Here you have it... Pata Honda World Superbike team has announced that it will retain the services of its current line-up for 2014. A little surprisingly, Jonathan Rea will remain with the team for a seventh year and joins Leon Haslam in the snack-powered team. Rumours of an all-new ‘Blade may have sweetened the deal after J-Rea couldn’t get a MotoGP ride. Both riders have endured a tough season with torrid injuries. Rea, fresh from welcoming his first sprog into the world, is currently recuperating from a badly broken and is optimistic about the possibility of riding his Honda again before then end of the year. Meanwhile, Haslam has been affected by a broken leg he sustained at Assen in April. Rumours of an All New Blade??
So it wasn't necessarilly that he was pushing 110% Alex Lowes doesn't seem to be suffering with an underpowered blade either I know it's probably not the absolute fastest out there, but I think Dave is doing it a bit of injustice
The rules for WSB and BSB allow for different levels of tuning tho! There is a difference of around £40-50k more to build a WSB setup than a BSB setup! The higher rates of tuning involved in WSB allow more out of the engines remember the blades had the same engine since 08 where as the other manufacturers have had new engines build which allow for more power. The blade has been a great all round package for many years and its a credit to what Honda built in 08 but it lacks in its engine power at WSB level against its competitors! This speed deficit is obvious watching the bikes on any long straights at most circuits.
True, but the platform is the same. The bike plus the factory kit. Anything else is pretty much down to the individual teams and their respective wallets. fast and slow can be compared to Moto gp. The honda is faster for sure, but it doesn't mean the yam is not competative. Johnny and Leon are good riders, but have never actually won a title. looking at DNF'sd as statistics don't paint the whole picture either, as there are numerous reasons for that including oil slicks. Factoring in BSB and road racing the blade is a very effective platform. Now I do agree it's not the fastest out there and maybe lacks a little next to some. It is probably due an update too, but we all know these bikes are far from what we ride down the A444 or wherever but to dismiss it entirely is a bit short sighted to my eyes. An opinion and each will have there own, but saying it's the outright slowest when it can still post wins and results across multiple race series isn't exactly true. I'll bow out now though as some will never be convinced lol
I just read another site stating that they will be riding a new honda V4 next season??????? I'm dubious as surely the RCV will be a V5 in line with the Moto GP bike…...
In that case either the RCV is a V4 or there is something else in the pipeline. Whatever it is, it will have to be at least a limited production model for homologation rules. This would mean it would have to be on the market prior to registration for the series. My money would be on the RCV in that scenario
Not read anything with regards to the Honda WSB team getting V5 models but as long as Honda meet the production numbers to qualify its certainly possible that they can race the RCV depending on if WSB rules in regs allow it in same class!
