10 MINUTES WITH SIMON BUCKMASTER

No one expected Triumph to return to the British Supersport paddock any time soon, but that’s exactly where it’s at. We caught up with Dynavolt team principal Simon Buckmaster to find out how it’s going.

What are the biggest strengths of the bike, and how could it be better?

“The whole package is very good, and the engine is reliable; we know that from the Moto2 scene. Setting up the chassis has been harder than I had envisaged, and that’s because we are working with the Street Triple chassis that is fundamentally for a naked middleweight road bike, and the frame is completely different to the Daytona sportsbike. The head angle is more relaxed and the swingarm is 35mm longer, so we are experiencing some troubles, such as the BSB tyre rubbing the swingarm when the wheelbase is at its shortest.

How restrictive are the new rules on tuning?

“The engine is heavily based on the Moto2 engine so it’s only a very minor tune; we’ve followed that path and the horse-power is not a problem. At the first test on the bike, the ruling was over balanced, and they had taken too much from us, but now it’s pretty even. We’ve been restricted with the throttle opening, and with the torque, which is all done electronically, otherwise we’d run away with it… it’s fair enough as it’s all about getting bikes back on the Supersport grid.”

How did the relationship with Triumph come about?

“As my dealings with Honda came to an end, Dorna approached me and asked if I would consider working with another manufacturer, so I contacted Triumph. The deal between myself and Steve Sargent happened quite quickly, and I’m really happy with how things are going. It’s going to be great for my team and brilliant exposure for Triumph.”

What’s the plan for the team and Triumph moving forwards?

“The plan is to get back to the World Championship. It was to compete there this year, but after I did the deal with Triumph, the FIM and Dorna decided to hold back for another year on the rule change in World Supersport, and so we couldn’t compete. I spoke with Stuart Higgs (BSB director) and he made it possible for us to race in British Supersport this year, so this became the new launch pad for the rule changes. We are working closely with Scott Smart and Stuart to make sure the balancing of this bike is even, and when we move back to the World Championship, our aim is to work alongside at least one other UK team and provide all the technical support so that Triumph remains on the UK scene.”