Bradley Ray - 'To do Suzuka 8 hours event and test a MotoGP bike' was phenomenal
Bradley Ray goes into his second BSB season with BMW in 2021, but his first with the Rich Energy OMG Racing team as he and new team-mate Kyle Ryde will be hoping to challenge for the title.
BMW had a disappointing season not just in BSB last season but also World Superbike, however with the new M Sport package brought into both championships, anticipation is already high for what the new bike could achieve.
It has already seen rave reviews by World Superbike riders Tom Sykes and Michael Van Der Mark, and therefore should give Ray the platform to mount a potential title challenge.
I asked the 23 year-old about the new BMW and it’s potential and he said: "Yeah I can’t wait! I made the change last year, not at the wrong point, but it seemed like last year BMW maybe struggled compared to other manufacturers.
"So I think with them bringing out a new M sport bike this year, it shows they are keen to up their game a little bit.
"I think they really want to put everything into it, and not just in BSB, but also World Superbike, so yeah I’m looking forward to jumping on the new M Sport bike and comparing it to the old bike and seeing what improvements have been made.
"Hearing from the World Superbike boys in testing, I think the bike has made a massive step forward."
Ray previously rode for the Buildbase Suzuki team, where he has so far enjoyed most of his success.
Due to his talents and the year he had in 2018, Ray was given the opportunity to test the Suzuki MotoGP bike in Sepang, along with competing in the 2018 Suzuka 8 hours.
I talked to him about that and how it helped him as a rider.
Ray said: "Yeah exactly, that’s one thing about Suzuki, is that they were very loyal and gave me a lot of those opportunities and extras if you like.
"To do Suzuka 8 hour event and test a MotoGP bike was phenomenal to have that opportunity.
"It was nice to do all those little extras and was a massive help in my career. As a kid you dream to swing your leg over a MotoGP bike one day, so it was an incredible experience."
