Rory Skinner admits he has been getting to grips with the Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha as the countdown continues to the 2026 ZYN British Superbike Championship season opener at Oulton Park this Bank Holiday weekend (May 2/3/4).
Skinner was third fastest on the combined times at the most recent R&G Official Test at Donington Park and 0.030s adrift of his new teammate Danny Kent, as the Scottish contender continues to adapt to the R1. The team now prepare for the final R&G Official Test next week (April 21/22) with less than three weeks to wait until the Bank Holiday season opener at Oulton Park.
Skinner said: “I was really happy with the Donington Park test and how it went. It was a case of getting me more and more used to the R1. We had a small problem on the first day of the test and that led to an early finish on day one, but the boys got it all sorted and we got back to it for day two and had a really good day. I was quite happy to top the penultimate session of the day and without having to really do anything too major to be honest, but it all just clicked together. It was the first time I had ridden the R1 and it clicked in the right way so a big thanks to the Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha team for their hard work and it was a really positive test.
“We are now looking forward to the next test at Oulton Park; it is going to be another valuable test for us, especially as that is where we have the first round there and so it is a case of getting to try more things with the Yamaha and for me to understand it a little bit more. I feel that getting laps are paramount for me at Oulton Park as in the past it hasn’t been the track that has been best to me but I feel we can move forward and so if we do some more solid work at the test I think that can put us in good stead going into round one.”