Milwaukee Aprilia finish testing at Jerez
Circuito do Jerez, 23 November, 2016
Milwaukee Aprilia begin 2017 testing
Milwaukee Aprilia have completed their first day of testing in 2017 at the Jerez circuit in Spain
Launched to the world media on Tuesday morning, the team started their testing program for the 2017 WorldSBK season as they progress with the new Aprilia RSV4 RF.
At this early stage in the year the team's focus is on system checks and bike running.
Team Manager Mick Shanley said:
"It's been a good day for us; obviously it's a new bike and we have had lots of new things to run through and verify.
It has been a good 'shakedown' day and we know where we need to work on tomorrow, and have plans in place for that.
We will sit down and have a good debrief tonight and go through the data. We know what things are working, and how we can improve on the setup tomorrow."
Eugene Laverty, bearing number 50 on his 2017 machine, added:
"We had a lot to work through today with a new bike, and it took some time to really dial into it. The morning was quite difficult but the day ended positively, and we have a good direction for tomorrow.
The bike still feels really natural for me which is great, and with new parts such as the fuel tank it feels much neater and more comfortable.
I did a lot of work today on braking and getting the bike stopped quickly, and it's an area we will look at again tomorrow. Overall there is a good improvement on the RSV4 RF, and I'm sure we can make solid progress on Wednesday."
Lorenzo Savadori, whose machine carries number 32, added:
"It was important for me today to get as many laps in as possible, and we were able to get a lot done.
I tried a few different setups on the bike today, and I'm happy with what we achieved. The main aim was to get comfortable after not riding for two months, and the sensations on the bike today were really good.
It has also been good for me to work with my crew chief Ian again; it's not easy for me to speak English so much, but we work very well together and there is a good understanding between us."
Milwaukee Aprilia will continue their Jerez test on Wednesday 25th, before relocating to the Portimao circuit in Portugal for a further two days of testing.