Honda has been, and remains dominant in the MotoGP paddock with their RC211V. Lap times from the latest pre-season test at the Sepang track in Malaysia show the V-5 engined Honda to be well ahead of its own times from last year, with Rossi besting the 2002 pole time by 1.4 seconds and his own personal best by .9 seconds.
In the Kenny Roberts camp, the new Proton V-5 four-stroke has come to life. Early indications are that it is going to be a very good engine which should put them closer (in terms of horsepower) to the factory efforts of Honda, Yamaha, et al. The V-5 configuration would seem to be the way to go, after reviewing last year’s championship statistics.
Yet, rumors are starting to circulate that Honda may be readying a new engine configuration for future duty in MotoGP seasons. Whispers about a V-6 were barely audible, but they were heard, nonetheless. As Honda warms up for the shell game, the latest speculation is that Honda is exploring the possibility of a three-cylinder engine, most likely in a “V” configuration. After Freddie Spencer, riding a two-stroke V-3 RS500 Honda, wrested the World Championship from Kenny Roberts, who was mounted on a two-stroke V-4 Yamaha, the virtues of a lighter, more nimble (if comparatively under-powered) three-cylinder racer became clear to all who watched that year’s awesome GP season.
Aprilia’s RS Cube is an inline three-cylinder that enjoys a 10kg weight advantage (in theory, at least) to the four and five-cylinder competition. Horsepower does not seem to be an issue for the Cube, but getting to the minimum weight allowed has been. Losing weight can be a more expensive proposition for a manufacturer than making horsepower, presenting a financial situation more formidable for a smaller manufacturer (like Aprilia) than for a giant (like Honda).
If Honda decides to go the V-3 route, you shouldn’t expect Honda to have any problem making competitive horsepower, or reaching the minimum weight. Instead, expect to see Honda’s name filling most, if not all of the top spots of the finishing rostrum (even more consistently than last year). The MotoGP rule book is Honda’s playground – expect to see some more toys from them in the not too distant future.
