Just after I posted on the blog that we had started assembling the engine for Le Mans, the staff reported that a problem had been found.
Can you see it in the photo?
It’s a scratch you can feel with your fingertip.
This crankshaft cannot be used!
We immediately checked stock and placed an order.
Arrival is scheduled for Tuesday.
But we can’t wait that long!
So we decided to tear down another brand-new engine and remove its crankshaft instead.
We also found damage on the bearing metal, so it was probably already there when Honda assembled the engine.
Be careful not to misunderstand what I’m saying!!
I’m not claiming there’s a problem with production motorcycles.
We are dealing with this because we are doing absolutely everything possible for a machine that must survive 5,000 km in the Le Mans 24 Hours race.
So in that sense, we were lucky!
I’m sure dinner will taste good tonight.