WSBK: Phillip Island Test Session Two

Initial reports had Ducati Xeroxs Fabrizio on top with a time of 1:32.19 while Ten Kate Hondas Rea was seventh at 1:32.96 with a minor crash on the second day of testing.

Ten Kate Honda released a statement however denying that Rea had crashed and claiming a best time of 1:31.8.

Well, according to some websites, I crashed today and was like seventh quickest. Im happy to report, however, that I didnt crash and did a 1:31.8 lap which we think was the fastest today! says Rea. What matters is that we were able to find a setting that allows some tire life at the end of the race and that Im getting to grips with the traction control. We did two full race simulations today and the bike felt great. We know what we have to do next weekend but Im really excited at the potential weve shown here.

No official timing was kept during the test and teams recorded their own times, so it is debatable who truly had the fastest time.

I rode race distance which was a useful exercise and I was quite happy with the wear of the tyres, especially the front. On Friday we want to test some different suspension settings as I am not yet totally comfortable with the front, says Haga. Im sorry that I crashed again in exactly the same way and place as yesterday but accidents happen and overall Im happy with the work weve done here.

Ben Spies recorded the next fastest time at 1:32.36, a second quicker than his day one best. Spies has been near the top of the timesheets at every WSBK test, and his day two improvement shows he is quickly getting familiar with the track which will host the season opener March 1.

It was a good test for me. We worked on a lot of race stuff, we had some tires to test and get through for Pirelli then we got up to speed on the track and did some longer stints getting the bike to work on race setup, says Spies. We were looking good for race pace, we did a race simulation and it felt really good. For sure we only got two days testing on the track and the whole race weekend is going to add some adrenaline. Im extremely happy with the bike and the team is working really well so I cant wait to get started.

Im happy, because I did not crash and many other riders did! I rode quite safely during these days because I knew there was a lot of work to do and I did not want to make any mistakes so close to the first race, says Kagayama. We tried many things and many different set-ups and the biggest problem for me was the variations in tire level performance. But we found a good set-up for next weeks race and I hope I can start the season with a good result and keep up a good level throughout the year.

Australian native Troy Corser had a scare on day two, after being struck by a plover while travelling at 143 mph. The bird struck Corser on the left bicep, taking his hand off the handlebar but the former World and AMA Superbike champion managed to keep control of his BMW S1000RR.

The tests went very well, though it's a real shame that I had to finish early because we still had lots more to try out. But, I guess I'm lucky that I didnt crash and hurt myself badly when I hit the bird, says Corser. Im really not sure how I managed to stay on the bike, because its not easy when youve only got one hand on the bars, but somehow I was able to recover. I had seen the bird on the track and tried to avoid it by going up the inside.

Hitting a one kilo or so bird at over 230 kph (143 mph) is like hitting a brick wall, so Im lucky that my injury isnt any worse, says Corser. We have learnt a lot in these two days and I've been able to get a better idea of how the bike works in different conditions and set-ups. What I can say though, is that my S1000RR feels as good as any other bike I've ever ridden round here.

Ten Kate Hondas Carlos Checa sat out the second day because of a concussion suffered in a crash on day one.

My shoulder is still a little sore and my head, well, thats always had some problems! says Checa. No, I am really OK and will be fit for next weekends first round after some rest this week.