Denning: “2009 GSV-R an improvement on last year’s”

Denning: “2009 GSV-R an improvement on last year’s”



Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Suzuki boss hails new prototype as more consistent and easier to ride.


Suzuki came out swinging at the opening test of 2009 in Malaysia and, although riders Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen weren’t quite as close to the top of the timesheet at last week’s visit to Qatar, Team Manager Paul Denning feels that a definite improvement to the GSV-R has been made.
“The bike is more consistent and easier to ride, so it’s an improvement on last year,” stated Denning upon the conclusion of the night riding in Losail. “We have a base, and that is the most important thing to have.
“Sure, we weren’t as competitive as in Malaysia, but this test still wasn’t too bad. We’re closer to the front than before, so it’s a case of not being happy but satisfied.”
The Qatar test saw both riders in the top six but also in the gravel, courtesy of minor crashes on a tricky surface. Denning brushed off their troubles when explaining what Suzuki’s workload focus was for the three available days, joking that “here we are just testing how strong the riders are from crashing. Seriously though, on a technical level the test served as a confirmation, checking things that we had tried at Sepang.”
Suzuki will be working on improving engine acceleration at the upcoming final preseason test in Jerez, with Capirossi and Vermeulen keen for more pace on the straights.