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Honda’s new ‘big bang’ firing configuration
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Still lacking in corner exit speed
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More work needed of the RC213V
With the move from the conventional ‘screamer’ engine to a more update ‘big bang’ engine firing order, the boys over and Repsol Honda are still haunted with the issues they have been struggling with for the past two seasons. When Marc Marquez was asked about the new engine configuration, he stated that the problem is still present even with the new engine.
As we all know, Marc Marquez won the MotoGP championship last year. Although being crowned MotoGP world champion was a great achievement, Marquez was still far from happy with the performance of his Honda RC213V. The main struggle he was facing was corner exit speed. The problem was much more visible on the other side of the garage where his team mate was constantly at the back of the field. We are of course referring to Dani Pedrosa.
It was clear that Marquez won the championship not through the bike’s fast pace but his content riding style and consistency on the bike. Although most of us would be happy with the result, Marquez felt as if he was being held back with the bike provided by Honda.
During the recent Sepang winter test a few days back, Marc Marquez actually set the second fastest time in Day 3, just a fraction of a second behind Movistar Yamaha’s latest acquisition, Maverick Vinales. Dani Pedrosa also did quite well, finishing at P4 with a time of 1:59:578, just 0.072 seconds behind Marquez.
It is clear that the latest version of the RC213V is still quite competitive but Marquez reckoned that his can run a faster pace if the corner speed issue can be solved ahead of the season’s opening race in Qatar. Marquez also stated that the new engine firing order has much potential and if the issue can be solved before the season starts, we might be able to see him dominate as he did in 2014.
The upcoming pre-season test will be on February 15th, 2017 where the boys and other MotoGP teams will try to raise the benchmark at the second testing session over at Phillip Island, Australia. Stay tuned to Bikes Republic for more MotoGP updates.
