Here are a couple quick notes from the world of MotoGP:
KTM confirms Moto2 plans
KTM has confirmed their entry into the Moto2 class next year, with the Ajo team (Ajo is parting ways with Kalex in Moto2). Brad Binder and Miguel Oleivera as riders. Binder is currently racing for Ajo in Moto3, leading the standings, and Oleivera finished second overall in Moto3 for Ajo last year.
While the bike will bear the KTM logo, it will actually use a Honda CBR600RR motor, with KTM providing a steel trellis chassis and all the other bits necessary to go fast. Suspension will come via the experts at WP.
Winglets banned
Just as it appeared MotoGP might actually be on the verge of interesting technical breakthroughs, they banned the “winglet” earlier this year. Now, they’ve reiterated that decision. From the official MotoGP press release following a meeting of the Grand Prix Comission in Misano:
“Devices or shapes protruding from the fairing or bodywork and not integrated in the body streamlining (e.g. wings, fins, bulges, etc.) that may provide an aerodynamic effect (e.g. providing downforce, disrupting aerodynamic wake, etc.) are not allowed.
The Technical Director will be the sole judge of whether a device or fairing design falls into the above definition.
Furthermore, to avoid that the front of the fairing is wing-shaped, with unpredictable safety results, the front of the fairing cannot protrude more than 150mm beyond a vertical line drawn through the front wheel spindle. (It should be noted that all fairings in current use already comply with this).”
There you have it. If you want motorcycle manufacturers to actually experiment with meaningful changes to aerodynamics, look elsewhere.
Maybe the Grand Prix Commission should be banned.