John Hopkins back on a Suzuki MotoGP bike

John Hopkins rolled back the years in Qatar yesterday (Saturday) when he rode a factory Suzuki GSV-R machine for the first time since the end of 2007.

The American was drafted in by Suzuki to help out with some filming and promotional work ahead of the final 2011 winter test session that gets underway in Doha tonight.

The last time Hopkins threw his leg over a GSV-R machine was when he finished third in the final round of the 2007 world championship in Valencia.

His fortunes plummeted from that point on following a disastrous and injury-hit spell with Kawasaki.

He failed to revive his career in World Superbikes but is now being given the opportunity to put himself back on the map having joined Paul Denning’s Samsung Crescent Racing squad in the British Superbike series. Hopkins will ride a Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Suzuki were keen to give Hopkins some seat time on the GSV-R 800cc MotoGP bike as he will be used as injury cover for Spaniard Alvaro Bautista in 2011, as was first reported by MCN last month.

Hopkins, who finished fourth in the final rankings in 2007 behind Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi, said: “It’s really good to have been given this opportunity and it’s just been great to be here.

“It feels really cool to be back out and riding on a GP bike, even if it was just for filming it was still a lot of fun. I did start to get a decent feeling on the bike and it still feels awesome, even with the minimal amount of laps we were doing.

“It would be great to race the Suzuki in a MotoGP event, so hopefully I can have some success in BSB and get the chance to go for it in a Grand Prix again sometime in the future.

“My ultimate goal is to get back to MotoGP, but for now my full focus is on doing the best I can in the British Superbike championship with the Samsung Crescent team.”

• Read John Hopkins’ thoughts on his BSB season in this week’s MCN, out Wednesday March 16.