The Spaniard was riding two 2009 RC212V prototype bikes, while Repsol Honda teammate Andre Dovizioso ran back-to-back tests between a 2009 prototype and a 2008 spec RCV.
Pedrosa was the only rider to lap the Spanish track in less than one minute and 40 seconds, on a cold and windy day.
"They resurfaced the whole track in August and the new asphalt is very grippy and smooth, so I was able to do some good laptimes despite the cold temperatures and the strong winds which we had to deal with," said Pedrosa.
"Today we focused mainly on the engine, but the low temperatures meant that we started quite late this morning and stopped quite early this afternoon, so I need another day of testing to give a better evaluation of the latest engine configuration which is quite different from before.
"We also did some work on electronics, working to improve corner-entry performance and so on, but I think we need some more time on the motorcycle to really understand this latest engine configuration."
World champion Valentino Rossi was second quickest, albeit more than half a second behind Pedrosa.
Rossi was also using two bikes during the day, working with the 2008 and the 2009 prototype machines.
"I am happy about this first day because my performance has been good from the beginning and I have been fast all day," Rossi said. "Unfortunately it's been quite cold and there was only three hours when it was possible to go fast, but we were able to get quite a lot of work done in this short space of time.
"We have tried some different things on the old 2008 bike and we were able to make some improvements and then we also tested several new things on the prototype bike, and I am happy because I did my fastest lap with this bike. Bridgestone have brought good tyres here; so far I don't see any problems with the new rule and it seems they're doing a good job."
Teammate Jorge Lorenzo was third quickest ahead of Colin Edwards, also riding a Yamaha. Alex de Angelis completed the top five on the San Carlo Honda Gresini bike.
Nicky Hayden was the only works Ducati rider on track as Casey Stoner continues his recovery following the surgery on his wrist.
Hayden finished down in 10th position, but was still pleased with his day's work.
"It has been nice to get back on the bike and get on with the job in decent conditions," said Hayden. "The new surface is perfect, the bumps have disappeared and the grip improved with every lap. They've done a great job here at Jerez. I'm quite happy with my feeling with the bike.
"The laptimes came down with virtually every outing and that's positive, even though I'm still clearly a good way off the pace. We've got a lot of work ahead but the team is really close and we know that bike has the potential, so all we can do is keep working.
"Both tyre specs that we tried today worked well, although the softer one was obviously the preferable option in these temperatures. They've got no problem in terms of durability and I'm slowly starting to get used to the feeling the Bridgestones give back. Hopefully the good weather continues tomorrow."
The test resumes today. Pos Rider Team Time Laps 1. Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda 1:39.525 41 2. Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha 1:40.135 39 3. Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha 1:41.163 51 4. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 1:41.390 49 5. Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:41.468 53 6. James Toseland Tech 3 Yamaha 1:41.539 50 7. Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda 1:41.655 48 8. Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:41.679 74 9. Niccolo Canepa Alice Team Ducati 1:42.074 50 10. Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro 1:42.098 69 11. Mika Kallio Alice Team Ducati 1:42.837 58 12. Sete Gibernau Onde 2000 Ducati 1:42.943 40 13. Vittoriano Guareschi Ducati 1:43.642 36 14. Yuki Takahashi Scot Racing Honda 1:44.360 64
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