EWC: Electronics feel like MotoGP, says Miller

Mushashi Harc-Pro rider Jack Miller says that the electronics on his factory Honda bike for this weekend’s Suzuka 8 Hour feels similar to his regular Marc VDS MotoGP machine, surprising the Australian with just how similar the radically different machines are.

Making his debut on a production machine at the prestigious final round of the Endurance World Championship, the Grand Prix winner admitted that he’s enjoying the new challenge of riding the Fireblade as a break from his regular RC213V.

“Electronics-wise, we’re on a Magneti Marelli system here too and it feels quite similar. Other than that, it’s quite nice to ride this thing. It’s got less power and it’s not trying to spit you off the back every time you exit a corner, and it makes for a little bit easier of a ride – I’m glad I’m riding it and not a MotoGP bike for eight hours!

“The gearbox is a big difference for me, as there’s a lot of backlash in the standard box and the changes are slower. But it’s a lot of fun, because the bike moves around a lot. The Bridgestone tyres are working really well, and they actually feel quite similar to what we had in MotoGP in 2015, which I’m happy with. You can move the bike around, slide it, but the tyre still lasts.”

And despite falling during the second of yesterday’s two practice sessions, Miller says he’s happy with the progress that he’s made so far.

“It’s good to be back on the bike and the feeling is good. We got in some decent times in the morning’s session on used tyres, which I was happy with. In the afternoon I did a decent lap, slowed down, and then went again. I had two red sectors and then threw it away, which wasn’t ideal, but it was my first crash on the bike and I’m happy to get it out of the way before the race!”