Beech gets to grips with new bike

ASHLEY Beech in action at Silverstone in round one of the National Superstock 1000 Championship.

ASHLEY Beech wasn’t too downhearted despite finishing out of the points in the opening round of the National Superstock 1000 Championship at Silverstone.

After qualifying 17th, the Moorside rider was involved in a mid-pack battle for much of the race and eventually crossed the line 18th. But Beech knows his new Kawasaki ZX-10R machine will only improve as the season progresses.

He’s back on track next week for a test day at Oulton Park ahead of round two of the championship later in the month.

Preparations for the new campaign got under way in February with the delivery of his new race bike.

Tuned by factory-supported specialists MSS Performance, the JDR Racing team did four days of testing in Spain. on a 2.3 mile circuit used by Beech many times before.

The new bike was the first big upgrade by Kawasaki since 2011, with changes to the engine, frame and electronics.

“It usually takes time to get used to a new bike, but this felt comfortable straight away,” said Beech.

On returning to the UK, The team did further testing at Silverstone and Donington Park.

“There is always something to be learned from a rider with Ashley’s level of experience,” said team owner Chris Jones. “We are all too aware of the quality of the competition this year and we will need to be in good shape from the start.”