Video: MotoGP: 2008 MotoGP season gets underway in Valencia

The 2008 MotoGP world championship has kicked off today (Tuesday) in Valencia, and we have video of a host of riders getting their first opportunity to test new machinery.

Today’s test session, which kicked off at 2pm local time, saw John Hopkins make his Kawasaki debut, Loris Capirossi jump on Suzuki’s GSV-R machine, and Marco Melandri join world champion Casey Stoner in Ducati’s factory squad.

There were also long-awaited first rides for 250 graduates Jorge Lorenzo, Alex de Angelis and Andrea Dovizioso.

Honda also rolled out its new factory RC212V machine today, which featured pneumatic valves, a completely re-designed chassis and swingarm, and revised under-the-seat exhaust system.

Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa completed their first laps on the new V4, with veteran test rider Tadayuki Okada also completing a handful of laps.

The only riders not present at the test, which finishes tomorrow, are Yamaha trio Valentino Rossi, James Toseland and Colin Edwards and Team Roberts.

You can see more video action from the test later this week on motorcyclenews.com, and a full report on the first major winter test in next week’s MCN (November 14, 2007).