Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty was quickest on day one of WSBK testing.

Aprilia factory rider Eugene Laverty set the fastest time on day one of the private World Superbike test at Phillip Island yesterday, ahead of the opening round of the championship next weekend on 22-24 February.

While all times are unofficial, Laverty, now the star turn at Aprilia following the retirement of 2012 world champion Max Biaggi, set a best lap of 1:31.7s around the freshly resurfaced 4.445km circuit.

Laverty edged out British trio Leon Camier (Suzuki, 1:31.9), Jonathan Rea (Honda, 1:32.0) and Leon Haslam (Honda, 1:32.0), while it was a disastrous day for championship favourite Tom Sykes when he fell from his Kawasaki early on at the fast turn 11, sustaining a hairline fracture to his left wrist.

The 27-year-old was sent to a Melbourne hospital for a scan, and will now rest before returning to Philip Island on February 18 for the start of an official two-day test.

Meanwhile another WSBK star, Spain’s Carlos Checa, didn’t even manage to get out onto the circuit due to a stomach ailment, and he is currently undergoing tests for a possible intestinal blockage. Checa has won four of the last six WSBK races at Phillip Island.

With Checa absent, it was left to his factory Ducati teammate Ayrton Badovini to continue development of the all-new Panigale 1199R race bike, and he was a respectable ninth fastest with a 1:32.8.

World number three Marco Melandri (BMW, 1:32.2) was fifth fastest, ahead of new Aprilia signing Sylvain Guintoli (1:32.3) and Suzuki rookie Jules Cluzel (1:32.7), while Davide Giugliano (1:32.7) was the fastest non-factory rider on his Aprilia.

Track chief Fergus Cameron said the new surface had plenty of grip and he was intrigued watching the riders acclimatise to the new conditions.

“With the added grip, they are carrying so much speed into the corners and taking totally different lines — in some cases even running over the apex kerbs into the turn,” Cameron said.

“It’s interesting to see where they are staying on, and conversely coming off. Notoriously turn eight was tricky, but now they have got so much grip there the riders are nearly taking a straight line through the corner.

“And the riders are losing it in different places. Yesterday they came off going into turn two, losing the front end going into Southern Loop, and also the exit at turn 11. That’s where Sykes had a cropper.

“Once they get their tyre set up right, we’re going to see some really quick times around here.”

Cluzel and his team-mate Camier also had tumbles on day one, and Cluzel was left with a large and deep hole in his arm. He will be operated on in Melbourne today to close the wound. Camier was unhurt, save for bashing his elbow and wrist.

The action continues today, while Australian wildcards Jamie Stauffer (Honda) and Glenn Allerton (BMW) will also join the rest of the WSBK field in the official two-day test on 18-19 February.