Back in the 50’s and 60’s this was the hot-rodder’s mantra (along with the famous “If it don’t go – chrome it.”) The frantic search for bigger and bigger engines reached its peak in the late 60’s with Plymouth’s 426ci Hemi engine and the famous 455ci Rocket engine in the Oldsmobile. The fact that these cars often handled like a wheelbarrow full of wet walrusses and stopped like a cat on a linoleum floor didn’t have any bearing on things at all.
But, increasing capacity usually brings about more power, even if the increase is small. Yesterday’s post-GP test (the last official test of the year) at Brno proved. Honda were there with the RC213V and Yamaha showed its new 1000cc challenger for the first time. (above) And it was the big bikes that came out on top, Stoner came out on top, beating the pole-setting time from Saturday, with Lorenzo and Spies, both on 1000’s just behind him. Pedrosa, who hasn’t benefitted from a previous test of the RC, was 6th but happy to start getting to know his new mount for 2012. The Marc VDS team also tested its Suter in CRT form with Mika Kallio in the seat and came away only 4 odd seconds off the pace, a big improvement on the 6.5 seconds off that they were at the Mugello test earlier.
1. Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team (1000cc) 1:56.168 57
2. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing (1000cc) 1:56.253 +0.085 +0.085 28
3. Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing (1000cc) 1:56.306 +0.053 +0.138 24
4. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 1:56.727 +0.421 +0.559 58
5. Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 1:57.184 +0.457 +1.016 15
6. Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team (1000cc) 1:57.264 +0.080 +1.096 37
7. Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 1:57.616 +0.269 +1.365 78
8. Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1:57.591 +0.058 +1.423 74
9. Toni Elias LCR Honda 1:57.903 +0.312 +1.735 56
10. Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 1:58.266 +0.363 +2.098 74
11. Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing 1:58.387 +0.121 +2.219 66
12. Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1:58.492 +0.105 +2.324 44
13. Mika Kallio Marc VDS Racing Team (Suter 1000cc CRT) 2:00.144+1.652 +3.976 81
