Buildbase ducati's new signing Brendan Roberts speaks to MCN

Brendan Roberts won the National Superstock title last year riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and earned a place in the factory Xerox Ducati 1098 team in the 2007 European Superstock series. 

Now the UK-based Buildbase Ducati team has parted company with Keiran Clarke, they’ve signed Brendan Roberts to race in the National Superstock series on their 1098 alongside existing rider John Laverty.

Brendan Roberts will continue to race in the European series too as there are no date clashes and the aim is to help Ducati develop the bike quicker in both championships.

MCN spoke to him about his deal when Brendan Roberts tested the bike at Croft.

MCN: First of all, you suffered a bad wrist injury in pre-season testing at Almeria on March 14, 2007. How is it now?

Roberts: Yeah, it’s still sore, especially after riding all day here at Croft. I’ve a couple of pins in my palm so when I brake hard it kind of jams against them and that’s pretty painful.

I’ve spoken to Toby (Branfoot – BSB series doctor) about getting them taken out but he says I need to get a scan first to check out how it’s all healing.

MCN: How is the Buildbase Ducati compared to the Xerox 1098?

Roberts: I can’t imagine how different the two bikes are and it’s all down to how the engine is mapped and how the chassis is set up.

And that’s down to the different types of circuits. My Xerox bike seems to flatten out at the top end where this one just seems to keep pulling.

There’s not so much power low down with the Buildbase bike so it was easy to ride it in the wet on the first day.

MCN: What about the chassis set-ups then?

Roberts: Our Xerox bike is pretty soft where the Buildbase bike is a lot stiffer and turns faster to suit the tighter tracks.

We’re struggling for grip in the European races but it doesn’t seem to be a problem here. We’ve worked on getting my comfortable on the bike and finding a setting somewhere between the two extremes.

It’s been a good test, even though we had a lot of rain on the first day. I’m looking forward to my first race on it at Oulton Park.