Triple Australian Superbike champion Josh Waters received a lifeline of sorts with the Maxima BMW team for the 2022 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship, and has wasted no time establishing himself as a threat on board the M 1000 RR. CycleOnline spoke with the Victorian contender to ask Five Questions regarding the approach to the upcoming Wakefield Park round, and the transition and team dynamic for 2022. 

Image: Foremost Media.

How would you rate your progress with the Maxima BMW team and your adaptation to the M 1000 RR?

I’m really happy because the results have been good, I’ve been where I would like to be, so that’s always good. Every year you always say the field is stronger, but it is getting stronger, so I’m happy and just need to keep going in that direction.

Are there any key differences that you have noticed with the BMW, compared to other manufacturers you have ridden? 

The electronics are quite good on it, when you are on a good bike, it just happens easier. It’s still hard, but it just happens easier, not saying it is easy. Maybe it suits my style a little bit better, that kind of bike, the inline-four and all of that.

Is there a good dynamic within the team between yourself and Glenn Allerton as teammates?

I think so, and also because we are a little bit older, there’s none of that bullcrap. Of course you want to beat each other, and you are competitive and all of that, but you can also just chat, like normal people. So it’s all good like that, for example yesterday [testing at Wakefield], it was like ‘hey what was this? This is what I felt’. There’s no point lying about it, because we can both go better, it’s going to drive us both, it’s only going to make us go better in the races.

Images: Foremost Media.

How has the Wakefield testing gone for you?

Yeah, it was good. Obviously, tyre wise, we didn’t have the tyre that I think will work, so it was more just doing laps and just burning up already scrubbed tyres. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my side of the crew there, because Brodie [Waters] has been up getting ready for Finke, which is the week before Darwin, so he needs to do that with his program, and I was fortunate, I still had a mechanic there but it was just more to collect data, try and a couple of things and hopefully be more ready come two weeks time.

Is continuity with the same brand and machinery for 2023 the target for you?

I would like to, because I really think there is potential with the bike, I really think I can go good and challenge for wins and be there. The aim is to challenge for a championship. I really think I can on this package. Always learning so I think if I was to race again next year on this bike, I think I would only be stronger, instead of trying to learn the bike, the tyre, and the suspension.