Doohan impressed after Honda four-stroke test.

Five-times 500cc motorcycle World Champion Mick Doohan said he was impressed with Honda's new four-stroke Grand Prix machine after riding it for the first time at the Suzuka circuit in Japan.

Doohan, who retired from racing in 1999 because of injuries, rode the Honda RCV211 for five laps around the 5.9km track in hot and humid conditions between practice sessions for Sunday's Suzuka Eight-Hour round of the World Endurance Championship.

The 36-year-old believes the five-cylinder 990cc Honda will be competitive in the premier class of road racing next year under new regulations, which will allow four-stroke motorcycles to race alongside the current V4 500cc two-stroke machines.

"For the early days of development I think the four-stroke bike is within the parameters of where it needs to be," said Doohan, who is now General Manager of Racing for Honda Racing Corporation. "It's been a while since I've been on a Grand Prix bike, but the few laps I did gave me a feel for what the new Honda is like and my initial thoughts are that it's quite good."

"This is definitely a Grand Prix bike - the power is good and it's rideable. It's rigid and it doesn't feel like a Superbike," added the Australian legend. "Another thing you notice with the new GP machine is it's much smaller than the Superbikes at the track. In fact, it even looks smaller than a 500."

Doohan's ride was his first on a Grand Prix machine since his career-ending crash at Jerez before the 1999 Spanish Grand Prix, apart from some demonstration laps aboard a V4 Honda NSR500 at world championship rounds since his retirement.

"Riding again was a bit of fun, although I wasn't going quick and I've got no thoughts of racing again," said the "Thunder from Down Under" before joking: "I felt the bugs were splattering the back of the helmet instead of the front because they were probably catching me!"

Doohan's laps at Suzuka were the first public outing for the Honda RCV211, although it had been previously tested in private at other tracks.

The machine was presented at Suzuka today in Honda livery with the letter 'V' on the number panel.

Doohan said he would ride the four-stroke machine again on Sunday, before the start of the Suzuka Eight-Hour endurance event.