Testing days in the World Superbike Championship are strictly limited: Scott Redding and his WSBK colleagues therefore use production bikes as a training opportunity
The WSBK riders have only ten free test days per year to prepare for the season or for the races during the course of the season. Especially in winter, the riders switch to testing with production bikes to keep fit. Scott Redding is one of the riders who like to fall back on this option. The Briton is currently riding a BMW M1000RR in Spain.
Why are trackdays with the production superbike so important for Redding? “The most important aspect of it is to have fun. By having fun riding, you feel that, unlike a race weekend, it’s not solely about getting the best possible result and being put under pressure as a result.
“I am a pretty aggressive rider. But with the production bike you can’t push to that limit. You have to ride differently. That helps me when I go back to race bikes,” explains the 2021 World Championship bronze medallist.
Why can’t Redding push so hard with the production bike? “The components are different, like the chassis and the brakes. But also the stiffness is different because the production bike doesn’t have as much power. That’s why it’s not as stiff. You just have to ride it differently,” reasons the former MotoGP rider.
Coronavirus pandemic and Brexit complicate training
Following Redding’s social media channels, it is noticeable that the Briton has trained more often on a road bike than a superbike in recent years. Why is that? “Because of Covid and also because of the Brexit, it was difficult for me to train on the track,” he describes.
“I like doing trackdays, it’s fun for me. The calendar over the season doesn’t allow much time for extra training days. It’s better to recover and prepare for the race ahead,” said Redding.
Scott Redding helps amateur racers as instructor
Last year Redding was also seen as an instructor. Is this something he enjoys or does he see it as a business model? “I enjoy helping the amateur riders. It gives me pleasure. I like watching other people improve. It’s not primarily about making money,” reports the former Ducati rider.
“Many of my customers have told me that they have learned more in one day with me than in three or four years. That makes me happy. It shows that I was able to connect with them and pass on information,” says Redding, citing his motivation.
At the same time, he is convinced that not every pro has what it takes to teach amateur racers. “There are a lot of good riders. But many of them don’t know what they are actually doing. They just have talent. I break it all down in my head and do my thinking,” said Redding.
