Nakano looking for wins

Honda new boy Shinya Nakano has targeted breaking his premier class victory duck and becoming a consistent podium challenger in the 2007 MotoGP world championship.

The Japanese rider is preparing for his first campaign on board Honda’s new RC212V having quit Kawasaki at the end of last season.

And speaking at a special presentation in front of fans at Honda headquarters in Japan, the former world 250 championship runner-up said: “I have not yet won a race in MotoGP so my aim is to win the first one and then become a podium regular.”

Nakano, who replaced compatriot Makoto Tamada in the Konica Minolta Honda squad said another goal for ’07 would be to get closer in the final points standing to last year’s top duo Nicky Hayden and former world champion Valentino Rossi.

“All the Honda riders will be big rivals but I want get close to Hayden and also to Rossi. They are fast everywhere. They don’t have a track which they don’t like and they can mark a fast time from the first day, ”said Nakano, who finished a disappointing 14th place in last year’s championship.

Seeking a new challenge was the prime motivation for Nakano quitting Kawasaki and he added: “I had been riding for Kawasaki for the past three years and the bike was getting better and better. But the level of MotoGP is getting higher and I needed to have strong motivation. When the offer came from JIR I thought I should take the opportunity.

Nakano is preparing for his second test on the new RC212V next week in Malaysia when the seven-week testing ban comes to an end, having made his debut at the end of November in Jerez on the V4 contender.

“So far but I thought the engine feeling was very good traction at the exit of the corner is superb. The speed seems almost the same as 990cc and at the moment the front and rear tyres are the same tyres are the same as that of 990cc. During the last test at Jerez, the machine was controlling me so next week I want to control the machine. I want more feeling from the front because you have to improve your cornering speed for the 800 machine, ”said Nakano, who denied the new 800cc regulations would play into the hands of riders like Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner with recent backgrounds in the 250 class.

He added: “Almost all of the top riders are from the 250 class and a fast rider is fast riding any bike”.