Shane 'Shakey' Byrne kicked off his 2016 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship campaign in Valencia today (Wednesday), joining a Ducati Corse development test ahead of PBM's switch to the Italian manufacturer with the backing of Be Wiser for next season.

Four-time champion Byrne admits he was impressed with the Ducati Panigale R after his first day on track and believes the team will be ready to hit the ground running next season as he bids to win back the crown in his 'strive for five' titles.

Speaking after the test, Byrne said:

"Today has been amazing; the Panigale was obviously very different from the bike I've ridden for the last four years but it's so cool how Ducati manage to keep the same DNA in the new model as the one's I've raced previously for them. There were some things that I truly think will be great about the bike in BSB and I certainly can't wait to try my own as soon as possible.

"Riding a bike with full electronics again was great fun, although if I'm honest throughout the structured test programme we followed, we turned most of rider aids off. My final run was meant to be around five laps, two with electronics for me to see how fast I could go and then two or three with no electronics whatsoever. However after my first flying lap the chequered flag came out so that put paid to that plan!

"I can't thank Paul Bird, Ducati and Ducati UK enough for getting my 2016 campaign off to a very good and fast start just a few days after 2015 finished - that might as well have been a lifetime ago and is now a distant memory because all of my attention and focus is now on giving my Be Wiser PBM Ducati team another title and with the package we have we're definitely off to a good start!"