In this video interview from Marc Colomer at the end they show some details of Jaime Busto factory bike.  Here is an interesting one:

That is one BIG spacer... Looks like extra weight too. Any idea what this is for?

 

It’s a lead weight to keep the bike at or above the FIM minimum weight of 65 kilograms that helps the hand made, hyper exotic factory Hondas compete with their mass produced rivals.

The gasgas bash plate bends  up at the rear  .The spacer is put in to bring the bash plate down making it more flat  ,So allowing the bike to slide over/off  rocks and not catch  dog bones guard/ mounting plates .which over hang frame 

Edited June 27, 20188 yr by on it
grammer mistake

Videos like these i find such a waste of time. I know they dont want to give too much of the game away, but come on, telling us that they change the suspension settings is borderline insulting!!! The honda video aka (the footrests and exhaust are made of titanium video) was just as bad.

 

Edited June 27, 20188 yr by faussy

Lol, yeah. Just settings... of course the settings are applied to a one-off Ohlins shock no one else can buy. Although to be fair, in keeping with his 'we use all the supplier parts' quip, it is at least an Ohlins.

Edited June 27, 20188 yr by heffergm

I dont buy into either of them reasons for that bar between the bash plate. Lead.!? Why would you put it there.  To miss the dog bones? why would you want to lower the ground clearance?  Could it be to stop the bike from sliding backwards when on top of an obstacle if you get it hooked over a ridge giving you the freedom to lean right back without the brake? Just my thought.     Anything official on this or does anyone know as a fact?

 

Seen lead on the sump guard before on other bikes, seems like the obvious place to put it.

It's the lowest place available to put weight. I suspect they don't mind the slight change in angle of the bash plate because it just forces the bike forward a bit if you end up resting on it at the top of big steps. Clearly the loss of a little ground clearance isn't a concern or they wouldn't do it. 

Edited June 28, 20188 yr by heffergm

4 hours ago, oni nou said:

Interesting to see that the bike also uses the now discontinued[to the general public ;except for NOS]AJP large clutch m/cylinder and also the old 2 piece 4 pot AJP front brake calliper that I recently noticed is still being used on Toni Bou's bike also;along with the 20 odd year old Nissin 11mm front brake m/cylinder.......Clubmen everywhere must be laughing their heads off that the top works riders budget does not stretch to the cutting edge hydraulic parts that they have fitted as standard on their production bikes such as the very special and superior mono bloc calliper,poor old top works riders are at the trailing edge of technology.

Comedian Marc Colomer " The suspension is nothing special...just settings"

 Well they do want brakes that don`t break!

15 hours ago, oni nou said:

Interesting to see that the bike also uses the now discontinued[to the general public ;except for NOS]AJP large clutch m/cylinder and also the old 2 piece 4 pot AJP front brake calliper that I recently noticed is still being used on Toni Bou's bike also;

Cabestany used to run the ajp caliper on his sherco too. I really thought i noticed an improvement with the braktec caliper, but i suppose it could have been a better disc. From what i can remember the ajps had a rather large pad surface area. Could be the reason

Edited June 28, 20188 yr by faussy

On 6/27/2018 at 9:58 AM, on it said:

The gasgas bash plate bends  up at the rear  .The spacer is put in to bring the bash plate down making it more flat  ,So allowing the bike to slide over/off  rocks and not catch  dog bones guard/ mounting plates .which over hang frame 

I'm sure if it was just a bash plate adjuster they would have a purpose made one for the works bikes - or just "adjust" a standard one to the preferred shape. If that is a "factory" mod to add weight you think they would of been a bit more professional and painted it or at least rounded of the edges on the ends etc. Looks very rough and ready - like something i'd do.  

Have you not seen all the other factory bikes with automotive wheel weights stuck to the bash plates and secured with zip ties? High tech isn't really required. At one point they were using rebar on the TRS because, well, probably someone found it laying around..

5 hours ago, heffergm said:

Have you not seen all the other factory bikes with automotive wheel weights stuck to the bash plates and secured with zip ties? High tech isn't really required. At one point they were using rebar on the TRS because, well, probably someone found it laying around..

They probably want people to notice and ask what it is for.  Then they can say "that's the junk we hang on our bikes to make the Honda competitive"

5 hours ago, heffergm said:

Have you not seen all the other factory bikes with automotive wheel weights stuck to the bash plates and secured with zip ties? High tech isn't really required. At one point they were using rebar on the TRS because, well, probably someone found it laying around..

Think you’ll remember that was a lash up as the bike had failed the other day. No excuse mind.

Maybe they should spend less on lunch and buy a set of scales and a file

we know the Honda is the most expensive bike but at least they make an effort?

 

15 hours ago, jimmyl said:

we know the Honda is the most expensive bike but at least they make an effort?

But what is the point of other manufacturer's 'making the effort'; their bikes already weigh less than the FIM weight limit.  Okay, so they can select where to add steel bar or lead weights to tune the balance of the bike for a specific rider's preference, but apart from Ossa and Vertigo's more radical efforts trials bike development has been static for years now.  Maybe that's a good thing? 

Edited June 29, 20188 yr by lowbrow