Repsol Honda Launch

http://www.motomatters.com/news/2010/03/15..._and_video.html

Looking at Dovi's bike compared to Dani's bike there are a couple of big differences.

1) The tank on Dani's bike is chopped down so it is significantly shorter.

2) The cowl on Dani's bike is significantly longer.

Both of these differences push Dani a lot further forward than Dovi on the bike. I wonder how much this different placement of the rider impacts the setup of the bikes on race weekend and therefore usefulness of data between the riders but also from a development point of view. I would imagine that the bike is developed around the rider being located within a specific range of the centre of gravity. Could this be the reason why Dovi is happier than Dani with the chassis dynamics because he is located within the range that the bike was developed around?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TP70 @ Mar 15 2010, 04:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>http://www.motomatters.com/news/2010/03/15..._and_video.html

Looking at Dovi's bike compared to Dani's bike there are a couple of big differences.

1) The tank on Dani's bike is chopped down so it is significantly shorter.

2) The cowl on Dani's bike is significantly longer.

Both of these differences push Dani a lot further forward than Dovi on the bike. I wonder how much this different placement of the rider impacts the setup of the bikes on race weekend and therefore usefulness of data between the riders but also from a development point of view. I would imagine that the bike is developed around the rider being located within a specific range of the centre of gravity. Could this be the reason why Dovi is happier than Dani with the chassis dynamics because he is located within the range that the bike was developed around?

Couldn't they also add or lose weight (front, back, upwards, etc.) to achive that specific range?

I know it’s an old joke, but… Pedrosa hasn’t lost the kids seat?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (VHMP01 @ Mar 16 2010, 10:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Couldn't they also add or lose weight (front, back, upwards, etc.) to achive that specific range?

I guess so but a riders weight is very dynamic unlike added weight which is static. My thoughts are that these bikes are so finely balanced that surely there must be some compromises. If we look back at the Pedro / Hayden era I think it is easy to argue that the all the compromises were made by Hayden. Who is compromising now?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TP70 @ Mar 15 2010, 07:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I guess so but a riders weight is very dynamic unlike added weight which is static. My thoughts are that these bikes are so finely balanced that surely there must be some compromises. If we look back at the Pedro / Hayden era I think it is easy to argue that the all the compromises were made by Hayden. Who is compromising now?

I hope Pedrosa after 4 years of getting it all his way, with Spain's Repsol (& a bit Dorna) backing it up, with less than expected results!