New MotoGP Rules

The Grand Prix Commission has announced initial details of the new MotoGP formula planned for 2012.

For now there is no mention of using production based motors, as the rules so far stipulate only that engines must be four stroke, less than 1000cc and have four cylinders with a bore of 81mm. According to FIM boss Vito Ippolito, more detailed regulations won’t be announced until early 2010.

While this will ensure some conformity among manufacturers, it appears to be designed not so much to reduce costs as to keep power in check, although a continuation of the current rule limiting the number of engines which can be used would achieve that. Conformity between bikes however should encourage closer racing than we’ve seen under the current 800cc rules.

The 81mm bore size is only slightly less than that used by most manufacturers anyway. The most extreme bore size of the old 990cc era was Ducati’s, whose Desmosedici had bore and stroke dimensions 86 x 42.56mm, a ratio of just over 2:1, which is approaching Formula 1 car engine parameters. Ducati was able to achieve this because its desmodromic valve system allowed the use of larger diameter and therefore heavier valves in conjunction with high revs, and as Ducati is the only manufacturer using this system it looks likely the Italian factory stands to be the most disadvantaged by the ruling.

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