Press Release | November 9, 2009
The following is from Kenny Noyes’ publicist…American Kenny Noyes, who signed last week to ride in the Moto2 World Championship in 2010 along with Spaniard Joan Olivé for Antonio Banderas Racing, had his first brief test with the Harris Moto2 machine at the Circuit of Valencia the day after the final Grand Prix of the season. The team of the Hollywood film star and life-long motorcycle racing enthusiast will use Harris frames, Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes in the new class that replaces the 250 series. All bikes will use Honda 600cc four-cylinder engines and Dunlop tires.Kenny had been in discussions with several teams, but was offered a contract by Dani Devahive, director of Antonio Banderas Racing, after his recent win in the Plameto Kawasaki team at the fifth round of the Spanish 1000cc Extreme Championship three weeks ago.Only one bike was available for the tests so Kenny and Joan had to share the bike, each running two hour sessions.Kenny has been given permission to test the Harris by Kawasaki Spain even though he still has two races left to run in the 1000cc Extreme series. So far this season he has been on the front row at every race and on the podium in every race that he has finished, but two mechanical DNFs in the short seven-race series mean that the most he can realistically hope for this season is to take second in the final points.He will make is last two Extreme rides over the next two weekends in Jerez de la Frontera and Valencia before turning full attention to the World Moto2 challenge.First Moto2: 1´38.654
“The bike is so light and quick handling. It is different from the big bikes I’ve ridden up until now, but I understand what I need to do to adapt the bike to me and me to the bike. I’m used to riding a 1000cc Kawasaki so I have to get used to going in deeper on the brakes and I have to carry more corner speed. The thing is incredibly loud, so loud I wondered if I had forgotten by earplugs! Today was a good first ride. But the track was cold and the times really don’t mean much. This bike is capable of going a lot quicker. We are making a lot of changes for tomorrow.””Over the last two years we have been winning races in the Spanish Nationals, so when I heard that the 250 series was being replaced by Moto2 I was hopeful that I might get a chance, and now I am determined to make the most of this opportunity with Antonio Banderas Racing. This will be an interesting mix of riders. There will be good 125 and 250 two stroke guys with GP experience, a couple of ex-MotoGP and x World Superbike riders and a few riders like me with lots of four stroke experience but new to GPs. I know six of the 17 tracks, so I’ll be running lot of laps on Playstation.”
