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/127665
ing ou t full d e ta ils . They reveal that though the bike looks different, it is still highly evolutionary, with only detail changes to the twin-erank V-four engine since last year. The new chassis is half-and-half. Following the usual twin-beam pattern, the front section incorporating the steering head and the "top tubes" is a carbonfiber fabrication, internally braced. On the rear part of the chassis, the "downtubes" are aluminium, the two halves being bonded and boIted together. Basic geometry, however, is closely based on last year's machinery. The rear swingarm is also changed. It is still of carbon-fiber, but is of a much deeper section than last year. The an ti-d ive is basically sim ilar to the old mechanical sys tems whe re the brak e calipe r was mou nted on a trailing link from the front wheel hub, with the rear of the link connected to the top of the forks. But Cag iva's system is more complex. The first trailing link operates on a second, much shorter trailing link, also on the bottom (sliding) section of the forks, which is then connected to the to p of the forks . This introduces variable-rate geometry as well as the opportunity to adjust response by changing the short link. While both John Kocinski and Doug Chand ler have tested it, only Chandler has s tuck with the system which, he says, mainly slows the initial dive under braking, and as a result helps to keep the rear wheel on the ground. Cagiva's mysteries include fuel injection and traction control. They deny that they ha ve either of these electronic aid s at the tracks, but speculation is r ife among ot her teams, who wonder w hy Kocinski's section times on the exit from .the last comers at Eastern Creek were so fast when his terminal speed was not. HONDA Officially, the new NSRs are exactly the same as th e old ones, except for minor de tails. There have been no significan t changes either to en gi ne or chassis say official sources. Off-season development has concentrated on d eveloping the package that they ha d at the end of last year, which was in tum a revival of the first incarnation of the Big Bang motor in 1992. This is co nfirmed b y to p rider Doohan, at whose behest the older-spec an d torquier mot o r was ta ken out of mo thballs later las t year to replace the more rev-hungry engine preferred by Wayne Gardner. Honda's NSR is now a mature bike, with its design parameters well-establis hed, from the extruded H-section chassis memb ers to the unique singlecrankshaft engine - a design much criticized in the past, but finally vindicated in Big-Bang close-firing-order mode. Such minor chassis changes as there have been, combined with the new tires, have, however, put all the riders into suspension difficulties which are quite new. This, if nothing else, is an illustration of how finely balanced things are at the ou ter limits of racing. After the third round; HRC held special tests for new suspension parts designed to soften the ride withou t let tin g the bike get all squirrelly. Hon da's big ne w s re mains their uniqu e elec t ro nically p ro g ram m ab le fue l-injection sys tem, but tha t is ou t of racing, until Mk2 arri ves, probably next year. It is rath er su rprising that fuel injection is not more widely used by Honda , since this should be a major weapon in coping with the power losses expected from the new lower-octane fuel. The fact Stanton laRocco Emlg Henry Kiedrowski McGrath Lamson Lusk Renyaid Swink Craig Lawrence Sunday: 1p.m. Adults $15 Children $ 5 NoSellouts For all advance tickets, subtract $5.00 from Gate Price and please indicate which tickets you want! Indude a sen·address stamped envelope, all orders must be post·mar1ted 10 days prior to the National or Grand Prix race date. SAVE $5.00 ON ALL ADVANCE TICKETS PRICES AND RA CE SCHEDULE S ARE THE SAME FOR TH E 80TH NATI ONAL A ND GRA ND PRIX WEEK ENDS