Crankt Protein Honda Racing director Paul Free believes it’s not a major concern that riders Troy Herfoss and Bryan Staring only have one CBR1000RR SP2 model each as they contend the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK).

The duo made the switch the top-spec 2017 machine at Hidden Valley’s fourth round in Darwin, with the pair both seeing major improvements in its initial outing.

It’s raised questions as to how the riders would be affected should a dramatic situation occur that would see either one need to switch machines, however Free reaffirmed his confidence in the older model that piloted Herfoss to the 2016 crown.

“Racing is always a concern, but it’s probably not too much,” Free told CycleOnline.com.au. “I know the bikes would feel slightly different, but the old bike in most cases on most tracks is still well capable of winning races – it’s probably not a huge concern.

“Troy has won the championship aboard the old bike against the same bikes we’re racing against now for the last fair few years, so I don’t see it being a huge issue.”

The team owner hinted at the prospect of adding additional SP2 models to the fleet, revealing it’s in future plans, although he was unable to confirm when those plans would be put into place.

“Maybe later on, we’re just working through what we’re doing at the moment going forward,” he continued. “Part of that whole process is working through it and understanding what we’re doing, and additional bikes fit into the conversation.”

Herfoss was runner-up out of today’s qualifying sessions at Morgan Park, while Staring finished a respectable fourth, significantly improving over his practice times.