2015 WSB testing updates

With the 2015 FIM Superbike World Championship being the first major road racing series to kick off the new season the top teams are now preparing for their last European tests before they head off to Phillip Island for the first round in February.

The Pata Honda team starts proceedings on 14-16 January when they visit Portimao in Portugal. The new Honda pairing of Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark will then join some of their rivals at Motorland Aragon in Spain between 19 and 20 January. The official Kawasaki Racing Team pairing of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes will be in attendance, plus the new-look Grillini Kawasaki WSB team, with Santiago Barragan and Christophe Ponsson forming their line-up.

Right after these tests there will be a two-day session for some other top squads back at Portimao, between 21 and 22 January. Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano will represent Ducati, while Leon Camier will be out again for MV Agusta. The WSS wing of the official MV team is also taking part. BMW Motorrad Italia, Red Devils Aprilia (with Leon Haslam) the Crescent Suzuki WSB (with Alex Lowes) will also take to the track at Portimao. The new-look EBR squad, with Larry Pegram and Niccolo Canepa at the controls of the latest 1190 RX vee-twin, will also be there, as will the Althea Racing Ducati team on their Panigale privateer bikes. The Puccetti WSS set-up, Kawasaki’s main 600cc effort in 2015, will also be on track at Portimao.

After a few days of rest some of those top teams will then head to Jerez for more tests, starting on 26 Jan, with the Ducati MotoGP team also joining the WSB bikes for a time, like they did in the post season Jerez tests in 2014. 

Ducati SBK (including Chaz Davies), Red Devils Aprilia (with Leon Haslam) and Kawasaki Racing Team will ride on the first two days at Jerez, while between 27 and 28 January the Puccetti WSS team, MV Agusta, Pata Honda, Crescent Suzuki, BMW Motorrad Italia, Althea Racing Ducati and EBR will flock together on track before packing up in readiness for round one.

After official pre-season tests at Phillip Island on 16 and 17 January, the first races of the new season will take place at the same famous Aussie venue on Sunday 22 February.