The BSB Show – 2023 Motorcycle Live Special!

We’re back with a special edition of The BSB Show recorded at Motorcycle Live, the annual #motorcycle show taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on the day dedicated to the British Superbike Championship.

Michael Burton and Michael Mann hunt down the top riders to get their views on the 2024 #championship and we learn about three new classes and a calendar change as we swap Silverstone for sangria.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:20 Montage
00:50 2024 calendar updates
04:28 2024 rider moves
08:10 Tommy Bridewell interview
11:24 Ryan Vickers interview
16:30 Dean Harrison
18:40 Glenn Irwin
21:47 Jason O’Halloran
28:14 Havier Beltran
32:40 Jamie Whitham (new championships)
37:43 BikeSocial membership BSB offers
41:02 How to access BSB experiences
41:57 Membership ad
42:15 Outtakes

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Michael Mann 0:00 Hello, welcome to the latest episode   of The BSB Show. Mr. Burton and I are here at  Motorcycle Live at the NEC in Birmingham because   today is BSB day. That means there’ll be plenty of  riders loitering about so we can bring you plenty  

Of insight and information and interviews. Four  and a half months I think now until the start of   the new season. Let’s see what we can find. You join us on the Bennetts.BSB stand and the   show of course runs until Sunday the 26th.  If you haven’t yet got your tickets do so,  

Come and say hello. We’re here all week. Burty,  we’re on the… well, there’s a BSB section of our   Bennetts stand and we’ve got some display bikes.  Let’s just talk through them. We’ve got a couple   of Ducati’s in there anyway. Yeah. So Michael Burton 1:09  

We’ve got Ben Currie’s title winning Supersport  bike down the end, the V2 Panigale. We’ve got   obviously Tommy Bridewell’s championship winning  bike. Got Evan Bedfords Rs 250 That is when the   British Talent Cup on. Yeah. And then we’ve got  the Aprilia RS660 that Ian Newton’s donated just  

For the week, which that’s basically going to be  used in the new sport bike class for next year.   Michael Mann 1:09 Yes. And we’ll talk more   about that later on. So we’ve got the BSB trophy  here as well. That’s up for grabs. Obviously,  

Tommy Bridewell’s was got his hasn’t he? Yeah,  lovely interview with him last time. But in   terms of what’s happening next year for 2024. We  are 139 days away from action. Yep. Which seems   like a lifetime. But it’ll be here soon slide  by. And we’ve got some changes for the 2024  

Calendar. What are they? Michael Burton 1:51   Well, we start off on a Spanish holiday. We all go  to Nevara first time, it’s probably been useful.   BSB. So we go there on the 16th of April. Sounds  about right there like that. So there’s a three  

Day test. I think it might be two days for BSB.  Or one day then for support classes. I think   it’s three days for BSB. Monday to Wednesday. The  Thursday is the support class test. Friday off for   everybody. And then Saturday, Sunday racing. Michael Mann 2:17  

So it’s not a three day weekend.  It’s not a three day weekend, because   you’ve got support. Yeah, well, let’s Michael Burton 2:20   support classes. But also you’ve got three  days of testing before basically. Yeah,  

It makes sense more time on track for the guys,  but especially for the BSB guys anyway. Yeah.   So looking forward to it really two races as  well. So not three, I believe, which is   Michael Mann 2:34 the thing. So this is  

A truck that has been used for motorcycle racing  before, isn’t it? Yeah. Yeah. World Superbikes   Michael Burton 2:39 been their CEV has been that   which is the Spanish championship. Kyle Ryde was  obviously very quick in testing there at the start  

Of this year ’23, purely because he’d been there  before in Spanish championship. So so it’s   Michael Mann 2:51 motorsport vision, MSV   who owned BSB who own the track, and that’s part  of the reason why we’re going there, isn’t it?  

Michael Burton 2:55 Yeah, it is. Yeah, yeah. Basically,   I mean, it will be silly not to, obviously, I’m  sure you bought it for a reason. I’m looking   forward to I think keeping a different circuit  on the calendar to go to. bit of a shame that  

We’re not going Silverstone is the iconic home of  British motorsport, really, but it’s nice to see   something new on the calendar. Michael Mann 3:12   Yeah. And it’s a new circuit. And it’s very  much a European style track, isn’t it? Yeah.  

It says Yeah. Which makes a bit of a difference  to what we usually see, you know, it’s very,   very different to the likes of Knockhill or  Cadwell Park. And of course, Silverstone which   I think a lot of the riders don’t necessarily  love, because it’s all right handers, their  

Michael Burton 3:26 national circuits or something,   it’s just a triangle really. So it’s not as  good as the main circuit, the big Silverstone   Circuit. But unfortunately, the big Silverstone  Circuit is just so expensive. But like I say,  

It is exciting to be going to Nevarra, different  circuit completely. The first corner if nobody’s   ever seen it before, the first corner is  completely flat out in top gear from what I   believe. Jack Kennedy says it’s quite scary when  you first hit it first time flat out. So that’d  

Be quite something quite cool to go and see. I  think you can stand right on the top of the roof   and see right down onto the first corner line.  The Pit building such that’d be quite cool.   Michael Mann 4:02 So they’ll be they’ll hopefully  

It’d be some opportunities with BikeSocial  members. But they’re yet to be announced.   Michael Burton 4:07 yet to be announced. Yeah, hopefully in the   new year. Some point. Yeah, yes. Yeah. So Michael Mann 4:10  

Keep your eye on the on the website  and on social media to learn about   what BikeSocial members can get at Navarra,  but that’s some time away yet. Like I said,   139 days actually and then the season actually  starts. Well, the first time we’ll see officially  

The bikes on track will be at Donington, won’t it  April the sixth and seventh. You mentioned Jack   Kennedy. That leads us nicely into rider movements  for the new year. So well, let’s start with Jack   Kennedy. So he’s moved from the superbike class  back to his old happy hunting ground doesn’t  

Michael Burton 4:39 he has Yeah, back in supersport, for this   year on the on a CBR 600. They all brand new CBR  600 as well, for next year to the factory Honda   Honda team, isn’t it… factory Honda team? Yeah,  at the minute there is five guys in there.  

Michael Mann 4:52 And we’re expecting anotherannouncement   with one more but that’s… Michael Burton 4:55   potentially, we’re not too sure yet. So  that will hopefully be coming out soon.   Michael Mann 4:58 But the five the five are…  

Michael Burton 5:00 Jack Kennedy: SuperSport. You’ve got Dean   Harrison: Superbik, Andy Irwin: Superbike. And  then obviously McGuinness – the ever ever present   McGuinness. And Nathan Harrison Yeah. Michael Mann 5:10  

So you’ve got a roads team and a racing all  kind of in one. It’s a big, it’s a big setup,   isn’t it? Yeah. And it’s also there’s a lot of  not news, isn’t there really? Because we haven’t  

Heard from PBM as to whether they’re going to  continue. Yep. And therefore, we don’t know what   Glen Irwin’s going to do. Michael Burton 5:25   No, no, I think I think you would probably imagine  Glenn is holding out for to find out what PBM are  

Going to do. We also don’t know what Tas Racing  are going to be doing. We haven’t really heard   from some of the sort of smaller teams in the  championship. So shall we say, but we do know  

That Danny Kent’s gone to MarTrain. Yeah, we do  know that Kyle Ryde and Ryan Vickers are in OMG,   which is the factory, say factory Michael Mann 5:49   becasue Raceways have gone and now the  Yamaha support has gone through the  

Michael Burton 5:54 OMG yet. So they’ve now the factory   backed outfit, shall we say? Michael Mann 5:57   And is there a degree of backing with that  Mar-Train team now as well? Yes, it’s a   Michael Burton 6:00 bit of secondary secondary  

Backing. They’ve got a little bit more support,  I believe from Yamaha. And they’ve got MACAMS   sponsorship too. So they’ve got McCams sponsorship  in there that was announced recently. But they’ve   also got Chris Anderson in there as crew chief.  And that team is basically being run out with  

MSS performance. About eight miles up from our  office. Wherever you need anything we’re gonna go   see Spanner. I don’t think there’ll be a lot more  coming out just before the New Year. And after the   new year for rider movements Michael Mann 6:24  

The Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki team, the  FS-3 team with Jason O’Halloran and Max Cook   that was announced a while back, we’ve  now got that we’re now seeing the bike.   Traditional green. Yeah, looks quite nice,  I think. Very much. So. Yeah, very much. So  

We’ve had several of the Pathway, guys and now  suddenly, so Billy McConnell’s coming back   Michael Burton 6:26 for another going back in in Superbike,   but in the pathway class. Action racing, isn’t  it? That’s rejection racing. It was a teammate  

Jamie van Sickkelrus. Yeah, try saying that after  a few beers. He’s going to be in Superbike for   the first time after returning Super Sport for  the last few years. I think they’re the only   ones that have been announced in the pathway  class so far. I don’t think there’s anybody  

Officially been in a Kade Verwey isn’t? Oh,  yes. I forgot about that one. Sorry. Yeah. So   Kade Verwey. Tactic Lloyd Jones PR Racing lads.  Yeah, he’s in there for next year. They’re yet   to announce their full on Superbike rider. So I  don’t know who that is. I believe it’s Luke Mossey  

But I’m not too sure it’s not been officially  announced. I believe it’s going to be Luke   Michael Mann 7:18 So there’s still a few balls in the   air and they really are we expecting any new teams  to be announced any anyone else to come in your  

Michael Burton 7:25 There is rumours of a team being run by a certain   form of five times six time I can’t remember how  many championships he’s won. But yeah, there was   rumors of Shakey Byrne running a team whether that  happens or not, I’m not sure. I didn’t see on his  

Instagram the other day that he was in Italy at  Yamaha. So who knows what will happen but it will   be nice to see a new team come back come into the  championship because I think it needs it really I   think needs an injection of fresh gloves. Michael Mann 7:53  

And of course we’ve lost the like we said  we’ve lost the Yamaha main team. Anyway. So   here we are BSB day let’s see if there are any  riders around to give us some more insight   Tommy, how are you doing? It’s been a couple  of weeks since we last spoke you’ve been up  

In Florida how was it? Tommy Bridewell 8:15   Yes. Thank you I’m alright. I went holiday  with obviously my wife Stacy and back to   reality back to work back to Yeah, the grim  weather shall was say, but nice to be here  

At Motorcycle Live for sure. And obviously we  you guys from Bennetts and BikeSocial so yeah,   nice to be back around like good Michael Mann 8:34   to be able to take a bit of time out to what  reflect on all obviously what was a whirlwind  

Of an end of the 2023 season. Tommy Bridewell 8:40   Exactly, yeah, nice to put me feet if I stay  at home I end up just working in training non   stop so nice about actually go away and reflect  back on what we achieved this year. Nice to be  

Able to kind by the pool you know get get sort of  hairs on the on the arm sort of sign up. So yeah,   just no sign of that break. But nice to be back.  Sort of focus now on getting fitter and better and  

Stronger than than ever before. Michael Mann 9:08   What is the plan for the for the winter? What do  you do? What do you train? How do you train?   Tommy Bridewell 9:12 So just a lot of runs so called swim,  

Gym work. There’s a lot of it obviously, things  are gonna be different for next year. So I’ll   probably be working a lot closer with a fitness  trainer as well. And just a lot of areas I want   to really really be no stone unturned. So yeah,  looking forward to that and looking forward to  

That getting in the way you probably early Jan  at least. And yeah, and then just kind of come   out swinging. You know, we’ve got a target on  the back and got a big number one and I want   to defend my title. Michael Mann 9:43  

Now the obvious question, of course, is you and  your number one where will you be riding for the   2024 season? Can you tell us yet? Tommy Bridewell 9:49   I can’t tell you I wish I could. I wish I  could and I’m still working on it and in  

Truth. Nothing’s confirmed. There’s a lot of  a lot of question marks around and options,   obviously with Ducati. I’ve made no secret that  I’m in talks with other manufacturers and other   teams. I just need to see what suits me best as a  rider and what suits, you know, my career best and  

What I believe and what I think. And know I can  defend my time away because I have a goal. Now,   I have the British Championship, and I want to  defend it. And then the number one under the  

Number one and then I want to revert as defending  my championship, revert back to number 46 for 2025   will be so I have the plan. I just need to make  sure I can defend the championship. So whatever  

I end up doing next year, the package where  I will be sure that I’ll be able to do that.   So looking forward to getting it ironed out and  looking forward to the news coming out because I   think it’d be it’d be good. Michael Mann 10:51  

Have you got a date in the diary,  we can all we can all mark?E   Tommy Bridewell 10:53 Early December and early December   will be something I will announce whether  whether I’ve got something to announce or  

Not. But I know and I’m very, very sure that  by by the sort of first week of December,   I feel I should have something to announce. I’m  looking forward to sharing that with everyone.   Michael Mann 11:14 Fantastic. Thank you for your time.  

Tommy Bridewell 11:15 My pleasure. Cheers, guys.   Michael Burton 11:25 So Ryan, first of all, thank you very   much for joining us here at motorcycle live 2023  just obviously BSB day. Well, first of all, summit  

2023 From your point of view, because really,  it was a decent season for you all in all   Ryan Vickers 11:37 Yeah, we made the big change,   you know, I mean, like we’ve done a few years  in superbikes and shown that we can be fast,  

Not so much consistency and, you know, changing  bikes, changing teams didn’t really find find   what suited me you know, but then joined the  OMG racing team that just come off the back of   the championship. I knew it was gonna be a good  chance that I was gonna have my best year didn’t  

Know how good didn’t expect anything like we did  to be fair. I think the goal maybe we had in mind   was maybe try and get a podium and you know, be  consistent, top 10 top eight finisher and it was  

A consistent top four top five in this year. Yeah,  six podiums and two wins. So it is, yeah, really,   really successful season. loved every minute.  And it’s just nice that we’ve, we’ve made that   step now. And now next year we can we’re going to  fight for the championship. And that’s the…  

Michael Burton 12:23 Do you feel at home at OMG, because he’s   really a proper family outfit isn’t it really  feels like that anyway, from the outside   Ryan Vickers 12:28 Exactly, I’ve had a relationship  

With with Alan Gardner and also Dave Harris, my  crew chief for quite a while we you know, Dave,   I met a few years ago, we went out enduro riding,  and we had a bit of a mega day together then,  

And that’s I’ve had a good relationship with  Dave since then. And I’ve always looked him   at someone that I’d love to work with, you know,  and it just, we just have a good laugh, you know,  

We have a good laugh, everybody is so professional  when they need to be, but we also have a really   good time. And I think that’s brought out the best  in me, I’m so much more relaxed. I’m not tense,  

You know. And we’ve Roger Marshall and stuff  like that. And the team with the whole team,   there’s not a single person that we could  do without, you know, I mean, like everybody   does their job, and everybody has a really good  role. And we just get on really well, which is,  

Which makes the team sort of flow great. Michael Burton 13:14   Let’s look at it then for next year. Let’s call  you a factory rider, because that’s essentially   what you are you looking forward to being  that sort of spearhead of the factory team,  

Shall we say, Ryan Vickers 13:22   Yeah, can’t wait. I mean, there’s probably not  gonna be that much difference in the bike. But you   know, the team went over to the factory in Italy  last week, and they had some really good meetings,  

And we’re gonna have access to any of the parts  that we want. And we’ve got a few things in mind   that we want to try for sure. And, you know, the  testing, there’s not too much testing available.  

So we’ve got a good bike, and we know that we can  bolt that setting at round one, and it’s going   to work. So the testing that we go out to do in  Nevarra is going to be purely testing new items,  

I think the guys are going to build two bikes,  so we can relay back to back different things,   different engines, whatever we’ve got to try.  There’s lots of things that are on the list. And   hopefully we can just get through as much of that  list before the season starts. And then we don’t  

Have to be worrying about it in the season. Michael Burton 14:08   It’s going to be a real busy testing schedule.  Because really, you’ve only got five days I think   before the start of the season. Is it frustrating  for you as a rider to not have as much testing  

Time as what you had before? Ryan Vickers 14:18   I think if it was the same as it is, but then we  got that extra test that we did at the start of   this year, like me and the team and then did a  private test at Andalusia three days on track.  

You know, if I didn’t have and it was my first  time on the bike at Navarro, I think it would   have put us on the back step a little bit but it  allowed us just to go somewhere where there’s no  

Real there’s no pressure and nothing just allows  you to get used to the bike and then that would   be a different situation to this year we’d go  there and we’d really use that to go through our  

Parts list you know, and build it build the best  bike we can but obviously that’s not allowed this   year and we’re not gonna go out before Christmas  is also the weather in Spain isn’t great at the  

Minute you know, I think a few guys are going to  Jerez next week, and you know, Jerez at the best   at times can be cold and damp in the mornings, and  they’re trying to and dry properly. So, you know,  

I hope they get a lot of laughs. But it’s probably  doubtful it’s going to be three days of sunshine   and dry, dry track, because even Spain can be  a bit funny this time of the year. So, yeah,  

It is what it is, same for everyone, we’ve got  a good bike, and the team know exactly what they   need to do with it, we just got to understand  if the new boss is gonna make it any better,   and try and get through as much as possible. Michael Burton 15:25  

What’s the aim? Obviously, you’re gonna say win  the championship. But have you got sort of set   goals in your mind ahead of next year? Ryan Vickers 15:33   Not really, you know, we’re there to win the  championship. That is the goal. I noticed  

There’s another 20 people on the grid that I’ve  gotten the same go. But I think after this year,   it’s a realistic goal. You know, we’ve run out  the front, we’ve not just had a couple of podiums,   we’ve been in that four or five every practice  session, qualifying and races every time we’ve  

Been there. And there might be a few other  people in that group next year. But I don’t   think we’re going to be any further away. So  hopefully, we can make the bike a little bit   better. I think the rules are changing slightly  with the Ducati and stuff like that. It’s gonna  

Make a difference. I don’t know. At the end of  the day, I got prepared to be riding against the   same bikes that was this year. And if we can make  our bike a little bit better, I can make myself a  

Little bit better than we was only looking for a  tiny bit and hopefully we can come out on top.   Michael Burton 16:20 Fantastic. Well, Ryan, thanks   very much for your time. Good luck in ’24. First of all, thank you very much for joining  

Us. Congratulations – factory Honda rider for  ’24. You said to me a few days ago that it’s   not really going to sink in until you get your  gear. You’ve got your gear, has it sunk in yet?   Dean Harrison 16:42 I’ve got my gear now. So now I feel I feel  

A bit more official. Now I’ve got a jacket or a t  shirt. So I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s it’s   good. It’s quite overwhelming. Really our visitors  in here and things are looking at the new bikes.   Nice. So I’m looking for the year ahead. Michael Burton 16:54  

How much it exciting new  developing a brand new bike   Dean Harrison 16:57 that one of the biggest things really   and brand new bikes out – a new 600’s out, a new  Superstock or Everything’s new. So it’s nice to  

Start with a clean slate. And so I’ll try and hit  the ground running sort of go from there really   Michael Burton 17:09 What are you looking forward   to most this year into our shooting 24 Because  full time British Superbike rider as well as  

Full time Road Rider. Dean Harrison 17:16   I’m looking forward to have a teammate working  with new people, installing things about different   teams work internally and things like that. I’m  sort of excited to see all that side of things. So  

I’m just looking for the first test now. Michael Burton 17:29   When is the first test and when are you gonna  get out on it? Because I know there’s a bit of   a blanket ban on BSB testing but you as a road  rider, you can technically test, I suppose  

Dean Harrison 17:36 you know what, I don’t   know. Nothing’s been under percent confirm  yet. So that’s all still been sorted out and   organized at the minute so I’m just looking for  that to be announced and then get on the bike   Michael Burton 17:46 …and having the national  

Treasure as a teammate as well… well,  he calls himself a national treasure. How   nice is that going to be for you? Because I know  you’re really friendly with John aren’t, you?   Dean Harrison 17:54 We’re really good friends on and off track, so no,  

I’m looking forward to working with John and doing  it over various things and things out. So no,   it’s it’s exciting times Michael Burton 18:01   Looking at BSB then, you’ve got a  quite a quick teammate and Andrew.   Dean Harrison 18:05 Yeah, exactly.  

Michael Burton 18:06 It’s gonna drive you along   that isn’t it? Because I mean, we spoke in  the week and we You said that you really want   to put more of an effort into the BSB  job because you want to do better.  

Dean Harrison 18:14 Yeah, exactly you want to   do the best that we can of everything that we do  on our team, it’s good. It’s all better see what   he’s doing? Or maybe I’m not doing or vice versa  and things like that. They might help us both,  

But they’ll they’ll bring me along and try  and get me to the level where I want to be   Michael Burton 18:28 perfect. Well, I’ll not keep you too long because   I know you’ve got all the places to me. Thank you  very much for your time. Good luck in 2024.  

Michael Mann 18:42 Glenn, thanks for coming on the   show tell me you’ve had time to reflect now it’s  been a few few weeks now since the end of this   end of this season. How’s it been? You do take a  bit of time out to reflect on what happened.  

Glenn Irwin 18:53 Not not too much reflection. Really because   it kind of was what it was and we finished second  day is like the like the standout kind of Yeah,   that’s where your position was but overall it  was an amazing season. I think things that you  

Do reflect on money become apparent to you is when  people tell you Oh, you had 18 podiums this year,   you had 10 wins, you lead more laps than anyone  and then you won your two northwest wins so yeah,  

I guess Okay, a little bit of reflection as  in what we achieved. And that’s meant to then   you get bored because you’re not riding any  motorbikes and I’m just thinking about riding   my bike next year again, Michael Mann 19:29  

We just said off camera, it’s 139 days until  Donington the first test you’ve got Ducati written   across your chest we haven’t heard any form of  announcements yet from PBM or yourself what will   happen can you tell us yet? Glenn Irwin 19:40  

Was wearing All Saints when I arrived but  obviously as part of your contract for this   year you will be on the Ducati so and he gave  me this which is nice. They took the label off   which is annoying because we’re gonna sell it  at the end of today because that’s expensive.  

I’ll tell him to think a little off but no, no  ink to paper as such, and obviously I love the   Paul Bird Motorsport team, have done they were  my first superbike team I love working with   the entire Bird family. Everyone involved  it was a lot of staff been there forever,  

Johnny Mowatt, Phil Borley, my crew chief  and all the mechanics, everyone. I would   absolutely love to continue there, but obviously  it remains to be seen whether the theme go rest   or not. I think that that’s their intention.  They’re going through a lot, let them grieve,  

Let them do whatever else. Sure, if that didn’t  happen, I think a few contracts are ripped up and   me and Tommy Bridwell find a ride somewhere.  I think I think I know where he’s going.   Michael Mann 20:39 But tell me about your winter.  

What is the winter look like for you in terms of  training in terms of relaxed in terms of family   time in terms of prepping, prepping, Glenn Irwin 20:45   I took a week off the gym, man like that’s  kind of like most people taking a week off  

Work. So like if you’re a school teacher be like  knocking on the school for a week. And you started   to twiddle your thumbs, you didn’t know what to  do. So going back to the gym, back flat out and  

Not training where you go on training way too  hard. I’m gonna peak I’m not doing any cardio,   my heart rate hasn’t been high, just lifting  heavy weights. Enjoy and doing I’m gonna keep   doing that until the end of January. I changed a  lot of my approach this year. He used to go hard  

On the first of January. But by the time round  one comes, you’re like nearly too fit you know,   you can’t sustain it. So I’ve got a stag do at  the end of January in Thailand for my brother  

So 17 I was going there. That’d be fun. No doubt  there’ll be a few beers, so keep doing the weights   until how we go there and then come home and worry  about getting fit and win this championship.   Michael Mann 21:36 Fantastic. We can’t wait to hear what’s going  

To happen in 2024. Thanks for your time. Glenn Irwin 21:39   Cheers, Michael, thank you. Thanks. Michael Mann 21:48   Jason, you’re out of the blue and in the green  already. It’s not? Not obviously we’re not  

Familiar with seeing you in that colour.  How is it working out for you? Are you   excited for next year? Jason O’Halloran 21:57   Yeah, I’m really looking forward to next  season. Still doesn’t feel quite normal.  

Put on a Kawasaki shirt just yet. Second, I was  here yesterday, here today. Second day in green.   It feels good. It just doesn’t feel quite normal  yet, you know. So once we get out on track and  

We do about testing and start to work with the  team, it’ll start to feel more normal and yeah,   looking forward to what’s to come. Michael Mann 22:21   So we’ve seen the new bike, we’ve seen the new  colours have you had a chance to ride it yet?  

Jason O’Halloran 22:25 Yeah, so I got out immediately after   Brands went Donington, had one day on a track day.  Just basic stuff, you know, handlebars, seats,   just try and get a general riding position, which  we did pretty quickly. Had a good feel for the  

Bike and really enjoyed it. enjoyed working with  the crew. Off to Jerez tomorrow. So we’ll join the   KRT guys this week for a two day test at Jerez.  And yeah, looking forward to starting that.   What are you riding? You on the superbike? So I ride the full superbike, yes, start start  

Building the foundations for next year.  It’s nice to get out early. Nice to get   on a KRT test. And start working with the  guys and yes, seeing how we get on.   Michael Mann 23:07 You’re gonna be working with the KRT boys?  

Is it the idea that you group together? Jason O’Halloran 23:11   Yeah, so the Kawasaki team in the UK has  a link with KRT, obviously the regulations   are different. I’m sure they’re gonna give  us a lot of information gonna get to work  

With them through the week, which would be good  but mainly just to work with our guys you know,   and to start to get familiar with my team get  familiar with my bike. And, and yeah, see,   see how things progress. But something I’m really  excited about and can’t wait to get started.  

Michael Mann 23:38 Think we worked out it was about 139 days to   go until the Donington test, at what stage… is  it T minus one, do you then start setting yourself   your own goals for next year? Jason O’Halloran 23:49  

It feels a bit strange at the minute because  I’ve not… although I’ve been to Australia,   I’m not really stopped I knew this test was coming  up. So I’ve kept training, I’ve kept kept the mind  

Going on sort of this year sort of thing so I’m  gonna get this test done this week have a couple   of weeks off after it reset start to plan next  year preseason my training what riding I’m going  

To do and then set the targets for the year really  and always got the same target always want to be   champion. Easier said than done so we’ll make our  make our strategy and yes see how we get on.   Michael Mann 24:21 How’s your winter training look,  

What will you be focusing on? Jason O’Halloran 24:24   Winter training for me these days are just  cycling you know, I love cycling. Got into it   again a couple of years ago back in 2019. Fell in  love with it. It’s as much of a hobby as what it  

Is training for me. So it’s it’s quite nice to get  out on the bike. Especially when you’re in a warm,   warm sunny climate like Australia. It’s a  get out early, get some sunshine it’s just   beautiful. I love it. So mainly focused on  cycling and gym stuff as well. But you know  

I’ve been doing for a long time now. So you  got to you got to enjoy what you’re doing is   training and otherwise you’ll burn yourself out.  So cycling is the number one thing for me   Michael Mann 25:00 It must have been nice  

To have some downtime at home in inverted  commas. Well, back in Australia…   Jason O’Halloran 25:04 I’ve never gone from a race meeting   to a test and swap teams manufacturers, you know.  So it’s a strange, it was almost like just blink  

Of an eye being out of one and into another. But  it was good. But yeah, going to Australia was good   because your digest the year. Obviously, it was  a different scenario, when you, when you change   teams, it’s normally because they’re letting you  go, or you’re moving on. Well, that wasn’t the  

Case this year, the team was stopping. So it was  natural for me to have to find a new seat. Which   I did, I did it quite early, which was nice. And,  and yeah, the time out there, let me think about  

Jerez coming up and look forward to what’s  to come. But when you spent five years on the   same bike, same team, we’ve had a lot of success  there. It’s all new to me now. You know, I know  

Absolutely nothing about the Kawasaki it’s a blank  sheet of paper, I’m gonna have to lean on the   people in the team to for their experience on the  ZX-10. And I’m looking forward to that, you know,   it’s, it’s a it’s gonna be exciting few weeks, Michael Mann 26:05  

Because you had a chance to write  it already. And you just said,   what are the main differences between the sort of  the inline four and the cross plane crank R1?   Jason O’Halloran 26:14 The biggest thing for me,  

Been saying it to a few people now, is the noise.  As in you get so used to hearing the R1. And you   rev it to the rev limiter, and it doesn’t  even feel like it’s reving as in it’s just,  

It’s almost like a low tone. You know, it’s uh,  you know, you know, you know what they sound   like. And then you get on the Kawasaki and the  thing feels like it’s gonna explode! Not explode  

But it just sounds like it’s revving its brains  out. But it’s not, you know, it’s just this the   way the engines work. And so the biggest thing,  just changing the tone in your ear getting used to  

Where you shift gears, how the bike, how the bike  reacts. But my initial feeling was good. And when   you get on a bike for the first time, you have a  good initial feeling that’s a strong thing. I can,  

It was quite clear to see the the benefit of  the strength of the bite quite straightaway.   And then there’s a few areas where I would like  to work on from probably from my style being on   the Yamaha trying to sort of switch that over  to the, switch over to the Kawasaki, sorry. So  

I think it’s going to take a little bit of time  to adapt. But I think it’s going to be strong,   it’s gonna be good package. Michael Mann 27:26   Just a quick word finally on the first round  the next year now am I right in thinking he  

Didn’t do the Nevarra test in the beginning  of 2023? What are your thoughts about going   to Spain for round one? Jason O’Halloran 27:36   Yeah, like, obviously exciting new track. Never  been there before. So we’ll be a little bit  

On the backfoot for that one. But I don’t  think anyone’s done a lot there. You know,   only the test at the start of this year a little  bit strange start and British Championship in   Spain. I enjoy the Spanish testing side of  things to race there, and then come back and  

So to start the season is a little bit odd.  But you know, BSB know what they’re doing,   you know they do a good job. So turn up race, so  we need to race and enjoy it and do the job.   Michael Mann 28:09 Thank you, sir.  

Jason O’Halloran 28:10 Awesome.   Michael Burton 28:19 Harv, thank you very much for   joining us. On the eve of the 2024 BSB season,  you’ve just announced the new rider lineup for  

Next year with five riders got a bit of a job on  that lot. Just talk us through it because it’s   quite a lot of riders in one team. Havier Beltran 28:33  

For sure, it’s great to be here on BSB day here at  Motorcycle Live. Like you say,we have a five rider   lineup. We’ve got a lot of work to do for sure.  But starting through, you know introduction of  

The CBR 600, signing Jack Kennedy there to do  a job for us who better than Jack, four times   British Supersport champion. We’ve got a lot going  on there with the next generation specification   and the rules and all that introduction into it.  And then teammates, you know, for like the Dean,  

And Andrew with Superbike, again, new  specification Fireblade. So again, we’ve got a   lot of work to do there. And that transition,  if you like into Superstock for the for the   roads and superbike for the roads. So like I say,  we’ve got a lot on our plate, big team, big crew,  

People behind it. Looking forward to it.