WORLD Superbike motorcyling champion Carl Fogarty made a successful start to his new career at Honda during tests at Shah Alam, Malaysia at the weekend.

Fogarty, 29, from Tockholes, has switched to a Japanese-built Honda from Ducati after taking two successive World Superbike titles for the Italian manufacturer.

Fogarty was just three tenths of a second outside the Shah Alam lap record in a test which was hampered by a host of stray animals running wild on the circuit which is on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. "I feel confident about winning a third world title now I've actually tested the Honda," said Fogarty who ran over a snake in the closing stages of the test.

"It's a bit of a worry with all the animals around at Shah Alam, you don't know where they'll pop out next."

Last year's championship runner-up, Australian Troy Corser walked out on his Ducati team's test with a day to go after a wild dog sat on the side of the track for three successive laps.

Corser also reported cats, monkeys and an iguana on the track before he quit.

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