MotoGP News: Marquez and Pedrosa Unveil 2015 Repsol-Honda Race Machines

February 1, 2015 — After a successful 2014 season and winter break, HRC riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa looked refreshed and eager to get 2015 underway. Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC Executive Vice-President was present in Bali, together with Team Principal Livio Suppo to introduce the riders ahead of the first test in Sepang scheduled to begin in just three days, on February 4th in Sepang, Malaysia.

The Repsol Honda Team enjoyed an incredible 2014 season winning Honda 's third Triple Crown in four years (Rider, Constructor and Team titles) and second in succession. After celebrating their 20th anniversary last season, Honda will continue their partnership with Repsol that remains the longest running sponsor-factory agreement of its kind in the history of the motorcycle World Championship.

Marc Marquez: "It's been a long and busy Winter break and now I'm really looking forward to starting the season! It's great to be able to present our new bikes in Indonesia, together with our partner Astra Honda, it's such a beautiful backdrop! It's my first time here in Bali and it's wonderful to see all the fans here and feel their enthusiasm for MotoGP. Tomorrow we leave for Malaysia, I've trained a lot during last month to prepare myself for these first two tests in Sepang and I'm excited to be with my crew again and see how the new bike is working after Valencia test!"

Dani Pedrosa: "It's been really nice, and something different to have our Team Presentation here in Bali, so thanks to Astra Honda! It never stops to amaze me how passional the fans are for our sport in this part of the World. I've had a good Winter, with a mix of relaxation and training and now I'm ready and highly motivated to get back on the bike in Sepang in a few days!"

Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC Executive Vice President: "We are very grateful to Astra Honda for hosting our 2015 Team Presentation here on the beautiful Island of Bali and thank you to Repsol, Red Bull and all our partners and sponsors for their ongoing support in 2015 and beyond. It's good to see Marc and Dani in a positive mood and relaxed after the Winter break and ready to get back on the bike next week in Sepang. We hope it will be a very productive test so we can start the season in Sepang in the best way possible."

Livio Suppo, Team Principal: "We can't wait to start the season! After a very successful 2014, we are very motivated to begin the Championship and even if we know if won't be easy to win more… we will do our best to do it! It is great to be here in Bali, as Indonesia is a country where MotoGP has a huge number of fans but unfortunately we don't race here. We are glad to introduce our Repsol Honda Team here, hoping to come for a GP in the future!"

Concept: The concept of the 2015 RC213V continues the 2014 project of mass centralization with the improvements of each part of the machine. Honda's concept of mass centralization aims to produce a machine with optimized handling characteristics combining stability, agility, resistance to wheelies and maximum cornering grip.

Chassis: For 2015 the chassis has been modified in its rigidity balance and designed to reach the maximum compatibility between turning and stability. The twin-spar aluminum chassis is immensely light and yet provides the ideal stiffness and strength characteristics required to contain and deliver more than 175kw (235bhp) from the RC213V's engine to the rear tire. As well as strength, the chassis features the right amount of carefully designed flexibility to enhance tire grip.

Engine: We adopted 4 cylinder "V" engine with 1,000 capacity to RC213V which can exploit maximum power of 1,000 cc keeping duration for 18 races in season with 5 engines. We have reviewed all the details of the new engine, making it lighter and reducing friction. We also achieved better fuel consumption than the RC212V while retaining more power after 2,000km of durability testing.

Suspension: For 2015 the RC213V is fitted with Öhlins suspension front and rear. Providing the essential link between wheel and chassis, the suspension's job is to keep the tyre in contact with the ground and producing maximum grip as the machine hits the thousands of bumps and ripples encountered on every lap. It's a crucial link in the performance chain and for this reason both Repsol Honda riders have a dedicated Öhlins technician assigned to him.

Bodywork: The lightweight carbon-fiber bodywork plays an important role in making the RC213V as aerodynamic as possible. The 2015 RC213V has a modified fairing to reach the maximum compatibility and performance between handling and drag.

Tires: MotoGP tires are supplied exclusively by Bridgestone. Each rider is permitted to use a maximum of 21 slick tires during each grand prix weekend and 12 wet tires. Each grand prix weekend, Bridgestone's slick tires are available in two or three compounds and the wet tires available in two compounds, selected by Bridgestone in advance. The tire sizes are: Front tire size: 125/60R16.5 Rear tire size: 190/65R16.5

Brakes: Carbon fiber front brakes are provided by Brembo. Carbon brakes work best when they're hot and reach anything up to 400 degrees C. For rear disc and front disc under wet conditions the RC213V relies on Yutaka steel brake discs.