MSS Discovery Kawasaki began its winter test schedule with a positive start to a three-day test at the Almeria in southern Spain, with Stuart Easton and Billy McConnell shaking down their new-for-2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10Rs.
For Easton, the test provided a welcome return to the saddle, and the Scot admitted that it took him some time to play himself back in to riding on a circuit.
This is the first time I've been on a bike since August, so it's like I've retired and made a comeback!" he joked, "I was pretty rusty for the morning but, after lunch, we made some changes with softer fork springs, a few little geometry alterations and chipped away with the new bike.
"To be fair we've had a real good day Nick's happy, which is good! A similar level of progress would be nice over the next few days. My initial feelings on the new bikes are very positive it drops into corners quicker than last year's machine, but it's still stable. We've got a lot to come from the chassis with changes to the geometry, so this is the tip of the iceberg, but the early signs are very good indeed.
McConnell echoed his team-mate's opinion on the ZX-10R, claiming that his first outing with the bike was 'mint'.
We're not too far off at all, considering," he commented, "It's such early days, so we've got a fair bit more engine work to come and it's still a bit raw but, chassis-wise, it feels good.
"I have to admit things are very positive as I thought we would be a bit further off, but this thing is a weapon straight from the box. I've had a few months off over the [Australian] summer, so you always think there's something wrong with you or the bike the first time you ride after such a lay-off, but this feels mint! I'm really excited to be back in the Superbike class, and we're making the first steps in the right direction in what is going to be a good year. Let's hope we can have another good day tomorrow, and throughout our test schedule.
