MOTOGP » Honda's engine dilemma continues…

Development is ongoing and fuelled by innovation and a good budget. Honda seems to be missing one of these at the moment. Their valve spring innovation was the best in it's day and I remember it's Indy engines could not by bought but only leased to protect this technology. As RPM limits rise spring technology plus the friction it also generates has been passed by. Honda's 2008 engine should have been fully ready over six months ago if they are serious about being competitive at a factory level. If the lack of competitiveness of the 2008 engine compared to the 2007 unit is mechanical the fix could take some time. If it is electronic the fix could be quick with the right resources applied.

What I read is that Nicky is unable to make a choice, to give clear directions. That's what this little ***** Dani meant when he said leaving the '08 RCV's development in Nicky's hands was worrying.

I'm not critical od Hayden: many other great riders in the past were poor at setting up their machinery and even worse at developing it, but were still great riders. Nicky is fast and consistent, and that's already a great combination, that led him to be in the right place when Rossi had so many incidents in 2006. But he keeps on switching, hesitating, testing..

What he would need is a teammate whose settings could suit him as well, which is obviously not the case at Repsol HRC...

Honda is the biggest and most experienced bike manufacture on the grid!!!
it competes in all motor sport Fields with at least two teams, it has the biggest budget as well. and that is why i don't understand why don't they have at least two test riders every test just collecting data for the engenders!!!!
i don't think that all the test burden should be on one full time rider.
a rider should build his bike package and work to perfect it for him!!!
the motogp Field is so close that 0.1 second can win or lose a race. as you know more conferable and more familiar you are with your bike more you push to find new limits.

You could be right "WhoCares", but I'm more inclined to believe that HRC has grown too large and become inefficient. I just think that there are too many layers between the Team at the track and the Engineering folks at the factory.

SoCal

look what Yamaha did this test, they had two riders on track that tested bike/rubber combination and new parts, and let Valentino find what he needs to find to go faster.
he tested whatever he thought will make him go faster, without thinking about the development or about how other riders will feel on the same package.
and that is how i think things should work!!!

I believe Honda lost more than just Rossi when he left.....JB and his team had been helping Honda with so much during their reign of supremacy, he was an irreplaceble asset and I think now it is really starting to show !!!

What it shows is just how criticle JB was to HRC's and Yamahas recent titles....
06 does not count as rossi lost it anyway "da pressure ya know" Nicky just had to stay upright!

Interesting scenerio in 08 if Casey/Ducati win again..... The door could very well have to be flung open at HRC for a JB/rossi return leaving Yamaha to ring up KR and say waz up- pleazzzzz come home Kenny we need you!
Sort of would paint an interesting picture for the 09 season eh

I totally agree Duke... No matter how much the Aussie experts on here worship him, I don't think Rossi owes all his domination to JUST himself, even though the Aussie's constantly insist Rossi is FAR superior to Stoner, you would think they would be a little more patrotic!

I agree with the rest of the world that say Rossi has absolutely no talent, all of his 7 world titles were purely down to his bike and engineers and he had 7 years of absolutely astonishing good luck... He would be lucky to win in the intermediates class of our local track day if he were lucky. I of course always win the experts (when my head hits the pillow)...

Marty are you single? If so can I have you?

P.S.

If ANYONE seriously thinks Rossi will go back to Honda, you haven't been watching MotoGP for the last 5 ye****