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Phillip Island WSBK: Camier targets top ten on MV debut

Months after signing to ride the MV Agusta in World Superbikes, Leon Camier has finally had two days of dry track time at Phillip Island and says that top ten is the best he can hope for - but hasn’t totally ruled out a place in the top five at the season opener this weekend.

Australia marked the first proper dry test for the former British Superbike Champion after being washed out in Europe over winter, and he now has a clear direction in which need needs to progress with the bike - saying they have a lot of work to do.

Camier explained that he and the team are working a lot with the electronics to try and get the ‘basics’ working for the way that he wants them to. Along with the headaches also comes Camier trying to get to grips with chassis and other little things about the motorcycle.

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“We are making quite a few changes and trying to get the bike balance better,” said Camier. The MV Agusta Reparto Corse team will not have the new electronics until the third round of the championship which will be in April at Aragon, Spain.

“Once we get the new electronics that is where we will make big step forward, hopefully… The MV is quite different to ride, I have had to change my riding style quite bit to understand how to go faster, which is something that does not happen overnight.”

However, the Andorra resident does have some good ideas on what he wants to change on the bike to help both him and the bike, but simply has said that he needs more time on the bike.

Before Camier and his team arrived down under they have only spent half a day in the dry at Portimão. The test session at Portimão saw half a day wet, then half a day in mixed conditions.

“We are quite a way behind in regards to track time. But in saying that, we made some good progress. Our overall fastest lap time was just 0.018sec slower than Sylvain Guintoli, the reigning champion. We were ahead of him until this afternoon, before he went back ahead. We’re doing alright, but we do know there is still room for improvements.”

After racing for Suzuki in 2012 and 2013, Camier has labelled the MV Agusta’s electronics at the moment being like Suzuki’s three or four years ago. “There is a lot of work to be done as I said. The chassis, well we have made it a lot better already. There has been a lot of stiffing the bike up, which is feeling better for sure. As soon as I start to break hard, the bike is getting really twisted up and doesn’t want me to put any big forces into the bike.”

bikesportnews.com asked Camier if a top five was at all doable this weekend and straight away he said no: “Top five is out of the question. But you never know, but I am 95% certain that it is out of the question. I think we can get into the top ten which would be a really good result for us the minute.”

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