Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

AMA Superbike Champion Nicky Hayden is scheduled to depart the United States Thursday night headed for Malaysia, where he will resume testing of his Repsol Honda RC211V January 20-22 at the Sepang Circuit.

When asked about his new Honda MotoGP racebike, Hayden told Roadracingworld.com, “It’s coming along. I’ve rode a lot, but I’ve only had one day where it was nice and warm. Every other day it’s been raining and really cold. I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses or whining–I’m glad that I’m getting track time–but hopefully at this test I’ll be able to get some heat in the tires and really get on it and learn some stuff. Still, I’ve enjoyed riding the bike, but I’m still not to the limit of the bike. I’ve still got some stuff to learn.”

Hayden added that the foul weather he encountered during recent tests in Europe provided him with “more laps there in the rain than I have done my whole life in the rain here.”

Hayden was able to take a few weeks off over the holiday season after a hectic testing program in November and December had him flying across the world for back-to-back tests in Japan and Europe. The 21-year-old spent the last two weeks training with his brothers, Tommy and Roger Lee, in Southern California, where the Haydens stayed at the home of Dan Fahie, who worked on Nicky’s crew when Nicky rode for American Honda.

Fahie is now Eric Bostrom’s AMA Superbike Crew Chief at Kawasaki.

Nicky Hayden said he also recently shot a motorcycle television program, which he believes will be aired on the Discovery Channel, with actor Matt LeBlanc. Nicky Hayden said he and the “Friends” television show star were filmed riding dirtbikes at LeBlanc’s ranch a few hours north of Los Angeles.

Nicky Hayden’s non-stop flight to Malaysia leaves Los Angeles at approximately midnight tonight.