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/1515845
VOLUME ISSUE FEBRUARY , P111 not for Honda and Yamaha, under the new concessions), one can only draw basic conclusions from pre-season testing. Likewise, some of the more extravagant bodywork protuber - ances might also disappear before it all kicks off in anger. How extravagant? Very. For example, some of the KTMs had sprouted letter-box bi - planes on either side of the front mudguard, leading to frenzied speculation about whether more but smaller wings offer less drag than one big one. And whether unsprung wings like these are more effective than those pio - neered by Ducati last year on the upper, sprung part of the fork leg. The answers are speculative but important. Downforce with the bike's upright cuts wheelies for better acceleration but adds drag. You need horsepower to carry it. We know the Ducati has plenty, and it appears the KTM as well. But it must be significant that Yamaha is way behind the fashion when it comes to wild bodywork. Quartararo's top speed NOT EVERYBODY LIKES THE AERO. MARC SPEAKS FOR MANY IN HIS OPPOSITION, NOT LEAST BECAUSE THEY HAVE MADE OVERTAKING HARDER AND THE RACING DULLER. was good, but without the wings. Downforce at lean is devel- oping fast: sidepieces on front hubs and the swingarm supple- ment fairing-flank shapes. Not everybody likes the aero. Marc speaks for many in his op- position, not least because they have made overtaking harder and the racing duller. "We are moving towards F1...the show was better before," he told an interviewer at Sepang. The wings shaved tenths of lap times, but "it's not notice - able to the spectators." Here are some of the new bits. One Ducati fairing com- bines a down-wash duct with a bulging fairing flank. Previously, it was either or. The ducts are said to provide side downforce at various lean angles. The bulg - ing flanks offer more downforce, but only at high lean. Several had adventurous seat designs. The Honda had an elaborate combination of stego- saurus half-upright wings with a horizontal half-wing behind; KTM, a multi-duct box contraption; Aprilia, a bulging molded shape resembling, viewed from behind, Batman. The Yamaha's simple- shaped tail looked distinctly old- fashioned in this company. They are still just motorbikes underneath it all, and there was a modicum of encouragement for the laggardly Japanese com - panies, especially given their freedom to develop engines and for unlimited testing. Yamaha is clear that the up - dated engine, the last inline-four on the grid, is an improvement in power, although Quartararo expressed concern about how far the team lags in electronics. "Years and years," he told the press at Sepang. He ended up 11th, 0.85 down; new teammate Alex Rins 16th and 1.2 seconds off the pace. No revived title challenges this year, methinks. Honda's new engine was hailed by the existing riders as a notable improvement, especially in smoother and more predict - able throttle response, as well as more power. Repsol new boy Marini has nothing to compare it with except for his Ducati of last year and he said, "The difference is quite huge." But unlike last year, all four riders immediately settled on one of the several (lighter) chassis options. Signifi - cantly, among other new staff, HRC has added Kalex founder Alex Baumgartel to the team. Aprilia was less than ready; even so, Aleix Espargaro was quick and placed fifth. KTM was up among the Duca - tis, a much stronger early-test showing compared with last year. The same rate of improve- ment will serve them well. But the Ducatis were ram- pant. Last year's bike is still good enough to win; this year's an improvement out of the box, which wasn't the case last year. Their only weakness—too many fast riders fighting each other, poaching one another's points. And one of them is Marc the Merciless. CN