Frank Schroyen Suzuki MXGP blog
Team Suzuki Press Office – March 27.
Long-time Suzuki World MXGP team member Frank Schroyen talks about his new role of Chief Mechanic and his passion for the sport that drives him.
I can honestly say that in more-than 20 years that I’ve been working for this team, I’ve never ever had one day where I wasn’t happy to go to work. There’s just one reason for this: The passion for motocross. This is what keeps us going, even when there are times when we’re literally working day and night.
Last year I also wrote a Blog, but since then, some things have changed, so maybe it’s the right time to write another one now! Back in September I was still responsible for the suspension of the bikes, but now I’m Chief Mechanic of the Suzuki World MXGP team. It’s a whole new challenge for me and it feels right. It feels like it’s the logical next step in my career. This step probably has to do with Stefan taking over the team, but we can’t deny that Sylvain has a lot of knowledge and know-how, so I’m really happy he’s still around.
It really is a challenge because not only has my own job has changed, there are also many new people in the team and it takes time for them to get integrated into the team: It requires some extra work to get everyone on the rails, but I love to do it and everyone is really professional.
As Chief Mechanic, I’m also kind of an extension of Suzuki Motor Corporation in Japan. We’re constantly communicating with each other in order to improve the bikes. For example, here in the team we test new parts and then we give feedback to SMC. I’ve been working in this team for such a long time now, and I’ve got to know a lot of people at SMC, which makes it easier now.
We’ve put a lot of work in getting the new 2017 RM-Z450WS ready for the new season. It wasn’t an easy job, because we didn’t have a lot of time, but everyone gave their best and that’s how we managed to do it. We have made a very good base and now we have to keep improving. We’re really happy with the bike, especially since it’s an all-new chassis. I’m really confident that the results will get better this season. AJ (Arminas Jasikonis) still has a lot of potential to improve, for example on his physical fitness. Because of his tall-height and his weight, he uses a lot of energy. Kevin (Strijbos) is a fantastic athlete. Physically he’s so strong, he just has to believe more in himself and his capabilities. Who knows, but one top-five result or one good start can change a lot !
Frank
