2012 MotoGP Pre-season Tests Photo Gallery

A bad back forced Casey Stoner out of the first day of the opening 2012 test at Sepang.

Rossi gets to know the new GP12 - 2012 Sepang Test

Dani Pedrosa begins his seventh MotoGP campaign in 2012, all of them as a factory HRC rider with Repsol Honda - 2012 Sepang Test

Alvaro Baustista tests the Gresini Honda RC213V at the 2012 Sepang Winter Test.

Rossi and Hayden get their first crack at the new GP12 - 2012 Sepang Test

Can Rossi and Preziosi resolve the development issues that kept the Ducati out of contention in 2011? - 2012 Sepang Test

Rossi speaks with Filippo Preziosi - 2012 Sepang Test

Stefan Bradle will ride his rookie MotoGP campaign for the LCR Honda team.

Casey Stoner got back in the saddle, and back on top of the timesheet, on Day 2 of the Sepang Winter Test.

Ben Spies was the fastest Yamaha on Day 2 of the opening Sepang Test.

Stoner leaves Sepang with a aching back and not more than 50 laps under his belt, but the defending champ still busted the standing record - the first MotoGP rider to dip under the two minute mark at the Malaysian circuit.

Colin Edwards - Number 5 for the Forward Racing team in 2012.

The BMW-powered Suter chassis CRT from Forward Racing.

Nicky Hayden was hindered in the first test of 2012 with a bad shoulder - Sepang Test 1

Feeling the heat... Rossi and company get to work on the new GP12 under the heat of Sepang.

Ben Spies lapped in the top four throughout the three-day Sepang test.

Rossi on the gas at Sepang. The Doctor was more than a second off the pace of his rival Stoner at the conclusion of testing at Sepang.

Andrea Dovizioso - Yamaha Tech 3

Yamaha Tech 3's Andrea Dovizioso was eighth-fastest during the final day of testing at Sepang.

Cal Crutchlow (left): "I am really pleased with the way things have gone at this test and it has been a really good confidence boost to start 2012. Sepang is a track I just don't get on with or enjoy riding at but I was third on the first day and fifth on the second day. I'm sure I could have been fifth on the final day too but a couple of things didn't go my way."

Alvaro Bautista - San Carlo Honda

Cal Crutchlow - Yamaha Tech 3

Cal Crutchlow was one of the top performers during the Sepang test while breaking in Yamaha's new 1000cc machine.

Frenchman Randy de Puniet set the quickest time during the CRT test at Jerez aboard his Power Electronics Aspar bike.

Danilo Petrucci - Ioda Racing Project CRT entry

Aleix Espargaro: "“I'm very pleased,” said Espargaro. “The bike is now working better than in Valencia, and it is important to see that we are evolving gradually.”

Casey Stoner was 0.244 seconds faster than the rest of the field during the start of the second pre-season test in Sepang.

Dani Pedrosa worked on chassis geometry, rider position and power delivery on the Honda RC213V.

Valentino Rossi - 2012 Sepang Test 2 Day 1

Valentino Rossi worked on rain setup during the poor weather conditions in Sepang on Day 1.

Valentino Rossi: "We didn’t get much done today. We didn’t even start working with the new software that we have available for this test. On the plus side, we were able to confirm that the feeling in the wet is still pretty good with the GP12."

Nicky Hayden: "Considering I had shoulder surgery three weeks ago, it went better than I expected. I felt much better than at the last test and was able to give some good feedback, so I owe a big thanks to Dr Ting and his staff."

Dani Pedrosa - 2012 Sepang Test 2 Day 1

Ducati's Nicky Hayden put in 55 laps despite his recent shoulder surgery on the first day of the second Sepang test.

Casey Stoner - 2012 Sepang Test 2 Day 1

Ben Spies topped the charts on Day 2 of the second Sepang test.

Nicky Hayden continues to struggle with the shoulder injured during an off-season flat track spill - Sepang Test 2

Rossi and Burgess continue work on the GP12 - Sepang Test 2

Casey Stoner was back on top of the timesheet at testing concluded in the second Sepang pre-season test.

Hector Barbera was the fastest Ducati at the second Sepang test, the lone Pramac Racing pilot lapping sixth-fastest on Day 3.

Cal Crutchlow had an encouraging performance at the second Sepang test, the British rider fifth-fastest and not far off the leaders.

Colin Edwards hacked a second off his laptime compared with the previous Sepang test, though still three seconds off the pace of Stoner and two seconds adrift of the nearest factory-built bike.

The BMW-powered Suter-chassis Forward Racing CRT squad gets to work at the second Sepang test.

Hayden and Rossi continue to work on the GP12, though remain frustrating off the leader's pace - Sepang 2

Said Rossi on his best at the second Sepang test: 'Honestly, I expected to do better than tenth.'

Ben Spies hangs off the M1 at Sepang.

Ben Spies slides around the Sepang circuit during the second preseason visit to Malaysia. The American was eighth-fastest after his test finished prematurely with a early afternoon crash.

Casey Stoner Day 3 at second Sepang test: 'The chassis balance feels good as does the traction on the bike, it's turning well but we really need to get rid of the chatter, in general we are happy with the bike.'

Dani Pedrosa suffered an engine failure on Day 1 in the second Sepang test, which ended up sideline all the Hondas for Day 2. On the final day, however, he was back up front with teammate Stoner for another Repsol 1-2.

Lorenzo commented on his race simulation during the second Sepang test that the Bridgestones lost grip after 3-4 laps. Other Yamaha riders made similar tire wear notes.

MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso is preparing for the upcoming MotoGP Championship by training with Yamaha's 2012 YZ250F.

Casey Stoner led the way, as usual, during the first day of testing at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.

Casey Stoner discusses things with his crew - Jerez Test

Bautista on track with the Gresini Honda - Jerez Test

Stefan Bradle works the LCR Honda - Jerez Test

Randy de Puniet showed up the satellite Ducatis on Day 1 - Jerez Test

Michele Pirro managed to best some of his CRT rivals in his first benchmark against the 21-rider MotoGP grid - Jerez Test

Nicky Hayden slotted in at sixth on Day 1 at the Jerez test.

Jorge Lorenzo led the sheets for most of Day 1 before Stoner peeled off the fastest lap on his final turn of the Jerez circuit.

Casey Stoner defends title number two, his first title defense with Honda - Jerez Test

Dani Pedrosa - Jerez Test

Valentino Rossi still looking to make up time on his rivals - Jerez Test

Ben Spies running in the front four, as expected - Jerez Test

Hector Barbera - Jerez

Hector Barbera on track with the Pramac Racing Ducati - Jerez Test

Nicky Hayden topped the timesheet during poor conditions on Day 2 of testing at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.

Casey Stoner returned to the top of the timesheet on his final lap, during the final day of testing at Jerez.

Edwards aboard the BMW/Suter CRT from Forward Racing - Jerez Test

Randy de Puniet was the most impressive of the CRT entries during preseason testing.

James Ellison will ride the Paul Bird Motorsport ART entry.

2012 MotoGP Pre-season Tests Photo Gallery

Check out photos of the 2012 MotoGP pre-season tests here at motorcycle-usa.