Yamaha Factory MotoGP racer Ben Spies had surgery to repair an AC separation of his right shoulder Tuesday evening, October 23, at the National Surgery Center, in Los Gatos, California. In addition to repairing the shoulder separation, which Spies suffered in a crash during the wet Malaysian Grand Prix on October 21, surgeon Dr. Maury Harwood removed surgical hardware from Spies’ clavicle. Normal recovery time from an AC shoulder separation is eight to 12 weeks, according to experts. Spies’ team announced October 22 that the injury would definitely rule him out of this coming weekend’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island and that the team would not field a replacement rider. It is unknown whether Spies will try to ride in the 2012 MotoGP World Championship finale November 9-11 at Valencia, but discussions within Yamaha are already considering possible replacement riders, including three-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, according to knowledgeable sources. Hayes was pulled into service at the last minute to replace Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s injured Colin Edwards during last year’s MotoGP race at Valencia. In spite of it being his first time on the track, on Bridgestone tires and on a MotoGP bike, Hayes finished an impressive seventh in the rain-affected race.