Ryan Vickers delivers first assessment of WSBK Ducati after switch from BSB
Ryan Vi𓄧cker🐟s describes his first feeling on the Ducati Panigale V4 R
Ryan Vickers has provided his first feedback on th▨e Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Vickers will swap OMG Racing’s Y🍃amaha in the British Superbike Championship for Motocorsa’s Ducati in the World Superbike Champion🌺ship in 2025.
But Vickers was in action on his new machine at the🐎 postseason WSBK test in Jerez on Tuesday.
Vickers compared his BSB bike to the new WSBK machine: “It is very d♒𝓰ifferent. I am not riding it in the same spec.
“The Duca💮ti?🐠 You’ve got to get the bike out of the corner, get it upright, use the power. It is super fast.
“B💜ut, if you’re on the edge of the tyre, the electronics won’t let you goಞ anywhere.
“The bike has great mid-corner speed. I thought I’d have to be more stop-start because the Yamaha is renowned fo🤡r being really good mid-corner.
school almost done for 🧑🏫📚 — WorldSBK (@WorldSBK)Vickers went seventh-fastest on Day 1 of the test on Tuesday, his debut on a WSBK bike which𓆏 he described as “awesome”.
He added: “It’s always difficuꩵlt getting on a new bike at a pretty new track - I hadn’t been here for four𝓀 years.
“It was about familiܫarising myself, and electronics. The Motocorsa team have made me feel welcome.
“Step by step w🐻e learned a lot about the bike and the way I’ve got to ride itꩵ.
“I’m pretty sure that I understood it wꦍell. We learned a lot.
“I am really happy, the ൩Ducati is an amazing ♍bike, it’s super fast. It was a great experience.”
The add🌟itional electronics on a WSBK bike compared to whatꦆ he’s become used to in BSB will be a major change.
Vickers explained: “It’s actually using the electronics which is the hard thin𒊎g.
“I am used to riding below spin to savꦰe the highside. Learning to ride into the electronics - because it will catch you! - is the difficult thing.
“But I am getting there. The electronics systeཧm works🤡 great and it’s consistent.
“I am able to go out each time ꦡand get closer to where I need to be.
“There’s loads mo🐻re to come. When you change traction control, what does it do? All of these things…
“There was plenty learned. My head hurts!”
Vickers tweaked his Ducati t﷽hroughout Tuesday to conti🍸nue his adaption.
“We made changes, we learned a lot about getting comfortable, changing bits on the bike like the gear lever,” he sa𝐆id.
Vickers also rode the Ducati on Wednesd𝐆ay on Day 2 of the Jerez test. But he knows that working🎃 off-track will also be key.
Vickers promised to “spen🤡d a couple of hours with the guys in the garage♔, analysing the data”.
He said: “Overlaying my data to other riders to see if I’m doing anythi⛦ng wrong, or whatever I need to do to make myself better.”
A beaming Vickers said: “It’s a super proud moment. An amazing part of my life. I will remember this day for a 🔯long time.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, ꦐto F1.
