While I can’t recall being at Mosport or Shannonville as my dad raced, the smell of a two-stroke at full throttle makes me feel right at home. There is nothing quite like it, oil being consumed as the air/fuel mixture is burnt, exiting as a sweet blue haze of spent exhaust gases. At Indianapolis last year, watching the 250cc class of riders line up at the bricks, I took it all in knowing that this would be the last time I would watch the 250’s at the Grand Prix level. With as much horsepower as a late model subcompact and light enough to be bench-pressed, these parallel twins carry more corner speed than their 800cc MotoGP counterparts and handle like a roller coaster. That being said, I and the rest of the motorcycle-racing world were perplexed by the loss of the 250 class for 2010, replacing it with Moto2. While the new class was not scheduled to start GP racing until 2011, positive pre-season testing prompted sanctioning bodies (Dorna and the FIM, IRTA and MSMA)to accelerate the schedule. Add to that the fact that there are few manufacturers that make a 250 for viable street use, in which case it would be more financially sound to develop a production based street bike, and the outcome was inevitable. As far as the specs and rules are concerned:
· Honda will supply 600cc, four-stroke production based engines, which are required to last for 6 races before replacement or rebuilding
· Dunlop will supply tires
· Eskil Suter will supply the slipper clutches
· 2D will supply ECU’s, data loggers and timing transponders, with a maximum cost of 650 euros
· Chassis will be prototypical and teams are required to develop their own frames, swingarms, fuel tanks, body work and suspension setup
· Carbon fiber brakes are no longer allowed in an effort to minimize costs by using steel rotors
There are many other details and rules but those mentioned above are likely to determine how the 2010 season will play out for Moto2.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical, for how exciting could homologated racing be in the absence of the Japanese Big Four and Ducati? The reality is that the racing world is facing tremendous pressure to evolve in light of a bleak economic forecast and ever-stricter environmental regulations. For example, Aprilia would charge teams 1.2 million euros to lease an RSA250 for one season, not including development and other costs. In Moto2, once all the costs are tabled, it is estimated the total will be approximately 700,000 euros, which includes both riders and ownership of both bikes. If Zorro can field a team then it must be financially sound. Also, the switch to production based four-stroke engines means that oil will no longer be burnt as part of the normal combustion cycle and that they will run on standard fuel, both eco-friendly moves.
I’m all for saving money and the planet but I questioned the quality of the racing. After watching the first race of the season under the lights in Qatar, I realized just how far off I was. I won’t start regurgitating the highlights, mainly because you may have it on your PVR and there are just simply too many, so I’ll leave it at this. Picture 40 of the worlds premier riders trying to cram into Turn 1, and then battling for position for 20 plus laps, only to have 1st to 10th separated by mere seconds. During the off-season, shortness of breath and heart palpitations might be cause for concern on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but not while racing is on. Associated risks include nail biting and watery eyes, as blinking increases the chances of missing something.
Okay, so I might be exaggerating slightly, but Moto2 is truly the most entertaining motorcycle racing I’ve watched since Rossi battled Lorenzo for the last 3 laps at Catalunya in 2009. Don’t get me wrong, the GP class is still exciting, but in open class racing, the teams with the best engineers are the ones leading the way. Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo are extremely talented, but the YZR-M1’s they pilot are 230 hp rolling computers. The Moto2 class has its share of electronic aides and GP level tech, but identical engine specs from team to team ensure good battles and constant positional changes. No traction control, no electronically adjustable suspension, no tire pressure sensors, and so on. For those of you who scoff at these barbaric alterations, are you even aware that current MotoGP bikes have onboard GPS that allows teams to implement turn-by-turn changes via computer? If so, do you cheer for the ECU or your favourite rider? Do you lineup for the engineer’s signature after the race? Even World Champions like Rossi and Hayden both prefer a return to racing with less electronics, something echoed throughout the paddock. In Moto2 there are literally battles at every corner, of every lap, of every race and anyone betting on the outcomes is likely to have a losing record.
I’ll be the first to admit that I think electronics and computer management are necessary, not only to provide safety for the riders as the machines get faster, but because the engineering feats that racing breeds is what you and I take for granted when we ride a new motorcycle or drive a new car for that matter. Moto2, while stripped down, still benefits from these technologies, but when all teams are on a level playing field, funding is no longer a deciding factor in winning. The Moto2 bikes permit certain modifications as mentioned, but the strict rules act as an equalizer that leaves rider craft to decide the outcome of the race. There are those who believe that GP racing should be left as a showcase for technology, where the best teams should win because they have the best bike. Technology doesn’t create excitement, it just gives the rider the confidence to push harder at safe levels. The entertainment comes from the racing, no matter the technology, especially when you need a degree in electrical engineering to understand most of it. If you don’t believe me then go watch a flat track race at the Indy Mile and tell me it’s not good racing. 100 mph plus, no brakes, drifting around a dirt corner, rubbing elbows with your competition and some riders on pushrod Harley’s!
Like any new class, there have been some growing pains. Some complain that cost savings are not worth the sacrifice in performance, judged by slightly slower lap times than the previous 250’s. Also, some argue that there is not enough chassis development by teams because sponsors aren’t willing to risk consistent results for potentially larger payoffs. However, I believe that these situations will resolve themselves as the season progresses and as the series continues next year. Riders will adjust and teams will venture deeper into R&D as competition mounts between sponsors vying for a slot in a class that is likely to bring increased viewership. But you don’t even have to listen to me rant about the changes because in 2012, both MotoGP and even the 125’s will look very different as well. The GP Commission is reintroducing liter bikes in the GP class with the 125’s being replaced by a 250 four-stoke class, aptly named Moto3. Along with a host of other new specifications and rule changes, the aim is to increase entertainment through improved competition, while implementing cost saving measures.
In the business of sports, if it makes money, it makes sense.
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