Grand Prix motorcycle racing

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Motogp.gif Grand Prix motorcycle racing refers to the premier category of motorcycle road racing, currently divided into three engine displacement classes: 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP (up to 990cc). MotoGP motorcycles are purpose-built racing machines that are not available for general purchase (road-going versions of the 125 and 250cc machines are available); this contrasts with the various production categories of racing, such as World Superbike, that feature modified versions of motorcycles available to the public. In 2007, the MotoGP class will have its maximum engine displacement capacity reduced to 800cc. Image:Mika Kallio KTM 125 II.jpg

Contents 1 Overview 2 Specifications 3 Notes 4 See also 5 Riders 6 External links

Overview

A World Championship for motorcycle racing was first organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) in 1949. There have traditionally been several races at each event for various classes of motorcycles, based on engine size, and one class for sidecars. Classes for 50cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, and 500cc single seaters have existed over time, and 350cc and 500cc sidecars. Up through the 1950s and most of the 1960s, four-stroke engines dominated all classes. In the 1960s, two-stroke engines began to take root in the smaller classes. By the 1970s, two-strokes completely eclipsed the four-strokes. In 1979, Honda made an attempt to return the four-stroke to the top class, with the NR500, but this project failed, and in 1983, even Honda was winning with a two-stroke 500. The 50cc class was replaced by an 80cc class, then the class was dropped entirely in the 1990s, after being dominated primarily by Spanish and Italian makes. The 350cc class vanished in the 1980s. Sidecars were dropped from World Championship events in the 1990s, reducing the field to 125s, 250s, and 500s.

MotoGP, the premier class of GP motorcycle racing, has changed dramatically in recent years. From the mid-1970s until 2002 the top class of GP racing was restricted to four cylinders and 500cc, regardless of whether the engine was a two-stroke or four-stroke. Consequently, all machines were two-strokes, due to the greater power output for a given engine capacity. In 2002 manufacturers were first permitted to enlarge the total capacity of four stroke machines to a maximum of 990cc, and to employ their choice of three to six cylinders. By 2003 there were no two-stroke machines remaining in the MotoGP field. The 125cc and 250cc classes still consist exclusively of two-stroke machines.

The current racing calendar consists of 16 rounds in 14 different countries (Spain which hosts 3 rounds, Qatar, Turkey, China, France, Italy, Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Australia, Japan and Portugal). Only for MotoGp class there is also an USA round in Laguna Seca, California. The grid is composed of 3 columns and contains about 20 riders. Races are about 45 minutes long, and as a result, it is a sprint without pitting for fuel or tires.

In 2005, a flag-to-flag rule for MotoGP was introduced. Previously, if a race started dry and rain appeared, riders or officials could red-flag (stop) the race and begin again on wet tires. Now, if it begins to rain there is no red flag, though riders can pit to change their tires at their discretion (and if a white flag is waved by officials).

When a rider crashes, track marshalls wave a yellow flag which means there is no passing in that area; if a fallen rider cannot be safely evacuated from the track, the race is red-flagged. Motorcycle crashes are usually of two types: lowsides and highsides. A lowside is when the motorcycle falls onto the side closest to the ground; a highside is when a motorcycle flips in the opposite direction of the turn and often sends the rider up into the air.

According to a recent estimate, leasing a top-level motorcycle for a rider is about 3 to 3.5 million dollars.Template:Ref

Specifications

New specifications for each racing class are formed as FIM sees fit. At the beginning of the new MotoGP era in 2002, 500cc two-stroke or 990cc four-stroke bikes were specified to race. The enormous power advantage of the four-stroke engine over the two-stroke eliminated all two-strokes from competition, and the following season there were no two-stroke bikes racing.

In 2007, FIM has regulated that MotoGP bikes will be limited to 800cc four-strokes. The stated reason for this reduction is to improve rider safety, as the power output and top speed of MotoGP machines has been increasing substantially since 2002. The current MotoGP speed record of 343km/h (213.1mph) was set by Alex Barros on a Honda at Mugello in 2004. By way of comparison, the current Formula One speed record of 369.9 km/h (229.8 mph) was set by Antonio Pizzonia of the BMW Williams F1 team, at Monza in 2004.

The specific choice of a reduction to 800cc (as opposed to other power reduction methods, such as decreasing the number of transmission gears permitted) is very favourable to Honda, who currently run a five cylinder machine, and need only remove a cylinder to modify their engine. Other manufacturers will need to entirely redesign their engines.Template:Ref

125cc machines are restricted to a single cylinder and a minimum weight of 80 kilograms and the 250cc machines to two cylinders and a minimum of 100 kilograms.

MotoGP bikes are permitted to have engines with 3 to 6 cylinders, and have variable weight limits depending on the number of cylinders. This is because an engine with more cylinders for a given capacity means the engine can produce more power, and the weight limit is increased as a form of handicap. In 2004 motorcycles were entered with three-, four- and five-cylinder configurations.

Like Formula One cars, GP motorcycles are made not only to be raced but to demonstrate the technical and design prowess of the manufacturer. As a result, MotoGP machines are generally made of lightweight and expensive materials such as titanium and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. They regularly feature technology not available to the general public.

Examples of this include sophisticated electronics, including telemetry, engine management systems and traction control, carbon disk brakes, and advanced engine technology such as Honda's V5 engine configuration and 2004 Aprilia's RS3. The latter employs the Cosworth-designed pneumatic valve actuation system, used in Formula One cars.

While MotoGP motorcycles are only raced at World Championship level, slightly less powerful 125cc and 250cc bikes are available at relatively reasonable cost. A 125cc bike costs about the same as a small car. These bikes are raced in national championships around the world.

One of the main challenges that confronts a MotoGP motorcycle rider and designer is how to translate the machine's enormous power - over 240 horsepower (179 kW), through a single tyre-contact patch roughly the size of a human hand. For comparison, Formula 1 cars produce up to 750 bhp (560 kW) from their 2.4 litre engines but have 10 times the tyre contact surface. Because of this difficulty, MotoGP is perhaps unique in modern motor sport in that teams will often deliberately detune their engines to allow their riders a chance to control them, with most not making more than the 180 to 190 bhp (135 to 140 kW) of the front-running two-stroke bikes.

(I think that there is an error in the last statement ... current bikes are four-strokes)

Notes