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/1456050
That's why there is the con- structors' championship. And why it's worth noting how the past decades, since the advent of MotoGP four-strokes, the landscape has changed. In the dim and distant past, this title went first to AJS then twice to Norton but became an Italian playground for Gilera and then MV Agusta, right up until 1973, with a single interlude for Honda in 1966. Between 1974 and 2020, with just one exception, the title was in a Japanese stranglehold. Yamaha had it for two years, Su- zuki for seven, and then latterly Yamaha and Honda had control. That single aberration came in 2007, first year of 800cc Mo- toGP bikes, when Casey Ston- er's inspired riding, and Ducati's clever electronic tactics in saving newly restricted fuel, stole it for once. Then it was back to Honda and/or Yamaha. Until 2021, when Ducati won it once more, fair and square. Europe fights back! This win was more significant than in 2007, thanks also to other factors—the arrival of two more European factories, in- creasingly at the sharp end of a contest that has become closer than ever in racing history. There is the growing strength of KTM, a few hiccups last year notwithstanding. The other factor emerged only in February this year, in pre-season testing—a quite unexpected pre-eminence of Aprilia. W hen Valentino Rossi turned his back on unappreciative Honda to join underdogs Yamaha back at the end of 2003, it was to prove a point—that it was the rider that made the difference, not the bike. He succeeded, winning the first race of 2004 as well as the championship. Though not with- out a major technical upgrade by Yamaha that introduced the transformative cross-plane crank engine in a completely revised chassis. And the success rang loud with the fans. It's the rider that matters. Especially when that rider is as lovable as Valentino. Back in the factory board- rooms and in the world of hard- core motorcycle technophobes, there's another way of looking at it. The rider is important, obvi- ously. Racing wouldn't be much fun without them. But they are only part of the deal. P130 CN III IN THE PADDOCK BY MICHAEL SCOTT EUROPEAN MACHINERY FIGHTS BACK Against them, a revived Honda has the best chance of regaining honors for Japan.