Petronas Yamaha's Franky Morbidelli ran his first MotoGP laps not on a Honda today at the Valencia test and was surprised how easy the M1 was to ride.

The Italian ended the opening day sixth on the timesheet with a 1'32.085 on a track that had been washed clean by rain overnight which was three-tenths faster than his qualifying times from Saturday.

"It has been a great first day, I felt good with the bike as soon as I got in it and the connection with the team is really good," said Morbidelli.

"I managed to get some laps in this afternoon that were solid and fast. I have more time to find in my riding, as I get to know the bike and understand its strengths and weaknesses, to get the most out of this test. I have been surprised how smooth the Yamaha is to ride and how easy it is to understand."