I have just finished reading the new rule change and found a few interesting points.
It wont be a 1 make engine.
The engine manufactor has to supply enough engines for 15 riders.
Dont know how that will pan out with only 40 riders.
eg. Honda 15/Yamaha 15/Aprillia 15/KTM 15/. If my maths are correct that's 60 engines ?
All the manufactors have signed of on it so unless the euro manufactors dont want to enter i dont think it will be a Honda benifit. I bloody hope not
The motors have to be available for under 10K euro.
They have set the max bore at 81mm so they wont be ultra high rev engines. Current mx engines are about 78mm.
My problem with the rules are how slow are these bikes going to be ?
A worked mx engine is putting out about 45hp.
A 125GP engine is putting out about 60hp.
Every one knows how unreliable a 250F can be when you ring it's neck.
On a mx track the motor is only at full throttle & max revs/Full load for a small time.
On a GP track that motor is going to be at red line for a bloody long time. Straights are between 600m-1km long.
I dont see them being able to put out decent HP without them droping their guts all over the track.
When was the last time you saw a 125 engine lunch it's self on the track ? Pretty reliable i say.
I hope i am wrong but a can see a few crashes coming up caused by engines lunching themselfs and droping oil all over the track.
The single cylinder 4 stroke was never intended to be a race motor.Well not with the revs they are trying to do.
If it was the japenese would never have made 4-6 cylinder 250's in the past.
People are saying that the 125 class has got too expensive. Well the only reason it has is with all the other manufactors pulling out Aprillia decided to make some serious money by charging alot of money for their bikes.
They would not have been able to do that if there was competition from the other manufactors.
Looks like what is supposed to be the top class has turned into production racing.