Honda reveals prototype chassis

By GARY MORELLO

We've seen what Yamaha has in store for its riders next year, in the all-new 2002 GP racing series, but not much else has surfaced. No Aprilia, no Suzuki - what gives?! Well, alay those fears, because now we have some tasty information on the new Honda beast.

Most of those clued in will have had prior knowledge of the five-cylinder jobbie Honda has planned to wedge into a chassis of some kind.

We actually have a few pics of a possible chassis - well, tell a lie, we have one, but it's a good one. The bike's full name will be the Honda RC211V, which will be based around the V5 engine config mentioned above.

From what we can tell, the bike is bloody small. This will be good for dwarves and highly trained monkeys, but for the Valentino's and the McCoy's?

The front end is rather sexy, with an extruded nose and the rear gets a sexy (and pointy) new duck-tail. Perhaps it's reduces the drag co-efficient?

Anyway, the new bike looks very nice and will no doubt spawn a whole host of race replica, after-market farings because if the bike was available through Honda - to buyers - it wouldn't be a prototype any more. Honda is recognised as the one of the world's leaders in engine development and we expect the new RC211V to be the next logical step in Honda's complete and utter domination of the world.

We should get more details and media streaming through our portal on the next-generation four-strokes in the coming months. We can't wait to see what Suzuki have planned, though the rumour mill does suggest that the GSX-R1000 could well be the basis of its new GP bike.

Yamaha we've seen, Honda we've seen - have the other's forgotten about the new rules, or are they being cagey? Hopefully the truth will reveal itself in time.