Chatter issues still affecting Honda in Qatar MotoGP practice

Stoner was quickest, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo's Yamaha, while his team-mate Dani Pedrosa was back in fifth.

"We started this evening with huge chatter issues and I was a little afraid we couldn't fix this but after a few more exits we managed to reduce it to a more comfortable level," said Stoner. "This is a positive point for the weekend but with such a short session and then nothing until tomorrow it's slightly strange.

"It was an OK start tonight, we finished quickest which is good but we'll have to wait until tomorrow for some real track time and with the conditions a little better and see where we are."

Pedrosa felt he just had to adapt his riding and set-up to handle the chatter problem.

"There are some corners where we are struggling a lot with the chattering, especially in the area where you slide more, but it's like this and we will need to adapt the best we can," he said.

"On my first exit I had an issue with the tyres and I had to stop in the garage; I felt a vibration in the wheels, so we decided to change both tyres. I lost some time there and at the end of the practice I went wide twice.

"Anyway, it's been good to go out there and get the feeling back at this track after a long time without riding here. Tomorrow, with two practice sessions, we will start working more with the chassis and electronics to improve and prepare for the race."