Samsung Honda rider Alex Lowes started off his MCE British Superbike weekend at Knockhill in a determined fashion as he topped the opening free practice time-sheets with a 48.969 lap.

Lowes was the only rider to lap in the 48 seconds barrier, and he continued to improve throughout the 45 minute session. First the Derby rider lapped a 49.019 on his ninth lap to propel him to the top of the time-sheets, then after spending sometime in the pits came back out and ten laps later set a 48.969 time.

But hot on his heels was team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari. The rider has been off form in the past couple of rounds, but things look set to change this weekend as the former champ clocked the second fastest time of 49.357 on his ninth lap. The Japanese racer completed more laps of the Scottish circuit than any other rider, a total of 33, but he was just off the pace by 0.3 seconds from Lowes.

GBmoto rider Peter Hickman had a consistent session and was never out of the top five quickest lap times. With less than five minutes remaining he clocked a 49.500 lap and moved up to third, over taking Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne in the process. The reigning champion had an engine problem because of a crank shaft issue on his bike so only completed seven laps of the Dunfermline circuit, but he had already done enough to keep him in the top half of the time-sheets.

Buildbase BMW’s James Westmoreland left it till his 22nd lap to clock his fastest lap of 49.659 to place him fifth fastest overall. GBmoto rider Dan Linfoot returned to the British Superbike paddock this morning, after being out with injuries which he sustained from the first race in the first round at Brands Hatch back in April. The rider started the session off well and before a red flag, caused by a technical issue involving Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider Keith Farmer who suffered an engine problem, Linfoot was the fifth fastest rider out on track, just behind team-mate Hickman. When the chequered flag appeared the rider completed twenty laps with his quickest time of 49.676.

Tyco Suzuki rider Josh Brookes is adapting to riding around a race track after competing in the Isle of Man TT for the last two weeks and in the free practice session the Aussie was only 0.1 seconds behind Linfoot with his time of 49.721. He did manage to go faster than his team-mate PJ Jacobsen who finished the session in ninth, just in front of Bathams Honda rider Michael Rutter.

It was not the best of sessions for the Milwaukee Yamaha team, as both riders failed to make it into the top ten quickest lap times. Cumbrian James Ellison did slightly better than Australian team-mate Josh Waters who rode a 50.613 lap to place him fifteenth fastest, with Waters closely behind in sixteenth with a time of 50.751.