motogp 1000cc

thanks for heads up... i looked for some stories i got this to add to your thread:

Infront Motor Sports, which runs the World Superbike Championship, has warned that it will oppose the use of 1000cc production-based engines in MotoGP.

The idea of running modified 1000cc production engines within a prototype chassis has been tabled by Dorna as a way of increasing MotoGP grid numbers from the present 17 full-time entries.

The suggestion is that the 'cheap' 1000cc bikes would be limited to ensure that performance was below the ultra-expensive 800cc 'full' MotoGP prototypes - and would therefore create the confusing situation of a two-tier MotoGP World Championship.

The 1000cc 'Moto1' machines would basically be scaled-up versions of motorcycles to be raced in the new-for-2010 Moto2 World Championship, entry for which has been heavily oversubscribed.

Moto2 bikes were originally intended to be powered by production-based 600cc engines, within a prototype chassis, but it was later announced that the 250GP replacement class would have a single engine supplier. That engine contract was awarded to Honda.

It is not clear if the move to a single engine came after pressure from Infront Motor Sports (previously known as FG Sport), which has an exclusive contract with the FIM for production-based road racing world championships, but Infront clearly feels 'Moto1' would be a step too far.

“With reference to several declarations published recently by daily newspapers and weekly magazines, according to which the organizer of the Grand Prix World Championship [Dorna] is reported to be evaluating the possible participation of bikes equipped with production based 1000cc engines in the MotoGP class, Infront Motor Sports wishes to make the following statement:

“Infront Motor Sports does not consider a similar idea either to be realistic or feasible in view of the existing contracts between the FIM and Infront Motor Sports itself and in view of the specific characteristics of the World Superbike and MotoGP championships.

“We believe therefore that such a project will not have any follow-up. Nevertheless, wherever future developments should render necessary any action of defense of the rights of Infront Motor Sports, as well as those of all the teams, manufacturers, riders, sponsors and media who have invested in the Superbike and Supersport World Championships, such action will be immediately set in motion at all levels.”

Fortunately, Infront Motor Sports may not need to defend its rights.

The MotoGP manufacturers have responded to the controversial 'Moto1' proposal with ideas of their own, including the possibility of offering their 800cc engines (at affordable prices) for use by private teams within a prototype chassis - a setup previously used by Team Roberts.

This would be the immediate end of the Motogp class. It is hard enough to convince people that it is a prototype series is right now. There really isn't much prototyping just prototype arranging. Now if they allow production 1000cc engines in what the hell will it be? Surely they should try to push alternative front ends or different fuels and more prototypeish type experimentation rather than dumb it down with production crapola. It is the final capitulation to the sales department. Design engineers pack your bags the day of the hack is back.

Wasn't production 1000cc engines tried a few years ago - help me out.

From memory they were R1 motors and eventually got thrown out of MGP because they were determined not to be prototype - was it WCM?

But that was in the 990cc era I suppose.



IMO - more bikes are needed, how to go about those bikes at a cost that will ensure people can enter and remain in the class and be competitive - big question.







Garry

WCM entered modified R1 engines and basically were not competitive anyway. If you are interested read the new rules for next year on the FIM site. They are slowly weeding out most of the trick stuff. This is to lower costs. More bikes would be excellent but there are only 5 manufactures in the series. You need a minimum of 50 million a year to play in motogp. That is the limiting factor.

It costs €2 million to lease 1 satellite Honda, 75% of that would be €500k, and that would still be for the cost of the whole bike. Just the engine alone, and costs could be €300k or less. That would make it much more affordable, though still nothing compared to the NSR 500 which used to cost 1 million yen to lease.

Sounds promising.