If you read our analysis of the MotoGP 800s, you already know that they are quite quick, despite their early stage of development. It is interesting to note that Suzuki, which consistently struggled to develop a competitive 990cc MotoGP bike, has one of the quickest 800s.
Suzuki also appears to have less development with its 800 machine than some of its competitors — utilizing essentially the same chassis that housed the 990cc engine. By dropping displacement 190cc, and utilizing less power, Suzuki went roughly 1 second quicker in testing this week at Malaysia than it had ever gone with its 990cc bike! Basically, Suzuki, with riders John Hopkins and Chris Vermuelen, had the rest of the field covered during the Malaysian test by a considerable margin. Although Valentino Rossi skipped this test, several top riders, including newly-crowned MotoGP champ Nicky Hayden, participated. Hayden was the quickest Honda, but he was nearly 2 seconds off the pace set by Hopkins on his Suzuki.
