Toni Elias came up short last year in his first attempt to win the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, missing out on the title by seven points after nine rounds and 18 races.

“Last year, I made a mistake here,” said Elias, recalling his crash in Race 2 at Road Atlanta. “Also, we were not ready for the wet in New Jersey. Twice, I had a [tire] problem.

“These guys—Cameron Beaubier, Josh Hayes, Roger Hayden—don’t make mistakes. You cannot give them anything for free. Last year, little things made the difference.”

This season, the 34-year-old Spaniard and teammate Hayden are armed with a new motorcycle, the 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000. Elias also has track knowledge that he didn’t possess last season.

Elias has found a home within Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing and lives full-time in America. He won both Superbike races at Circuit of The Americas, Round 1 of the series.

After finishing second in Superbike/Superstock 1000 Race 1 on Saturday at Road Atlanta, Elias described areas in which the GSX-R1000 has improved.

“The big thing is the electronics are much better. We can adjust much more, and we will be more competitive at more tracks.

Last year, we struggled a lot at some of the tracks, like Laguna Seca. I believe that is not going to happen this year.”

Tire Durability

“The rear part of the motorcycle—the swingarm and linkage—is working much better. Now, when tire performance drops, we are more competitive.”

Direction Changes

“When you have rear grip, it is easy to change directions. Last year, after two or three laps, we had a lot of spinning and it was difficult to change directions.

“Many people try to solve this problem with the front, but the problem was not there. We improved this year, and now we are on the same level as Yamaha.”

All is not perfect. Elias admitted that he is struggling to recapture the feeling he had last year with the front end of the previous-model GSX-R.

“My character is to always attack,” Elias said. “I am still doing that, but I was more comfortable last year in that area.

“We are trying to solve this problem with what we have, but the solution is not here this weekend. I need to have patience.” Updated parts are reportedly on the way from the factory in Japan.

According to Elias, MotoAmerica spec-tire-supplier Dunlop has also made improvements. “We worked a lot this past winter with Dunlop,” he said. “They did an incredible job with test tires.

“Those tires were better for everybody. After many laps, they were still in good condition to attack. If they produce this tire and bring it here, everybody will be much happier.”

(Story from MotoAmerica/Matthew Miles; photos from MotoAmerica/Brian J. Nelson)