Ben Spies happy with new Yamaha performance

Ben Spies believes his 2010 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine will be a competitive package after he impressed again during winter testing in Sepang last week.

The Texan made his debut on Yamaha’s new long life in-line four-cylinder motor in Malaysia last week and clocked the seventh best time overall, despite a severe bout of jetlag.

The reigning World Superbike champion beat a host of established MotoGP stars with a best lap of 2.02.266 to finish just two places behind fellow American and team-mate Colin Edwards.

And the triple American Superbike champion told MCN he was satisfied with the performance of his YZR-M1 machine, noting a definite step in performance compared to the 2009 version he rode in Valencia in early November.

He said: “I can feel the engine is better than what I rode in Valencia although it doesn’t have the torque and punch that a 1000 does.

“In Valencia coming off the corner I felt liked I was getting beat up pretty good. But here (Sepang) I wasn’t blowing by people but I was still right there.

“The package we have got is really competitive.”