The development work to follow the direct competitors makes it possible for Paton to replace the 90 degrees V 4 cylinder with another 115 degrees V 4 cylinder engine, but the performance gap seen in the race leads to putting that model aside in favour of a 70 degrees V engine, forefather of the latest generation of two-stroke engines. It takes Il Pep and Roberto one entire year to design this model.
Pattoni and his son were struggling with the high complexity of using carburettors inside the narrow V engine, but just to confirm the fame of Paton, Oguma – president of the Japanese HRC – personally sent them an array of 36mm carburettors specifically produced for the Honda motorbikes ready to race in Grand Prix.
The new model’s debut was in 1994 and the following year, with the arrival of the French rider Jeandat, the bike started to show its real value putting itself immediately under the official bikes. Because of an serious accident during the warm-up of Donington GP, Jeandat unluckily couldn’t show up at the startline and the season closes without much satisfaction.
1997 was a hard year for Pattoni’s family: IRTA and DORNA denied them the inscription to the World Championship due to the low competitiveness of the motorbike; Paton official team won’t be present in a world race paddock after 39 years. Only Giuseppe and Roberto Pattoni’s determination makes it possible for them to actually participate in the race with some wild cards, completely paying the costs of an abroad trip by themselves.
The development of the bikes doesn’t stop: Luca Cadalora, sure of doing tests, reports the optimal performance in Paton’s pit.
Unluckily, on 30th August 1999, while returning from a private testing session before the Italian GP in Imola, Giuseppe Pantoni passed away.
A strong will, the spirit of sacrifice and talent are just some of the qualities that made it possible for Pattoni to continue following his dream, qualities that il Pep has fully transmitted to Roberto and that we can find in the DNA of every single Paton bike produced in the Italian factory.