Obviously one of the topics that came out during the pre-event press conference at Indianapolis, was the seamless gearbox that Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi tested at Brno last week, since Yamaha did not offer any insight into the test.
Lorenzo admitted that the gearbox is still an evolution and not ready to be used, while Valentino Rossi was much more specific about it, adding that the first sensations were positive, but he too said it isn’t ready to used in a race situation, and that there is still work to do on it, and has no idea if the seamless gearbox can be fitted on the engines that they are already using.
Rossi also said they had to be 100% sure that it worked before introducing it - during the Brno test Rossi apparently had issues with it - but he brushed it off jokingly saying, “just that I was tired and - and I don’t have enough power for to come back in the pit.”
Here’s what the Italian had to say:
Yeah, so for me in one lap doesn’t change a lot. I mean about the lap time. We try, we try to make some comparison. A lot of people speak about two-tenths for a lap - I think is less than two-tenths. But the big improvement is I think in the 20 or 30 laps because the bike become a lot more easier to ride, more stable, more stable in acceleration, but also more stable in braking, in the next braking,” said Rossi.
“For me, it’s better for the tires, less stress for the tires, and also is very good for the riders because the bike become more easy to bring at the limit and more difficult to make a mistake. So I think it’s something very important for the race distance more than for one lap.
The feeling is fantastic. It’s a great emotion to ride with the gearbox, and acceleration is very good. When we can use, you say? Sincerely, I don’t know. Me and Jorge push a lot for to have as soon as possible because is very good. And now it’s a little bit bad feeling to come back to the normal one because the normal one feels very fast before you try the seamless. But the Japanese say that we have to be quiet, the gearbox is a critical point. We have to be ready 100 percent, but I hope as soon as possible during the season I hope, yeah.”
from TWOWHEELSBLOG
