Elias struggles to impress in WSB debut

Toni Elias laps slower than test riders in BMW Italia ride

Posted: 15 September 2011
by Visordown News

TONI ELIAS crossed over to the World Superbike paddock to join BMW Italia for the two-day test at Misano, ending as one of the slowest riders.

Something of an impromptu audition for Elias, the test did not go to plan as the Spaniard lapped the circuit with a best of 1:38.1 - two seconds off the fastest time set by Marco Melandri and slower than BMW test rider Steve Martin, who managed a 1:37.1.

The function of the first day was to acclimatise Elias in his first experience on a production-based race bike, although hampered by a small crash he spent the day setting the correct positions on the bike and gaining an understanding of the adjustments of the WSB-spec S1000RR. On the second day the Moto2 champion was able to lap for a few hours in order to gain confidence on both the bike and the Pirelli tyres, but leaving after the morning session to travel to Aragon for his MotoGP commitment with LCR Honda.

Speaking to Motosprint, Elias explained the why the debut was difficult: “The tank is so big that I can’t reach the handlebars and levers with sufficient force and can’t control the bike. The first thing I’d need would be smaller gas tank and a different riding position: foot pegs, controls, handlebars.

“I’m not used to riding production based bikes, they move a lot and I can’t open the throttle. I tried stiffening the suspensions, but the BMW become even more difficult to ride. I needed more time to adapt the bike to my physical and riding characteristics.

"The BMW has a great engine but the power comes suddenly and isn’t easy to manage. The Superbike is more powerful than I imagined.”

Following the test and according to Motosprint the interest in Elias from the World Superbike paddock has waned, as BMW Italia no longer look to hire the LCR Honda rider to take the vacated seat of Toseland. Elias was also a candidate for Castrol Honda to replace Ruben Xaus and join Jonathan Rea who has confirmed a place with the Ten Kate squad.

Via Twowheelsblog

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Discuss this story

Pagik

WTF has happened to Toni Elias??? He's gone from being a world champion to being (imo) a bit of a liability...this is a REAL shame. When he was in Moto GP in the 990 era he was consistently fast. Now just seems not to be able to get on with anything...

Hope he gets a massive return to form SOON.

Posted: 15/09/2011 at 11:58

charlieh

What do you really expect for first time out on a WSB. Toni's confidence must be shot to pieces after a terrible MotoGP season, a strange bike (they don't get much stranger than the BM') and first time on Pirellis

Give him a break Pagik

Posted: 15/09/2011 at 12:19

Pagik

I am giving him a break. Seems that BMW Italia didn't though. As I said, I really hope he's back on full form very soon.

Tony, like Dani Pedrosa, I could watch ride a bike all day.

Posted: 15/09/2011 at 14:42

Timpster

Pagik .. at his pace you could watch him all day at any GP ... lol.
( just joking, before i get slagged )

Posted: 15/09/2011 at 16:42

MarvinAndroid

Not sure where he goes from here, talk about a backfire of an 'audition'!!

Maybe the change to 1000cc machines will help, if he can get a ride?

Posted: 15/09/2011 at 16:56

No Excuse

,sorry but he lost it. I now wonder how he won the moto2 title. Aside from that, its flashes of "good" (not great) surrounded by mid-pack at best, and utter lack of performance as the recent norm. The great riders can ride anything. And the tire excuse is as old as Rossi's shoulder. If everyone is on the same tires, there is absolutely no excuse. Adapt or go home. That Sat Honda doesn't suck that bad. Aoyama is on the same bike and when he pipped Dani's ride, he did no better,, so it's 100% the riders in this case

Time to retire if he can't get a WSS ride next year.. Anything else is a waste of sponsor money.. It's cruel, I know , but this is a business, not a charity, and there are 50/60 riders that you could bank on (some retired) that would place better than Toni in SBK or GP.

Posted: 16/09/2011 at 00:53

MKJ

Mr No Excuses asks “I now wonder how he won the moto2 title”. Well since you ask I’ll tell you.

He won the moto2 title, just like his motoGP win (in a straight up fight with Rossi), because he’s a f#@k of good rider and out rode the entire field all year long.

As for this year; Elias may be on an RC212V but he’s in the, consistently, worst performing satellite Honda squad in motoGP, with, if reports are to be believed, a support team at which he seems to be at loggerheads. Add to that the recalcitrant Bridgestone tyres (and he’s far from the only guy having problems with them) and its no wonder that his season has languished. But that doesn’t mean he’s “lost it”, although I could understand if his confidence was a bit shaken by this season.

If I were Elias I’d take the Collin Edwards route. Try to get in with a half decent claiming rule team. Hope for more forgiving 2012 Bridgestones, and try to steal a lead on developing a competitive CRT package as it appears that that’s going to come to be the backbone of motoGP in the coming years and somewhere his experience should count.

Posted: 16/09/2011 at 16:10

Pagik

The voice of reason strikes. Well said.

Posted: 17/09/2011 at 10:19

Fitte Hue

Well, just how will he secure a CRT spot? He has now gotten a reputation of being difficult to work with (no wonder, he must have been absolutely determined to do all sorts of adjustments to his RC212V along the way, inevitably causing friction with his team), he has with his BMW tryout given more fodder to the cannon saying he is the problem, not the bike, and there are lots of other riders around. For instance, de Angelis, who is constantly there or thereabout in moto2, and rode well alongside Toni before they both got (undeservedly) sacked. Thing are looking dark for Toni Elias. I'm a fan, but I don't have my hopes up high.

Posted: 17/09/2011 at 23:16

Sander Koop

Elias should have stuck at Moto2, I believe. I still don't know why he was dropped from MotoGP to begin with, but hey, such is life...

If he'd have stayed in Moto2, and repeated his performance from last season, he may have had a chance of a factory ride.

Now he's shot himself in the foot by preforming badly on a bike that Randy De Puniet did rather well on, but he can't get on with.

I agree, he IS a class rider, but he's not having any luck...

Posted: 29/09/2011 at 12:31

Talkback: Elias struggles to impress in WSB debut