Upon arriving at Yamaha, Álex Rins has to get to know a new motorcycle before the 2024 MotoGP season. Nevertheless, he already starts with something similar to a model he rode for several years – the engine.
After three days with the YZR-M1, the Spanish rider was once again asked about how the bike compares to the Suzuki GSX-RR he rode until 2022, which also had a four-cylinder inline engine. And he replied:
– In Valencia and on the first day here in Malaysia, when I got on the bike, I immediately felt good, felt comfortable very early on. It reminds me of the old times with Suzuki. After all, I missed several races with the Honda bike. I only did the first part of the championship and that’s it. I feel very good on the bike.
Regarding the comparison with Suzuki, Rins also said: ‘[The character of the bike] is very similar to Suzuki. In terms of engine, frame… I felt better in stability during braking compared to Suzuki. This bike, this frame, allow me to have more performance in braking.’
Although encouraged by the direction Yamaha is taking, the rider admitted that something more is still needed: ‘We are on the right track. It is true that we still have new components to test, but I think we need a little more base, stability in terms of electronics, aerodynamic package.’
As for the response of the engine, Rins explained that electronics deserve a great focus: ‘We are working a lot on the electronics. It is true that now the response of the engine is… the correct word is not aggressive, it is faster. This new engine is faster than the one I tried in Valencia. But I can’t say much because I don’t have much experience with this bike.’
