LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow admits the 2020 prototype RC213V he tested in the post-Valencia MotoGP test is no easier to ride currently than its much-criticised predecessor.
Crutchlow was very vocal about the ’19 RC213V’s difficulty in turning all through this year, with the LCR rider only managing three podiums in 19 races having won a race in ’18.
Marc Marquez has been the only rider to extract consistent frontrunning performance from the bike on his way to the ’19 MotoGP title.
Having spent the two days in Valencia comparing the ’19 and ’20 bikes, Crutchlow says steps have been made “in some areas”, but the bike is still incredibly difficult to ride.
“We have to be positive with the bike that they brought us, we have to be positive that they made a step in some areas,” Crutchlow, who was fourth in the test, said.
“I feel a little bit more comfortable and confident on the bike, but as far as the bike is concerned with regards to it being easier to ride, it is not.
“We need to still improve that over the winter and hopefully they can.
“On a general feeling, I managed to go faster than I did all weekend and this has to be a positive thing on a bike that’s solely done two days here in Valencia.
“I didn’t try my race weekend bike today [Wednesday] particularly.
“I did one run at the end of the day and I am sure I could have gone faster with that as well, but the information is what we need is the 2020 bike.”
Marquez – who was seventh at the end of testing – echoed Crutchlow’s comments on the rideability of the ’20 bike, adding: “The character [of the bike] is more or less similar.
“I just concentrated a lot with the prototype because I believe that has potential but still everything is very new.
“Still we need to modify a few things.
“I did my best laptime with the prototype, and just I kept working with that bike.
“Again, I took the current bike and I was fast too. But still many things are new and lucky for us we are in Valencia.
“And like this, on the race pace we were not bad.”