Former MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden sat on something other than a MotoGP bike for the first time 13 years at Motorland Aragon this morning, but the American is positive after his first World Superbike test on the Honda in Spain.
Hayden tested the Honda CBR1000RR on a wet, cold and foggy day at the Spanish circuit but he was just glad to get some laptime under him as he tackles World Superbike for the first time in 2016 as a full-time rider.
"First day back on the Superbike as I said yesterday, not the first time ever just the first time in 13 years,” said Hayden, who enjoyed an American wildcard back in 2002 at Laguna Seca.
“Unfortunately it was really foggy this morning, foggy and cold and we got a late start but we were able to make a start – we got a couple of exits with the rain tyres just to get going,” Hayden told bikesportnews.com.
“It meant we were able to at least feel something, set the levers and a few things and then we got to make four or five exits with the slicks even the sun came out a bit and the track dried up.
“Obviously I need a lot more time to say much but we’ve got started and lets start fixing problems and improve the laptime, improve the feeling and improve a lot of stuff.”
Although the American has ridden MotoGP bikes for the past 13 years, he said moving to World Superbike and a different style of motorcycle doesn’t faze him.
“Yes, things are different but it’s still a motorcycle just it’s got a different size engine and a different brakes, different tyres but it’s just a bike,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to think too much, just go out and ride it.
“The bike I would say, one of the things is the power delivery. We had to work a lot – I like a lot of connection, to really feel the power delivery and not feel too much just electronics, I like to really want to know what’s in my hands so I would say that’s the thing we had to adjust most.
“I would say I’d like less electronics in the opening of the bike, so I can really feel the throttle but at the moment it just feels different, that’s all.
“It was such a short day, so I really need more time and to go faster, until I’m really near the limit I can’t say much but I enjoyed the day, I enjoyed riding the bike and let’s keep working.”
