Stiggy Honda's new recruit John Hopkins reckons that his Honda Fireblade World Superbike suits him and is happy with his first ride on the bike at Almeria.

The former Kawasaki MotoGP man turned his first laps at the Spanish track today in a session that began dry but the heavens opened later in the day which bothered the American not one bit.

"I am really happy with the testing we have done in Almeria. The first impression of the bike and my new team is really good. There's a very good professional atmosphere and everyone is very dedicated and motivated," said Hopper.

"Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate much today and we weren't able to string as many laps together as we would have liked to. We started on a dry track, but went fully wet towards the end of the day which enabled me to test a wet setup as well.

"My first impression on the bike is that it really is a lot of fun riding it. After my disappointing season last year, it's great to get out on track and enjoy riding a bike again. I've never been on a Superbike in my life but the size of the motorcycle makes a big difference and suits my style.  It feels good to be able to move around on the bike again and feel it spinning coming out of the corners. It's a lot of fun and my confidence has been growing with every lap.

"There's still a lot to learn. Almeria is a bit of an odd track to learn and the first time I am on Pirellis. Hopefully, we will be able to get some quality time on a dry track tomorrow morning and put some good lap times together.

"I'm looking forward to racing in Valencia this weekend and feel I am coming well prepared, despite not spending a lot of time on- track yet. I know the Valencia track well and should be able to put in a good performance."