And just like that, motorcycles are back on track in an official capacity around the world and we couldn’t be more excited. World Superbikes hit the track at Jerez for the final stages of their pre-season, MotoGP test riders are riding at Sepang ahead of the official test next week and, at home, the Island Classic is taking centre-stage at Phillip Island.

Looking back at the Jerez test, the form of world champion Jonathan Rea at Kawasaki aboard the ZX-10RR is looking ominous, but then again it’s early stages and we do expect added competition for him this season.

Particularly impressive so far has been Lorenzo Savadori on the Milwaukee Aprilia, Aruba.it Ducati’s Marco Melandri in his return to the fold and also Nicky Hayden on the brand new CBR1000RR SP2, despite not being 100 percent satisfied with the package just yet.

It all bodes well for a great weekend of action at Phillip Island on 24-26 February, where the season will start once again and it always throws up the odd element of surprise – especially with a host of testing taking place locally in the lead-up.

Another exciting aspect of the Jerez test was seeing Mike Jones make his debut with Aruba.it Racing Ducati Junior Team in the STK1000 ranks. He was second on the timesheets at the end of two days, right behind new teammate Michael Rinaldi. With form like this, already, he will be already impressing his crew and the top people at Ducati.

Source: Supplied.

Over in Malaysia, much of the attention so far has been placed on the Ducati Test Team of Casey Stoner and Michele Piro, debuting the latest specification Desmosedici GP before regulars Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso take charge. We haven’t heard too much just yet, to be honest, but it was interesting to see Lorenzo there in the pit-box keeping a close eye on progress.

With the new year now here and Lorenzo – like his Movistar Yamaha replacement Maverick Vinales and others – now able to take on their proper roles within their new teams, it will be intriguing to see what he has to say in the upcoming tests. So much uncertainly surrounds the upcoming series, which no doubt results in a huge amount of excitement.

The Island Classic, meanwhile, will also be a great opportunity for those in Victoria this weekend to witness some fantastic racing, plus a pleasing spectacle of historic machinery down at Phillip Island. It’s one of the more special events on the Australian calendar and an impressive standalone race on local shores.

And naturally, we’ve got our fingers crossed for a great performance from the Aussie team of Shawn Giles, Steve Martin, Cam Donald, Jed Metcher, Beau Beaton, Alex Phillis and Chas Hern in a bid to regain the crown. Go get ’em, guys!

Image: Russell Colvin.

Monday will see the action continue down at Phillip Island with the official Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) test day. As I’ve noted before, these guys have been taking part in track days down there and elsewhere throughout the off-season, so to see them on track and timed will mark a fascinating start to the proper pre-season.

Elsewhere, Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions (ARTRP) announced its revamping of the Australasian Superbike Championship (ASC) for 2017, reduced to just three double-header events that will make up the retention of six rounds. I’m not specifically for or against the move, but since it’s now primarily branded the Swann Super Series, that at least decreases confusion between the series.

With the majority of top-level riders and teams seemingly headed to the ASBK for this year, the Terry O’Neill-led series faces its challenges, however on paper this looks like a decent compromise that will be attractive for many riders. You can’t deny though, Motorcycling Australia (MA) has done a mega job of putting the ASBK back on the map since the lows prior to 2014.

That’s it from me for this week, thanks for stopping by as usual! Make sure you check out all of CycleOnline.com.au’s social networking channels and be sure to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for even more behind the scenes insights. Just search CycleOnline.