The majority of the British Super Bike teams have been testing out this year's current crop of SuperBikes over the last week in sunny Spain. The latest testing took place at the Circuito Monteblanco, located in Andalucía. 

Josh BROOKES Ducati - Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team

A relatively new track being completed in 2006, it is not on the recognised race calendar, being more of a test rather than a race track. It has a comprehensive set of corners and straights that can be combined to produce two independent circuits, or one large circuit that can be tailored for the vehicles being tested. 

Danny BUCHAN - FS-3 Racing Kawasaki

Tailoring a track to test the limits of your vehicle is extremely important for pre-season testing. Some tracks are fast, some slow, some a bit of both. So if you can replicate these in a few days of testing you can have the data to hand when you hit those tracks during the race season, giving you that all important head start, if you have got your testing done correctly.

Jason O'HALLORAN McAMS Yamaha

The main part of testing is getting the rider and machine tuned together for the upcoming season. The other advantage is evaluating new parts and aero kit. As you may have seen in the MotoGp, aero is now starting to play a big part in the top flight motorbike series. The wings attached to the front and below the bikes are supposed to be making a difference with down force, so testing what works in the real world away from the wind tunnel is important.

Josh BROOKES Ducati - Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team

You can see on the V4 PBM BeWiser Ducati ridden by Scott Reading there are small canards either side of the front nose fairing. These winglets create downforce and have caused a lot of controversy over the last few years amongst the teams, mainly in that the development costs are very high and only the best funded teams can afford the wind tunnel time.

Last week we covered unofficial BSB testing at the Cartagena Circuit and captured Michael Dunlop, Bradly Ray and Scott Reading as they took the new machines through their paces.

Harry TRUELOVE Yamaha - Truelove Property & Construction

This week Scott Reading joined up with the rest of the BSB riders at the 2.4395mi Circuito Monteblanco. We joined the 41 riders for the first official winter test session. 

David ALLINGHAM Yamaha - EHA Yamaha

Well let's use Gary Johnson as an example. He was classified as riding a stock machine and a British Super Sport on the timing charts. Johnson is not a BSB rider, his specialty is road racing so why was he there? Johnson is part of the Lee Hardy Racing RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki team. 

Gary Johnson - RAF Regular and Reserves

Looks like Johnson will have his work cut out for him as the 24 times North West 200 winner Alastair Seeley was also testing and was just over a second faster.

Alastair SEELEY - EHA Yamaha

The last day of testing at Monteblanco saw newcomer to BSB, Scott Redding on the Be Wiser Ducati top of the shop in a lap time of 1:36.291. He made the switch from the Aprilia MotoGp RS-GP team last year and it looks to be paying off for him.

Scott REDDING Ducati - Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team

Looking good, in control and fast, just .193s behind Redding was Jason O'Halloran on the McAMS Yamaha. McAMS hope to hit the ground running and cash in on the form they had last year as they haven't got a new bike.

Jason O'HALLORAN - McAMS Yamaha

Coming in third during this test period was Tarran MacKenzie, also on a McAMS Yamaha, .613s behind Redding. MacKenzie hit the Spanish dirt on day two of testing but bounced back to keep the pressure on his team mate and Redding.

Tarran MACKENZIE - McAMS Yamaha

Following the Monteblanco testing the teams packed up and headed west to the Autódromo International do Algarve, Portimao, Portugal. This will be the final winter testing phase before returning to the UK in preparation for the 2019 season. Only 28 riders were testing here and it was to be reversal of first and second placings with Jason O'Halloran 0.127s ahead of Scott Redding with Xavi Fores on the Honda Racing machine taking third.

Xavi FORES - Honda Racing

If you want to get out to Spain or Portugal next year and see the testing first hand its relatively simple. Flights, car hire and hotels are cheap this time of the year. The www can give you all the info you need to find out where and when the testing is taking place. We also produce a calendar of motorsports events on the PistonClick site to make it nice and easy for you. 

Glenn IRWIN - Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki

However, getting out there is easy, getting into the circuits can be a problem as they are not set up for, or expecting, spectators. You might be lucky and just get waved in but it is also likely that the track will only be open to the teams so be prepared for disappointment. 

Tom NEAVE - Honda Racing

Keith however, didn’t have any real issues and once past the circuit staff everyone made him feel welcome and had the time to talk to him. Over the four days he managed to chat to the riders, mechanics, team owners and truck drivers.

Andrew IRWIN - Honda Racing

Keith writes: Ian (MotoRapido) and Richard (McAMS) really went out of their way to make me feel welcome. Scott Redding helped me out a lot for which I was grateful. He really is a nice guy and has a great positive attitude to the fans. 

Josh BROOKES Ducati - Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team

While watching the riders out on track Keith noticed one rider in particular braking earlier and accelerating later that the others. We won't name names but a few people in the paddock also noticed. So the final results from both these tests might have an element of gamesmanship thrown in.

Glenn IRWIN - Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki

So have we whetted your appetite for a bit of BSB action? For the UK based photographer you can see the Supersport, GP2, Superstock 1000, Superstock 600 and Junior Supersport on the 24th March at Silverstone. Then on the 9th April the BSB riders will be joining them out on track for four, one hour sessions again at Silverstone. 

Josh ELLIOTT Suzuki OMG Racing Suzuki

We will be there to capture the action at both events as well as the opening Bennet's BSB round. I would like to thank Keith Adcock for the great pictures of both Spanish test sessions. 

Danny BUCHAN - FS-3 Racing Kawasaki

You will be able to see more of Keith's work soon from the UK test session and in the photographers area here on PistonClick.

Danny BUCHAN - FS-3 Racing Kawasaki