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/1499843
VOLUME ISSUE MAY , P123 The first time was in the 1960s, for another timeless rac- ing genius, Mike Hailwood. Nar- rowly defeated on Honda's first 500 by Agostini's MV in 1966 and 1967. Mike dubbed the fast but clumsy bike a camel. Honda quit GPs at the end of 1967, banning Mike from the championship, but allow - ing him to contest big-money international races. During 1967 he'd already commissioned and tested a Colin Lyster frame. For 1968 came a chassis by Ken Sprayson, using Reynolds 531 tubing, for two early-season races in Italy. He won one, and was second in the other, after falling and remounting. He never raced the 500 Honda again. That was unofficial. The fac - tory went shopping on their own account in 1980, the second year of the doomed but still marvelous attempt to beat the pesky two-strokes with the am- bitious 20,000-rpm oval-piston NR500. The first monocoque "clamshell" monocoque chas- sis was an awkward failure, so again British technology was sought, this time from Ron Wil- liams of Maxton. Good handling couldn't over- come the ultra-complex bike's other shortcomings. So, to 2023, and to German engineers. The Kalex chassis appeared first in post-Jerez tests, and again at the next race at Le Mans, where a stupendous effort by Marquez came within a lap-and-a-half of a podium. Too soon to hail a breakthrough, too late to offer title chances this year. But encouraging all the same. Having scrutinized how Ya - maha's difficulties have under- mined their superhuman star Quartararo a fortnight ago and watching as the trend continued in the French GP, I don't want to labor the point. His struggles are painful. His ability to qualify well has gone, and his struggles in mid-pack off the line have seen more prangs than passes, race after race ruined. The rider's comments have also become familiar over the past year and more. He ex - plains that while the Yamaha has improved, the others have improved more. And that having to over-ride a bike lacking accel- eration has overcome its strong point of corner stability. So, let's rather return to the question of Freddie Spencer's Stewards Panel, who's special by-invitation visit to the Le Mans riders' safety meeting did noth - ing to reverse the growing cho- rus of complaint. Inconsistent penalties and a lack of trans- parency were the complaints; the response answered neither. Nor a third one, about pettifog- ging rules interfering with race results. The panel would examine every single collision and then use its judgement for appropri - ate sanctions, riders were told. Every touch, no matter how inadvertent or innocuous, would be likely to attract a penalty. With no further explanation necessary. The panel will exer - cise its judgement, and it is not to be questioned. Conversely, however, they are not prepared to exercise judge - ment in another matter, which frequently affects race results, and often clearly unfairly. In this case, electronics take over from humanity. This is the automatic "Lose One Place" sanction for exceed - ing track limits on the last lap, nowadays even by a millimeter, thanks to electronic monitoring equipment. The penalty applies whether or not the rider gained any advantage. And in a tight battle it's easy to stray unintentionally, more often by force of circum - stances than by intention. Surely this is an area where considered judgement would be valuable. Or are the stewards deter- mined to make fools out of heroes, at the risk of the same thing happening to them? CN Every touch, no matter how inadvertent or innocuous, would be likely to attract a penalty.