Laconi ready for 2007

After a disastrous 2006 campaign, former WSB front runner Regis Laconi believes he can turnaround his fortunes in 2007.

This is thanks to new spec Ohlins suspension and his down sized team. 

Last year his PSG-1 Kawasaki squad ran Britons Chris Walker, Spaniard Fonsi Nieto and Laconi, but the set-up proved to be too much with all three men wanting different things. 

All three men complained of set-up problems on their ZX-10R which saw them on the pace one weekend and struggling the next. 

The new spec Ohlins suspension are production versions of the systems used by the factory Ducati and Yamaha teams and can be bought by the general public. 

However PSG-1 have drafted in the talents of former WSB and GP rider Peter Goddard to aid set-up. 

Speaking exclusively to MCN in Phillip Island, Laconi said: “The new suspension has allowed us to run the wheelbase 3cm longer and increase the offset. 

“Now the bike slides better, it’s more stable, it doesn’t wheelie so much, it changes direction better and we have no chatter. 

“Last year I had to use a lot of traction control and anti wheelie, where as now I’ve pretty much turned it off because I don’t need it.

“When I first tried the new suspension I couldn’t believe the difference it made. Before we would be fast at certain times but we didn’t know why.

“Now we are fast all the time and when we make changes to the bike we can feel it.
This has given me a lot of confidence. 

“I’ve been on Ohlins most of my career in Grand Prix and in WSB. For 2007 I asked to have Peter Goddard as the team’s technician. 

“He was a very good rider so as a result he understands what I say and can interoperate what I want. Also the fact that we are now a two rider team instead of three has made a big difference.”