The previous model wasn’t upto the task but the 2016 WR-F isevery bit the modern bikeR
ace team testing is
kind of a dark secret to
outsiders. My memory
of the days that guys
like Stanton, Johnson,
Bayle and Bailey ruled
the famed Honda Land facility
in the States is vivid but mostly
fantasy, because what went on was a
secret. But the days of intense data
collection and endless testing are
gone — in Australia anyway. You’d
be surprised how little testing a
factory motocross team might do;
a few days here and there but that’s
it. The offroad guys on average do
more testing because of the differing
terrain and formats they face throughthe year, but the big one that needs
the most effort is Finke.
At the point where you’re pushing
for a win, a team can’t just rock up
and race. Through the recent years,
KTM set the bar high with constant
and intense testing throughout the
year on the mighty track. Through
the persistence — and he is the most
persistent team boss you’ll ever
meet — of AJ Roberts and his Active8
Yamaha team, the blue crew have
been putting in all the effort required
to take the win in the desert and
we took a rare opportunity to travel
to Alice Springs to see how they go
about testing for arguably the biggest
single off-road race of the year.FEATURE:
FINKE TESTING THE WR450F