Hampered by a lack of horsepower Chris Burns qualified the MV Agusta F4 1000 in fourth place in the Daily Star superbike Cup at Oulton Park today.
The changes to the swingarm and suspension made by the team in yesterday’s free practice improved the times of the MV Agusta in qualifying, moving it closer to the pole position time of making it the fourth quickest of the Cup runners.
Paul Snell – Crew Chief:“We knew that we would always struggle here [Oulton Park] due to the lack of horsepower in the standard MV Agusta engine, when compared to the modified superbike engines that we are competing against. This situation should be rectified by the time we get to Knockhill as our superbike specification engine will be available. The result should be at least another 10 hp, hopefully more. Once this is combined with the settings we have now, and the further weight loss that the bike should undergo we will hopefully be in a position to seriously challenge for wins in the Cup and top ten finishes in the main championship.
Chris Burns – Rider“Having the problem of lower horsepower means that I am having to ride the bike as if it is a 600 by keeping as much momentum as possible into the corners. This will pose problems in the race as my lines will not be as tight as they should be giving other riders opportunities to get by. It will be great to get the new engine in time for Knockhill as this will certainly allow me to ride my own style and should give me an edge over many of the riders who are in front of me here.”
