On Track Off Road No. 196

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WorldSBK FULL FACTORY HONDA: CAN THEY LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?
2020 WorldSBK TALKING POINTS Honda is back! We said it twelve months ago but now it’s the real deal… When it was announced at EICMA in late 2018 that HRC would be back in WorldSBK as a full-factory effort, it set up a chain reaction of expectation. For the first time since 2002 Japan was taking an interest in winning a Superbike title. It was a massive story. It was fantastic for the series…until the opening round when suddenly it became clear this was a year of gathering data. As the season went on it became clear that the story for Honda in 2019 was “nothing to see here.” It was disappointing at the time but when the bikes rolled out in January at the Jerez test the initial buzz from EICMA came right back! The bike looks tiny, it’s got a strong engine and seems to be cutting edge at every angle. This is what HRC is all about. With lots of Japanese engineers com- ing from HRC HQ this is clearly a proving ground for them, maybe before they move to MotoGP, and the same can be said for me- chanics and crew members. They are shy on experience in Superbike racing, but maybe a clear set of eyes can be used to their advan- tage. The excitement around Honda also comes from their acquirement of Alvaro Bautista. The Spaniard won the opening 11 races of 2019 and has the tools to be a WorldSBK champion. “Compared to Ducati this is different. I was comfortable with the Ducati straight away, it was like putting on a glove because the engine character was the same as MotoGP with the V4 engine. <strong>No</strong>w I’m using an inline four and that’s different, but this is a very new project and we’re working in a good direction with the bike and evolution of the bike. We need more kilometres but Honda are working day and night in Japan.” Bautista and Leon Haslam offer a strong rider line-up with Takumi Takahashi also join- ing WorldSBK for a full season. Hiring Domi Aegerter as a full-time test rider also shows their ambitions. This project will leave no stone unturned but 2020 is likely to be an inconsistent year. The key for Honda will be to maximise their good weekends and come away from those races with podiums. When Honda puts all their chips to the centre of the table they expect to win big other- wise heads will roll. Patience might be key at the start of the campaign but it’ll wear thin very quickly if the Fireblade isn’t cutting it at the front. “This is a full factory team and it’s just like in MotoGP,” Bautista said recently. “It’s full of Japanese engineers from HRC. There’s nothing for us to be envious of because the level is high. Honda is serious and we’re supported by HRC. I’m convinced that we’ll fight for good results. Alberto Puig and Kuwata-san have been at the tests and that shows how serious they are about this project.
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MX FEATURE THE ONE TO GUN
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COMMENT
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On Track Off Road No. 196

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