really honored to be where I am. I don’t feel completely like I’ve stopped running a team with how much I get to be involved in the process. The HD factory team almost feels like my own, the way KWR did.

You never know what the future may hold…

 

Keep at it and best wishes!

 

Were they as stiff as previous versions?

I respect the speed (and life) people can get out of them, but I prefer Metzelers/Pirellis just to have a softer carcass.

 

The versions I rode (I rode a few) were molded from the slicks, with different compounds. In fact, they looked like slicks with no tread pattern.

The Q3+ is a pretty stiff carcass. The Q4 has a much softer carcass, with the rear near Pirelli like and the front not for off, IMO. The reports I am getting are that these incredibly good and feel much much closer to slicks grip wise and no mention of stiffness being an issue, too soft or too stiff.

Ken