HRC switched suspension suppliers ahead of the 2025 WorldSBK season
Yesterday at 05:25 AM
Team HRC have reverted from Showa suspension to Ohlins who they last used in 2021.
There have been some changes in the Team HRC garage at the 2025 World Superbike Jerez Test. The most notable changes were the different faces in the garage.
With Iker Lecuona sidelined through injury Tetsuta Nagashima and Borja Gomez were on site to fill in. Xavi Vierge continued as normal on the Honda CBR1000RR-R and ended the opening day as the top Honda rider.
Throughout the day the Honda World Superbike riders were hard at work with Vierge completing 81 laps and Nagashima also completing 81 laps around the Jerez Circuit.
After the first official test of 2025 Team HRC's Team Manager, Jose Escamez, spoke about the Japanese manufacturer's progress over the winter.
"The day has been good because the weather has respected the predictions from Tuesday," Escamez told WorldSBK.com.
"So far, we are good enough, we can say but not happy at all. It's quite good. Xavi has been doing laps and everything looks as we expected. This means we're in the same way that we finished last year, which is already a positive point. We're still looking forward."
The more subtle change in the Team HRC garage is that they have changed their suspension supplier. After using Showa since 2022 Honda has decided to revert back to Ohlins, who they last used in 2021.
Neither Lecuona nor Vierge had used Ohlins on the Honda CBR1000RR-R before, but the Honda bosses hope that a change in suspension supplier will springboard their progress in 2025.
"It's going to be a way of creating or establishing a base setup. It's been quite good. We have found, quickly, the right way to keep going," Escamez explained.
"We have been working to find a good base setup, and this will help the riders feel comfortable for lap times, of course, and there are some differences with the previous suspension we've been using. Just trying to understand but there's not much difference, though.
"There's a small improvement in performance and also feedback from riders. It's a fair enough reason to let them ride with this one."
The post HRC switched suspension suppliers ahead of the 2025 WorldSBK season appeared first on BikeSport News.
