The Honda NSR500V is a race motorcycle from the Honda NSR series . It was designed and manufactured by HRC and debuted in 1996 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing 's 500 cc class. The bike was conceived by Honda to be a viable machine for privateer teams to enter the class.
68-469: The V-twin water-cooled two-stroke used the same crankcase reed-valve induction as the Honda NSR500 V4 . The 100-degree V2 also used a single crankshaft, a feature common to all of Honda's GP race bikes of the time. Weighing in at 103 kg, it produced a claimed 135 bhp (101 kW) when running on hi-octane avgas. Although it made less power than its V4 counterpart (some 40-50 hp less), it
136-537: A 'spec' tyre supplier, Bridgestone, was appointed by the FIM (with Michelin no longer supplying any tyres to MotoGP and returning to the category in 2016). For the whole season Bridgestone provided four specifications of front tyre, six of rear, and a single wet specification—with no qualifying specification. For each round Bridgestone provided only two specifications for front and rear. Tyres are assigned to riders randomly to assure impartiality. Jorge Lorenzo has publicly supported
204-631: A 2nd at the final race in Australia . When the Grand Prix season had finished, Honda also entered the V2 in the MFJ Grand Prix Superbike Race which pitted most of the top Grand Prix teams against each other in a one-off race at Sugo. Okada won the event on the V2, ahead of the established V4s from Honda , Suzuki and Yamaha . Honda continued to develop the V2 over the winter of 1996 and again entered
272-474: A 350cc class from 1949 to 1982, and a 750cc class from 1977 to 1979. Sidecars were dropped from world championship events in the 1990s (see Sidecar World Championship ). From the mid-1970s through to 2001, the top class of GP racing allowed 500cc displacement with a maximum of four cylinders, regardless of whether the engine was a two-stroke or four-stroke . This is unlike TT Formula or motocross , where two and four strokes had different engine size limits in
340-524: A competitive and realistic machine for private teams. Initially Honda ran two fully works-supported bikes in 1996 as part of the established Repsol squad, the bikes being ridden by Tadayuki Okada and Shinichi Itoh . The machine made an immediate impact with Okada securing pole position for its maiden race in 1996, in Malaysia . Okada was to bring the new bike home in the Top 5 on six occasions, its best finish being
408-508: A factory team buying ("claiming") their rival's powertrain for a fixed price. The sport's governing body received applications from sixteen new teams looking to join the MotoGP class. For the 2014 season, the CRT subclass was rebranded Open, as the claiming rule was removed. Also, all entries adopted a standard engine control unit, with factory teams being allowed to run any software, and Open entries using
476-588: A fragile transmission. For the 2001 season Honda Racing Corporation updated the engine with a new crankcase set and transmission. In 2001 Honda Racing Corporation produced 2 NSR500v motorcycles which were raced by the Shell Advance Team. Several 2001 updated engines were sold to other NSR500v teams. Unlike the NSR500V4s which were merely leased out to teams, the V2s were sold to teams, many of whom later sold them outside
544-480: A row from 1994 to 1999 . With more than 100 wins to its credit, the NSR500 is the most dominant force in modern Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The 1989 NSR500 that won Honda's third 500 World Championship with Eddie Lawson exemplifies the overwhelming power, acceleration and raw speed that has always been synonymous with Honda's 500 cc two-stroke V4. Designed to succeed Honda's first two-stroke Grand Prix racer,
612-469: A single-season win record that was set in 1972 . Combining for 54 total 500 Grand Prix wins, no man and machine in modern history had dominated the 500 World Championship so thoroughly. From around 1997, the NSR500 again featured the older "Screamer" engine in some factory racers, with Mick Doohan preferring the higher outright power of this design despite it being much more difficult to harness. Constant development and ever-increasing sophistication sharpened
680-503: A standard software. For the 2016 season, the Open subclass was dropped, and factory entries switched to a standard engine control unit software. In 2010, the 250cc two-stroke class was replaced by the new Moto2 600cc four-stroke class. In 2012, the 125cc two-stroke class was replaced by the Moto3 250cc four-stroke class with a weight limit of 65 kg with fuel. For the 2019 season Moto2 introduced
748-399: Is 148 kg (326 lb). Traditionally, the age limits for Moto3 were 16-28, with an upper limit of 25 for new contracted riders participating for the first time and wild-cards. A change of rules was introduced in 2014, allowing under-age FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 (junior) champions to participate in a subsequent Moto3 series at World Championship level. The first beneficiary of this rule-change
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#1732880028539816-464: Is 765cc displacement with three cylinders, contrasting with the previous Honda's 600cc in-line four. In 2024 Pirelli became the sole tire supplier in Moto2 and Moto3, replacing Dunlop. The 125cc class was replaced in 2012 by the Moto3 class. This class is restricted to single-cylinder 250cc four-stroke engines with a maximum bore of 81 mm (3.2 inches). The minimum total weight for motorcycle and rider
884-509: Is divided into four classes: the eponymous MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE. The first three classes use four-stroke engines , while the MotoE class uses electric motorcycles . The most successful rider in Grand Prix history is Giacomo Agostini with 15 titles and 122 race wins. In the top-flight series, Agostini holds the title record with eight, followed by Valentino Rossi with seven and active rider Marc Márquez with six. As of 2023, Rossi holds
952-583: Is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of the twentieth century and large national events were often given the title Grand Prix. The foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme as the international governing body for motorcycle sport in 1949 provided
1020-481: The NS500 triple, NSR500 debuted in 1984 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing's 500 cc class. Building on lessons learned from its three-cylinder predecessor, the new 90° V4 used a single crankshaft, making it lighter and more compact than its dual-crankshaft adversaries. Though tormented by unorthodox chassis technology in its first season, the NSR500 evolved to clinch Honda's second 500 cc GP title in 1985 . Opening
1088-534: The Superbike World Championship and the Isle of Man TT Races that feature modified versions of road-going motorcycles available to the public. The top-division is known as MotoGP since 2002 , when the four-stroke era began. Prior to that, the largest class was 500cc , both of which form a historical continuum as the official World Championship, although all classes have official status. The championship
1156-626: The 1950s and most of the 1960s, four-stroke engines dominated all classes. In the 1960s, due to advances in engine design and technology, two-stroke engines began to take root in the smaller classes. In 1969, the FIM—citing high development costs for non-works teams due to rules which allowed a multiplicity of cylinders (meaning smaller pistons, producing higher revs) and a multiplicity of gears (giving narrower power bands, affording higher states of tune)—brought in new rules restricting all classes to six gears and most to two cylinders (four cylinders in
1224-405: The 1989 bikes had more top speed and acceleration than anything else on the track. To contain all that muscle, the stiffer, twin-spar aluminum chassis used a curved, gull-wing-type swingarm to accommodate more efficient expansion chambers. The 1989 bike was also the first Grand Prix bike to incorporate an early form of a quick shifter , although it only allowed clutchless no lift upshifts. The result
1292-417: The 1992 NSR500 was a breakthrough. Emphasizing acceleration over sheer speed, Doohan used this engine to win five of the first seven 500 Grand Prix races of 1992. Although a badly broken leg denied Doohan's bid for the 1992 World Championship, he would not be denied for long. Beginning in 1994 , Doohan and the NSR500 won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships. Winning 12 of 15 races in 1997 , he broke
1360-511: The 250cc class, in the 1966 season. Mick Doohan , who won 12 out of 15 (80%) of the 500cc races in the 1997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season also deserves an honourable mention. Valentino Rossi is the most successful contemporary rider, having won nine titles including seven 500cc/MotoGP titles (2001–2005, 2008–2009), and one each at 250cc and 125cc levels. The current champion is Spanish rider Jorge Martín . The 2025 MotoGP World Championship consists of 22 circuits. The following shows
1428-428: The 3-cylinder, 765cc Triumph production engine, while Moto3 and MotoGP still use prototype engines. The starting grid consists of three columns and features around 20 riders. Grid positions are determined based on qualifying speeds, arranged in descending order, with the fastest rider occupying the pole . Each race is a 45-minute sprint, completed without any fuel or tire stops. In 2005, a flag-to-flag rule for MotoGP
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#17328800285391496-512: The Grand Prix arena. Some were campaigned in National races while many ended up in private motorcycle collections. Honda NSR500 The Honda NSR500 is a road racing motorcycle created by HRC ( Honda Racing Corporation ) and debuted in 1984 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing 's 500 cc class. Honda won ten 500cc World Championships with the NSR500 from 1984 to 2002, with six in
1564-540: The MotoGP grids. Presently four-cylinder engines appear to offer the best compromise between weight, power, and fuel consumption as all competitors in the 2009 series used this solution in either 'V' or in-line configuration. In 2002, the FIM became concerned about the advances in design and engineering that resulted in higher speeds around the race track ; regulation changes related to weight, amount of available fuel and engine capacity were introduced. The amended rules reduced engine capacity to 800cc from 990cc and restricted
1632-421: The NSR500 a legend in the 1990s. Extensive testing in 1991 led to a new aluminum chassis patterned on the successful RVF750 endurance racer. Honda unveiled a revolutionary idea with a 1992 V4 that was timed to fire all four cylinders within 65-70 degrees of crankshaft rotation — the so-called " Big-Bang " engine. Along with a balance shaft that neutralized the single crankshaft engine's gyroscopic effects,
1700-453: The NSR500 got a stiffer, twin-spar aluminium chassis and various engine changes. The changes made to the 1988 bike made it somewhat problematic for the riders, especially in the first half of the season. Wayne Gardner had a hard time in defence of his 1987 World Championship and although he eventually got on top of the bike's problems and won three races in a row in mid-season ( Dutch TT , Belgium and Yugoslavia ), he could only finish second in
1768-483: The NSR500's edge, earning Honda two more 500 World Championships, with Àlex Crivillé in 1999 and again with Valentino Rossi in 2001 . For the 2002 season , technical regulations for the World Championship motorcycle road racing 500 cc class were changed drastically, with four-stroke engines being allowed to grow up to 990 cc and up to six cylinders. The name of the class was changed to MotoGP and
1836-475: The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Metacritic gave the game a rating of 72%. In 2013, Milestone got the exclusive license for MotoGP video games, a contract that will now last until at least 2026. The first game in this run of their contract was MotoGP 13 , which was released on 21 June 2013 on PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game received mixed reviews and scored 73%. As of September 2024
1904-455: The V-angle to 112 degrees in 1987 made room for a quartet of 36 mm Keihin carburetors between the cylinders where they could be fed more cool air. The new arrangement also let the engine exhale more efficiently through its four artfully intertwined expansion chambers. By year's end, Honda won a third 500 World Championship with Australian rider Wayne Gardner . Entirely redesigned for 1988 ,
1972-447: The V2 as a works machine in 1997 , this time piloted by Takuma Aoki . The bike proved competitive scoring seven Top 5 placings, its best being 2nd in Australia . The V2 was also sold to private teams, among them the newly formed Gresini Racing Team with rider Alex Barros who got onto the podium at Donington and finished the season 9th (ahead of six factory V4 bikes). Over the course of 1998 and 1999 , Sete Gibernau , who replaced
2040-477: The amount of available fuel for race distance from 26 litres (5.7 imp gal; 6.9 US gal) in year 2004 to 21 litres (4.6 imp gal; 5.5 US gal) in year 2007 and onwards. In addition, the minimum weight of four-cylinder bikes used by all participating teams was increased by 3 kg (6.6 lb). The highest speed for a MotoGP motorcycle in 125cc category is 249.76 km/h (155.19 mph) by Valentino Rossi in 1996 for Aprilia and
2108-499: 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 twice as large displacement four-stroke engine over the half the size two-stroke meant that by the following season, no two-stroke bikes were racing. In 2007, the maximum engine capacity was reduced to 800cc without reducing the existing weight restriction. MotoGP-class motorcycles are not restricted to any specific engine configuration. However,
Honda NSR500V - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-538: The bike over to the "high side", usually catapulting the rider over the top. Increased use of traction control has made highsides much less frequent. 2023 saw the introduction of 'Sprint' race events; these races take place on the Saturday of the race weekend with the traditional Grand Prix taking place on the Sunday. The 'Sprint' races are shorter - approximately half the length of a Grand Prix. Riders score approximately half
2244-417: The case of the 350cc and 500cc classes). This led to a mass walk-out of the sport by the previously highly successful Honda , Suzuki and Yamaha manufacturer teams, skewing the results tables for the next several years, with MV Agusta effectively the only works team left in the sport until Yamaha (1973) and Suzuki (1974) returned with new two-stroke designs. By this time, two-strokes completely eclipsed
2312-499: The championship behind the Yamaha of Eddie Lawson . The main complaints about the 1988 NSR500 was that the engine, while undoubtedly the most powerful in 500cc racing, was very 'peaky' and had to run up high in the rev range to get the best out of it. Also the suspension geometry of the bike wasn't as good as in 1987 and the bike was noticeably harder to handle through the turns than the rival Yamaha YZR500 and Suzuki 's new RGV500 . While
2380-446: The control ECU hardware and software certain benefits to increase their competitiveness. From 2023, front ride height – or holeshot – devices were banned. These devices have been common place in MotoGP since the back-end of 2018, when Ducati first introduced a system that could lower the rear of its bike to help with acceleration off the line for race starts. Moto2 was initially a 600cc four-stroke class introduced in 2010 to replace
2448-476: The engine's power advantage was seen on the faster tracks such as Suzuka (which is actually owned by Honda), Assen , Spa and Paul Ricard , on tighter tracks such as Jarama and Jerez it was off the pace due to its handling. More improvements gave the 1989 NSR500 upwards of 165 horsepower (123 kW) at 12,000 rpm — essentially doubling the output of the 1966 Honda RC181 Grand Prix four-stroke . Capable of well over 190 miles per hour (310 km/h),
2516-484: The entire race. Conserving rubber throughout a race is a specific skill winning riders acquire. Special 'Q' or qualifying tyres of extreme softness and grip were typically used during grid-qualifying sessions until their use was discontinued at the end of the 2008 season, but they lasted typically no longer than one or two laps, though they could deliver higher qualifying speeds. In wet conditions, special tires ('wets') with full treads are used, but they suffer extreme wear if
2584-428: The following year – both on board NSR500Vs. The introduction of rules allowing four-stroke machines to enter the class in 2002 effectively put an end to the competitiveness of the two-stroke V2 as even the two-stroke V4 machines quickly became obsolete. Only 22 NSR500v motorcycles were produced by Honda Racing Corporation. There were 20 NSR500v motorcycles produced from 1996 to 2000. The NSR500v engine suffered from
2652-643: The four entities, with Dorna casting a tie-breaking vote. In cases of technical modifications, the MSMA can unilaterally enact or veto changes by unanimous vote among its members. These four entities compose the Grand Prix Commission. 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 , 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, and 750cc solo machines have existed at some time, and 350cc and 500cc sidecars. Up through
2720-531: The four-strokes in all classes. In 1979, Honda , on its return to GP racing, 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. Previously, the championship featured a 50cc class from 1962 to 1983, later changed to an 80cc class from 1984 to 1989. The class was dropped for the 1990 season, after being dominated primarily by Spanish and Italian makes. It also featured
2788-406: The injured Takuma Aoki rode the official V2 and reached the podium on two more occasions. More private teams had also purchased V2 machines and by 2000 , the machine had become a realistic option for privateers to compete in the category, with the bikes being consistently able to finish in the points. In 2000 Jurgen van den Goorbergh won Best Privateer, with Haruchika Aoki winning the same award
Honda NSR500V - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-459: The key technical regulations for each class. It was also introduced for the 2005 year, that under rule 2.10.5: 'No fuel on the motorcycle may be more than 15 °C below ambient temperature . The use of any device on the motorcycle to artificially decrease the temperature of the fuel below ambient temperature is forbidden. No motorcycle may include such a device.' This stops an artificial "boost" gained from increasing fuel density by cooling it. At
2924-458: The lifespan of engines, switching to a single tyre manufacturer, and banning qualifying tyres, active suspension, launch control and ceramic composite brakes. For the 2010 season, carbon brake discs were banned. For the 2012 season, the MotoGP engine capacity was increased again to 1,000cc. It also saw the introduction of Claiming Rule Teams (CRT), which were given more engines per season and larger fuel tanks than factory teams, but were subject to
2992-554: The mono tyre rule. At the end of the 2015 season, Bridgestone withdrew as tyre supplier of MotoGP. Following a formal tender, French tyre manufacturer Michelin became the official supplier for the 2016 season, marking their return to the series and testing began in Aragon immediately after the end of the 2015 season. Early Grand Prix video games include Grand Prix 500cc (1987), Cycles: International GP Racing (1989), Grand Prix 500 2 (1991) and GP-1 (1993). The first simulator
3060-441: The new PlayStation publisher and worked together with Italy-based Milestone to produce MotoGP '07 (PS2) and some of its successors. In 2008, THQ lost the MotoGP licence and Capcom became the exclusive publisher. MotoGP 2010 , an iOS game made in 2010 by I-Play, released on 3 September 2010 and was not received well by critics after having a 43% rating on Metacritic. MotoGP 10/11 was released by Capcom on 15 March 2011, for
3128-582: The new four-stroke engines, they were soon able to dominate their two-stroke rivals. As a result, by 2003 no two-stroke machines remained in the MotoGP field. The 125cc and 250cc classes still consisted exclusively of two-stroke machines. In 2007, the MotoGP class had its maximum engine displacement capacity reduced to 800cc for a minimum of five years. In 2009, during the Great Recession , in an effort to cut costs, MotoGP underwent changes including reducing Friday practice sessions and testing sessions, extending
3196-462: The number of cylinders employed in the engine determines the motorcycle's permitted minimum weight; the weight of the extra cylinders acts as a form of handicap . This is necessary because, for a given capacity, an engine with more cylinders is capable of producing more power. If comparable bore to stroke ratios are employed, an engine with more cylinders will have a greater piston area and a shorter stroke. The increased piston area permits an increase in
3264-458: The number of engines that could be used in a season, and with larger fuel allowances during the races. Under the claiming rule, CRTs agree to allow up to four of their engines per season to be claimed, after a race, by one of the major manufacturer teams at a cost of €20,000 each including transmission, or €15,000 each for the engine alone. From the 2014 season, the CRT class was dropped in favour of an "Open Class" specification - allowing teams using
3332-439: The opportunity to coordinate rules and regulations in order that selected events could count towards official World Championships. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship . Grand Prix motorcycles are purpose-built racing machines that are unavailable for purchase by the general public and unable to be ridden legally on public roads . This contrasts with the various production-based categories of racing, such as
3400-544: The performance of his Michelin tires, switched to Bridgestones for 2008 and won the world championship in dominant fashion. Pedrosa controversially switched to Bridgestones during the 2008 season. In 2008, the rules were amended to allow more tires per race weekend—18 fronts and 22 rears for a total of 40 tires. The lower number of tires per weekend was considered a handicap to Michelin riders. The only MotoGP team using Dunlop tires in 2007, Yamaha Tech 3, did not use them in 2008 but switched to Michelin. For 2009, 2010 and 2011,
3468-424: The points in these races. The Riders' World Championship is awarded to the most successful rider over a season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results. Giacomo Agostini is the most successful champion in Grand Prix history, with 15 titles to his name (8 in the 500cc class and 7 in the 350cc class). The most dominant rider of all time was Mike Hailwood , winning 10 out of 12 (83%) races, in
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#17328800285393536-409: The power of the four-cylinder machines. In 2002, rule changes were introduced to facilitate the phasing out of the 500cc two-strokes. The premier class was rebranded MotoGP, as manufacturers were to choose between running two-stroke engines up to 500cc or four-strokes up to 990cc or less. Manufacturers were also permitted to employ their choice of engine configuration . Despite the increased costs of
3604-669: The record for most top-flight race wins with 89. An FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix was first organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1949. The commercial rights are now owned by Dorna Sports , with the FIM remaining as the sport sanctioning body. Teams are represented by the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) and manufacturers by the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA). Rules and changes to regulations are decided between
3672-415: The same class to provide similar performance. Consequently, all machines were two-strokes, since they produce power with every rotation of the crank, whereas four-stroke engines produce power only every second rotation. Some two- and three-cylinder two-stroke 500s were seen, but though they had a minimum-weight advantage under the rules, typically attained higher corner speed and could qualify well, they lacked
3740-421: The top speed in the history of MotoGP is 366.1 km/h (227.5 mph), set by Brad Binder during the 'Sprint' race of 2023 Italian Grand Prix with a KTM RC16 . On 11 December 2009, the Grand Prix Commission announced that the MotoGP class would switch to the 1,000cc motor limit starting in the 2012 season. Maximum displacement was limited to 1,000cc, maximum cylinders were limited to four, and maximum bore
3808-427: The total valve area, allowing more air and fuel to be drawn into the engine, and the shorter stroke permits higher revs at the same piston speed, allowing the engine to pump still more air and fuel with the potential to produce more power, but with more fuel consumption too. In 2004 motorcycles were entered with three-, four-and five-cylinder configurations. A six-cylinder engine was proposed by Blata, but it did not reach
3876-805: The track dries out. In 2007 new MotoGP regulations limited the number of tires any rider could use over the practice and qualifying period, and the race itself, to a maximum of 31 tyres (14 fronts and 17 rears) per rider. This introduced a problem of tire choice versus weather (among other factors) that challenges riders and teams to optimize their performance on race day. This factor was greeted with varying degrees of enthusiasm by participants. Bridgestone had dominated in 2007 and Michelin riders Valentino Rossi , Nicky Hayden , Dani Pedrosa , and Colin Edwards all acknowledged shortcomings in Michelin's race tires relative to Bridgestone. Rossi, disappointed with and critical of
3944-400: The track, a stationary yellow flag is shown. If a fallen rider cannot be evacuated safely from the track, the race is red-flagged. Motorcycle crashes are usually one of two types: lowside , when the bike loses either front or rear tire grip and slides out on the "low" side, and the more dangerous highside , when the tires do not completely slide out, but instead grip the track surface, flipping
4012-461: The traditional 250cc two-stroke class. Engines were supplied exclusively by Honda, tires by Dunlop and electronics are limited and supplied only by FIM-sanctioned producers. Carbon brake discs are banned, only steel brake discs are allowed. However, there are no chassis limitations. Until 2019, only 600cc four-stroke Moto2 machines were allowed. In 2019 Triumph replaced Honda as the sole supplier of Moto2 engines. The Triumph's engine configuration
4080-460: The wet-weather bikes have steel brake rotors and different brake pads instead of the carbon discs and pads used on the 'dry' bikes. This is because the carbon brakes need to be very hot to function properly, and the water cools them too much. The suspension is also 'softened' up somewhat for the wet weather. When a rider crashes, track marshals up the track from the incident wave yellow flags, prohibiting overtaking in that area; one corner farther up
4148-409: Was GP 500 , launched in 1999. In the early 2000s, THQ published five video games for Windows and Xbox platforms, the first being MotoGP: Ultimate Racing Technology (2002) and the last MotoGP '07 (2007), whereas Namco of Japan published and in-house developed five video games for PlayStation platforms starting with MotoGP (2000) and ending with MotoGP (2006). In 2007, Capcom became
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#17328800285394216-419: Was an unforgiving, but brutally fast, package that earned Honda a fourth 500 cc World Championship in 1989 thanks to Eddie Lawson who had joined the factory backed Rothmans team alongside Gardner and young Australian Mick Doohan . Though the 499 cc V-4 could produce more than 200 horsepower (150 kW), chassis development, sophisticated engine management and an Australian named Mick Doohan made
4284-519: Was capped at 81 mm (3.2 inches). Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of Dorna Sports , indicated that the projected changes were received by the teams favorably. From 2012, teams not entered by one of the major manufacturers could seek "claiming rule team" (CRT) status. Claiming rule team were intended to allow independent teams to be competitive at a lower cost and increase the number of entries in MotoGP. Claiming rule teams benefitted from less restrictive rules on
4352-553: Was contested over 6 rounds (at 4 Grand Prix weekends). The MotoE class gained World Championship status in 2023, and also switched to Ducati bikes. Tyre selection is critical, usually done by the individual rider based on bike 'feel' during practice, qualifying and the pre-race warm-up laps on the morning of the race, as well as the predicted weather. The typical compromise is between grip and longevity—softer compound tyres have more traction, but wear out more quickly; harder compound tyres have less traction, but are more likely to last
4420-410: Was double (2013 and 2014) CEV champion Fabio Quartararo . However, after a rash of incidents involving young rider fatalities in lower classes, the FIM set a minimum age of 18 starting in the 2023 season. The MotoE World Cup was introduced in 2019 and features all-electric motorcycles. The series uses a spec Energica Ego Corsa motorcycle, manufactured by Energica Motor Company . The first season
4488-415: Was introduced. Previously, if a race started dry and rain fell, officials could red-flag (stop) the race and either restart or resume on 'wet' tyres. Now, when rain falls, a white flag is shown, indicating that riders can pit to swap the motorcycle on which they started the race for an identical one, as long as the tyres are different (that is, intermediates or wets instead of slicks). Besides different tyres,
4556-473: Was lighter, easier to ride and better handling. At many circuits it was capable of lapping just as fast as a V4, given a clear track. Its main strength was being able to carry a higher corner speed than the V4. However its weakness became apparent in traffic. If the V2 lost its momentum through the corner, a V4 was able to use its better acceleration and power to pull away. It was nevertheless to fulfil its purpose of being
4624-542: Was limited to race prototypes only. Because of these changes, Honda introduced the RC211V in 2002 to race alongside the NSR500. The larger displacement RC211V and other four-stroke bikes dominated the series and the NSR500 was eventually phased out of the class along with all other two-stroke motorcycles. Riders World Championships won with the NSR500: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing
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