HE AND THE TEAM WANT THE ITALIAN JOB

+ Click to Enlarge NEW PAIRING: Sheridan Morais with an Aprilia RSV4.

November 4, 2009

Sheridan Morais won the 2008 South African Superbike championship and the 2009 Superbike and 600cc Supersport National titles for Kawasaki - but now he's switching saddles.

He and the EmTek Racing team headed by his father, Ricky, will be racing an Aprilia in 2010 yet there are no hard feelings at Kawasaki: Associated Motor Holdings' subsidiary KMSA imports Aprilia products alongside Japanese and British brands.

KMSA's managing director Chris Speight said: "Ricky and Sheridan approached us towards the end of the season with the double championships just about in the bag and asked what the chances were of riding the Italian V4 in 2010.

"EmTek racing and the Morais family have been so fiercely loyal to us for so many years, and brought us all three of the championships they contested in 2008 and 2009, so it was only fair to agree.

"Besides, after seeing how well the Aprilia RSV4 performed in its first season in World Superbikes, we were also curious as to how well it would shape here. Nobody is better qualified to answer that question than Sheridan and Team EmTek."

The RSV4, with its 65-degree, V-four engine - the first four cylinder from the manufacturer - leapt to prominence in World Superbikes in 2009, despite the factory's seven-year absence from the series.

Max Biaggi slotted the brand-new bike into second place on the grid during Superpole at its very first outing in Australia and narrowly missed a podium place in the second race of the day.

During the first half of the season Max never finished lower than fifth. Then he raised his game in the second half to bring home a win and seven podiums, as well as fourth in the World championships.

Marco Simoncelli, filling in for an injured Shinya Nakano at Imola, gave the team its eighth podium finish of the season in his only outing, with his third place and Biaggi's second also delivering the RSV4's first double podium.

The bike also set a track record at Brno with the highest top speed recorded in a World Superbike race - 329km/h at Monza.

Sheridan is looking forward to coming to grips with the Aprilia, a motorcycle he's lusted after ever since he first laid eyes on it.

"It's beautiful and it feels like a 125 to sit on," he said. "In World Superbike and Superstock racing the guys are right there, so it's definitely a contender and I can't wait to ride it."

How does the multiple SA champ feel about going into uncharted territory on a motorcycle yet unproven in South Africa? "My dad and I have raced many different bikes over the years and we've usually got them up to speed ahead of everybody else.

"Chris Speight always makes sure we get our bikes as early as possible and by the time the season starts we've already had two months of flat-out testing. The Aprilia RSV4 Factory arrives pretty close to race-ready so we don't have to buy and set up new suspension. That's a big plus."

Sheridan will be the first South African to race an Aprilia RSV4 at home but ex-South African champ Arushen Moodley won the first race in the United Arab Emirates National championships at the Dubai Autodrome in October, 2009.

"We arrived with the bike straight out of the showroom and were fastest in all the practice sessions," the Port Elizabeth racer said. "I was very impressed by the Aprilia but we'll improve the set-up so we can go much faster."

Arushen's team mate, Abdul Aziz bin Laden, was second.