Cycle News

Cycle News 2019 Issue 10 March 12

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1091680

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 123 of 125

VOL. 56 ISSUE 10 MARCH 12, 2019 P123 600cc production engines in racing chassis, and nor would there be any competition be- tween factory engines (as in World 600cc Supersport). Everybody was supplied with Honda CBR600 engines, all as identical as they could be made. Having alternately despised and despaired of Moto2 (I invented the tag "a graveyard of talent" which gained fairly wide currency in the paddock), I have the highest hopes for the new Triumphs. I think that "graveyard" phrase expresses correctly that it was the riders I felt sorry for. What had they done—as they moved up the ladder of GP ambition—to deserve this? The racing may have been close at times, especially (ironi- cally enough) in its last years, which were particularly rich in strong riders. But even at its best it was still sadly lacking, because so were the bikes. Overweight, over-tired (as in rubber) and un- derpowered, the Moto2 Hondas had only one thing in their favor. They were desperately reliable. And why not? In lower tune than World Supersport, and based on an antiquated design with many, many millions of well- thrashed road miles behind it, they were bullet-proof even for the most ham-fisted. The shortcomings were differ- ent, and part of that heritage. Like road gearing: first too low, the rest too far apart. No choice of variation—every rider tackling every corner at the same revs in the same gear, making the same shriek. And electronics. Or lack of them. Granted, wheelspin was never going to be a problem, es- pecially on those big fat Dunlop slicks, controlled by sophisti- cated racing chassis and sus- pension. But the lack of control over engine braking made every corner entry into a sideways slither. Spectacular, yes. But so, so samey. I mean, this is grand prix road racing, not oval dirt track. There's supposed to be more than one way to express your- self. Then the lack of power. Ac- companied by a loud yet some- how still feeble piping, riders followed each other down the straights, unable to draft and overtake. A clever way of secur- ing a faster corner exit would have helped. But there was only the one way to go around it. Regular winners had to have extraordinary skills to over- come these drawbacks, but it remained disheartening. Rins, Vinales and now Mir got out as soon as they could. The new Triumph Triple era has begun, and a major upgrade in the soundtrack is just the start. The ratios remain fixed, but a close-ratio gearbox with a high first offers chances for overall variety. Engine braking electronics are part of the new package, so corner entries can be sideways, or not. The rider can choose, depending on circumstances. They'll actually be able to out- brake one another. And 765cc with three cylin- ders means a big hike in torque, and with it much better throttle response. Again, it means that there is more that the rider can do. Like playing a musical instrument, more keys mean more notes and more variety. To carry the simile further, it was no coincidence that the old Honda Moto2s sounded like those mad- dening vuvuzelas of the South African football world cup. More prosaically, back to the racing, it means riders now have the options of different corner entry, different lines and different exits. As in Moto3 and MotoGP, they'll have a choice of different ways to race each other. Tests have the same guys still fastest. Likewise the opening practices at Qatar. By the time you read this, the race results will also be known. I am hopeful, however, that with more rider options, the rac- ing should be better, too. Will the Trumpets be as reli- able as the Hondas? We'll see. But, looking on the bright side, even that introduces another variable. CN

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Cycle News 2019 Issue 10 March 12