2012 FIM Endurance World Championship Prep
The latest signed rider on the 2012 Honda TT Legends Team, Gary Johnson, had his first official outing on the CBR 10000 RR this week after completing a three-day Dunlop Tire test at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia.
Johnson and teammate John McGuinness, a 17-time Isle of Man TT winner, completed over 350 laps while testing various Dunlop tire compounds that will be used in the upcoming five-round 2012 FIM Endurance World Championship, which begins with the Bol d’Or 24 Hours April 14.
The other two riders on the Honda TT Legends team – Cameron Donald and Simon Andrews – did not participate in the Sepang test; both are recovering from injury.
Once the test was complete, the British Superstock star Johnson and McGuinness were pleased with the results after more than 1200 miles of testing.
John McGuinness (Honda TT Legends CBR1000RR) says: “The test has been terrific to be honest. I’ve never ridden such a long distance in heat like this but it’s so good to be back on the bike and blowing the cobwebs away. We’ve done a huge amount of work in just three days. We went though a lot of compounds and found some really good set ups on the front and rear so it’s been very positive. I’m really looking forward to the season now and can’t wait to get going on the 2012 Fireblade.”
Gary Johnson (Honda TT Legends CBR1000RR) says: “This has been a great first test. I’ve gained a lot of experience and lost a lot of sweat – it was so hot! I’m really pleased that we got so many laps in and over the three days we have made some great progress on both the front and rear tyres. This was my first test with Honda TT Legends and it all went like clockwork. The crew works so well together and it means I can concentrate fully on my job on the bike.”
Neil Tuxworth (Honda TT Legends Team Manager) says: “The three-day test has been very successful as we accomplished all the goals agreed with Dunlop beforehand. We certainly found some tyres that will not only work well in hot weather, which was the main objective of the test, but will also be beneficial for other races this year.”
2012 FIM Endurance World Championship Schedule:
- Bol d’Or 24-hour, France: April 14
- Doha 8-hour, Qatar: June 24
- Suzuka 8-hour, Japan: July 29
- Oschersleben, Germany: Aug. 11
- Le Mans 24-hour, France: Sept. 8
