Alex Rins’ Replacement Rider Says Yamaha’s Engine Character Is Like a Two-Stroke Bike – 2024-07-11 07:24:41

MotoGP substitute rider REMY Gardner.(Doc. AFP)

REMY Gardner, who was called up as a replacement for the injured Alex Rins at the Sachsenring, tried Yamaha’s MotoGP bike for the first time. Although he has only ridden the YZR-M1 once, Gardner had the same comments as Fabio Quartararo regarding the aggressive nature of the current M1.

While Yamaha was once known for its smooth-handling, it has become much more aggressive in recent seasons as Japanese manufacturers try to match engine performance to European bikes.

“I think the Yamaha is known for always being a very smooth and easy bike to ride. So yeah, I found it a little bit aggressive to be honest,” Gardner was quoted as saying by Crash, (11/7).

“I think maybe it was the new engine package or something, but I think it was a bit more aggressive than I expected. It was quite difficult to control the throttle shifts. I actually had a few moments at the end of the race and even in the Sprint yesterday.”

“But yeah, I expected it to be a bit smoother. But the actual engine, there’s not a lot of vibration and stuff that it makes, so it’s good. But let’s say it’s a bit like a two-stroke,” he added.

Gardner finished 20th (out of 22) at the Sachsenring GP, with a best race lap 1.475 seconds off the top spot but only a tenth of a second off Honda rider Joan Mir.

Also read: Extending Contract, Fabio Quartararo Continues MotoGP Career at Yamaha

“It’s great to see what I can do with more time on the bike, but hopefully I can give some good feedback on how I feel on the bike. So hopefully Yamaha can take some positives from that,” he said.

Gardner took the 2021 Moto2 title before spending the 2022 season in MotoGP with KTM. The Australian switched to WorldSBK with Yamaha last year and took his first podium this year.

Gardner, who is currently seventh in the WorldSBK standings, will be back on his R1 for the British round at Donington Park this weekend.

(Z-9)