Honda Power Products Supporting Road Racing
Honda’s Challenge in the JRR and MFJ Superbike Series
In the world of Japan’s premier motorcycle road racing, the CBR1000RR-R and many other Honda motorcycles fiercely compete for supremacy. However, another important aspect of Honda's business is not well known: the role that Honda power products play in supporting the road racing world.
Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing
Shinichi Ito, team manager of Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing, has led the team since its debut in 1987. Ito, four-time Japan Road Race Championship (JRR) champion who has also raced in MotoGP, describes how Honda’s power products support his team’s operations.
What makes a JRR team?
It depends on the team’s circumstances, so it is difficult to generalize, but I think the team consists of a director or owner like myself who manages the team from a bird’s eye view, mechanics who maintain the racing bikes, the riders, and support staff who support the riders. As the number of riders and bikes increases, the number of mechanics and support staff increases in proportion.
There seems to be a lot more people than roles
Yes, this is mainly because the work of the mechanics is divided, so we need many mechanics. I think the word “mechanic” conjures up a strong image of bike maintenance, but in today’s road racing world, staff in charge of telemetry, such as analyzing driving data and machines, can be considered mechanics who do not touch the bikes. Also, tasks such as tire temperature control, gasoline and oil management were not performed by mechanics in the past.
What do Honda’s Power Products mean to Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing?
They are indispensable! We could not win without Honda Power Products.
That important?
Yes they are. This may surprise some people, but with motorcycle road racing, the bike’s performance is important, but the tires are equally as important. In order to maximize the performance of these tires from the start of the race, tire temperature control is so important that it can make or break the race. Almost all teams use tire warmers, and we use Honda EU55i generators to supply electricity to the tire warmers. In road racing, electricity is provided to each pit garage, but because many teams use a large amount of electricity at once, the supply is unstable. Tires used in the race are warmed up to about 100 degrees Celsius, and if the electricity is not stable, the tires may not be warmed up as planned. This is why each team ensures that they have their own stable electricity supply to manage their tire warmers in perfect condition. In addition, in recent years, computers are used to analyze riding and bike data. Stable electricity is essential for computers, which are precision equipment. We power our computers using Honda’s EU55i generators and LiB-AID E500 portable power sources.
You also use Honda’s EU18i portable generator as well.
Yes. We use the portable EU18i generator for the tire warmers on the starting grid where there is no power supply. Before the race starts, tire warmers cover the tires until just before the riders straddle their bikes and leave. After two warm-up laps, the riders stop on the starting grid, and then they are introduced to the crowd. During this time, the tires are getting colder, so the mechanics wrap the tires with tire warmers on the starting grid. If there is no stable electricity supply, or if the generator does not start and power is not supplied, we cannot aim for victory.
What are Honda Power Products to the team?
Honda’s Power Products are indispensable key staff members and important teammates! They start the bikes’ engines on the first try, and provide a reliable and stable supply of electricity when we need it. This may seem obvious, but Honda’s Power Products just work, and take away any doubt, so we can concentrate on our work. For a racing team, they are indispensable and excellent staff members.
Riders’ Needs with Honda Power Products
Kosuke Sakumoto, Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing rider
Did you know that Honda’s generators are used in the pits and on the grid?
I know of course, because we use them for things like tire warmers. It is very important for the riders to know their tires are properly warmed up, so Honda generators are a big help to us. I have had no problems with them, so I think they are reliable products.
Have you used generators in your private life?
Actually, I have been using generators long before I became a professional rider, because there were many times that there was no power at the circuit. I also used generators to boil water in the past.
What are your views of Honda’s generators?
Trustworthy. We use generators to supply electricity to the tire warmers when we are on the grid, and I don’t want to worry before the race. I have the impression that they do their job well.
What do you think about when you are on the grid?
I think about how the race is going to unfold, and try to stay calm and focused. I definitely don’t want any trouble on the grid, so in that sense, Honda generators have been very reliable so far.
What do you expect from Honda products, including racing bikes?
I want stability and reliability. A reliable product will allow me to compete without losing concentration.
Postscript
Since I (the author) also work in motorsports-related fields, I knew that teams use generators. However, I had thought that the generators, which are often placed next to the trucks (motorhomes and transporters) behind the pits, were used for power inside the trucks. My biggest surprise was that the generators powered the pits.
There is, of course, a power supply in the pit garages, but the racing teams need stable electricity that Honda generators provide without fail. Various equipment is used Behind the Scenes of motorsports. There are many demands on electricity. Honda’s generators contribute to building a better pit environment.
In motorsports, where every 1/1000th of a second counts, avoiding problems is a tactic, and Honda Power Products have earned the trust of team managers and their staff Behind the Scenes in such severe environments, and are used as a matter of course behind, and within, the pits.