Dani Pedrosa And Casey Stoner Test New Honda

MotoGP Honda riders Casey Stoner
and Dani Pedrosa
tested a new prototype version of the RC213V at the Mugello Circuit
in Italy on Monday, following the Italian Grand Prix that took
place at the track on Sunday.
Honda has been working on the bike for some time, but this was the
first time their riders got their hands on the bike. The overall
verdict on the bike was mixed, with both acknowledging that more
tweaks need to be made to the new sport bike. However, both riders
said the new engine was better than the current bike they're
riding.
The riders were split on the new chassis, however. Pedrosa said he
felt the chassis was a minor improvement over the current bike,
although he fell once while testing. Stoner, meanwhile, told
Crash.net he "didn't find any real benefits" with the chassis,
despite trying several configurations.
"If we can have the new engine with the current chassis, it's the
best combination, but we're not sure if we can have it in time for
Laguna Seca, we'll have to wait and see," Stoner added.
Honda will obviously take both riders' suggestions into account,
but Pedrosa may ultimately win out. Not only is the Spanish rider
now ahead of Stoner in the overall point standings, giving him a
better shot at the championship, but he's also the only rider who
will be with the team next year, as Stoner will be replaced by
Marc Marquez.