The Missing Manufacturers of MotoGP

[edlalu]

I was looking at the line up riders set for the 2008 season of MotoGP. The field is great. Rookies from WSB and 250s. Sophomores from the "Young Guns". Seasoned Veterans. World Champions with something to prove. Teams with both strong and weak points that will require real efforts.

But I studied the list of Manufacturers and thought there seem to be some missing. What happened to Roberts Racing? Why did KTM drop their MotoGP effort? Why is Aprilia not in MotoGP? Will MotoCzysz ever show?

Ducati should be proof to some of these shops that even as a boutique line you can win on Sunday and sell on Monday. Ducati has earned a name for itself. I see more Ducatis' on the street than ever including the one in our garage, (an '02 800 SS purchased in '02).

Though some of this is mere musing, anyone like to weigh in on Aprilia and KTM? These guys are all over the 125 and 250 class. They both have large displacement motors in their product line. Where the hell are their GP bikes?!?

[Mach24]

Though some of this is mere musing, anyone like to weigh in on Aprilia and KTM? These guys are all over the 125 and 250 class. They both have large displacement motors in their product line. Where the hell are their GP bikes?!?

They have made the decision to go Superbike..... The way of the future!

I think you are way off target with the 'boutique line' regarding Ducati.

Ducati are a force in the world motorcycle market!

[ArmchairBikeFan]

Aprilia don't have the money for MotoGP.
KTM probably have the money but don't want to spend it if they're not winning.
MotoCzysz are still pie in the sky.

MotoGP is just too expensive for smaller manufacturers. Ducati might be small but they're high value and their MotoGP team is massively subsidized by 'baccy money.

[NinjaMaster]

Aprilia don't have the money for MotoGP.
KTM probably have the money but don't want to spend it if they're not winning.
MotoCzysz are still pie in the sky.

MotoGP is just too expensive for smaller manufacturers. Ducati might be small but they're high value and their MotoGP team is massively subsidized by 'baccy money.
Spot on.

Where the smaller motorcycle manufacturers will take inspiration from Ducati is where they rebuilt their empire out of Superbike racing. This is why the likes of MV Agusta, KTM, Aprilia and BMW (BMW to a lesser extent) are heading to WSB to build their racing cred through the much cheaper production based series that will have a much greater impact on sales for their investment.

[mx311]

Aprilia don't have the money for MotoGP.
KTM probably have the money but don't want to spend it if they're not winning.
MotoCzysz are still pie in the sky.
It's not that Aprilia don't have the money to race in MotoGP, it's just that they've been burnt twice before. KTM will race MotoGP one day, but it won't be for a while. And as for MotoCzysz, that was never going to happen, ever. And besides, that was a 990 bike, I can't see them throwing that out and building an 800. Oh and let's never mention Ilmor and their 'effort'. ;)

[maxu05]

Perhaps the Team Roberts effort will end this year as well.

[ChrisS]

Perhaps the Team Roberts effort will end this year as well.

they have 2 tba entries in provisional entry list. I guess they submitted their entry and hope it will work out somehow.

[ChrisS]

It's not that Aprilia don't have the money to race in MotoGP, it's just that they've been burnt twice before. KTM will race MotoGP one day, but it won't be for a while. And as for MotoCzysz, that was never going to happen, ever. And besides, that was a 990 bike, I can't see them throwing that out and building an 800. Oh and let's never mention Ilmor and their 'effort'. ;)

KTM is making quite a few moves lately, they have the RC8 out and they plan to take it racing in superstock and later superbike (where just by looking at the bike specs I believe they will fail miserably). They have their first "car" the X-Bow coming out next year and apparently is selling a lot better than KTM expected

And Bajaj Auto (an Indian company also known as who? in the western world but apparently is world's #4 motorcycle manufacturer) bought something like 20% of KTM a while ago.

As for MotoCzysz, I believe MotoGP was just a way to get exposure so they could sell an unknown bike for $100K, when Ilmor with all their engineering experience weren't able to make it then no way a guy with no engineering background could make it.

[edlalu]

Spot on.

Where the smaller motorcycle manufacturers will take inspiration from Ducati is where they rebuilt their empire out of Superbike racing. This is why the likes of MV Agusta, KTM, Aprilia and BMW (BMW to a lesser extent) are heading to WSB to build their racing cred through the much cheaper production based series that will have a much greater impact on sales for their investment.

Do more people follow MotoGP or WSB? If, like me, you think Speed's coverage of MotoGP SUCKS, then WSB is worse still. All of Speeds road race coverage is weak.
The AMA road racing is too hodge podge for me. Riders competing in multiple classes and displacements. And Mladin, bleh! I'm about as impressed with him as I with every F'ing Punk Ass I see riding in a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers on their new litre bike. Woohoo NOT!

.......wait.....this isn't the "what cheeses you off" thread huh?

I'm gonna keep watching MotoGP. Anyway, MotoGP effects sales too you know. I just need $60,000 USD more to get my Desmosedici RR!

[NinjaMaster]

Do more people follow MotoGP or WSB? If, like me, you think Speed's coverage of MotoGP SUCKS, then WSB is worse still. All of Speeds road race coverage is weak.
The AMA road racing is too hodge podge for me. Riders competing in multiple classes and displacements. And Mladin, bleh! I'm about as impressed with him as I with every F'ing Punk Ass I see riding in a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers on their new litre bike. Woohoo NOT!

.......wait.....this isn't the "what cheeses you off" thread huh?

I'm gonna keep watching MotoGP. Anyway, MotoGP effects sales too you know. I just need $60,000 USD more to get my Desmosedici RR!
I agree with you about the AMA superbike class - not enough depth. I don't quite get your comment on Mladin though. I assume it's his personality you don't like? I have mixed opinions of Matt. On one hand he is generally fairly gracious to his fellow competitors who deserve it but then he also says some things that sound really stupid. I guess he speaks his mind fairly undiplomatically which can easily put a lot of people offside.

[Placid]

And another team that was missing from 2006 was WCM and what has happened to the manufacturer Blata?

And can Petronas build a 800cc engine since they left the World Superbike?

And what about Moriwaki manufacturer who made wild-card appearances at Asia?

[NinjaMaster]

The WCM/Blata thing has turned out to be a no-show and disappeared off the face of the planet. They would have struggled too much financially to be competitive anyway.
Petronas was an attempt to take a MotoGP engine and build a superbike out of it but they couldn't get that competitive against hot-rodded street bikes. No chance they will join MotoGP in the near future.
Moriwaki build specialist frams and use Honda motors, which, in Hondas current supply position, means that Moriwaki won't be gracing a MotoGP grid anytime soon unless they can find another engine supplier. There is no talk of any interest from them anyway.