Melissa Paris to test Tech 3 Yamaha MotoGP bike in Valencia

Melissa Paris, the racer wife of double American Superbike champion Josh Hayes, will test Yamaha’s YZR-M1 800cc MotoGP bike in Valencia tomorrow (Tuesday).

Paris was due to test Bradley Smith’s Tech 3 Racing Moto2 bike today (Monday) but when Hayes was drafted in as injury cover for Colin Edwards during last weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix, she was offered the opportunity to test the YZR-M1.

The 28-year-old, who competes in the AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike class, told MCN: “It is really exciting and the kind of thing that you think you might never get the chance to do, so when it comes up it is pretty unbelievable. I honestly don’t think it had sunk in until I got to Valencia and I got to see the bike and then I told Josh not to scratch it up before I got chance to ride it.

“I’m really looking forward to it and now Josh has raced the bike, I should get more time on it and that gives me more time to appreciate it than if I only had a couple of laps. It will be completely different to anything I’ve ever experienced so it will be cool. It is so exciting because I didn’t even learn to ride until I was 20 and I only started racing when I was 21, so this is a dream come true and a once in a lifetime opportunity.”