Two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner completed a successful three-day test in Sepang at Honda Racing Corporation. The Australian driver began his test schedule on Thursday morning at the 5.548 km Sepang International Circuit.
Overall it was a good test, very positive and we achieved a lot!
Casey Stoner
Despite a few showers that interrupted testing over the course of the three days, Stoner was able to meet the schedule set by HRC. The 2007 and 2011 world champion spent time with the 2014 and 2015 RC213V machines, doing a chassis comparison and analyzing new variations of the new specification that HRC had brought to this test.
In addition to various other test components, Stoner also tried new Brembo brakes. HRC engineers also took advantage of Casey in Sepang and gave him the opportunity to do a few laps on Suzuka’s 8-hour Honda CBR1000RR on the last afternoon’s day.
Stoner reflects on a successful test plan and his CBR outing
After that, Stoner spoke very positively and said: “Overall it was a good test, very positive and we achieved a lot! The first day we worked on the basic setup and tested a few little things before the rain hit and we had to stop. Then on the second day I spent a lot of time doing a back-to-back chassis comparison from last year’s bike to this year’s bike, and I also tested different variations of the chassis. Brembo brought in some new aluminum calipers for us to try, and Honda had several other test items that we could endure before the rain came back.
On the final day we confirmed some feelings from yesterday and tried a couple of electronic packages as well as another exposure. Riding the CBR was very different, I’ve never ridden a bike like this, shifting gears, riding position, engine power, weight characteristics, etc. were quite difficult and took getting used to. After a few exits, I understood more and was able to give some feedback. In general, it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed feeling the rear of the bike pop out! “Stoner added.