Crescent Suzuki's former MotoGP star Sylvain Guintoli is having to get to grips with the amount of flex there is in his British Superbike-spec GSX-R1000 in comparison with a much stiffer MotoGP bike.

The Frenchman, who has just finished a three-day test at Almeria alongside HM Plant Honda and Hydrex Honda, is happy with his pre-season performance but exploiting chassis flex could be the key.

"It's been another encouraging test this week. Coming away from Calafat with a good base setting has allowed us to push on and test some of the new factory parts," said Guintoli.

"The new K9 chassis certainly offers more rear-end grip over the 2008 bike I rode in the test last year, and this combined with the new engine spec, that we've been running, is bringing together a really great package. The only element I need to get used to and exploit is the flex of the Superbike, compared to the stiffer MotoGP bikes I've ridden in the past."