British MotoGP: Colin Edwards gaining confidence

Colin Edwards might be a rank outsider to repeat his brilliant 2011 British Grand Prix podium at Silverstone this weekend, but the popular American believes he will be more competitive on the new Suter-BMW machine than in previous races this season.

Edwards enjoyed a successful test double-header in Catalunya and Motorland Aragon last week where new ride height settings helped improve his feeling with the Forward Racing CRT machine.

He also continued to test two different BMW S1000RR engines and told MCN: “We lifted the bike higher and started to get more weight shift and it seems to be working. I felt good and last week was the first time I’ve jumped on the bike and felt good.

“I feel like we are actually making a lot of progress just with bike setting. It doesn’t feel like it is trying to kill me at every other corner now. It is more of a pleasure to ride and when it gets easier to ride you get more confident and more comfortable.

“Now I feel like if I chuck a soft tyre in I can go faster and that has never been the case. It doesn’t matter what tyre you had on in the past but it just felt like you had your hands tied behind your back.”

Assessing the different engine specs he had to test in Spain, the double World Superbike champion added: “Crank mass was a little bit different and we are not sure if it is better or worse. It feels smoother and not so aggressive.”

Edwards finished third in last year’s rain-lashed British Grand Prix, just nine days after he’d smashed his right collarbone in a practice crash for the Barcelona race.

The 38-year-old has scored points in only one race so far in 2012 when he was 12th in the opening round at Qatar.