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So I have been watching a bit of this lately on re runs ect... I am a big race fan in general and like all kinds of motorsports.
So educate me about the motorcycles. What size engines and what kind of power? These guys that ride them are awesome or nuts. What manufactures are involved? Is one any better than the other or are they all about the same? Or, is it all rider? Just curious to learn more a bout the sport. Thanks.
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Ive been a MotoGP fan since the early 70 s. Currently they are running 990 cc I-4 4 strokes making approx 250 horsepower and weighing about 275 pounds. Right now Honda and Yamaha are dominating, but Ducati is involved and Suzuki is coming back in 2014 or 15. There are currently 3 riders Marquez, Lorenzo, and Pedrosa that are the creme of the crop.
Season starts in April and runs thru November with 16-18 races, scattered around the World. I never miss a televised race if I can help it.
MotoGP.com has the latest news and googling MotoGP will give you a lot of info.
It is the premier motorcycle racing on the planet. They reach speeds of 215 mph and lean angles of 63 degrees.
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(12-31-2013, 11:48 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: Ive been a MotoGP fan since the early 70 s. Currently they are running 990 cc I-4 4 strokes making approx 250 horsepower and weighing about 275 pounds. Right now Honda and Yamaha are dominating, but Ducati is involved and Suzuki is coming back in 2014 or 15. There are currently 3 riders Marquez, Lorenzo, and Pedrosa that are the creme of the crop.
Season starts in April and runs thru November with 16-18 races, scattered around the World. I never miss a televised race if I can help it.
MotoGP.com has the latest news and googling MotoGP will give you a lot of info.
It is the premier motorcycle racing on the planet. They reach speeds of 215 mph and lean angles of 63 degrees.
Thanks for all of the info Ferret! Wow, those guys are something else and I could get hooked on it since I like racing anyway. I kinda thought they were in the 200+ hp range but the weight is like a feather compared to street bikes. Its almost unbelievable of the lean angles. Does everybody have to run the same brand and size of tires?
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Nicky won the 2006 championship on a 990cc bike. The max displacement then dropped to 800cc for 2007--2011.
The current size for MotoGP bikes is 1000cc. The Honda and Ducati engine are 90 degree V4's. The Yamaha is an inline-4.
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Yes Bridgestone is the spec tire, but they make different hardnesses and the rider gets to choose whether he will run either a soft, medium, or hard tire on each end. Softer tire, more grip, wears quicker. Some races are won on tire choice. Then there are the rain slicks that they use in wet conditions. Wild to see them leaned over 55 degrees in the pouring rain at 170 mph.
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Uh, Thumper is right. Thanks for the correction. All these engine size rules, and eng configs confuse an old guy like me. It used to be 125, 250, 350 and 500cc classes, then the 350 class was dropped, and that was easy to follow. Now I cant even remember what Moto 2 and Moto 3 ( the current sub classes) run and I don't follow them anyway.
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(12-31-2013, 12:36 PM)thumper_imp Wrote: http://www.motogp.com/en/MotoGP+Basics
Thanks for the link thumper.
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Ferret, if you're not watching Moto2, then you're missing the best racing out there. Much like college football, Moto2 riders are trying to impress owners and sponsors, vying for a promotion to the MotoGP class. The number of position swaps between riders each lap absolutely astounds me.
Moto3 is also very impressive. With the riders lacking horsepower, they instead rely on cunning strategies to draft and pass their opponents--and they have to time those passes perfectly so that the opponent doesn't get the opportunity to do the same before they reach the checkered flag. Very fun to watch those races, wondering where kids will make their moves on the opponent.
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You know it's tough when your memory is not as sharp as it should be. Kind of depressing. I know all of this stuff. I just can't remember the details anymore.
Anyhow...I have watched a couple Moto 2 races, but I just like watching the MotoGP riders. The best riders on the best machines. The racing may be a little closer in the other classes but in the end, in all the classes, there are only 3 or 4 capable of winning the championship. I will try and watch some more Moto2 and Moto 3 this year.
