76-608: The RC250GP is a Grand Prix racing motorcycle designed and built by KTM for the Moto3 class, introduced in 2012 . It is also used in the Moto3 Junior World Championship. The RC250GP is raced by KTM's factory racing program ( Red Bull KTM Ajo ) as well as supplied to numerous customer teams. The motorcycle is one of the most successful machines of the Moto3 era to date, having taken five constructors' championships, including
152-537: 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
228-474: 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
304-406: A 6-gear transmission according to regulations. Suspension components are developed and produced by KTM subsidiary WP Suspension . The Slovenian manufacturer Akrapovič supplies the exhaust system . The braking system is supplied by Brembo and consists of two steel discs controlled by twin-piston calipers on the front wheel and a single disc on the rear wheel. The elliptical shaped air intake
380-461: A clean sweep in 2013 winning every one of the 17 races. The motorcycle's name derives from KTM's long-standing usage of the "RC" designation (short for "Road/Competition") for its sportbikes , beginning with the RC8 , RC 390 , and RC 125 production models and later also applied to its RC16 MotoGP prototype. The "250" relates to the engine displacement as mandated by Moto3 technical regulations. "GP"
456-508: 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
532-429: A hard championship Biaggi finished third, behind World Champion James Toseland and Yamaha top rider Noriyuki Haga . At the end of the season, Francis Batta, Alstare Suzuki Racing Team director, was forced to release Biaggi, due to the loss of the main sponsor Corona Extra, as they could not reach financial agreement. Furthermore, Suzuki decided to stop official Superbike development for 2008 , instead focusing on
608-612: A renewed, two-year contract with Aprilia to remain with the team in World Superbikes until 2012. In 2010, Biaggi became Aprilia's and Italy's first Superbike World Champion. 2011 was a year of mixed results for Biaggi and Aprilia. He only managed 2 wins at Aragon, Spain and Brno, Czech Republic. Even though he was in contention for the title due to multiple second-place finishes, Biaggi fractured his left foot in Germany which caused him to miss 2 rounds: Imola and Magny Cours. Biaggi ended
684-653: A result, he took a sabbatical, but on 14 September 2006 Biaggi announced he had signed to replace Corser in the team for 2007 . Biaggi began the season by winning the first race at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar and finishing second in race two. In doing so Max Biaggi became one of only five men to win their first Superbike World Championship race, and the only rider ever to win his first Superbike race and his first race in 500cc Grand Prix. He then finished 3rd and 4th at Phillip Island , Australia . After
760-562: A rookie and earned his first Superbike World Championship in 2010 becoming only the second European from outside the United Kingdom after Raymond Roche to do so. After winning a second Superbike World Championship in 2012 at the age of 41, Biaggi retired from racing. But he came back in 2015 in Malaysia as a wildcard to get a podium at the age of 44. A consistent rider, In all of his 8 seasons with MotoGP/500 cc Biaggi finished inside
836-455: 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
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#1732920136572912-399: 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
988-464: 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
1064-577: Is one of only two riders to score championships across both disciplines. Biaggi is a brand ambassador for Aprilia motorcycles. Since 2019, he has owned a Moto3 racing team, based in Monaco. In 2020, Biaggi was named a FIM Road Racing Legend, followed by inductance into the MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2022. Biaggi is a 13-time Premier Class race winner. He is a 4-time 250 cc World Champion , 2-time World Superbike Champion and 3-time runner-up in
1140-405: Is placed on the front fairing, while the duct that connects it to the airbox passes under the steering head. KTM claims a dry weight of the machine of approx. 82 kg though Moto3 regulations set a minimum combined weight of 152 kg for the bike and fully-equipped rider. In 2013, KTM RC250GP machines won all races in the season, achieving the maximum possible points total. Also known as
1216-587: Is short for Grand Prix, specifying the model to usage in Grand Prix racing, as opposed to its derivative models. All components of the motorcycle frame and engine are developed in-house by KTM. The frame is a steel tube trellis design, while the swingarm is of aluminium construction. The 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine is equipped by regulation with a limiter at 13,500 rpm (earlier 14,000 rpm, before Moto3 regulation changes), with maximum torque output beginning at around 10,500 rpm. The engine feeds
1292-566: The 1998 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix at Suzuka , riding for the Kanemoto Honda team. He was also victorious at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, where he almost crashed when he accidentally did a 90° wheelie , and finished the season in second place behind Mick Doohan . Biaggi then joined Yamaha to battle against the dominant Hondas. He finished fourth in 1999 , third in 2000 , and second in 2001 . In 2002 , Biaggi rode
1368-645: The Premier Class in 1998 , 2001 and 2002 . After winning 4 consecutive 250 cc titles in 1994 , 1995 , 1996 and 1997 Biaggi moved to the 500 cc class in 1998 and immediately finished runner-up to Mick Doohan with 2 victories with Honda . This earned him a move to the Factory Yamaha Team in 1999 . In his 4 seasons with Yamaha Biaggi collected 8 victories and finished runner-up to Valentino Rossi in 2001 and 2002 . Then he moved to Camel Honda in 2003 . But only managed third place in
1444-492: The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup , KTM prepares identical, sealed motorcycles for each rider. The RC250RBR is essentially an RC250R featuring a few upgrades, such as an Akrapovič twin-pipe megaphone exhaust system without dB-killer, similar to the exhaust of the original RC250GP. Previously the engine rev limit was reduced to 13,000 rpm to aid in extending the service life of the engine, but has since been raised to
1520-608: The four-stroke for the first time as development on the new motorcycle remained strong throughout the season. He won in Brno, Czech Republic and Sepang, Malaysia to clinch runner-up in the championship behind rival Valentino Rossi . In 2003 , Biaggi finished third in the MotoGP championship after rejoining Honda on the Camel Pramac Pons team and won races in Pacific Grand Prix and Great Britain after Rossi penalised. It
1596-511: The "F" signifying a four-stroke model and the "R" likely meaning "race". Husqvarna re-entered Moto3 beginning in 2020 with Max Biaggi 's team Max Racing. KTM purchased a controlling stake in the Spanish motocross and trials bike manufacturer GasGas in 2019. Similar to the previous move with Husqvarna, KTM entered GasGas as a unique manufacturer in the Moto3 championship starting from 2021 with Aspar Team . KTM's Chinese partner CFMoto entered
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#17329201365721672-508: The "Production Racer", KTM build a limited production of track-only bikes between 2013 and 2016 based on the RC250GP known as the RC250R . It was intended to be a cheaper "entry level" model for private racers. The bike was subsequently entered as a number of one-off wildcard entries by various teams in the 2014 season . The RC250R features a number of differences compared to the RC250GP, including For
1748-434: The 13,500 limit of the base RC250R. KTM purchased Husqvarna Motorcycles from BMW Motorrad in early 2013. As a marketing move by KTM to promote its new brand, Husqvarna entered the Moto3 paddock as a unique manufacturer in the 2014 and 2015 seasons with its FR250GP motorcycle. The FR250GP is however simply a badge-engineered RC250GP. The "FR" designation comes from Husqvarna's series product naming conventions with
1824-545: 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
1900-410: The 2011 season in third place (303 points) and tied in points with Eugene Laverty. Biaggi would go on to win the 2012 title by only a half point over Tom Sykes . Following the season, Biaggi retired from racing. Three years later, Biaggi would briefly return to racing as a wildcard for Aprilia. Biaggi is known as the 'Roman Emperor' and 'Mad Max' and is notorious for his difficult relationships with
1976-399: The 250cc Grand Prix class by winning three consecutive world championships in 1994 , 1995 and 1996 . In 1997 , Biaggi again returned to Honda, riding for Erv Kanemoto 's team, and won his fourth consecutive title. Following that, he moved up to the 500cc class. Biaggi made an impressive start in his 500cc debut, qualifying on pole, setting the fastest lap and winning his first race in
2052-511: 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
2128-428: 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
2204-685: 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 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
2280-467: 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 the 1950s and most of the 1960s, four-stroke engines dominated all classes. In
2356-574: The Grand Prix motorcycle 250cc world championship riding for the same manufacturer. In 1992 , Biaggi completed his first entire season in 250cc Grand Prix for Aprilia, and finished the season fifth overall. In that same season he took his first victory in Kyalami , South Africa . The following season, Biaggi joined Honda , and finished fourth in the championship standings, including a single victory in Barcelona . In 1994 he returned to Aprilia and dominated
KTM RC250GP - Misplaced Pages Continue
2432-477: The Moto3 championship as a unique manufacturer with Prüstel GP starting from 2022, using rebranded RC250GP bikes. Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing 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
2508-491: The MotoGP championship. For 2008 Biaggi replaced team manager Marco Borciani as a rider at his Team Sterilgarda /Go Eleven, riding a satellite-works Ducati 1098RS alongside Ruben Xaus . He finished seventh overall with seven podiums, three places ahead of Xaus and one ahead of factory Ducati rider Michel Fabrizio . For 2009 he joined the returning factory Aprilia team. He took a double podium in round 2 at Qatar, and scored solid points before taking their first win since
2584-540: 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
2660-475: 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
2736-514: The Repsol Honda Team with technical director Erv Kanemoto . It was hoped that continued cooperation with Kanemoto and the full factory support from Honda would make Biaggi one of the main title contenders in 2005. However, Biaggi finished the season in only fifth place. Biaggi lost his ride for the 2006 season, his position filled by 2005 250cc Grand Prix champion, Dani Pedrosa . He negotiated with Honda , Kawasaki , and Suzuki , however,
2812-477: 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
2888-499: 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,
2964-538: 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
3040-417: 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
3116-520: The championship in 2003 and 2004 beaten by not only Valentino Rossi but also Gresini Honda rider Sete Gibernau . A sole winless season followed in 2005 with Factory Honda Team and Biaggi was replaced by Dani Pedrosa for 2006 even though he got 4 podiums and a 5th place in the championship. This proved to be Biaggi's final season in MotoGP. In 2007 Biaggi switched to the Superbike World Championship finishing third overall as
KTM RC250GP - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-446: 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
3268-484: 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
3344-531: 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
3420-459: The general public and unable to be ridden legally on public roads . This contrasts with the various production-based categories of racing, such as 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
3496-459: 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
3572-510: The latest release is MotoGP 24 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. Max Biaggi Massimiliano " Max " Biaggi ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈmaks ˈbjaddʒi] ; born 26 June 1971) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in World Superbikes , he
3648-458: 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
3724-554: 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
3800-441: 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
3876-582: 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
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#17329201365723952-462: 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
4028-458: 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
4104-544: 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,
4180-424: 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
4256-409: 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
4332-518: The return at Brno , after race leaders Fabrizio and Ben Spies collided. He finished a close second behind Spies in race two there, and finished the season 4th overall. Biaggi continued with Aprilia for 2010, taking a double victory at the team's home race at Monza to move up to second in the standings. Another double in the USA gave him first place in the championship, after previous leader Leon Haslam failed to finish in race 2. In August 2010, Biaggi signed
4408-415: 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
4484-550: The top 5 in the championship standings and 3 times as championship runner-up in 1998 , 2001 and 2002 . Winning a race for 7 consecutive seasons in the Premier Class from 1998 to 2004. Biaggi's 13 wins, 58 podiums and 23 Pole Positions in the Premier Class makes him one of the most accomplished riders to not win the MotoGP World Championship. Biaggi was more interested in football as a child. But in 1989, after he
4560-421: 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
4636-414: 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 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
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#17329201365724712-427: 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
4788-805: 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
4864-400: 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
4940-461: 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
5016-585: 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 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
5092-460: 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
5168-409: 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
5244-489: Was 500cc , both of which form a historical continuum as the official World Championship, although all classes have official status. The championship 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
5320-519: 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
5396-553: 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
5472-410: 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
5548-515: Was expected that Biaggi would be one of the main candidates for the title in 2004. He won in Germany but a crash in Estoril saw his season begin to fade. At the end of the 2004 MotoGP season Biaggi finished the championship in third place, behind Sete Gibernau and series winner, Rossi. Biaggi started the 2005 MotoGP season as an official factory Honda rider, joining American racer Nicky Hayden on
5624-552: Was given a motorcycle for his seventeenth birthday, he began his racing career in the 125cc class at age eighteen. In 1990 he won the Italian Sport Production Championship. Following his success in 125cc, Biaggi moved up to the 250cc class. In 1991, Biaggi finished second behind British rider Woolsey Coulter in the European 250cc championship on an Aprilia RS250 , and that same year he finished twenty-seventh in
5700-415: 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,
5776-524: Was unable to land a contract even with the backing of major tobacco sponsor Camel who ended up signing up to be the factory Yamaha squad's title sponsor for 2006. On 10 January 2006, Biaggi posted on his website that he would not take part in the 2006 MotoGP season. Biaggi attempted to reach an agreement to race the Superbike World Championship for Corona Alstare Suzuki in 2006 , but the team could not commit to equal equipment with their existing riders, 2005 champion Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama . As
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