European editor Alan Cathcart managed to wedge himself aboard 250cc
World Champion Danl Pedrosa's '04 Honda RS250R-W, and he came away
impressed with the machine's flexible power delivery and nimble handling.
Elias and Rolfo actually switching back to the earlier Pedrosa frame, on
the grounds it was quicker-steering and more agile, even if grip out of
turns wasn't so good. And as if to prove Pedrosa had been right all along,
Elias promptly won the next race in Portugal with the supposedly obsolete chassis! Underlining this, wildcard rider Yuki Takahashi turned out for
the next GP on Honda's home ground in Motegi, riding an interesting
special: Rolfo's 2D03 chassis fitted with a 2004-spec works Honda engine.
He finished fifth, not only in front of Rolfo but also ahead of Aoyama on
the 2004 chassised-bike.
Even so, Pedrosa clinched the World title in Australia with one race to
spare, still riding the same mini-moto he started the season with, so perfectly adapted to his diminutive frame that watching him battle with the
bigger Sebastian Porto on the taller, wider Aprilia to earn a hometown
victory in the final GP at Valencia, the Telef6nica Honda seemed more of
a I75cc GP contender than a 250. Interestingly, as a final irony in a year
where weight was such an issue in the 250cc class, his Japanese teammate
Aoyama - still riding the Evo bike with a reversed-operation rear shock was disqualified from third place at Valencia when his works Honda was
found to be 1.5 kg (3.3 Ibs.) under the IDO-kg (220A6-lb.) weight limit at
the end of the race.
I have to admit I was looking forward with mixed feelings to the
chance to test Pedrosa's World title-winning R5250R-W at Jerez three
weeks later; 250cc GP bikes are so much fun to ride, but you have to fit
on them first, and weighing up the Pedrosa Honda in pit lane at Valencia,
it looked more like a 125 on steroids than a "proper" 250. Exactly one
year earlier, also at Jerez, when I'd ridden the works Aprilia of Pedrosa's
predecessor as 250cc World Champion, Poggiali, I'd found that thanks to
