Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner (Photo: Honda Pro Images)

How much is gained by this 'seamless' shifting? An article published today at as.com in Madrid speculates that Honda is using a Zeroshift gearbox and quotes the manufacturer as saying that, on an average of 30 shifts per lap, the saving in time compared to a conventional gearbox would be 0.9 of a second.

In a 2008 article about the Zeroshft automobile gearbox the estimated improvement was 0.3 of a second.

In Sepang the fastest of the Honda riders, Casey Stoner, took 1.013 from the fastest of the Yamaha riders, Ben Spies, fifth overall. The 'slowest' of the four factory Honda riders, Andrea Dovizioso, was a half second faster that 2010 World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, who was seventh.

Casey Stoner/Honda/1’59.665
Dani Pedrosa/Honda/1'59.803 +0.138
Marco Simoncelli/Honda/2'00.163 +0.498
Andrea Dovizioso/Honda/2'00,541 +0.876
Ben Spies/Yamaha/2'00.678 +1.013
Colin Edwards/Yamaha/2'00.966 +1.301
Jorge Lorenzo/Yamaha/2'01.003 +1.338

So, whether Honda’s gearbox, whoever made it, is giving the Honda riders a couple of tenths or even a lot more is something that only Honda really knows. I can imagine this getting into the heads of Yamaha and Ducati riders.

Honda have got something going, and with Stoner and Pedrosa tucked in behind the screens it could be a rough start of the season for Yamaha and Ducati.

This all reminds me of the start of the 1992 season when Honda suddenly came out with the big-bang 500. By midseason Yamaha had their big bang winning races, but by the time big bang was the accepted configuration, Honda went back to the screamer with major improvements in mapping (plus unleaded gas) to make the screamer as rider friendly as the big bang.

After four years without winning a title, it looks like Honda is back on top, and, as usual, doing it their way.