Finally after 2 months of anticipation I got the chance to try out the Desmosedici in it's natural habitat, a MotoGP circuit. My local circuit, Jerez is one of the best in the world and it's just been resurfaced with a really grippy smooth new tarmac and beautiful new curbs. I was there the previous week, but it was a Pirelli promotional day and you had to have Pirelli tyres fitted. My new wheels hadn't yet arrived and the only tyres that fit the originals are Bridgestone, so I couldn't go on the Ducati, but I had a great time on my Fireblade having a good race with someone in all three sessions.

The following Thursday, I borrowed Pepe's trailer and went to Seville to pick up my Ducati. The guy had done a lot more work on the fairing and it fitted much better but the bike was filthy and covered in fibreglass dust, and a few scratches here and there where he hadn't been careful fitting and removing the body work I was pretty pissed off, but it didn't matter in the end. I got to the track at about 7.30pm where Tony and his crew from www.tracksense.co.uk, the best English organisers of Spanish trackdays, were unloading. I unloaded the bike, endured some good natured pisstaking about trailering my bike to the circuit which I never normally do, and me and Andy, Ton's chief mechanic, set about fitting the new Dymag wheels to the bike.

I'd decide to fit the Dymags because the original wheels are about 9 grand the pair and are also a funny size. After a bit of measuring it seemed that Pirelli 16.5" slicks were about the same size as the originals so I ordered 16.5 inch wheels from Dymag and was quoted 4 weeks for delivery but they did it in 2 and a half. Great service and they fit perfectly and look good.

I'd tried to get a set of original Ducati discs for the wheels but after ringing about 10 dealers realised that nobody stocks anything in the UK despite the discs being the same as the 1098, a very common bike. Luckily Neil of www.biketorqueracing.co.uk came to the rescue with a secondhand set off his 1098 racebike and a Grimeca 999 pattern rear at a very reasonable price, plus a selection of excellent lightweight AFAM sprockets.

The wheels fitted straight on but going down to 16.5 inch rim size meant there wasn't enough clearance for the calipers to fit back on without loosening off the disc bolts. A bit of a pain so I might have to go down to a 320mm disc. The bike looked very purposeful on the slicks, and I was really excited. I changed the gearshift to a race pattern (up for down) which I prefer on the track, and off for a few beers with the English trackday boys who'd turned up.

The weather forecast for the weekend was crap, but luckily Spanish weather forecasters aren't any better at their jobs than English ones, so I wasn't surprised to see the morning dawn bright and sunny. I rode my Honda to the track and took the Ducati out on the sighting laps behind the instructor. Straight away it felt better, the race tyres gave me more confidence than the standard ones, the only problem being that I had the lever set too high and couldn't get downchanges right. It felt good though and very fast, the corner exits are fantastic, and of course it makes that MotoGP noise.

Second session I was ready to go for it. I went out first and only 2 people passed me in the session. I was opening the throttle earlier and earlier in the corners and the rear tyre didn't squirm or spin, the bike didn't wheelie, it just shot forward. In the third session I went out first and nobody passed me, I was still learning to get more out of the bike as you could brake so late and open the throttle so early. There seemed to be no limits to the lean angle either and I was scuffing my knee more than I ever have, which is not much normally.

The front tyre was looking very worn by now. I'd asked Pirelli for SC2 fronts but they'd said SC1 would be better but it was way too soft and was getting really ripped up. I decided to change it after the next session, and try some Dunlops to see which would be better. Ian Cobby, a good rider who I've known for a long time took the bike out and agreed with my thoughts, that it would take a long time to learn how to ride the bike properly. Ducati really have done what they said they'd do, they've made a bike that's a s close as possible to their MotoGP bike while not being fragile or unreliable. It's a fantastic achievement, and when you consider ex GP bikes go for around 250000 pounds and are incredibly expensive to maintain it's an absolute bargain as well.

The fourth session I was really enjoying myself, trying to catch a guy on an R6 who I just couldn't pass, he was riding well. I spent the whole session chasing him and as it was very hot decided to come in a lap early. Coming into Peluqui, 4 corners from the end, the front slid away and I went face first into the gravel. The little finger had been ripped off my glove and it my finger was missing most of it's skin and dripping plenty of blood. Apart from that I was OK and a quick trip to the excellent Jerez medical centre later, I was looking at the damage. Amazingly, it was just a brake pedal and brake lever, and lots of damage to the pattern fairing, but then that's what it's there for.

I was annoyed with myself for not changing the tyre, but I was surprised that it hadn't even lasted 4 sessions. Still these things happen and I'm looking forward to Jerez again on the 13th October!