Brave rides rewarded for McWilliams, Byrne.

MS Aprilia duo Jeremy McWilliams and Shane Byrne both produced gutsy performances in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, to be rewarded with world championship points.

40-year-old McWilliams crashed but remounted his RS Cube to finish 12th while Byrne, in severe pain from the wrist he dislocated four weeks ago, gritted his teeth and was rewarded with 13th place.

McWilliams produced an excellent start, managed to avoid the turn one chaos and was sitting in tenth by the end of lap one. But his hopes of recording his best finish of the season would be dashed three laps later when he lost the front end of his Cube just before the first tunnel.

However, the Ulsterman wasn't going to be beaten that easily and remounted his machine in 17th position, then produced a typically aggressive display to claw his way back into the points - and extend his point scoring run to six out of the last seven races.

"I really enjoyed those first ten laps despite the crash. I was actually in a fight and having a good tussle with the Ducatis. Troy Bayliss wasn't getting away and I was thinking we'd be on for our best result of the season," recalled Jeremy.

"But then I went into turn four and lost the front. I was off-brake and at full lean when it just folded. I'd run the same tyres I've used pretty much all season. I had the option to run a harder front and a harder rear and I got it wrong. When I got back on track and started to recover some places, I was struggling for grip from the rear. The crash was a nightmare really but at least we got a few more points," he added.

Team-mate Byrne had an even more punishing day: Still recuperating from a badly dislocated left wrist he suffered a month ago in Brno, Shakey's race was made all the more challenging by the energy-sapping hot and humid conditions. He braved the pain and a fuel pressure problem though to score his first points since he finished 13th in July's British GP.

"The race could not have gone on for another corner for me. But I stuck at it and got some points. My head was telling me to pull in but my heart was saying not to stop," he confessed.

"I gritted my teeth but by the end I was starting to feel the pain in my wrist. With about eight laps to go I had a fuel pressure problem but luckily I could finish the race. I'll go back to England now for more treatment on the wrist and hopefully be closer to full fitness," concluded the Brit.