Source: Supplied.

The wait is finally over as testing is set to commence at the Circuito de Jerez this week, with over half of the Motul Superbike World Championship teams present in Southern Spain.

Eager to get out on track and make progress ahead of the opening round of the season in Australia next month, teams will be hoping to make the most of the two days out on track.

Kawasaki Racing Team will be keen to continue with the steps they were able to make in Aragon and Jerez before the testing ban, as the duo of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes look ahead to defending the Team and Manufacturers titles.

“We have almost completed our winter test program at Jerez after the last test there,” Rea said. “We can start 2017 with a base package that we are already satisfied with. We are now starting to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together, so I can start to build a package looking toward the first round of the championship at Phillip Island.

“The first test of 2017 is about getting up to speed, throwing away the winter cobwebs and starting to work with my team again to built up to Phillip Island. We have six days of testing before the first race weekend, so we have enough time to prepare. After the last test we left Jerez very optimistic that we had done a good job both in lap times and consistency.”

With new recruit Marco Melandri continuing to build a relationship with the team, Aruba.it Racing Ducati will be the ones to watch as they continue their testing plan, as Chaz Davies shows no signs of slowing down.

Michael van der Mark makes his third outing with the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team, hoping to continue to gel with the YZF-R1 alongside a newly-engaged Alex Lowes, set for his second season with the factory organisation.

An all-new team dynamic will be maintained at Milwaukee Aprilia, as they plan to build on steps made at the same circuit two months ago. Lorenzo Savadori and Eugene Laverty hope to make big progress aboard the RSV4 RF.

Honda World Superbike Team are expected to have a momentous test this week as the aim is to receive the 2017 CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, with a chance for Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl to understand what they will have to contend with this season. Althea BMW Racing Team are set to continue with Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger, optimistic they can make progress with their S 1000 RR.

New to the WorldSBK class, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing will be present at the Jerez test with Randy Krummenacher at the helm, whilst Brit Kyle Ryde swings his leg over his WorldSSP Kawasaki ZX-6R machine for the first time.

Title-challenging team CIA Landlord Insurance Honda will attend Jerez, with their three rider effort of Jules Cluzel, Robin Mulhauser and Hikari Okubo. They will look at making their first steps towards fighting for the 2017 crown.

GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP are another new team, who will be out with Federico Caricasulo and Lucas Mahias as they look to be podium challengers ahead of the new, ever competitive season.