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Cal Crutchlow says Honda’s new MotoGP bike has improved in areas the riders asked for.
Crutchlow, who is riding a 2018-spec LCR Honda this season alongside full factory riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, ended last week’s Sepang test third overall.
The main focus for Honda in Malaysia was engine testing and selecting which power unit to use for the 2018 season, with all three riders preferring the same specification, although Marc Marquez raised concerns about the power delivery being too aggressive.
“I’m pleased with what Honda has done over the winter, because what we asked for we sort of got,” said Crutchlow.
“It’s better in some areas and we need to work in others, but we have improved. The engine is strong and stronger than last year.
“I’m not worried if it [the engine] is too aggressive because we have electronics that can control it, if we want them.
“If he [Marquez] doesn’t want to go as fast he can turn the torque down, if you know what I mean.
“But what we have is positive, because if we have more power then we can always turn it down, instead of not having any power and you can’t turn it up.”
Pedrosa also said that the new engine has more power, but insisted that Honda has to be “cautious” about its usability.
“The objective of this test was to try the engines and gather as much information as possible,” said Pedrosa.
“In this test, I did more laps with the latest engine.
“It has a little more power but you have to be very cautious about how much you’re able to make it work.
“We have to go to another circuit to understand which motor we will choose. We have to analyse the data a lot, and find the right answers.”