Hayden impressed by new Indy layout

The circuit, which will host its first MotoGP race in September, has a new configuration, different to the one used for Formula One since 2000.

The bikes will also go in the opposite direction.

"When I saw the track map, I looked at the map and some pictures on the Internet, but I didn't realize how quick the front straightaway is," said Hayden, who inaugurated that track on an vintage Indian bike.

"Definitely it's going to be a long straight there, going to need some ponies. My initial impression was great.

"I didn't really see any concerns. You know, Turn 1 is a little bit probably, I would say, the sketchiest place, but the rest looked like more than enough run-off. The first bit, the track is brand new, so it's really slippery. But in the back where the Formula One was going, the surface felt quite a lot of grip.

"I'll be excited to get the GP bike out there, and you can feel a lot more on that bike than a street bike, so we'll see."

He added: "I imagined it being big, but I didn't imagine the whole Speedway and just the grandstands and just the golf course, everything being so huge, you know. I mean, definitely was even for me.

"I've been to speedways and been to a lot of tracks, but just the size of this place is enormous and got to go around the course in a car and, you know, was excited to be here and be a part of it."

The American also rode a Honda CBR1000 production bike around the 2.620-mile circuit and was impressed by how fast the track is.

The Repsol Honda rider reckons the MotoGP bikes will reach 200 mph when they race there.

"It's fast," said Hayden. "You know, that's definitely coming down in there quite so fast is just the one where your eyes open up the biggest and the walls are a little bit close, so I would say mainly just from the speed. You know, that's going to be, I would say, a big overtaking place.

"And the slipstream will be really important in this race, especially 125 and 250, but I would say there will be a lot of overtaking going into Turn 1. So it will be important to get off the last corner well. That's quite maybe the most technical little corner on the track. So, yeah.

"I'm not exactly sure what the speed was today. I don't know, maybe 150, 160. But, you know, our GP bikes will be doing 200 miles an hour down in there. So, yeah, we'll be moving pretty quick. I would say the last corner will be maybe the slowest corner, and then the front straightaway obviously will be the quickest. Also the Turn 5 will be a quick corner. It's fast.