What a MotoGP rider ‘should never do’ when changing bikes
“It is technical but it is also mental”
Miguel Oliveira has revealed what a rider must not do when adapting to a new MotoGP bike, as he will do in 2025 with his switch to Pramac Yamaha.
Oliveira joins Pramac in 2025 for its first season as Yamaha’s satellite partner having spent the last two years on an Aprilia with RNF and then Trackhouse Racing.
Having had a day on the M1 at Barcelona last November, Oliveira will be on track again this week at the Sepang pre-season to continue his learning of the Yamaha.
Having experienced what it’s like to swap bikes, having gone from KTM to Aprilia in 2023, Oliveira told Crash.net about what a rider shouldn’t do when adapting to a new machine.
“I would tell you that it is technical but it is also mental, because one of the things you should never look [to do] is trying to replicate what you had before,” he said.
“And that, mentally, can get you sometimes into a trap where you are searching for a feeling that is quite impossible to get with the new bike.
“So, sometimes you need to meet halfway and try to adapt your riding style more, than trying to get the bike closer to you.
“I would say, technically if the bike doesn’t allow you to do things then you will need to learn them, you need to explore what the limit of the bike is in certain areas to get it to the maximum.”
Of his limited time on the Yamaha so far, Oliveira says he has been “surprised” at how strong the front-end of the M1 is compared to the Aprilia.
“I think the cornering of it, as everyone always talks about, the turning of the Yamaha was really good, really nice,” he added.
“Good, solid, stable front, so that was ok. That was really a surprise for me because I thought I had a great front on my bike and the bike turned quite well.
“And this one was quite surprising.
“We are aware that we have a lot of room to improve, which is the speed and the braking points.
“But I think it’s going in a good direction. We will test the newest version of the Yamaha here, so that’s already a nice step I guess from what I tested in Barcelona.”
Quotes provided by Crash MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren
