FC also had to learn fuel injection, but it's had that since the 450 supercross effort last year with Kevin Windham. The team still went through a lot of testing to determine if they wanted to stick with the stock 250F's smooth delivery or try to add a hit or step. They decided, based on both rider preference and lap times, that smooth was best, and the tweaks didn't stray far from the stock bike's personality, just added more of it with help from companies like Vortex and Injectioneering.
Details
Every item on a race bike gets special consideration, even something as seemingly mundane as a gas tank. The team will simulate races (30 minutes plus two laps) then remove the bike's tank and empty it into a beaker. During racing they will do the same after the first moto to decide if steps need to be taken to ensure a moto two finish. Notes from past seasons of racing are used to determine which tracks require the most fuel (Texas' sandy and wide-open Freestone was the thirstiest track last year), sometimes requiring a larger-than-stock aluminum tank or an air- and heat-expanded stock tank in an emergency fix between motos. But with the all-new Honda, this info only helps the team guess where fuel capacity might be a concern. They won't know for sure until after each first moto of each race in the summer of 2010.
End Of The Beginning
I left the Factory Connection guys before their final all-in test sessions. Ziggy was very secretive about the methods used but assured me he would have the bikes flying at moto-win speed with a small army of mechanics and engineers standing by to make any adjustments. The rules may state that works bikes don't exist anymore, but those bikes always came down to the people and expertise that made them. And as the Factory Connection team proves, that supreme effort is still alive, but with mostly retail-available parts. And everything the team riders and techs learn trickles down to the company's retail suspension and hardware services. You'll likely see these guys and these bikes atop the podium several times this summer, and there's a good chance one will be wearing a number one plate by the time all the dust settles. Because when it comes to a serious race effort and serious race equipment, it has always been about the people and not just the sum of the parts, even if some of those parts are Kibby, Scrappy, Schnikey, Kranz, Ziggy and a Rock...