Question: Why did Repsol Honda underperform so much in 2004-2005?

Forgive me, since I was 6-7 years old at the time, but how come the factory Honda squad fell so hard after Rossi’s departure? It wasn’t like the RC211V was a bad bike, since Gibernau and even the satellite riders like Tamada and Edwards did well often. Plus Biaggi, Barros and Hayden were no slouches either. Was it a setup issue? Did the bike not suit those guys? Were they really just not that good? Would love to know.

Forgive me, since I was 6-7 years old at the time, but how come the factory Honda squad fell so hard after Rossi’s departure? It wasn’t like the RC211V was a bad bike, since Gibernau and even the satellite riders like Tamada and Edwards did well often. Plus Biaggi, Barros and Hayden were no slouches either. Was it a setup issue? Did the bike not suit those guys? Were they really just not that good? Would love to know. http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png