DON’T MISS: all the latest tech updates in WorldSBK from the Portimao test
From swingarms to fuel tanks, there’s plenty of items to keep an eye on…
The 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is honing into view, with plenty of anticipation around the latest batch of testing from the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. All teams are eager to get an edge over the opposition, with Yamaha and Ducati in particular trialling new items. Reigning Champions Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK saw their riders – Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli – with a new fuel tank and a new seat unit, Toprak reportedly liking the seat unit.
At Ducati, there was a new swingarm for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on day one, which was actually the same as the one tested by the team at the 2021 Barcelona-Catalunya preseason test. Bautista also had a new fuel tank to try, whilst teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi also had a new swingarm to test on the second day, having understood the readaptation to his bike after his first taste of track action. Bautista did crash in the morning of day two and did considerable damage to the bike but was using the old swingarm.
Watch day one highlights from Portimao here, and all the build-up to 2022 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
