The new regulations announced last monthallow struggling builders to make chassis adjustments that under normal circumstances would not be allowed under WSBK’s strict homologation rules.
Honda was to be one of the main beneficiaries of the system, having failed to live up to expectations since the current CBR1000RR-R was introduced for the start of the 2020 season.
Speaking in Friday’s opening practice session, Camier said factory riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge’s bikes had been modified to improve cornering and reduce stress on the tyre. .
He also disclosed that the Japanese manufacturer has already been able to test the adjustments it has made with its new status.
“We were able to move our head pipe [steering head] further and our [swingarm] pivot lower,” Camier said. “For us, that makes a big difference in how we load the tire.
“It’s something we couldn’t do before under the current rules, but now we have more space to put the steering pipe where we want. We want to get more turns off the bike, basically, and put less load on the front tire.
“We’ve tested it before and it’s gone really well, so we’ll see this weekend how it works. It’s the first time we’ve had it on track for a race situation, so hopefully which we will understand a little more this weekend.”
Lecuona’s weekend got off to a promising start with the second fastest time in FP1 behind Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, but had to be taken to the medical center after a heavy crash in second practice.
Virgo, meanwhile, was fifth in the morning before slipping to eighth in the afternoon.
Honda has managed just one podium finish so far in 2022, with Lecuona finishing third at Assen, but hold a slim three-point lead over BMW in the battle for fourth in the constructors’ standings heading towards the Indonesia.
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