Spies...a second off Sunday's race pace - after only 33 laps
TWO-TIME AMA Superbike champ, Ben Spies, has tested Rizla Suzuki's MotoGP bike at Valencia earlier this week.
Spies, who's never seen the circuit or ridden Suzuki's MotoGP bike before, lapped the 2.5- mile circuit in 1:34.8 mins - just over a second off the race pace of outgoing Rizla rider John Hopkins.
Spies mentor, former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz, rode with Ben for a few laps on Rizla's spare bike, and noticed Spies could improve his times if he refines his technique. Schwantz said:
"He still rides the thing a lot like a Superbike and it's one of his weaknesses. Ben gets back onto initial throttle too early."
By the end of the session Spies was within a second of Hopkins' race pace - all in 33 laps on a bike he's never ridden before.
It makes you wonder why he's not in MotoGP already?
