Honda riders get engine boost for Spain

Honda engineers were left frustrated on Friday as torrential rain curtailed fast laps of the Mugello track for Okada, before a high speed crash during this afternoon's second free practice session. The 41-year-old former race winner was uninjured, but the bike was in need of a rebuild.

Shinichi Kokubu, Large Project Leader of Honda's MotoGP effort and the man who has been in charge of the air valve engine this season, today admitted that both works Honda riders will have the choice of running either the current or newer air valve engine next weekend in Barcelona.

The Spanish track, like Mugello, has a long home straight where the new engine could prove beneficial.

"The pace of last year's conventionally sprung engine was so great that the targets for the air valve engine had to be moved higher over the winter months," said Kokubu.

"We also have 1000 more revs available for the air valve engine as well as better acceleration and driveability. We have had to make a balance between the two. The frictional losses are very low in the newer engine too."

Less friction naturally translates to more power for the fuel available, but that may well mean that Honda have to improve combustion within the cylinder to achieve this too.

Many MotoGP teams are still finding it tight on fuel for the race distances in 2008. Honda is the only manufacturer running a spring valve engine in MotoGP.