hell has frozen over... motogp+worldsbk merge

[derby]

Bridgepoint has announced that Dorna Sports and Infront Sports & Media have reached agreement to bring both their motorcycle racing interests under a single umbrella organisation. Dorna is the organizer of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (“MotoGP”), whilst Infront organizes the eni FIM Superbike World Championship (“WorldSBK”) through its subsidiary Infront Motor Sports.

As a consequence, MotoGP and World SBK, will be integrated within the Dorna Sports group but managed as separate events with a view to enhancing the two distinct championships.

[tufty]

And coming soon to a hillside near you, 4 horseman.

[gm2]

i mean, not at all surprising given the bridgepoint thing.

but at the same time, holy shit.


there'll be 900 NASCAR references made.. but if they can figure out a formula that makes GP competitive/fun again and make superbike rules global, then ok.  i guess.

hard facts are that GP is suffering and WSBK is flourishing.  GP can't go away, and the same co owns both.  so you... fix it.  whatever that means.

[Raux]

You... make a true Protype level and leave it the hell alone. THIS is the reason I don't like GP. the 81mm bore limit, etc etc.

[gm2]

can't really argue that they haven't been able to fix F1.

[duccarlos]

We shall see...

[ducpainter]

Faaaaack...

Stoner knew what he was doing.

[Jester]

You... make a true Protype level and leave it the hell alone. THIS is the reason I don't like GP. the 81mm bore limit, etc etc.

Rules do not ruin prototype classes.  Formula 1 is really fun to watch again, and you can't say they don't have rules and regulations that everyone must adhere to.

[Raux]

cc limit is one thing. but with the bore limit you force 4 cylinders to get to the cc limit.
both kill engine innovation.

same with the spec ecu coming.

at least in WSBK you get to pick your motor configuration and cc limits are the way to even things out.

to me, WSBK is even more adventurous than MotoGP, yes ok, they have to be based on production bikes. but that production bike can be pretty damn ingenious if they want it to be.

fixing MotoGP... build some rules around weights/cc's/max electronics then let them go.

The best times in F1 in my opinion... 3.5l motors, a max on intake TB and the rest is up to you...
there were V10, V8, V12..

what do we have now in GP, V4/I4 because of the bore limit.
i'd loved to see a Triumph triple in there along with Ducati bringing a kick as twin. and maybe a Guzzi 6 cyl

dont even get me started on the moto2/3 crap.
spec motors... NASCAR anyone? putting everyone on the same bike.. sure in a series race like the 848 challenge.. but prototype-spec? that the hell is that?
I love the tech spectacle just as much as the racing.

[fastwin]

I'm on the fence. This could suck or not be so bad. Notice I didn't say suck or great. Not so bad is as optimistic as I can get right now.

I personally feel that DORNA is screwing the pooch with MotoGP. Hope they don't do the same with WSBK.

[derby]

cc limit is one thing. but with the bore limit you force 4 cylinders to get to the cc limit.
both kill engine innovation.

what was everybody using before the bore limit? that's right, 4-cylinders.

same with the spec ecu coming.

let's get back to this in a sec...

at least in WSBK you get to pick your motor configuration and cc limits are the way to even things out.

to me, WSBK is even more adventurous than MotoGP, yes ok, they have to be based on production bikes. but that production bike can be pretty damn ingenious if they want it to be.

yes, but most of that ingenuity has be homolgated and sold to the public. there's an inherent cost-containment aspect to this.

fwiw, there are things on the production bikes that aren't allowed on the race bikes. active suspension (bmw and ducati), for example.

fixing MotoGP... build some rules around weights/cc's/max electronics then let them go.

current rules are (simplified) minimum weight and max bore. how do you enforce "max electronics"? that's right, spec ecu (just like formula 1).

The best times in F1 in my opinion... 3.5l motors, a max on intake TB and the rest is up to you...
there were V10, V8, V12..

yup, and a big "performance limiter" in those days, iirc, were the tires.

what do we have now in GP, V4/I4 because of the bore limit.

i'd loved to see a Triumph triple in there along with Ducati bringing a kick as twin. and maybe a Guzzi 6 cyl

you have 4-cylinders because that's what works. honda tried a twin in the 90s, they canned it. roberts tried a triple in the late 90s, early-2000s. not competitive. in the 990 era, honda built a 5-cylinder "because they could," and then went back to a 4-cylinder.

the bore limit, quit simply, reduces cost. otherwise some manufacturer with super-deep pockets would try to build an ultra-high-revving motor out of unobtainium.

if you removed the bore limit, ducati isn't going to come out w/ a gp twin. if they thought it would work, they would've already done it (when the rules allowed it).

dont even get me started on the moto2/3 crap.

best on-track racing in the series.

spec motors... NASCAR anyone? putting everyone on the same bike.. sure in a series race like the 848 challenge.. but prototype-spec? that the hell is that?

you apparently don't know the regulations.

I love the tech spectacle just as much as the racing.

i love the tech, too, but the manufacturers can still innovate within the bounds of a rule structure.

[gm2]

i love the tech, too, but the manufacturers can still innovate within the bounds of a rule structure.

which they sure as hell did with the 800s.

[ducpainter]

which they sure as hell did with the 800s.

There won't be as many areas to innovate by the time all the bikes have headlight decals.

[gm2]

There won't be as many areas to innovate by the time all the bikes have headlight decals.

[gm2]

this whole thing is also like debating whether or not it's audi or lambo that owns ducati.  bridgepoint already owned both, they're just doing some kind of PR consolidation/smoke job.  likely so that they can ease us into the more outrageous changes that are coming.  politically astute.