Renegade Koji Honda rider Ben Bostrom returned to the World Superbike series, after a short spell in his native American Superbike championship, last weekend at Qatar.
His return to the series he left in 2002 didn't get off to an ideal start after wrecking his only race bike in a pre-race practice session.
Bostrom high-sided his machine on one of the fastest parts of the track. The American rider was thrown over the handle bars head first into the ground suffering mild concussion. Luckily he was not seriously injured and ready to ride the very next day. The same cannot be said for his Koji Honda.
"Yeah I've got a stiff neck from where I went over the bars and did some gymnastic move and came down on my head," he described to
Crash.net in the pit-lane at Qatar. "But mostly it was more heart wrenching to watch the bike ghost-riding into the wall!"
Despite his unlucky start to the season, where he qualified in second to last place, finished 16th in the first race but was unable to start the second due to a technical malfunction, Bostrom remained upbeat.
"I know it's a slow start but now things are coming together I think by the time the next round comes the team will be stronger," he continued. "I believe in the team. The team is great and the Renegade Koji Honda is going to be a great bike.
"At the moment it's been built from scratch, we didn't have all the parts we've got one bike. It's not going so bad, it looks bad on paper because you see where we are starting from but it's not that bad.
"Its coming together good although trying to get the fuel mapping and electronics set-up to be in sync with the motor and shifting (gear) and everything has been one of the toughest things.
"The suspension, right away, is starting to really take off - the Ohlins are doing really well. For what we have it is a great package."
The fact that Bostrom has joined the series in one of WSBK's most exciting years in its recent history pleases the American considerably.
