After a seven week layoff, Corser was the only rider to dip under the two-minute mark on Wednesday, and did so on the 2007 version of the R1 - and despite sand and dirt being blown across the track by strong winds.

"I wasn't pushing hard at all today, just trying to get familiar with my bike and putting in the laps after some time off the bike," said the Australian. "It was very windy this morning and a lot of sand and dirt was blown across the track, so I took it fairly easy. We tried some tyres today that we didn't have time to try during the season and some worked pretty well and some didn't.

"I went out on the 2008 bike for just a few laps at the end of the day, just to run the engine really and the only thing I can say about it at the moment is that it felt a bit higher and that affected the weight transfer. The chassis felt a bit different also, but until we put in more laps and start looking at the data, it's difficult to say much about it. We'll carry on more testing tomorrow and the day after, but considering this is the first day on the bike after seven weeks or so, I'm pretty happy."

Team-mate and 2007 title runner-up Noriyuki Haga was second fastest, half a second behind Corser, with former double world champion Troy Bayliss the same distance behind the Japanese on the new 1098R Ducati.

"It was good to get back on the bike after six or seven weeks, and we're pretty happy with the first day," declared Bayliss. "The track is not bad but it's a bit windy and dusty although things got better in the afternoon. We're not really in a hurry with the new 1098 bike, we're looking for a good base setting more than anything else and so far I'm pretty happy with the 2m00.6s I set on race tyres. The bike is quite similar to when I tested it at Vallelunga but we've got a lot of things to try out in the next couple of days and I'm sure we'll improve."

Bayliss's new team-mate Michel Fabrizio was making his debut for the Italian factory on Wednesday - and finished his first day on the 1200cc racer with the fifth fastest lap time, one second behind Bayliss, despite a fall.

"My debut with the 1098 went quite well apart from a small crash!" said the former DFX Honda rider. "I like the bike a lot and I immediately managed to find a good feeling. Every time I went out in the morning, I managed to improve, which is always a good sign. In the afternoon however my time stayed the same as the morning because we changed the rear shock. There are another couple of days left here and I hope to improve."

New Alstare Suzuki rider Fonsi Nieto split the Ductais, with team-mate Yukio Kagayama sixth. World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu rounded out the seven-rider field for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, the Turk having lapped 2.6secs behind Corser.

Sofuoglu's 2008 team-mates, former MotoGP star Carlos Checa and reigning double BSB champion Ryuichi Kiyonari, didn't ride - but are expected to make their WSBK debuts on Thursday.

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