Brookes preparing for Yamaha Suzuka test

Milkwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes will fly out to Suzuka directly after the Knockhill MCE British Superbike round for his first test aboard the Monster YART R1 ahead of this year’s Eight-Hours endurance race.

Brookes was on the podium last year, coming second on the Yoshimura Suzuki, and will spend three days in Japan getting used to Bridgestone tyres again, and the differences between a World Endurance bike and a BSB-spec R1. 

BSB team-mate Tommy Bridewell will make his Suzuka debut this year, riding in a second YART team with Aussie Wayne Maxwell on Pirellis.

“Last year we were so close to the win and I had the choice of trying to make back a load of time in the last stint while riding in the wet on slicks in the dark, or just bring it home in second, so I chose the latter,” said Brookes, speaking to bikesportnews.com

“It will be the first time I have ridden the R1 around Suzuka, but the team are vastly experienced and my Japanese team-mate Kats Nakasuga has done thousands of laps around the track, so I’m pretty confident we are in with a shout of it."

“It’s important to test there to re-acquaint myself with the Bridgestone tyres and get to know the subtle differences there will be between the World Endurance bike and the Milwaukee Yamaha Superbike I ride in BSB.”