MotoReview

Q: It must have been good for you to go into the winter break having already secured a ride for the 2006 season.

A: Definitely. Knowing exactly where I would be riding in 2006 meant that I was able to focus completely on preparing myself for the coming season. Since we finished the test in Sepang at the end of November, all I've had to worry about is my preparations for the coming season. And this has paid off for me, because I was 100% prepared when we returned to Sepang in January for the first pre-season test aboard the new Ninja ZX-RR.

Q: Did you follow a specific training programme over the winter months?

A: I've always trained hard, but this year I've been following a programme developed by Kawasaki's sports performance expert, Dr. Tony Head. I flew to England at the end of last season where Tony did a full physical assessment on me, and from that he produced a detailed training programme for me to follow over the winter.

He's also prepared a training schedule that I can follow during the race season that won't leave me tired for the races. Last year I trained and played a lot of sport between races, and I couldn't understand why I was starting to feel tired halfway through the season. Tony has explained that you need to give your body time to recover and that it's not possible to ride at 100% and then train at 100% between races. So, to make sure I'm at my peak during the season, Tony has come up with a training plan that includes recovery periods.

Q: It must have been a big step switching from a lightweight 250cc two-stroke machine to the four-stroke Ninja ZX-RR. Are there any similarities between the two?

A: None at all. Everything is different. The only thing they have in common is that they both have two wheels with an engine in the middle! My first impression of the Ninja ZX-RR was that I couldn't believe how good the bike was, it really is the ultimate racing motorcycle. After riding a MotoGP bike for the first time I didn't ever want to ride any other type of bike again. The sheer power of the Ninja ZX-RR is just incredible, and it is a fantastic experience to ride it.

Q: Like all the MotoGP machines, the Ninja ZX-RR uses quite a sophisticated electronics package. How much easier have the electronic aids, like traction and wheelie control, made adapting your riding style to suit a MotoGP bike?

A: For sure we have some complex electronic systems on the bike, not just to control traction and wheelies, but also to control how the engine makes it's power. To be honest, this bike makes so much power that, without these electronic controls, I think it would be pretty hard, if not impossible, to ride it.

Q: But the electronics, like the suspension and chassis, have to be set up for the characteristics of each circuit. How difficult is it to find the right set-up when there are so many parameters that you can change?

A: The MotoGP bike is definitely more difficult to set up than the 250cc machine, but that's what testing is for. During testing we're looking for a good base set-up that we can then modify slightly to suit the characteristics of each different circuit. Most of the time this works, but sometimes we get a problem at a particular track that we have to work through. This is where the experience of your crew is important, because you have to work very closely with them to find a solution in the small amount of time you have for practice and qualifying.