BURNLEY'S Neil Hodgson was thrown into the deep end by his new American Honda team this week.

After a year in the racing wilderness, Hodgson will be riding in the AMA Superbike series next year.

And he didn't get much time to settle in when it came to testing his new bikes at the Daytona International Speedway.

The former World Superbike champion had to carry the bulk of the test-riding duties on the team's CBR600RR FX racer and all-new 08 CBR1000RR Superbike because Honda team-mate Miguel Duhamel is still recuperating from injuries sustained during testing at Road Atlanta.

In fact, Hodgson put in more laps than any other rider during the Dunlop test.

"Obviously we've had a lot to test," Hodgson said. "I'm really, really pleased. We've got the 600 dialled in. I know what I'm doing with that.

"We've already got a good setting. And I have found my preferred tyre, I know what I like. I know I can come here in March and just ride around with that setting and I should be quick.

"But with the Superbike, we've got a mountain to climb. We knew we would have. It's no surprise to us. So we're trying to turn this street bike into a racebike. I said if I can do a 1:39 (lap time) on that I'll be happy and I did a 1:39.2, which I'm pleased with because it's very stock. We've so much to work on. If I could ride it tomorrow I'd get a second off that, you know what I mean?"

The benchmark was set by Suzuki's Ben Spies with a time of 1:36.1.

Hodgson concedes there's still a lot of work to do on the bikes before the season starts in Dayton on March 5.

He added: "We didn't have any (engine) management systems. And at the moment, the throttle to back wheel connection is horrendous. So it's horrible - you've just got to turn the throttle really late, because if you do it any other way, you'll be over the handlebars with no electronics to save you at all.

"It's just a street bike with some suspension."

Hodgson will return to the Isle of Man for Christmas.

Then it's back to Laguna Beach in California, where he lived for two years when he raced Ducati's superbike.

Hodgson finished the 2006 American Superbikes season in fifth place, but was left without a ride when his Ducati team pulled out of ASB for 2007. He was linked with a return to World Superbikes but that never came to fruition.