Crescent Suzuki has received its first shipment of performance parts from tuning partner Yoshimura as the World Superbike Championship team continues its preparations for the official tests and first race at Phillip Island in Australia at the end of next month. The team's first two Yoshimura developed engines and prototype "R-11″ exhaust systems that will be used by John Hopkins and Leon Camier arrived from Japan and the team has lost no time building the bikes and getting them ready for shipment early next month.

Said Team Manager Jack Valentine: "... We'll use these engines for our tests in the week before the official tests, but Yoshimura is also sending some more engines directly to Phillip Island. These should arrive in time for the first practice and are of a higher specification in readiness for the race. It's early days but we are very happy with the "Powered by Yoshimura" partnership; the guys out there are making a great effort.

"I spoke to John recently and his hand is coming along very well. He's been having regular visits to a hyperbaric chamber and that has helped quicken the healing process. John rode the last three rounds of the British Superbike Championship with no feeling in the part of the finger he's now had cut off and did pretty well, so we expect that he'll be right on it as soon as he gets on the bike. He's now started regular training again, but was pretty fit before the operation, so hasn't lost much time at all.... The bike design livery is being finalised at the moment and soon we'll be able to see a finished Crescent Suzuki GSX-R World Superbike and announce the team's 2012 partners, which is something we're all looking forward to."