McCoy: I feel pride and responsibility.

Australian MotoGP ace Garry McCoy has spoken for the first time about his surprise move to the works Kawasaki team for 2003, and admits that he cannot wait to start developing the Japanese company's ZX-RR.

The 'King of Slide' started the 2002 season as one of the fastest riders in pre-season testing, but failed to confirm his position as the best two-stroke rider due to a painful leg injury. Now fully recovered, the 30-year old is taking on the biggest challenge of his career, with the removal of a pin in his left tibia being the only obstacle remaining before he joins Kawasaki's off-season test programme in December.

"To ride the Ninja ZX-RR for the first time was an unforgettable experience," McCoy revealed after his first outing in Valencia, "I feel proud to have an opportunity and a responsibility of such magnitude, and I can't wait to start contributing to the machine's development when our extensive testing programme starts.

"Before going home to Australia for a while, I will make a brief stopover in Vienna to get the pin removed from my left leg, but, after a few weeks of rest and light training, I should be fully fit for the December sessions in Sepang.

"My first impression of the bike was a bit of a surprise, because I thought it would have a lot of bottom power. Instead, the bike likes to be revved and continues to push violently in a range where a two-stroke is far beyond its peak. I like these characteristics, and it's fun to make use of all the horsepower. The engine brake of a big four-stroke is also a new and interesting experience for me, and I'll try to find a way to make it work for me during the next sessions!"

The former Red Bull Yamaha rider got to grips with the green machine in the first post-season test of 2002 at Valencia earlier this week and, having sampled it, decided to put pen to paper to conclude a deal with team boss Harald Eckl.

As a result, McCoy will form an all-Aussie line-up with fellow countryman and former World Supersport champion Andrew Pitt.

"We were keen to work with Garry from the very beginning of our project - because of his spectacular riding style and sheer determination, and because of his victories and podium finishes during his 500 cc two-stroke career," Eckl revealed, "Obviously, Garry wasn't available at first, but the opportunity arose when his team ran into funding problems for the new season.

"As much as we hope that Team WCM will find a way to continue their MotoGP campaign in the future, we are glad that we've been able to provide one of the most talented riders in this sport with a new perspective. With Garry McCoy, Team Kawasaki Racing will be able to fight on the highest level right from the start of the season."

The new Kawasaki rider made the most of their first off-season testing experience on Tuesday, with best lap times of 1min 36.6secs for McCoy, 1min 35.4 for Pitt and 1min 39.0secs for newly-appointed test rider Alex Hofmann.

"On his first day of testing, Garry obviously took it easy and just wanted to get the initial feel for the bike, so his lap times don't mean anything yet," Eckl continued, "But he proved to be the right choice for us in another way, confirming that he would rather try to develop a completely new winning package with Kawasaki and Dunlop, than following the footsteps of most of the other teams with their tyre choice.

Turning to Pitt, Eckl underlined that the Aussie had proved his worth after being dropped in the MotoGP deep end.

"Andrew Pitt also proved us right with our trust in his talent, as the progress in his first three MotoGP races was truly fantastic," enthused Eckl. "After riding in the 1min 36s during the race on Sunday, he slashed another full second off his lap time during our one-day test on Tuesday.

"He obviously still has a long way to go before he'll have the experience to race with the best, but he is closing in on the fastest guys rapidly, and I have no doubt that he'll surprise many people when he returns to the MotoGP paddock for his first full grand prix season in 2003," he concluded.