Team Suzuki's current ASBK champion Josh Waters returned to action last week at Phillip Island.

Team Suzuki’s defending Australian Superbike Champion Josh Waters has returned to riding for the first time since a testing crash at Willow Springs in the United States ruled him out of the running for this year’s ASBK title defence.

Waters made his anticipated return in a pair of Phillip Island Ride Days on Thursday and Friday last week.

23-year-old Waters suffered the high-speed testing crash in California in July, suffering a severe head injury that ruled him out of the most recent ASBK rounds.

“I got clearance in Brisbane on Wednesday night and flew straight to Melbourne so we could test,” he explained. “I haven’t driven a car in almost three months, so riding the Superbike was the first thing that I have really been able to do [since the crash].

“I’m still not feeling 100 percent on the bike, but hopefully by next weekend we can have a good race at the MotoGP. I really have to thank the team from Racesafe – they have been awesome.”

Sources suggest that Waters unofficially lapped in the 1:33s during the test, putting him in good stead for a successful comeback meeting at Phillip Island’s GP support races this weekend.

Other top Superbike competitors on hand at the ride days included Ducati Motologic’s Jamie Stauffer and Demolition Plus GAS Honda Racing’s Shannon Johnson, all returning to Dunlop’s top-spec N-Tec tyres for the first time this season.