Suzuki duo ditch new chassis

Factory Suzuki duo Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista will not debut a new chassis during this weekend’s French GP at Le Mans.

The pair evaluated the new frame during the recent Jerez test session in Spain with Suzuki desperate to try and help its GSV-R be more competitive in a broader range of conditions.

But veteran Italian Capirossi and Spanish rookie Bautista have opted not to run the new chassis because of stability issues on corner exit.

A new swingarm though that both tested in Jerez will be used for the first time in competition in France after showing a moderate improvement in rear grip.

Bautista, who plans to ride in Le Mans this weekend just over a week after he broke a bone in his shoulder while training on a motocross bike, told MCN: “I prefer the old chassis.

“I have more positive feeling with the old one. The swingarm is very similar to the old one.

“It has made the bike feel smoother and I think for Le Mans we will use the new swingarm. On the exit of the corner the chassis moves a lot more than the old one. The old one is more stable.”

Rizla Suzuki team boss Paul Denning said: “We’re trying to make the bike more versatile across different conditions, which we still seem to be struggling with in either direction.

“We need to make the bike more versatile so we can lose only a couple of tenths when the grip is down rather a bigger chunk.

“We’re still looking for more feedback into the riders hand and a wider working temperature range in terms of grip.”