Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies completed the first of two days of testing this afternoon of the 1000cc YZR-M1 at Valencia. The first day of testing focused on two different engine specifications, tomorrow’s test will focus on two differing frame and geometry settings. Spies ended the day third fastest with a best time of 1’33.226 after completing 73 laps.

Ben Spies - Position 3rd - Time 1.33.326 - Laps 73

“We weren’t too worried about lap times today, we made a lot of small changes to the bike including geometry changes, electronics etc to make the bike as comfortable as possible. Tomorrow we’ll try a different chassis spec so we can choose which one to go forward in. We confirmed which direction to go with in power delivery today which is good. This is testing so we never got close to the limit with the bike; it’s about riding at 90% consistently to test the motorcycle. When we get the full package next year in Sepang we’ll go closer to the limit. I can’t complain about the engine power though, we don’t need any more. It’s a shame my team mate Jorge is not here today, I know that whatever you give him he can go fast on it! I’m looking forward to getting his feedback as well when we test together in Sepang.”