Sykes and Spies test 2009 Big Bang R1

Tom Sykes and Ben Spies got their first taste of the all new big bang Yamaha R1 they will be campaigning in next years World Superbike championship  on Monday. The two WSB rookies got out on track a day earlier than planned with Spies completing two laps and Sykes just one.

The two men first went out on the current 2008 spec Yamaha Italia R1 to acquaint themselves with the spectacular Parkalgar circuit before turning their attentions to the new bike.

Yamaha will start testing in earnest tuesday morning and are expected to focus on the new machine with each rider having one 2009 bike at their disposal. The reason for testing the bike one day early was to get initial feedback so that the technicians could begin work analysing the data immediately.

Neither rider was available for comment at time of writing, but MCN will be at the test for the next two days where Yamaha will be joined by Max Biaggi on the new Aprilia, Shane Byrne on the Sterilgarda Ducati, Leon Haslam on the Stiggy Honda and Eugene Laverty on the Parkalgar Honda.