Today saw the officially unveiling of the now titled Repsol Honda team. Headed by reigning and seven times FIM Trial World Champion Toni Bou and accompanied by Japan’s Takahisa Fujinami the two riders posed in front of the assembled press in Maldon, Australia ahead of tomorrow’s opening day of the 2014 campaign in their new colours.
The new Repsol Honda tag now brings the HRC Trial Team directly in line with its bigger brother in MotoGP. The traditional Montesa branding has now been removed from the bikes, with the only reference to the old Spanish make now being limited to the logos that the riders are carrying on the shoulder area of their new riding clothing.
This move now looks to signal the end to the Montesa brand that was effectively brought and swallowed up by the Japanese giant that is Honda many, many year ago. So Viva Montesa is no longer and Honda and its One Heart message is now the new message.
Whilst this change has been in the offing sometime, it was somewhat of a shock to many that the switch has been made now, just two weeks after Bou won the 2014 FIM X-Trial World Championship under the old Repsol Montesa HRC title.
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Courtesy of G2F Media