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If you stop and think about it, the electronics should make the riders more equal. Everyone has the same Bridgestones. The major factories get the same specification data. Though they may not all have the ability to build a perfectly tunable chassis, they should all be working towards the same basic performance threshold. However, it appears that the fuel-limited electronics are so complex that teams are not really on par with one another.
Cost-cutting is the official reason for the spec-ECU regulations, but I suspect Dorna's ulterior motive is tightening up the field a bit, by simplifying the process of reaching theoretical max performance. If Dorna cut back on the electronics too much, the rules could have the opposite effect. I'm not sure, but maybe they are just going after processing power to restrict the capabilities of the relatively useless u-learning fuel computers and traction control.
If the GPC are determined to limit adaptive fuel computing, this may also explain the 20L rule. When the FIA reduced fuel capacity by 25% in Group C to reduce the performance of the cars, they discovered an interesting phenomenon. The most effective strategy, in the days before adaptive fuel computers, was to limp around and feel the race out. To stay out of trouble and sip turbulence off of your competitors on the straights. At the end of the race, the trailing teams would engage in an all out sprint, while the leading team would often take a more cautious approach to avoid throwing away a possible victory. By creating a bigger gap between the maximum performance of the machines, and the average performance over race distance with limited fuel capacity, maybe MotoGP are hoping to recreate the way bike racing worked prior to Bridgestone's indestructible control tire.
Personally, I'd rather have them pay Bridgestone big bucks to produce a wide variety of tires and compounds for each round, but the 2014 rules package could make some interesting things happen.
