We have known for a long time that Honda's racing department is the largest of all Japanese manufacturers. And by far. But we often tend to forget this, because motorcycles are so similar from one year to the next. And our Spy Attitude » although we may detect some visible differences here and there, the bulk of the work remains well hidden from the fairings of the RC213V!
A little reminder is given to us by the interview with Takeo Yokoyama, the technical director of HRC, by the excellent Mat Oxley for Motorsportmagazine.com.
Excerpts…
Where does the extra power in the 2019 engine come from?
Takeo Yokoyama : “a little bit of everything: the intake, changing the throttle bodies and lots and lots of changes inside the engine. If you look at our 2018 cylinder head and compare it with this year's cylinder head, the difference is not huge. But there are hundreds of other little details. If you look at our parts list, you would be surprised, because almost no parts were carried over from the 2018 engine."
“Every year we try to reduce friction and we also try to get the most out of combustion. Of course, it's always difficult to gain more power everywhere, so if your goal is to gain more up top, you have to sacrifice power elsewhere. »
How many frames did you use in 2019?
“I don’t remember exactly, but somewhere between seven and ten. Sometimes we bring a framework to a test and after one or two tries it may be thrown away. Marc may have used four different chassis during the season. »
Thus, Marc Márquez tried 7 to 10 different frames, 4 of which were used in racing. We are a long way from what we observed (new frame with central air intake + carbon-reinforced frame)...
Obviously, the majority of these frames are probably very similar, probably only varying in different stiffnesses. But the figure nevertheless remains impressive, demonstrating the full power of the Tokyo giant, able to field an engine as new as it is reliable, but also a whole series of frames during the season.
Which other manufacturer can really do the same?
Between the power of Honda and the talent of Marc Márquez, the life of the challengers seems very complicated...
