Race Ready Industries

RT Motorsports Honda CBR1000rr Bikes Take Shape:

In the second and third week of February I worked in Germany at the new SKM-moto workshops preparing the 2010 Honda Fireblades that the RT Motorsports team will be campaigning in the IDM superbike and selected rounds of the Dutch Superbike championships. We chose the Honda because of its low weight, strong engine and the ease of acquiring spares. After weighing the bike and doing some dyno time with the stock engine I think our decision was valid, this bike will be competitive providing the riders feel comfortable with the setup.

The team will once again be employing the services of current dutch superbike champion Gareth Jones, who had a great year with the team last season and knows most of the IDM tracks after competing in selected IDM events last season. Gareth is a known quantity and I enjoyed working with him last year, this year we will be looking to up our game and score consistent top 7 finishes throughout the year.

Joining the team this year is another Australian by the name of Jed Metcher, who is a rising star of the Australian supersport championship and wants to try his luck in Europe. Jed is 19 very fast and unusually for a man of that description, does not seem to crash much. These qualities have led to great success stories in the past, so he could be one to watch. This year however must be seen as a learning year racing on a superbike on unfamiliar tracks, however it is a perfect opportunity to do this and he could make some good results along the way.

The competition in the IDM this year is extreme and it now has to be viewed as the most competitive domestic series in the world. With the current financial pressures seats in the world championship are hard to find so some riders such as Karl Muggeridge have had to step down, and other riders who would normally be looking to step up have had to remain in IDM. This means there is a wealth of riding talent in the IDM as well as factory teams from BMW, KTM, Yamaha, and Honda.  Add to this the tyre war between Dunlop and Pirrelli, and the excellent technical rules that allow privateer teams like us to compete with the factory teams, and it should make for a very exciting championship battle. If I were a betting man I would put my money on Martin Bauer on the KTM, however there are at least 7 other riders in contention so consistency will win through.