New 600cc 4-stroke class to replace 250cc from 2011

[cagiva03]

Friday, 27 June 2008

 

Following a Grand Prix Commission meeting at Assen on Friday the FIM have announced the decision to replace the 250cc category with a new 600cc class, as of 2011.

 

 

On Friday 27th June at the A-Style TT Assen the FIM made the following announcement:

 

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Claude Danis (FIM), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Mr. Paul Butler (Secretary of the meeting), unanimously decided to introduce the following change to the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.

 

Technical Regulations - 2.11 Fuel, Oil and Coolants

2.11.2 Unleaded petrol will comply with the FIM Grand Prix specifications (in conformity with the new EU Standards) if:

a) it has the following characteristics: Sulphur (mg/kg) 10 (instead of 50) – application as from 1.1.2009

 

Replacement of the 250cc class

For application from 1.1.2011, the Grand Prix Commission accepted the following proposal, taken by the majority of members of MSMA: 4-stroke engines of 600cc maximum and 4 cylinders maximum. A request will be sent to all manufacturers. The candidatures of the manufacturers interested in taking part in the new class must be sent to the FIM and Dorna by July 31, 2008 at the latest. More precise technical specifications will then be discussed and established.

[cagiva03]

Looks like the sales of the supersports will definetly increase at that time....

[geekster]

Looks like the sales of the supersports will definetly increase at that time....

 

Yup. Guess the manufacturers may also end up spending more r&d money on the 600cc than their superbike models. Wonder what will happen to aprillia since two strokers are what makes them popular.

[duracellb]

good move! hoping the same will happen to the 125!

[stroker]

good move! hoping the same will happen to the 125!

 

:faint:

[duracellb]

don't get me wrong... i like 2-strokers, but the future for performance street-use 2-stroker doesn't look promising due to emission regulation.

 

Class 2a 4-stroker sports bikes great for our roads, but have been neglected by the manufacturers. It seems there were no technological breakthrough for the 400cc 4-strokers since the good old days of CBR-L, GSXR-M, RVF...

 

If the 125cc 2-stroke race is changed to 250cc/300cc 4-stroke, the technologies developed might be passed down to the road-use class 2a sportbikes. wow!

[redbeacon]

:faint:

 

No "stepping-stone" bikes anymore to practice or race?

 

+1

 

...but the future for performance street-use 2-stroker doesn't look promising due to emission regulation.

 

Class 2a 4-stroker sports bikes great for our roads, but have been neglected by the manufacturers. It seems there were no technological breakthrough for the 400cc 4-strokers since the good old days of CBR-L, GSXR-M, RVF...

 

If the 125cc 2-stroke race is changed to 250cc/300cc 4-stroke, the technologies developed might be passed down to the road-use class 2a sportbikes. wow!

 

but the future for performance street-use 2-stroker doesn't look promising due to emission regulation.

 

See where the problem lies? If this is true to the industry that manufactures bikes, this preference (of 4-stroke bikes) is so darn 1 sided.

 

Class 2a 4-stroker sports bikes great for our roads, but have been neglected by the manufacturers.

 

As above.

 

It seems there were no technological breakthrough for the 400cc 4-strokers since the good old days of CBR-L, GSXR-M, RVF...

 

Well, do remember that the multi-tiered licensing scheme in places like Japan gave good way for 400cc production back in the '80s and '90s. Maybe that also had a part to play, but I have no idea why they have to drop the idea 20 - 30 years later, status quo.

 

If the 125cc 2-stroke race is changed to 250cc/300cc 4-stroke, the technologies developed might be passed down to the road-use class 2a sportbikes. wow!

 

I remember somewhere deep in SBF threads that Kawasaki has recently released a 4 stroke 250cc sportbike to the public. The specs are, IMO, appaling compared to the likes of the RVF, and (forgive me for being a manic moron) it leaves much to be desired when compared to even the simplest CBR, ZXR, GSX-R400...

 

Perhaps the newer generation would benefit from those. But by then, I'd probably be wondering why I bought it if I do... :-/

[Tortise]

Wonder what will happen to aprillia since two strokers are what makes them popular.

 

they can always put gsxr600 engine onto rolling chassis and call it RS600.

[myxilplix]

Thanks Honda, thanks alot. I hope you're happy now.

[Constipated Face]

More people can relate to 600s than 250s, I think. Seems like a good move.

[fahdil]

anybody knows what aprilia is saying bout this move? i tink its 50% good, 50% bad..

 

good will be that 600cc machines is being use more in the public rather than 250cc machines..

 

bad as in aprilia do not have any history of a 600cc machine.. they have to start from scratch i guess.. and it doesnt make any much difference to the motogp class, i mean 200cc of diff doesnt really sounds nice..

 

if the motogp class would be switching back to 990cc then it may look interesting.. well, lets just see what happens in 2011.. i tink rossi may have retired then.. haha..

[rhema83]

When MotoGP reduced the displacement limit to 800cc, the bikes still got more powerful. The 600cc GP bikes will likely be as powerful, if not more, than today's 800cc GP bikes. That means current 250cc riders and aspiring 125cc riders will have tougher times, and manufacturers on the other hand can save money since the two classes of bikes will be closely related.

 

Yeah, I can see how Honda wants to support this, given their trend of killer 600cc supersports.

[stroker]

they can always put gsxr600 engine onto rolling chassis and call it RS600.

 

Nope. Can't do this time round. Cos MotoGP rules says ONLY prototype parts to be used. No road-going parts can be adapted for use in the GP.

 

WCM got banned a couple of race for doing just that.

[stroker]

When MotoGP reduced the displacement limit to 800cc, the bikes still got more powerful. The 600cc GP bikes will likely be as powerful, if not more, than today's 800cc GP bikes. That means current 250cc riders and aspiring 125cc riders will have tougher times, and manufacturers on the other hand can save money since the two classes of bikes will be closely related.

 

Yeah, I can see how Honda wants to support this, given their trend of killer 600cc supersports.

 

I see this new category as a lower-cc version of their MotoGp version. Merely a lightening exercise cum downsizing their cc (most prob stroke- go even higher on rpms) and pre-dominantly screamer vesions.

 

No, I don't think the 800cc machines are more powerful than the 990ccs. In some tracks the 800s timings are faster (if not all) cos of higher traction and corner speeds. Top speeds are a tad lesser. CMIIW.

 

These bikes can be made very powerful. But problem lies in the rideability of the whole package. Aprilia made the Cube a monsterous ride. Speeds easily made comparable to the fastest of the MotoGP bikes of the same era. But no one can ride the darn thang.

 

Cheers

[rhema83]

I see this new category as a lower-cc version of their MotoGp version. Merely a lightening exercise cum downsizing their cc (most prob stroke- go even higher on rpms) and pre-dominantly screamer vesions.

 

No, I don't think the 800cc machines are more powerful than the 990ccs. In some tracks the 800s timings are faster (if not all) cos of higher traction and corner speeds. Top speeds are a tad lesser. CMIIW.

 

These bikes can be made very powerful. But problem lies in the rideability of the whole package. Aprilia made the Cube a monsterous ride. Speeds easily made comparable to the fastest of the MotoGP bikes of the same era. But no one can ride the darn thang.

 

Cheers

 

As if the 800 GP bikes don't rev high enough already... The 600 screamers might get peaky enough to resemble the 2 strokers all over again.