Kevin Schwantz tests Suzuki's MotoGP bike

KEVIN Schwantz was back on a Suzuki GP bike to test the firm's 2015 MotoGP project in Texas yesterday.

The former world champion, who became a GP legend riding Suzukis in the '80s and '90s, rode 11 laps of Circuit of the Americas on the 1000cc XRH-1, in development for the Japanese factory's full-time return to MotoGP next year. The Texan also tested the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 he's due to race in this summer's Suzuka Eight-Hour.

He said: 'I went on the MotoGP machine after riding the GSX-R1000 superbike and it felt like going from a 500cc to a 250cc bike. The MotoGP machine is so small and compact. The bike turns, accelerates, goes fast. It does everything and I had fun and really enjoyed it.

'With this bike you have power and braking so you brake and accelerate and the bike does all the rest. I think Suzuki should race now - the sooner the better. You can test a lot but in the race you really understand.'

Lap times for the XRH-1 were around 2'12 according to Schwantz, compared to world champion Marc Marquez's lap record of 2’03.575.