On the run up to this weekend's Misano World Superbike round, Eugene Laverty said he had managed to get rid of the chatter that has plagued him for most of this season but it had now been replaced by a lack of rear grip from his works Aprilia RSV4.

The Irishman couldn't find any traction from his bike and says he doesn't have anything radical up his sleeve to find an answer, but there may be some small setup changes which could help solve the problem.

“We didn't get off on the right foot today. Already after the first few laps I'm struggling to get the grip I need out of the rear tyre and it isn't getting any better. The others are much more consistent, so we need to improve significantly for tomorrow. I don't have any radical changes in mind, but there are some small steps we can take in order to get close to an optimum set-up. Being quick on the fast lap isn't that important. The races are long and knowing how to manage tyre wear is essential," said the Toomebridge man.