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Honda MotoGP

This is probably the most epic buy for collectors of rare bikes.

A 2016 Honda RC213V-S still in its original shipping crate is now the most expensive Japanese bike ever sold.

The street legal MotoGP replica has never been out of the crate and has just under 2 km on the odo meter. It has no signs of wear and tear or shipping damage anywhere.

Over 63 eager bidders lined up for the bike which could have resulted in the price being hiked up.

The RC213V-S is similar to the Honda RCV1000R that was raced in 2014 by the likes of Scott Redding.

The bike is powered by a 999cc liquid cooled V4 engine with an output of 215bhp.

There’s also a HRC Race Kit that turns it into a proper race machine with a supposed dry weight of just 170kg. The kit will add a further RM86,000 to the already stratospheric price of this Honda.

In the world of MotoGP, performance is key but a good partnership will enhance a lot of aspects. Together with trust to produce results, these things come together along with a high dose of faith, which is why Repsol has renewed its partnership with Honda for the next two years. (more…)

The final MotoGP pre-season testing has just concluded in Qatar where Yamaha riders seemed to dominate throughout the three days sessions. They’re well on their way to bringing the fight over to Honda, who’s currently suffering from major issues concerning their 2020 Honda RC213V. (more…)

  • Jorge Lorenzo akhirnya telah memberikan tanggapan pertamanya berkenaan dengan jentera Repsol Honda.
  • Dia telah menunggangnya sewaktu ujian pasca musim Jerez dan di Valencia pada tahun lepas.
  • Dia menyertai Marc Marquez sebagai sebahagian daripada pasukan Honda yang akan bersaing dalam kejohanan MotoGP tahun ini.

(more…)

  • Jorge Lorenzo has finally spoken about his first impressions on the Repsol Honda.

  • He rode it at the Valencia and Jerez post-season tests last year.

  • He joins Marc Marquez as part of Honda’s assault on the MotoGP championship next year.

Jorge Lorenzo says the Honda RC213V suits him better than the Ducati Desmosedici.

The five-time World Champion shocked almost everyone when he announced his switch from the Ducati MotoGP team to the Repsol Honda beginning this year. He took over Dani Pedrosa’s reins in the team after the latter announced his retirement from competitive riding.

Lorenzo has since ridden the Honda RC213V during the Valencia and Jerez post-2018 season tests. However, this was the first time he spoke out as his contract with Ducati expired at the end of 2018.

“Last season I rode a completely different bike, that was very big and very tall,” Lorenzo said. “Maybe it was a little too big for me. The Honda suits me better in terms of its dimensions. It is more compact, a smaller and lower bike, with which I can lean over better.”

“I felt a little more confident when entering corners, because the closer you are to the ground, the more confidence you have. The first impression was positive and I saw a lot of potential there.”

“In those moments your expression speaks for itself. It’s all very exciting, very new and enjoyable. Also, if the initial feeling is good, you can tell even more from your expression.”

Honda made a number of modifications to the bike for Lorenzo by the second test in Jerez.

It included a grippy fuel tank, which was similar to the changes made to the Ducati Desmosedici GP18. He won the Italian MotoGP immediately following the modification.

“One of the things that impressed me most was the ability of the Repsol Honda Team to react, providing what you ask for,” he said. “I was quite clear, Honda took note of all my indications and within a few days they had everything ready and we had a fuel tank almost one hundred percent to my liking.”

Lorenzo knows he has joined the most successful MotoGP team and looks forward to the opportunities that lay ahead of him. Indeed, the Honda team had won 15 riders’ championships, including Marc Marquez’s last year.

“Repsol Honda may be the most successful team in history,” he said. “They have the most victories and titles.”

“To compare them with a football team, they would be a Barcelona or a Real Madrid. There is no team with more titles and more importance worldwide than this one.”

The rider and his new teammate Marc Marquez are set for the first 2019 Winter Test at the Sepang International Circuit from 1stto 3rdFebruary 2019.

Source: Crash.net

  • Honda MotoGP Team admits it will be “challenging” to manage the relationship of both riders.

  • The manufacturer will also have to build a bike which suits both riders.

  • Pundits are rubbing their hands together in glee to see how it works out.

Repsol Honda MotoGP Team, like everyone else knows it when they signed Jorge Lorenzo to partner Marc Marquez. It has always been known that different riders have not only different riding styles but also different personalities. Besides that, it obviously no secret how they demand for the equipment to suit their riding styles.

There have been many times when the manufacturer builds a motorcycle which favours the No. 1 rider – he who finished the previous season in a higher position than his teammate.

Marquez and his Repsol Honda MotoGP team

As such, many MotoGP pundits are wondering how Marc Marquez and Honda will cope with Jorge Lorenzo when he moves to the team next year from Ducati.

Although the signing of Lorenzo gives Honda two MotoGP title-winning riders in the same team since Eddie Lawson partnered with Wayne Gardner in 1989, Repsol Honda MotoGP team Boss, Alberto Puig admits that it’ll be a challenge to manage the mercurial pair’s relationship.

“Of course, not easy,” he said during the press conference at the Sachsenring, “But if wanted things to be easy, probably we wouldn’t run a team at this level. It’s complicated, but it’s a challenge.”

Marquez rides a V-shaped line – from MotoGP.com

On the rationale behind signing up Lorenzo, Puig replied, “The understanding is that the team wants to have the best riders, this is the principle. The possibility to sign him up was there and we took it. For Honda it’s important to prepare the best bikes we can and give them to the riders that are faster.”

Speaking about the “best bikes,” Honda will have their hands full in building a bike that suits the riding styles of both riders. Marquez rides a “V-shaped” line: Brakes late, snaps the bike over at the apex and stands it back up early, using the engine’s power to blast away. Lorenzo’s style is the opposite: He uses the traditional “long arc” of braking early and carrying more corner speed, hence he needs the most stability at the turn in and most lean angle.

Jorge Lorenzo carries more corner speed hence needs lots of lean angle – from MotoGP.com

“We don’t know Jorge, which kind of machine he wants,” said Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) General Manager Tetshuhiro Kuwata, “But of course we will try to adapt to his requirements. And also Marc has a lot of requests to us, and we try to achieve this.”

Kuwata-San rubbished claims that the current RC213V is developed entirely around Marc Marquez’s needs, “Now we are developing for Marc and also for Dani. It’s not only for one rider. So we will continue the same way next year.”

  • Though not yet confirmed by Honda as yet, reports suggest that Lorenzo has signed with Honda for two years.
  • Deal supposedly worth 4 million Euros a year was signed before Lorenzo’s maiden win with Ducati. 
  • Earlier reported Yamaha satellite team supposedly to go ahead without Lorenzo. 

After weeks of speculation and rumours about the future of Jorge Lorenzo, the hammer has dropped and it is officially official, the triple motogp world champion will be joining the Honda MotoGP works team.

While Malaysians slept, the wheels of negotiation were turning through the night and though this was supposedly done before Lorenzo secured his first win with Ducati, it seems like the Japanese manufacturer has secured the services of Lorenzo for at least two years.

Just hours after announcing that Pedrosa will be dropped from the team for 2019, the news bout Lorenzo joining Honda broke. And though Honda has not officially announced it as yet, but sources out of Europe are confirming it as true. The agreement between rider and team is reported to be at about 4 million Euros a year.

There are also rumours that Lorenzo was not the first choice for the team, but as other top riders like Johan Marco, Andrea Dovizioso and even Joan Mir of Moto2 all signing for other teams, the choice was obvious. The only other top rider that was available was Lorenzo and the choice was clear.

Earlier rumours about Lorenzo signing for a satellite Yamaha team in 2019 were supposedly true, read our report here, but no current team has been firmed up as a satellite Yamaha team for 2019. The project was backed by Petronas and Monster, and again reports suggest that the team could still happen, probably lead by Marc VDS Honda’s Franco Morbidelli.

More news as it develops.

  • Dani Pedrosa has been racing for the works Honda MotoGP team since 2006. 
  • He has always been a strong contender, but a dip in form and performance has fuelled criticism. 
  • Honda has confirmed that it has informed Dani that his contract will not be renewed for 2019. 
  • But who will replace him? Some say Jorge Lorenzo?

It is officially official, the works Honda MotoGP team has informed its long time rider Dani Pedrosa that his contract will not be renewed for 2019.

Some say the writing was already on the wall considering his poor start to the 2018 season where Dani currently sits 12th in the championship while his teammate Marc Marquez leads it.

Though not exactly shocking, the news is as sad as it comes considering Dani has only ever raced for Honda powered machinery throughout his race career. He won the 2003 125cc title as well as the 2004 and 2005 250cc titles with Honda. Dani has been with the HRC MotoGP team since 2006.

There is no immediate news on his replacement as yet, but there are some whispers about Honda poaching Jorge Lorenzo. That seems unlikely since the Spaniard, whose contract with Ducati is coming to an end at the end of this season, looks set to be joining a Petronas and Yamaha backed satellite team.

But the temptation of racing on a bike that has proven to be nearly unbeatable in the right hands for the past few seasons may prove to be too much. Never say never.

Retired MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has left the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) to re-join the Ducati team as a test-rider and brand ambassador.

The move was officially announced recently and sees the Australian reconnecting with the team that granted him his first MotoGP world champion’s title back in 2007.

Stoner’s move away from HRC test-riding duties was long rumoured in the past few months, but both the Australian and HRC opted to officially announce his departure sometime just last week. In the process, the folks at HRC also stated their thanks and gratitude towards Stoner and his contributions over the last few years as a HRC test-rider.

2-Stoner_Qatar_2007

After retiring from MotoGP in 2012, Stoner continued as a test-rider for HRC, but only rode sporadically since then, spending no more than a couple of days annually astride a Honda GP bike. Sources report that the move was made for two reasons, the first of which being the fact that the Australian kept good ties with the Italian team even after leaving it for HRC and secondly was the timely arrival of Gigi Dall’Igna as the head of Ducati Corse that made a return to Ducati even more attractive.

Presently, Ducati confirmed that Stoner will mainly focus on private tests and not riding in any of the official 2016 pre-season test sessions in Sepang, Phillip Island or Qatar. Whilst the prospect of Stoner returning on-track astride a Ducati GP bike for a wildcard outing appears to be slim, Ducati fans can instead rejoice at the fact he will be reappearing at next year’s World Ducati Week 2016 festivities in Bologna, Italy.

Sources: Asphaltandrubber and Visordown

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