The MotoGP season will begin in Qatar, March 10th and the official test session in Jerez gave us a glimpse of what all of the new bikes and smaller engines will mean, … faster bikes and lower lap times. In the pre season test, where Valentino Rossi ran the fastest lap followed by Pedrosa, Edwards and Hayden, the top riders were riding under the lap record. Rossi said his bike was already faster than last year’s and a good starting point. Starting point? So the massive expenditures necessary to completely reengineer bikes and engines to conform to the new rules intended to slow things down gave us very expensive and still faster race bikes. It’s not surprising, really, engineering at that level may be, as Arthur C. Clarke once said referring to advanced technology, “indistinguishable from magic.” Given time with a rule book, a computer and, of course, lots of money, the end result will always be fast. Evidently, the smaller engines make for faster transitions and higher turn speeds, an effect amplified by the ever smaller and lighter riders like flyweight Dani Pedrosa.
If slowing things down is the target, and that may or may not be a good thing, raising minimum weights of the motorcycle and rider combination would work to a degree. I haven’t examined the rules but motorcycles of a minimum weight without considering the combined weight just leads to smaller and lighter riders. Soon the combined effect of finding riders of sufficient skill and light weight will field a grid of six or seven who are truly competitive. Yikes! Having the ability to look among more normal sized humans we might have more potential riders and a bit more flexibility in engineering the motorcycle.
Whatever the case, the season is about to begin and how Hayden will do in defense of his title against Rossi looking to return plus all of the others who can win on any weekend means we should have an exciting series.
Link: MotoGP
Dodgy says
I really like the answer Peter Clifford (the racing director manager for WCM/Blata) came up with when the restriction proposals were made.
He suggested that the bikes be ‘restricted’ by limiting the gearboxes to FOUR speeds!
Brilliant…
Can you imagine the aural experience of an RC211V or M1 winding out of a corner from 3,000 through to 15,000 RPM before shifting?
Can you imagine the mix of engineering we would be seeing by forcing the manufacturers to design more FLEXIBLE engines? (maybe even a few twins)
And it would slow them down, but in a good way, I think…
Richard says
Slowing things down was never the target, regardless of what some may have publicly stated.
It should be an exciting season.
chris says
anybody know when the race will air on SPEED Channel? can’t seem to find a listing.
Robert M. says
The first race is March 26. Speed usually airs Moto GP live or same day tape. This should be a good season, I just hope it’s not a one manufacturer blowout.
chris says
thanks Robert. i just started watching halfway through the season last year. i always knew when they were showing a race, but never knew from how long ago the tape was. really appreciate it.
RH says
What’s half an 800? And which country has a huge 400cc home market? You know – the one with very few WSB championships? And probably wants to eliminate the 600cc and 1000cc production classes and just have an 800cc class in their overseas markets?
Yeah, the whole 800cc thing makes no sense……..
motoquest says
Sooner or later we will see 800cc racer replicas from Japan. I guess the first step that Ducati made with the DesmosediciRR is going to be copied with the new 800’s.
It’s gonna be a great season. What a rush!
GenWaylaid says
I wonder just how far they can push rule changes in this direction.
Million dollar mopeds manned by midgets!
aaron says
I see great potential for honda to reclaim it’s title as the manufacturer of the world’s most exotic bikes here… they already make a sporting 800cc V4, the VFR (and are the only manufacturer that make a street bike with an engine configuration the same as the GP bike) . Past VFR’s yielded the RC30 and RC45, and the most exotic street bike ever built was also a honda 750 V4 (the Nr750, AKA the bike that inspired Massimo Tamburini’s groundbreaking 916 – right down to the headlights, singlesided swingarm, and underseat exhaust. indirectly, I guess this means it also inspired the 916 derived 1098 styling… and that bike has been raking in praise for it’s looks)
with ducati having success with their motogp replica 990, honda can take the next slice of the motogp replica market. just build a very hot RVF800R, and give us normal folks a heavily reworked 150hp, 375lb VFR.
Sean says
I like the million dollar mopeds manned by midgets idea. Who else is seeing an 800cc engine shoehorned into a pocketbike frame? I can see the ads now…. “400kph, 4 feet tall, 40% guaranteed fatalities every race!” I just hope that motorcycle racers don’t go the way of horse jockeys, trying desperately to slim down to an unhealthy weight.
KRocket says
Reducing the speeds was never the objective. With all of the horsepower that the 990’s generated the problem was never related to generating enough power either. The challenge is how to apply the power in the most effective manner, ie. to cut the quickest lap. I think what may be closer to the truth is that even with all of the controls (electronic throttles, traction control, different firing orders etc) the 990’s just weren’t going to go around a given circuit any faster. The 800’s are the next chapter in how to reduce lap times, in other words, how to go faster.
chris says
brilliant observation. i think we’re coming to a point where chassis and aerodynamic engineers are going to become THE guru’s to have on your team. let’s hope this trend carries down to streetbikes.
mavreta says
well.the only thing is absolutely sure is that rossi will be the first rider again and again and again as he can adapt in all the situations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!