Something to smile about… Tom Sykes will use number one in 2014.

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Tom Sykes set the pace in the final World Superbike tests of the year on the third and final day at Jerez in Spain this week with an eventual flyer of 1m39.3.

Sykes, who became a father recently, has also confirmed he’ll switch from number 66 to one for his title defence in the 2014 WSBK series.

“We did a bit of everything at this test and it has been very good for us,” Sykes commented. “I did a lot of laps again so my crew chief Marcel is working me well! We tested many different components, which you do not always get the chance to do in the middle of the season.

“Our testing schedule during the season was quite minimal compared to what we used to do, so this test has been a good experience overall. We retried certain things to understand if they are definitely better, especially over race distance, and I am happy with how it has gone.

“The Ninja ZX-10R is working well even though Jerez is not one of my strong points. That shows we have improved our package, which is the main thing.”

Sykes was unofficially trailed by Kawasaki teammate Loris Baz – the lone riders in the 1m39 bracket – and new Aprilia signing Marco Melandri according to reports.

WSBK testing will resume at Almeria in Spain midway through January following the official winter testing ban implemented for 2014.