Shame on Honda: Open Class MotoGP Bikes

[CB4ME_imp]

This is a bit disappointing.......

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2014/02/a...o-failure/

Yamaha and Ducati open class riders get full factory spec machines, while:

Honda took a very different approach by building and developing an entirely different, lower spec bike for the Open category featuring traditional valve springs, standard gearbox, lower spec engine and lower spec suspension. Nakamoto also stated that “secrets” inside the full factory Repsol engines would not be shared with the Open class teams.

[redbirds_imp]

This is a bit disappointing.......

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2014/02/a...o-failure/

Yamaha and Ducati open class riders get full factory spec machines, while:

Honda took a very different approach by building and developing an entirely different, lower spec bike for the Open category featuring traditional valve springs, standard gearbox, lower spec engine and lower spec suspension. Nakamoto also stated that “secrets” inside the full factory Repsol engines would not be shared with the Open class teams.

Not quite. Yamaha will supply motors but the buyers will supply the chassis. Honda is supplying a complete race bike that was tested by Casey Stoner. If they had supplied the same motor with it's pneumatic valve springs no team could have afforded the price of entry and Honda probably does not want prying eyes on that technology. The Honda Satellite teams will receive the same basic bike that Pedrosa and Marquez ride just as the Tech 3 Yamaha satellite team is equipped with a reasonable copy of the bikes that Rossi and Lorenzo ride. Ducati will probably enter the season at less than full factory status which will allow their riders to have a greater fuel supply than the full factory bikes. Their bikes will also be required to run a race spec ECU rather than customized factory electronic controls. The rules are so complicated and the non-factory teams weigh the cost and performance advantages when they decide which route to take.

[thumper_imp]

Not only is Honda saving some of their proprietary secrets for the full-factory bikes, but I'm guessing the mechanical differences also provide a lower-cost bike to the customers.

I can't imagine the price tag you'd see for a full-factory Honda racer!

[redbirds_imp]

How about $1.6 million for the customer bike. I can only imagine the price of the bike Marquez rides.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/11/21/201...ew-photos/

After reading about the dismal results during the initial Sepang tests, Honda needs to rethink their non factory racer. The Yamahas were much faster with their full factory race spec engine.

[thumper_imp]

How about $1.6 million for the customer bike. I can only imagine the price of the bike Marquez rides.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/11/21/201...ew-photos/

After reading about the dismal results during the initial Sepang tests, Honda needs to rethink their non factory racer. The Yamahas were much faster with their full factory race spec engine.

We'll never know, but the last speculation I heard from one of the sites was $5--6 million per bike.

[CB4ME_imp]

How about $1.6 million for the customer bike. I can only imagine the price of the bike Marquez rides.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/11/21/201...ew-photos/

After reading about the dismal results during the initial Sepang tests, Honda needs to rethink their non factory racer. The Yamahas were much faster with their full factory race spec engine.

Wow - thanks for the link and all the good info. The Motorcycle Daily article made it sound like Honda open class riders would be hopelessly disadvantaged this season.

[the Ferret]

Casey Stoner tested these units and ran within a couple tenths of his GP racer. Wonder what changed?

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/c...ion-racer/

Good point Thumper on the price of one of these units vs the full factory units, plus Honda is not going to let private teams inside the motors on their ultimate GP weapons.

[redbirds_imp]

Casey Stoner tested these units and ran within a couple tenths of his GP racer. Wonder what changed?

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/c...ion-racer/

Good point Thumper on the price of one of these units vs the full factory units, plus Honda is not going to let private teams inside the motors on their ultimate GP weapons.

Stoner was also the only rider that could tame the Ducati and win races with it. The fact that even the great Rossi could not win on the Duc speaks volumes to the ability of Stoner to make even second rate bikes fast. Too bad he retired while at the top of his game for I would surely love to see him and Marquez going head to head on their equally matched Hondas.

[the Ferret]

But the Honda test rider lapped within 1/2 second of his times on the factory bike as well. Not sure why Hayden would be 1 1/2 seconds slower than other production racers and two seconds slower than factory prototypes?

"When put next to reports that test rider Takumi Takahashi lapped half a second slower on the RCV1000R than on the RC213V, that would put Stoner’s time within a few tenths of his time on the factory bike. That would make Honda’s production racer a very competitive package."

[calamarichris_imp]

Smells like a very effective marketing campaign to me, with just the right amount of meticulously-groomed "insider details".
Shame on Honda? Nah, shame on anyone who falls for it.
When you've got the biggest pile of chips on the table, you've also got the freedom to bluff, to take risks, and even to rewrite the story after all the cards have been shown.
Shame on Honda? Nah...