[Lucky929er]

MotoGP Will Be 800cc In '07
events will not require three classes, 21 liter fuel limit
by staff
Saturday, June 04, 2005

This press release in from the FIM:

Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix

Amendments to the Rules

Championnat du Monde des Grands Prix de Courses sur Route

Amendements aux Règlements

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Claude Danis (FIM), Sito Pons (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Mr Paul Butler (Secretary of the meeting), in a meeting held today at the circuit of Mugello, unanimously decided to introduce the modifications below to the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.

- For immediate application:

1. 2 Events

To delete Art. 1.2.2 ("all events in the Championship must cater for all three classes")

1. 19 Ride Through Procedure

During the race, the rider will be requested to ride through the pit lane; stopping is not permitted. He may then rejoin the race.

- For application as from June 9, 2005 (Catalunya Grand Prix):

1. 14 Technical Control

1. 14.1 Second paragraph, to delete "In the classes 250cc and 125cc,"

1. 21 Behaviour during practice and race

1. 21.12 To delete "two way radio voice communication"

- For application as from 2007, valid for 5 years minimum:

2. 2 Classes

2. 2.1 As from January 1st, 2007, in the Motogp class the maximum engine size capacity will be 800cc and 2-stroke engines will not be allowed.

2. 6 Fuel tank

2. 6.5 The maximum fuel tank capacity will be of 21 litres.

ENDS

[Baketech]

Let's hope this trend will bring back 750cc 4-stroke road bikes...

[Getsome]

Don't think that 800cc max is a turn in the right direction but maybe it scared people seeing the bikes hit over 210mph in the straights of shanghi.

[phobiaphobe]

VFR800RR

[Purpdust]

Originally Posted by Getsome

Don't think that 800cc max is a turn in the right direction but maybe it scared people seeing the bikes hit over 210mph in the straights of shanghi.

I believe this was thought up - after Katoh's accident at Suzuka, it was decided that the bike are getting too fast and allot of the circuits will not be able to accomadate the speeds that are reaching

[Purpdust]

The change to so not every venue has to accomidate all three classes - must be because of Lagua, although I think it would be better if they all came. I was looking forward to seeing them all. I guess I will have to wait for a different race, maybe Philip Island. It looks like I am moving back to that side of the world in August.

[abtech]

Laguna? The 125s and 250s rock at Laguna, why would you say that?

[Northern RR]

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

VFR800RR

that would be great

[phobiaphobe]

pure sport, not touring. I'll buy one in a heartbeat.

[jakes134]

I don't think it has anything to do with 125's and 250's so much as the out and out speed of the 4 strokes.....they are too fast for even these sweet FIM homologated tracks.......

Don't expect a huge drop-off in times....The factories and teams wil find a way to bridge the gap, and the bikes will still make extreme horsepower.

I dont think that this little gesture will radically effect the consumer, (i.e. displacement categories,engine configurations), MotoGP never really has, despite what Honda tells you!

[FuTAnT]

I've seen a number of opinions stating that this won't slow them down, it'l just bring on the power in a peakier fashion, ie more like a two stroke. The current crop is alot easier to ride than the 2 strokes, and the power comes on progressively and smoother. You see far fewer high sides in the MotoGP than there used to be. I liked the idea of the 1000cc as the technology would filter down direclty into the road litre bikes. I guess 800cc will be similar, but it'l piss off a few people who are just coming into the game and still developing 1000cc engines. Doh!

[Purpdust]

Originally Posted by abtech

Laguna? The 125s and 250s rock at Laguna, why would you say that?

I want to see them at Laguna but they are not coming

[jaim]

Well that sucks. Love watching the big bikes haul ass. I also read on another board that AMA is going to keep Superbike through 2008. So there will still be a place to ride the big'uns.

I always find it odd that these racing organizations want to keep curtailing the speeds and power of racing machines. They made Indy pretty crappy when they cut back the size of the motors and slowed the cars down. Just imagine how fast they could be going these days. Americans love to see cars hauling some ass and crashing at breakneck speeds. I understand they even cut back the Nascrap cars. And they are talking about changing NHRA to slow the cars down. WTF?!!! Americans love speed, why do you think land speed records are hosted here? It would be quite ironic if AMA became the premier racing organization in the world just for the fact of racing the bigger bikes.

[G-Force Junkie]

Not to worry, by the end of 07, the 800's will be going as fast as the current machines. Technology isnt going to stop. Slowing down progress is different from capping it. Look at modern day top fuel dragsters...they went faster when they cut the fuel down to 90% nitro, and they still run 1950's era mechanical and pnumatic timers and valves for the fuel delivery and clutch lockup...somethign done decades ago to "slow them down." Imagine if all that stuff could be computer controlled with real time data collection and compensation! Personaly I feel its bad for technology and innovation to put limits on "unlimited" classes of sports. I think it should be "anything goes." There are plenty of oppertunities in the lesser classes of racing for innovation in "building a better moustrap" and optimizing what is already available. But its when you hand engineers blank pieces of paper and million of dollars, thats when you get technology moves by leaps and bounds.

Mike

Oh, and I want to se 125/250's at Laguna as well

[MrFurious]

I think it is a step in the wrong direction too, sorta'. By 2007 or so the 800cc's will be as fast as the 990cc's are now, or atleast close (hopefully). But it just wont be the same. No reason at all to lower the CC's of the bikes, IMO. These guys ride them very well. You can high side an 800 prolly just as easy if you give it too much throttle (guys highside 250's, & 600's all the time). What its going to effect is the market. We will experience the trickle down effect and be stuck with slower 800's. I just hope this doesnt turn out to be a disaster. And if it does go to 800cc's I will also be glad to see some different style motors.

[BDA116]

Originally Posted by MrFurious

What its going to effect is the market. We will experience the trickle down effect and be stuck with slower 800's.

What are you talking about? The size of MotoGP bikes has NEVER had any affect on the size of street bikes. There were open class bikes long before MotoGP went to 990cc four strokes.
Yes, the trickle down will continue to affect street bikes, but that's why this is so good. The 800cc GP bikes will have better technology and be faster than any 1000cc street bike, and help to make them better bikes.
Grand Prix motorcycles have gone through quite a few changes in engine size and bike weight. Every time it happens the race bikes get better, the technology gets better and the street bikes get better.
I welcome the change, and I hope to see a 650, 750 or 800cc straight race bike from someone soon.

[ccwilli3]

Originally Posted by FuTAnT

You see far fewer high sides in the MotoGP than there used to be.

While I agree the smoothness of the delivery of 4 stroke power is a large part of this, thank the traction control for the majority of it...

[CBR929RE]

it is an it isn't slowing the bikes down. Think of it this way, if they stuck to 990cc bikes then in 2 years we can assume they'd be going even faster. If they downsize to 800cc then they'll spend the time developing those and they'll probably still be able to do 210mph. I don't think its going to slow the bikes down, its just going to freeze the increasing top speeds for a couple years.

[MrFurious]

Yeah but their isnt much of a difference in size between a 990cc and a 999cc bike. I slightly different shaped piston can give you 9cc's. But the whole motor & frame size will basicly be different for a 800cc bike. And weather the bike is 990cc's or 800cc's new technology will always be applied.

[jakes134]

....and then said technology will trickle down to us, regardless of engine size.

As a matter of fact, look at it this way: Now the factories will be chasing horsepower. And what do we as consumers clamor for more than anything else?

It'll be a win-win, and no, I don't think we'll get handed crappy 800's. I think we'll get handed bitchin' 1000's

[ReaperAZ]

Originally Posted by Baketech

Let's hope this trend will bring back 750cc 4-stroke road bikes...

That would be pretty cool.

A CBR750RR.... .

[AndyL]

Originally Posted by ReaperAZ

:A CBR750RR.... .

A new RVF750RR for me please

[phobiaphobe]

So the rulemakers are going to an 800cc limit for '07. THis is presumably to reduce speed, increasing safety. Reality is, the motors will just be more high-strung and peaky. Speed won't really change, but the bikes will be harder to ride ie. less safe.

Why limit displacement? Why not limit fuel capacity instead? Give them only 20 litres per race and let them find the ideal displacement to finish without pitting? Hell it would be easy to enforce. And what's more forgiving to ride, a 1400cc 12000rpm bike or an 800cc 20000 rpm machine?

[tigerblade]

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

So the rulemakers are going to an 800cc limit for '07. THis is presumably to reduce speed, increasing safety. Reality is, the motors will just be more high-strung and peaky. Speed won't really change, but the bikes will be harder to ride ie. less safe.

Why limit displacement? Why not limit fuel capacity instead? Give them only 20 litres per race and let them find the ideal displacement to finish without pitting? Hell it would be easy to enforce. And what's more forgiving to ride, a 1400cc 12000rpm bike or an 800cc 20000 rpm machine?

They already lowered the fuel capacity this year and the bikes aren't any slower. The factories are always going to find a way to push the envelope and the bikes will be faster every year. The only solution I could see is to co