Dovi on the M1: a tale of two bikes

Tuesday, 08 November 2011 21:29 by Matteo Aglio

The only top rider making a big change for next season is Andrea Dovizioso, the long time Honda man moving over to Yamaha. "There are so many new things happening at once, and it threw me off a little bit - the Italian rider admitted - I need time to adjust to all the changes."

Two Bikes in One – The first part of his day was spent on the 800cc M1, before switching to the 1000cc version later on. "It was a great day - Dovi continued - My priority was to find a good riding position on the bike.  If you don't have that, you will struggle with everything else.  I immediately felt good on the brakes and in corner entry, which is what I expected from observing the Yamahas on track with me.  It's almost similar to a two-stroke the way you ride it: the rear end doesn't slide much at all, and it has excellent engine braking.  The power delivery is also really smooth, and it allows you to open the throttle with the bike leaned over very far.  It's easy to control."

There are some issues, however, under acceleration: "The big weakness is exiting the corners.  The M1 wheelies very easily, and not just the 1000, but also the 800.  It also suffers from pumping on acceleration. We still need to understand why this issue isn't as bad for the other riders as it is for me.  This is the main thing we will concentrate on.  I don't know if we will resolve it tomorrow, but it will be important to get some clear ideas before the winter testing ban."

Honda VS Yamaha - So far, Dovi has no regrets about his decision. "I'm happy with my choice.  I expected these characteristics from the Yamaha, and they suit my riding style well. I still have a lot in reserve on corner entry; this bike doesn't have the limitations there that the Honda does.  We did a lot of work on that issue at Honda, but we never resolved it.  I'm losing a lot on corner exit, however, down the straights and under acceleration.  I'm not able to make the most of the power.  The gearbox shifts almost as quickly as the Honda's, but it's a little more harsh. This could be causing our wheelies."

But there is still plenty of time left before next season: "Today we worked a lot, but I must also remain calm and relaxed.  There are still many things to understand.  If I can solve the problems, this will be a very fast bike, and it's very well adapted to the Bridgestone tires."