Hopper's take on Honda

After comprehensively outpacing the much-heralded new Honda RCV 800 at last week’s Sepang MotoGP test in Malaysia, Suzuki star John Hopkins has said he feels Honda have been too ambitious with their new bike.

Hopkins was well inside the lap record on his 800 GSV-R, with team-mate Chris Vermeulen just a fraction off, as the pair comfortably bested their previous fastest lap times on the old 990cc bikes.
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Meanwhile, Honda are struggling.

Hopkins said: “I think Suzuki has taken the right approach to the whole 800 situation because they have used the 990 as the basis of the 800 and not made it smaller. I hear that the Honda is really struggling in the faster corners and this happens when you have a shorter bike.

“The Suzuki is a bit longer and this is a big improvement in the faster stuff. When the bike is short it makes it struggle, real snappy to ride, whereas our bike is loose and more forgiving and you can ride it harder.”