Much improved motors for Honda and Suzuki. Comments by some of the riders say they are now able to accelerate with the Ducatis! More manageable power characteristics mean a LOT when considering lap times. Back in the 70s when Yoshimura was a factor in US road racing I recall reading a short article about the various stages of race tune they offered. Stage 1 was basically a finely tuned street stock, stage 2 was cams and exhaust, stage 3 was a deeper dig into the motor and stage 4 was the "ultimate" race tune and produced the most power. The odd thing was the stage 4 was not the fastest around the track because it was too difficult to manage. This is much of what Honda has experienced over the past couple years with the factory providing an engine with MORE power but it was not as usable as the previous issue motor.
I have ridden bikes with that extreme state of tune and can say from my experience they will wear you out quickly. They can go fast but it is sooo much work to keep them on line and on the track. Very difficult to keep that up for the 40 odd minutes that a race takes. Because of this I look to see the Suzuki team to do fairly well compared to where it has been.
I suspect that Jorge Lorenzo could win the championship if he were on the Suzuki because it would suit his smooth style and it has more power this season. More money at Ducati, and I suspect Vinales went to Yamaha for the same reason. What would be more important for one season; winning the championship, or getting paid more now?
Oh, this is delicious, savoring the possibilities and watching the 'ground shift' as technical developments evolve and players change seats.
