Shane Byrne was back on a MotoGP machine at the weekend as he completed a test for the Paul Bird Motorsport team.

Byrne’s last MotoGP outing came in 2005 at the Qatar Grand Prix, where he replaced injured Troy Bayliss for the Camel Honda team.

The Sittingbourne rider enjoyed his latest foray into the premier bike racing championship, at the Circuit de Catalunya, tweeting: "Real good today, about 30 laps enjoyed the Moto Gp bike."

Byrne (pictured) competes in the British Superbike Championship – where he sits in third place – with the Paul Bird Motorsport Kawasaki team and has recently been confirmed as an official test rider for the MotoGP Aprilia outfit.

The British Superbike Championship resumes at Knockhill on June 24.