The Red Bull Honda WorldSBK squad rolled out a new engine and electronics package, along with a revised chassis, at last week’s official Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) test at Portimao in Portugal.

Riders Leon Camier and Jake Gagne tested the new specification engine, which is set to boast enhanced driveability, while chassis updates have been introduced to increase balance in the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.

“With our private test and the two day test at Portimao we definitely made a step forward with the bike,” Camier explained. “I was still struggling physically at the test following the crash at the Suzuka 8 Hour testing, but we managed to get through everything we planned.

“The new engine spec worked well, as did the new electronics and chassis and overall, I think our pace on race tyres was quite competitive. We’ve made some progress and have a good direction to follow and I’m looking forward to the Portimao round and the rest of the season.”

With an additional private test at the venue, the outfit drafted in PJ Jacobsen to assist with developments, which team manager Kervin Bos believes they made beneficial gains that they anticipate will increase the squad’s competitiveness in the closing rounds of the series.

“The three main items we tested were a new engine specification which was made to improve driveability with more low-down torque, a new chassis version to improve the balance of the bike, and a new electronics package to improve the connection between the riders right hand and the rear wheel,” Bos detailed.

“With the amount of testing to do, we had a private two-day test as well as the group test at the circuit to ensure our programme could be completed. The test was a success, with Leon and Jake able to test all the components, although Leon still wasn’t fully fit following his crash at Suzuka.

“On the final day of the group test, PJ Jacobsen also rode the bike to help with the test programme. The test showed us that we’ve made good progress with the CBR1000RR to help us be more competitive for the rest of the season, and the data we collected for this circuit gives us a strong starting point for the next round of the championship which isn’t far away now.”

The factory Honda team will be out on track next at Portimao on 14-16 September, marking the 10th stop of the 13-round series.