Cal Crutchlow will persist with a 'scooter style' handlebar-mounted rear brake lever, d𝓡espite finding it 'difficult' at present.

The LCR Honda rider believes it can offer an advantage over the traditional foot-💝operated lever, but not in the area&nbs𒅌p;normally expected.

The 🌳usual benefit cited for a ha🥂nd-operated rear brake is at big lean angles, when it is awkward to reach the foot pedal.

But Crutchlow revealed he is mainly seeking better straight-line braking by using the lever, which is mounted above the clutch (now used only for the start of a race) on the left side 🐻of the handlebar.

"It's difficult!" smiled Crutchlow, when asked about the brake after being fourth fastest (+0.289s) and top෴ Honda on day one🌃 of the Sepang test.

"I really hammer my right foot on 𒊎the rear brake, put all my weight through it. I have a really stiff spring and really hard pads so then it's not putting a lot of energy through the system. It's just the way I like to use it.

"But then I've been using the finger-brake [lever] and the thing is so sensitive… when you ride a bicycle and you brake, you🥀 brake with basically the same power on both hands.

Although it's not natural for "the way I ride" the Englishman added: "I will continue to use it because I think it can be ꧙positive in some areas. It's getting to that point where you're not thinking about it [on the bike], whereas at the mome💯nt I'm still thinking about it.

"I don’t use it [mid-corner], I use it in the braking zone. In the mid-corner I usꦦe my foot again, which is strange!

"But we want to decelerate the bike earlier in the braking zone and the position you're in, in the braking zone, doesn’t always allow you to use your rear brake. Because you're sliding forward and unless you put yoꦆur leg at a 90-degree angle like Marc, it's difficult to do."

Meanwhile, Crutchlow's hopes of getting through a decent chunk of a 'm♏assive' testing to-do list were hampered by day one rain and technical delays.

"I've got one bike similar to last year and the other two are potential bikes for this🌺 year⭕ that we have stuff to test on," he said.

"Overall I have a massive amount of stuff to test and to go through. The rain did not help us. We just had some small delays, not🦩 problems with the bike, just things that take time to change.

"So it wasn't a busy day. I sat in my room for four hours, I let my mechanics get on with it as it's something I know nothing about! Then it rained. I got ou💟t for 5⛎ laps at the end, then it rained again.

"But it was nice to be out there. Ironically, I felt good despite onlyꦉ sitting on a motorbike once for a picture since Jerez i🧜n November. I'll probably have more trouble tomorrow, especially peeling my head off the pillow when I wake-up!

"30-laps sounds like nothing, but when you haven't ridden in that long - on the bike you don't feelꦑ too bad, but the next day you start to feel it. Being ꦦolder as well!"

Reigning world champion Marc Marquez, making his return from shoulder surgery, was the next best Hond🦂a rꦿider, in twelfth.