Image: Foremost Media.

Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) contender Josh Waters says the injuries sustained at the Suzuka 8 Hours were not a major issue in the opening practice session at Phillip Island, concluding FP1 third fastest to commence round six.

The McMartin Racing Ducati rider underwent surgery on his right wrist – with mobility still somewhat limited – following a qualifying incident during the iconic Endurance event in August, where he also dislocated and refractured his shoulder while representing the S-Pulse Dream Racing team.

Waters was dominant at the opening round of the ASBK season at Phillip Island, and was P3 this morning in practice. He is onboard the 2023 Ducati V4 R this time around at the 4.445km circuit, which he transitioned to in Darwin.

“It was alright, it felt okay then so see what it is like as the weekend keeps progressing, it feels alright,” Waters said to CycleOnline. “[The 2023 V4 R] It’s just the gear structure, in the tighter turns you have to use first gear so it’s just getting the engine break set up for that, and chipping away.”

Waters posted a 1m33.403s lap this morning, placing him 0.518s from pace-setter Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) as two practice sessions remain this afternoon.