Brookes continues to adjust riding style

Josh Brookes, having found a comfortable setting early in testing for the 2014 MCE BSB season on the Milwaukee Yamaha, is now struggling to adapt his riding style to suit the smoother power delivery of the R1 package.

After three years on the Tyco Suzuki, Brookes admits himself that it’s taking time to recondition himself to the much higher corner speed needed on the Yamaha, and that although he knows what needs to change, it’s easier said than done.

“At the end [of the Donington test], when I see in the times that I pushed a second to improve my lap time, it felt like even though I went faster. I’m kind of rushing the bike and forcing the turns. If I had relaxed and been a little more calculating, the way the bike wants to be ridden, it might have even better. That’s me falling into my old habits, but today was only my sixth day on it, and if I’ve still got the few habits to get rid of I guess it’s not the worst thing.”

“This morning I was making a bit of a mess of the last and second last corners, from rushing in a bit too much, trying to open the throttle at the wrong point with too much gas… It even went sideways a couple of times, which was the reminder point that said ‘remember how this bike best works and you’ll go forwards.’ That’s when we started to go faster again. If we can maintain that kind of riding then it’ll work for us.”