Moto2 to debut this year

[mx311]

Dorna has announced that the 250cc replacement series Moto2 will debut this year in the Spanish CEV Championship. The class is being introduced this year in hopes that teams and manufacturers will race in the CEV in order to develop their bikes in preparation of the classes debut on the world stage in 2010.

So far two top Spanish teams have committed to racing, the Laglisse Yamaha team and the BQR team (also known as Blusens Racing). Laglisse will use Yamaha engines while BQR plan on using Honda engines. Laglisse's CEV Supersport champ Angel Rodriguez is expected to ride one of their entries, BQR's riders are unknown at this point. It is also rumoured that several current 250 GP riders may also race in the CEV Moto2 championship so that they can learn the bikes before their world championship debut in 2010.

Personally I like this move for three reasons, one it helps with bike development before they're thrown in the deep end in GP racing, two it may help some riders reestablish themselves on the GP front by having a strong season in the CEV and three it hopefully will bring some more attention to the brilliant CEV series.

[ChrisS]

Blusens BQR already launched its Moto2 Honda

http://www.gpone.com/news/News.asp?NNews=3383

[Dr. Gellar]

And what a cool lookin' bike that is! From what I can tell from a couple of the videos I see, it doesn't look much bigger than a 250cc bike. I'm very interested now in seeing some of the other bikes that will be racing in the CEV series or are being prepared for the Moto2 class. Hopefully we will see at least a few bikes that aren't inline-4's.

This is a good move by the CEV to get this class going so soon, giving teams and manufacturers a chance of a head start for the World Championship. Indeed, I expect the 2010 250cc season to be a lot like the first season of the MotoGP 4-strokes, in that the new 4-stroke machines will make the 250cc 2-strokes immediately relevant on the track. Although, Aprilia my put up a good fight with their factory 250cc bikes, unless of course they decide to create a 4-stroke racer of their own....which I hope they do.

The list of interested parties in Moto2 is looking not too bad. So far we have Moriwaki, Bimota, Ilmor, Suter Racing, BQR Honda, Scot Honda and the Laglisse Yamaha squad that I have heard about. And hopefully many more in the very near future.

[patnicholls]

Tech 3 also throwing their name in the mix for Moto2, the initial signs are looking good...

[Dr. Gellar]

That's great news!

I forgot one. Though it was never an official statement, I believe Ten Kate has also been quoted as interested in building a bike for Moto2.

[maxu05]

I just read at motogp.com, that Moriwaki will compete in the All Japan series with their new Moto2 prototype. I would imagine they would use Japanese riders, but, it all looks good for when the new formula kicks off. I think this series will be awesome, and might even steal some of the limelight from the motogp boys when it kicks off. I think that motogp should encourage some private teams into the top class, and get the numbers up. Moto2 could prove to be the template for the future of motgp.

[Dr. Gellar]

I couldn't agree more about Moto2 being a template for the future of MotoGP. It would be the best way to encourage non-factory teams to give the blue-riband class another shot, and for them to actually be competitive with factory machines. Otherwise, expect the 18-bikes-if-you-are-lucky joke of a grid to continue to be the norm for MotoGP.

Speaking of grids and Moto2, I'm going to go off on a limb and say this...expect to see 30 bikes or so lining up for the Moto2 grids at most events by 2011, when the class fully replaces 250cc GP. I think the class will be that popular...

Good to see Moriwaki continuing development of their Moto2 machine... :)

[Rod Richardson]

It's been approved.............Following the decision Claude Danis (FIM) said................“We had already decided that the chassis should be open to all manufacturers, but we would like to have a control engine in order to reduce costs.”

The decision as to whom will be the sole manufacturer will be made in the next month, but we have already had two parties expressing an interest and we will discuss the situation with them."

No decision has yet been made on tyres.

Well,whoopee bloody dooo............Have these bright sparks really thought this through and considered the consequences????

Without being aware of the finer points of the proposal, on the surface, it appears this decision will at least save costs for the unsuccessful bidders among the the big six bike manufacturers who I doubt would want to contribute to the development of a HondaYam, KawaSuz or ApriKTM or hybrid thus leaving their funds free for use in developing their own ranges of bikes in other series including World Superbike, SSP and STK classes which would be more likely to benefit sales.

Really sensible move by FIM & Dorna eh? WSBK must be pleased.

I would like to know whether there is a fee payable by the successful tenderer and who or which organization is to benefit.

[NinjaMaster]

It's been approved.............Following the decision Claude Danis (FIM) said................“We had already decided that the chassis should be open to all manufacturers, but we would like to have a control engine in order to reduce costs.”

The decision as to whom will be the sole manufacturer will be made in the next month, but we have already had two parties expressing an interest and we will discuss the situation with them."

No decision has yet been made on tyres.

Well,whoopee bloody dooo............Have these bright sparks really thought this through and considered the consequences????

Without being aware of the finer points of the proposal, on the surface, it appears this decision will at least save costs for the unsuccessful bidders among the the big six bike manufacturers who I doubt would want to contribute to the development of a HondaYam, KawaSuz or ApriKTM or hybrid thus leaving their funds free for use in developing their own ranges of bikes in other series including World Superbike, SSP and STK classes which would be more likely to benefit sales.

Really sensible move by FIM & Dorna eh? WSBK must be pleased.

I would like to know whether there is a fee payable by the successful tenderer and who or which organization is to benefit.

Like most things MotoGP at the moment, this is a real mess and always was going to be after the decision was made to go to 600 production-engined bikes. There are too many conflicts. On one hand, a 'control engine' should help avoid the collision course with WSS but then they run the risk of alienating possible entrants not associated with the engine supplier. Ten Kate will only consider participation if Honda are the supplier but then Tech 3 would be unlikely because of their tie up with Yamaha. But if all manufacturers are open to it then they are in direct conflict with WSS contract for production based 600 racing which will result in a nasty, drawn out and expensive court battle.

In the words of Roland Ten Kate "It's about time that the people who make decisions there engage their brains before opening their mouths. That's not happening right now. Because of the financial crisis, there's such a sense of panic, that they keep announcing news instead of staying calm, and examining the situation. The whole Moto2 situation at the moment, there's nothing there yet." (courtesy of motogpmatters).

[Rod Richardson]

The "control" engine would need to be a prototype to comply with the agreement with the WSBK organisers re not using engines from a production bike so we could be looking at engine builders who are in a position to produce suitable engines, who have the capital to invest and the ability to survive the current financial crisis (possibly the likes of Ilmor) or alternatively we may end up seeing the FIM and Dorna plans go down the gurgler and both parties embarrassed.

Meanwhile, time marches on so they had better get off their butts and finalize things otherwise there won't be sufficient time to produce the bikes and for teams to have their sponsorship arranged, funding in place and be in a position to get riders under contract.

[NinjaMaster]

How confident are you of them actually getting everything sorted out soon, Rod? I know I'm fairly doubtful. In fact, I'm concerned for the series as a whole going to the wall in the next couple of years on current trends. Dorna and the FIM have created a rod for their own back and it will be interesting to see how they try turn things around after years of neglect.

[AndyRAC]

I'm probably in the minority of one here - but I don't like the idea of Proddy bikes/engines in GP racing. That is what WSBK is for. Also, when I think of GP bikes, I think of 2 strokes. Yeah, they're environmentally unfriendly, but there is something about a 2 stroke. I'm sorry to see them go - and I'm unhappy that Honda have far too much saay in the direction of the sport.
Please forgive me for my outdated ideas......

[TheFamousEccles]

Can't say I'm impressed by the idea of SuperSportGP (for that is what it is), there is a whole raft of new tech two-stroke ideas being used in a wide array of applications that have relevance to the real world.

The cost alone of this formula would be high, and WSBK would have a legitimate axe to grind with the GP people over the invasion of territory. I can't remember where I read it, but I do recall there being significant issues flagged about 600cc racing capacity and who had the rights to such a class (anyone know anything further?).

[The Phantom]

I can't remember where I read it, but I do recall there being significant issues flagged about 600cc racing capacity and who had the rights to such a class (anyone know anything further?).

Eccles, the support class for WSB, World Supersport, is run by the Flammini organisation. They have the FIM-granted rights to run a world championship 600cc production-based motorcycle racing class and therefore can defend that right against MotoGP/Moto2, should it infringe on the WSS class.

The only way Dorna are likely to get a 600cc class off the ground is with bespoke engines/chassis, unless there's an awful lot of money in it for Flammini. Should Dorna try to go down the production spec motor route, Flammini will have Dorna in the courts straight away. So it would need to be an all-new motor or motors.

Honda, to me, are the most likely supplier of a spec motor. Of course if one major manufacturer is producing race motors for Moto2, we'd quite reasonably expect to see nil involvement from any other manufacturer - and a flurry of activity in the bespoke chassis manufacturers arena. Illmor, Harris, Spondon, Bimota (although I don't believe Bimota has every built a Honda-powered bike before?), Over and other companies would probably at least consider building bikes to take the spec motor. Even start-ups like MotoCzycz could potentially get involved in Moto2 under this scenario. So it could become a fairly interesting class from a chassis perspective.

I also can't at this point see why you couldn't take a current M1 chassis and slot a spec Moto2 engine into it...

[patnicholls]

We've obviously hit some (hopefully temporary) trouble with the spec engine idea, but a couple of Moto2 bikes have taken to the track at Albacete in Spain as part of the CEV Formula Extreme championship for practice and quali, though won't be racing.

http://www.crash.net/MotoGP/News/145518/1/moto2_machines_qualify_at_albacete.html

http://www.cevbuckler.com/pdfclasificaciones_2009/albacete_1/CONJUNTA_EXTREME.pdf

The Moto2 machines are the ones piloted by Angel Rodriguez (a friend of this forum) for Laglisse on a Yamaha-engined bike, and Daniel Rivas on a Honda-engined project for BQR/Blusens, and were pretty competitive straight out of the box from the times. Angel Rodriguez is a former 125 rider, reborn as last year's Spanish Supersport champion and unlucky not to be racing in WSS this year, so is a good yardstick by which to judge the bike.

[Rod Richardson]

How confident are you of them actually getting everything sorted out soon, Rod? I know I'm fairly doubtful. In fact, I'm concerned for the series as a whole going to the wall in the next couple of years on current trends. Dorna and the FIM have created a rod for their own back and it will be interesting to see how they try turn things around after years of neglect.

Not too confident at all and even less as time passes. In my opinion, unless they have already decided on an engine supplier which is quite on the cards and production is already underway or alternatively, one of the manufacturers already has a suitable engine that is not yet in a production bike, they would be pushing uphill to get an engine designed, tested and into production in time for teams to get a bike ready before the first race of 2010.

I share your concerns over the survival of the Moto GP series and sincerely hope it does not self-destruct.

[AndyRAC]

Not too confident at all and even less as time passes. In my opinion, unless they have already decided on an engine supplier which is quite on the cards and production is already underway or alternatively, one of the manufacturers already has a suitable engine that is not yet in a production bike, they would be pushing uphill to get an engine designed, tested and into production in time for teams to get a bike ready before the first race of 2010.

I share your concerns over the survival of the Moto GP series and sincerely hope it does not self-destruct.

Which it seems to be doing - Well especially Dorna/Carmelo Espolito - aping everything Bernie Ecclestone/F1 does. Shouldn't FIM have more of a say in the running of the sport?

[TheFamousEccles]

Eccles, the support class for WSB, World Supersport, is run by the Flammini organisation. They have the FIM-granted rights to run a world championship 600cc production-based motorcycle racing class and therefore can defend that right against MotoGP/Moto2, should it infringe on the WSS class.

The only way Dorna are likely to get a 600cc class off the ground is with bespoke engines/chassis, unless there's an awful lot of money in it for Flammini. Should Dorna try to go down the production spec motor route, Flammini will have Dorna in the courts straight away. So it would need to be an all-new motor or motors.

Honda, to me, are the most likely supplier of a spec motor. Of course if one major manufacturer is producing race motors for Moto2, we'd quite reasonably expect to see nil involvement from any other manufacturer - and a flurry of activity in the bespoke chassis manufacturers arena. Illmor, Harris, Spondon, Bimota (although I don't believe Bimota has every built a Honda-powered bike before?), Over and other companies would probably at least consider building bikes to take the spec motor. Even start-ups like MotoCzycz could potentially get involved in Moto2 under this scenario. So it could become a fairly interesting class from a chassis perspective.

I also can't at this point see why you couldn't take a current M1 chassis and slot a spec Moto2 engine into it...

Thanks, Phantom.

Oh, yes Bimota have produced a Honda-engined bike -

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/bimota/bimota_hb1.htm

It would make a nice Post-classic racer, doncha think?

TFE