Byrne feeling confident after pre-Assen testing

Shane Byrne is confident that last minute tweaks to his Rapid Solicitors at a test at Snetterton yesterday (Tuesday) will help him recover some of his form ahead of the first round of the MCE British Superbike Championship this weekend at Assen.

Byrne, who has seen his record of winning at every round this year destroyed by double victories for Alex Lowes in the last two rounds, says that parts and changes that the team were unwilling to make during a race weekend will allow them to close the gap to Lowes ahead of the all-important last three weekends of the series.

Byrne was keen for the team to return to the Norfolkshire circuit after feeling that it was one that the team had struggled at earlier in the season, allowing them the best opportunity to measure their improvements in the one-day test.

“We went back there to try and improve the feel of the bike compared to earlier in the year,” the triple champion told MCN. “We tried some stuff that normally you wouldn’t try out in a race weekend session as it would waste too much time.”

“It’s all stuff we’ve been thinking about for a long time. Sometimes, like at Donington, you have to make a big gamble with the bike, but these changes were more of an evolution to some of the gambles that we’ve made. It wasn’t really a fast day’s riding, but it was more than enough to get ready for this weekend.”