Just like his 28-year-old teammate, Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes regards the two-day World Superbike test at Phillip Island as ‘productive’ despite a ‘strange’ on the exit of the last corner.

The 2013 WSBK king finished fourth overall in the combined times after posting a fastest of 1’31.075 in the first session yesterday and says he is pleased with his performance on the bike so far.

“The Kawasaki Racing Team and I were able to work in a good way and now I am looking forward to the race this Sunday,” said Sykes.

Over the past two days at the island, Sykes was more about working towards getting consistent lap times over a long run as he was not able to go for a ‘time attack lap time’ as he describes it. However that is something Sykes will focus on this weekend.

It was not all smooth sailing for the 22-time WSBK race winner, however, as Sykes, who has only recorded two third places at Phillip Island (both times in race two in 2012 and last year), highsided in the afternoon session at the fast turn 12 which leads on to the Gardner Straight.

“It was a strange crash; it was a big highside off the power. I was off the gas for a long time then it highsided me over the top.”

Sykes’s time in the afternoon session was a 1’31.214 and in total he completed 90 laps to Rea’s 105, which was the most completed yesterday.

Luckily for Sykes, he escaped unhurt in the crash, bar a swollen little finger. “The air system worked really well on my Dainese leathers that did help in the crash, that’s for sure,” added the 29-year-old Yorkshireman.