GP rider tests new bike

from www.theage.com.au

Grand Prix rider West tests new bike
July 8, 2005 - 2:59PM

Forced to wait almost half the season for a new bike, Gold Coast Grand
Prix rider Anthony West has finally got his hands on the KTM he will
race in the 250cc world championship.

West was upbeat after running the new works machine through a string
of high speed laps in his first test at Vallelunga near Rome.

He expects to debut the bike at the British GP at Donington on July
24.

"I rode 310km yesterday and about 80 laps today and my first
impressions are that KTM have done a really good job," West said.

"The bike is even better than I thought it would be.

"It's the first time I've been on a GP bike with a parallel twin
engine and it felt strong right through the rev range.

"We tested two bikes with different firing orders, and while they felt
different to ride the lap times were about the same," he said.

"The chassis and suspension gave good feeling and grip. I didn't have
any problems sliding the rear and keeping the bike under control. It
seems predictable to ride."

However, West said it was difficult to predict how the KTM would
compare to the factory V-twin powered Hondas and Aprilias he would
compete against in England.

"I raced the other factory bikes as a privateer, and the KTM is
certainly a step up in performance compared to the other 250s I've
been on," said West, 23.

"The KTM feels like it's making good power and it accelerates hard out
of corners.

"At the same time we have a lot of development work to do. We want to
be competitive as soon as possible, but we won't know where we stand
against the other factory bikes until we get to Donington and get on
the same track at the same time."

West said he was working well with his new team personnel, including
experienced Australian technician Warren Willing, and Harald Bartol,
who designed the machine.

"They understand what I'm saying, and whenever we made some changes it
made the bike better," West said.

While waiting for the new KTM to be completed he competed in two of
the opening seven rounds of this year's 250cc world championship,
riding at Le Mans in France on an Aprilia and at Assen in the
Netherlands on a Honda.

There are nine further rounds in this year's 250cc series

 

Go Westy! Lets hope it all goe well for him!
--
Aido. >
Bikeless. >


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