proton to switch to v5 4 stroke

[Es Nes]

"Our target is to be testing the V5 four-stroke in November, and ready to race at the start of next season."
- Kenny Roberts

"We know how to make a motorcycle go round corners better than anything else - but with our three-cylinder 500 we've always been suffering on the straight-line speed. I don't want to be in the position any more."
- Kenny Roberts

http://www.teamkr.com/content/templa...p?articleID=62

i wonder how much theyll sell their v3 strokes for next year cuase i want one

[f1manoz]

Roberts announced his plans to make a V5 quite a few months back, but everything now appears to be in order for him.

I think it's a real shame that he never managed to get his KR V3 to work well enough to take at least a podium.

[ChrisUSA]

Originally posted by f1manoz
I think it's a real shame that he never managed to get his KR V3 to work well enough to take at least a podium. [/B]

kenny made a significant error when he first designed the triple. he believed better handling would defeat sheer horsepower. with the advent of new tire compounds, the 4cylinder bikes had only a slight disadvantage in handling, and all that extra horsepower. this is true in 2002. while it's very obvious that Barros' NSR handles better than any of the 4strokes(see Assen), it's the brute horsepower of the bigger bikes that allows them victory. Kenny now believes he'll have the best of both worlds - a superior handling bike with big power. my biggest reservation is the engine. Yes, he will have the horsepower. But with an almost 100% bigger and heavier engine, he has his work cut out for him. the size and weight of the engine may remove any handling advantage he enjoyed with the KR3. and remember recently in Assen he had twin gearbox failures on the KR3's. this is on a bike with the least horsepower of any motogp machine. reliability of the V5 may be Kenny's very biggest concern. with about 500% more moving parts, he had best build a stout engine.
i have strong doubts whether the project will be successful

[Gerrit]

Sadly, I don't think anybody has a hope of defeating Honda any longer. It has now become a money contest- who can and/or will spend the most money to win the title. And with HRC spending $150 million on the RC211V alone, other manufacturers will have to equal that- and then find ways of defeating HRC's four-stroke know-how. It makes Ducati's $30 million effort look pathetic.
And yes, I hope Kenny's triples will now sell dirt cheap- I want one too!!!!!!!

[asha]

make that three
I want one !!!