Jack Miller calls first day of 2015 MotoGP testing ‘the best day of my life’, logs impressive times

JACK Miller has completed an impressive first day on a MotoGP bike, hailing the opening day of testing in Spain as “the best day of my life.”

VALENCIA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 10: Jack Miller of Australia and CWM LCR Honda (first day in MotoGP) rounds the bend during the MotoGP Tests in Valencia at Ricardo Tormo Circuit on November 10, 2014 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)

JACK Miller said he has had “the best day of my life” on his first day aboard a MotoGP bike.

Fresh from a fighting victory in the Moto3 season finale at Valencia, the 19-year-old Australian became a MotoGP rider the very next day as 2015 season testing got underway in Spain.

Miller’s first laps aboard Honda’s RCV1000RR — a 160kg machine packing over 230 horsepower, compared to the 80kg/58hp Moto3 rig that was the most powerful bike he had rode to this point — were eye-opening.

“I went out of pit lane and went in to corners one and two,” he told crash.net.

“I was like, ‘S***! That corner came quickly!’ Everything comes up so fast. It’s so hard to describe, it’s out of this world.

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“The speed of course was a shock but after two or three exits you get used to it.

“But nothing can prepare you for the brakes. It’s an incredible feeling. All they want to do is tear the bike out from underneath you.

“It’s an amazing bike to ride and I’ve had the best day of my life.”

Watch all the action from the second day of 2015 MotoGP testing at Valencia LIVE in HD Tuesday 11 November from 9pm AEDT on FOX SPORTS 5.

Miller finished the day in a position he is unaccustomed to after his successful Moto3 season, clocking the 22nd fastest time in near-ideal weather conditions at the Ricardo Tormo circuit.

But the day was all about learning for Miller, who opted to turn off both traction control and anti-wheelie software to allow him to find the limits of his new machine.

Miller prepares to head out on his new bike.

In the space of 61 laps across the day Miller was able to slash 10 whole seconds off his initial time.

His best lap was some 3.6 seconds slower than Jorge Lorenzo’s fastest time of the day, but just 0.3 of a second slower than the only other rider on the same type of customer Honda as he.

It’s also a casual 4.5 seconds faster than the Moto3 lap record he set just two days ago.

“We were really happy with where we were,” Miller explained. “We weren’t trying for lap times today.

“I really came at one with the bike and got a great feeling of it. Setting wise we made some adjustments that we weren’t planning on making today.

Miller logged 61 laps during his first day.

“Earlier in the day I was trying to ride it like a Moto3 and ride it smooth but you can’t do that at all. You have to do a ‘V’; stop it and turn it on the rear tyre.”

Reports from trackside suggest Miller is jelling well with new crew chief Cristian Gabbarini, the same man who was Casey Stoner’s right hand man at both Ducati and Honda, and that Miller did put a foot wrong all day.

Miller is already planning a new training regime to get his body strong enough, now that he knows the kinds of physical demands a MotoGP bike will place on him.

“We need just, more or less, bike time to get my strength on the brakes,” he said.

“We’re working on getting a trainer and we’re starting a new program. We had to wait for the Moto3 season to be over before we can do it.

“Building muscle isn’t what we are aiming for. We just need to use the muscle we have better so it’s lean.”

Testing continues at Valencia on Tuesday and Wednesday local time.

Miller with new crew chief Cristian Gabbarini.

RESULTS — MotoGP Testing, Valencia Day 1
1. (99) Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1m30.975s
2. (44) Pol Espargaro (Yamaha) +0.143s
3. (38) Bradley Smith (Yamaha) +0.229s
4. (46) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.275s
5. (29) Andrea Iannone (Ducati) +0.490s
6. (26) Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.627s
7. (4) Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) +0.669s
8. (35) Cal Crutchlow (Honda) +0.872s
9. (51) Michele Pirro (Ducati) +1.079s
10. (68) Yonny Hernandez (Ducati) +1.171s
11. (8) Hector Barbera (Ducati) +1.215s
12. (6) Stefan Bradl (Forward Yamaha) +1.234s
13. (9) Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) +1.339s
14. (41) Aleix Espargaro (Suzuki) +1.340s
15. (45) Scott Redding (Honda) +2.023s
16. (15) Alex de Angelis (ART) +2.157s
17. (25) Maverick Vinales (Suzuki) +2.293s
18. (17) Karel Abraham (Honda) +2.471s
19. (63) Mike Di Meglio (Ducati) +2.619s
20. (76) Loris Baz (Forward Yamaha) +2.859s
21. (50) Eugene Laverty (Honda) +3.345s
22. (43) Jack Miller (Honda) +3.658s
23. (19) Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) +3.944s
24. (66) Alex Hofmann (Aprilia) +4.671s
25. (33) Marco Melandri (Honda) +4.984s
26. (93) Marc Marquez (Honda) +5.206s
27. (93) Alex Marquez (Honda) +5.683s
NC (69) Nicky Hayden (Honda) NTR

Miller shares a laugh with HRC vice-president Shuhei Nakamoto.

Originally published as Jack Miller calls first day of 2015 MotoGP testing ‘the best day of my life’, logs impressive times