Moto GP questions

O

OldF7Guy_imp

Been there
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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.
 
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.
 
Thread starter
The ferret_imp said:
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.
Click to expand...
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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
All 3 categories are absolutely fun to watch. Moto3 consistently has some of the tighest finishes. They run 250c singles and there is a lot of swapping the lead. No one runs away with it and the race is often decided in the last few turns of the last lap.

I tape all 3 events: MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3. Playbacks in slow motion lets you analyze the events leading to a crash, big bobble or huge pass.

The commentators are good and you learn some interesting facts - like racing suits now using sensors and small air bags to protect the nect and shoulder area.
 
I really enjoy MotoGP but since I havn't had cable TV in 20 years I miss a lot. I did get to the first Indy GP. It was fun but wet.
I just ordered my tickets for Austin Tx. in April, really looking forward to it.
 
There are 2 MotoGP races in the USA, one at Laguna Seca, near Monterey Ca. and one at Indy, not sure about the Indy any more I'm not up to date. But if you can get to one of these events DO IT! I been to Laguna Seca twice and the whole week in town is all about M/C, to view the races and qualifying is a great life experience. There are 3 days of qualifying and races with all kinds of displays, vendors and activities everywhere.
 
I was there 2 yrs in a row, I think 07 and 08, when did they stop and was it there in 13? Watching the GP on TV is like seeing the Grand Canyon on TV. Anybody that has been to the Canyon will understand. You can't believe what your eyes are seeing.
 
The Moto2 racing can really be exciting as the bikes are so evenly matched. All Moto2 bikes use the same 600cc engine from Honda. Engines are built to a race spec and dyno'ed to confirm a consistent HP output. The teams are supplied with the motors which are sealed to prevent tampering. Each team either buys or builds their own spec racing chassis. This has led to some incredibly close racing at times, especially since no one has a power advantage.

The Moto3 bikes all use single cyl 4 stroke of 250cc from various makers. Honda, KTM and even the Indian Mahindra Company have teams.
 
thumper_imp said:
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.
Click to expand...
And I have the watch to commemorate the win.


 
For MotoGP fans big news. Current World Champion Marc Marquez broke his right leg yesterday training. He will be out for at least 4 weeks.

I believe Qatar starts the season off March 23.
 
The ferret_imp said:
For MotoGP fans big news. Current World Champion Marc Marquez broke his right leg yesterday training. He will be out for at least 4 weeks.

I believe Qatar starts the season off March 23.
Click to expand...
Hate to hear about Marquez's injury. He's young and will heal fast. :thumbsup:
My g/f and I are going to Austin for the races at COTA the weekend of April 11-13. Anyone else planning to go? :biker:
 
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