(Above) The single-sided aluminum-alloy swingann pivots In the
engine cases and the lower frame castings. Note that the pivot
point is fixed, meaning that Honda's engineers had to get the
geometry correct the first time around.
(Left) For the 2002 season the SP-2W was fitted with twin 50mm
bore Akrapovic titanium exhausts with carfJon canisters, Inste.d of
the single pipe setup that was used the previous year.
the Castrol Superbike from Oschersieben onwards. From 175 bhp at
12,000 rpm at the gearbox at the
start of the season, output increased
to 181 bhp at the same revs on the
Suzuka-spec motor, but with a similar
improvement in midrange and bottom
end power, as well as a dramatic
increase in torque readings. This was
achieved with a new design of combustion chamber, revised cylinder
head porting, and a new inlet cam
profile (exhaust camshafts were cJ""'"
__
unchanged). with the same lift bU
offering more duration, now matdaecl
to the smaller ~ Ke.ihin throttle.
bodies used In 200 1, which would
deliver better accelerl!tion than the
2mm bigger units homologated for
2002. The revised engine used the
same Crankshaft as before, the heavier.deslgn which won the bike's first
title In 2000 but was then briefly substituted at the start of 2001 for a
lighter one to get the engine spinning
faster out of turns, only to run into
reliability problems. This meant the
team reverted to the original, heavier
design. This is very durable and lasts
one whole 26-race season, though
new crankcases are required every
4000 kilometers (close to 2500
miles), and the pistons and valve
train are replaced every 2000 kilometers (about 1250 miles), and was now
6tted in 2002 Suzuka-spec fiotm wiltI
new,
,J~(~l~~
cans. This replaced the 3 bhp less
potent but more user-friendly singlepipe system adopted preViously in an
effort to Improve the power delivery
at the cost of a slight reduction in
outright numbers.-says Edw rds' Kiwi
rae-e el)gineer, Adrian Gorst.
"It definitely maki
a bit mOTe
ride Ie - Colin said
gettifig.
left off the comers by
and
we neede
