Honda’s new RC211V four-stroke Grand Prix racebike was ridden in public for the first time Sunday, at Suzuka Circuit prior to the start of the Suzuka 8-Hours race. Taking turns at the controls were 5-time 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan and Manabu Kamada; Kamada is an HRC test rider and was the reserve man for the winning Suzuka 8-Hours team of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards.

Doohan proclaimed the bike to be “quite good and fast” but said he doesn’t want to race again himself.

Today, Tuesday in Japan, Valentino Rossi, Tohru Ukawa and Makoto Tamada are testing the RC211V, with Edwards scheduled to watch and hoping for a test ride himself. Before the 8-Hours race, Edwards said he would like to test the RC211V but had not been invited to ride it. Now that he and Rossi have co-ridden to the 8-Hours victory, Edwards may get his wish.