While we won't see anything...
While we won't see anything as extravagant as Honda's legendary six-cylinder RC166 in Moto3, the new class will be plenty interesting in 2012
Shortly after the final MotoGP round last year, the FIM released rules for the new four-stroke Moto3 class, which is slated to replace the 125cc class in 2012. With this change, next year will be the last for two-strokes in any Grand Prix class and mark the end of an era lasting nearly 40 years. From the first official season of FIM-sanctioned motorcycle roadracing in 1949 until the early '60s, four-strokes ruled the Grand Prix grids. Through the '60s, two-strokes became more dominant in the small-displacement categories, with the 125 championship see-sawing between the four-stroke Honda of Luigi Taveri and two-stroke Yamahas and Suzukis. Honda and Yamaha likewise shared the 250 championships that decade, and it was a heady time in Grand Prix racing. The Honda four-strokes stayed competitive by adding more cylinders and valves, resulting in some classic motorcycles such as the six-cylinder, 250cc RC166. New rules in '69 limited the number of cylinders in each class, ending that development route and Honda's competitiveness in those classes. Kel Carruthers was the last rider to win the 250 championship on a four-stroke, a four-cylinder Benelli.
Giacomo Agostini and MV Agusta kept the four-strokes alive in the 350 and 500 classes for a while longer. Ironically, the Italian was the first rider to win those championships on a two-stroke when he switched to Yamaha in '74, winning the 350 championship that year and the 500 championship a year later (and ending MV Agusta's streak of 17 consecutive 500cc world championships). In 1976, Agostini - then a privateer and aboard a Suzuki RG500 for most of the season - rode an MV Agusta to victory at the German GP, the final win for both him and the 500cc four-stroke. Aside from Honda's re-entry into the 500 class with the NR500 - featuring oval pistons to circumvent the maximum-cylinder rule - there were no more four-strokes in any Grand Prix class until the current MotoGP format. This part of the history of Grand Prix racing more readers will be familiar with.
While Grand Prix racing will soon be all four-stroke, there are much more restrictive rules in place that mean we won't see such elaborate machines as the NR500 or even the five-cylinder RC211V. Also changing for 2012 are the rules for the MotoGP class itself. The basic structure will be 1000cc four-cylinder four-strokes with a maximum bore size of 81mm to limit rpm and, by extension, costs. The intriguing part, however, is the addition of a Claiming Rule Team clause, which is intended to add privateer teams using production-based 1000cc engines in prototype chassis. CRT bikes will benefit from being allowed to use more engines in a season (12 as opposed to 6) and more fuel (24L vs. 21L). While the MotoGP class is still trying to find its direction in this new four-stroke era, this will hopefully add more interesting and competitive bikes to the grid. Already Suter, one of the top manufacturers in the Moto2 class, has built and tested a BMW-based machine with promising results according to the Marc VDS team.
The regulations for the new Moto3 class call for a 250cc single-cylinder engine with a maximum bore size of 81mm - the same size specified for the MotoGP bikes. The engine will not be a full spec part as it is in the Moto2 class, but there will be some restrictions keeping the class from having a full prototype status. The engines must be available for purchase at a maximum price of approximately $16,000, and engine manufacturers must be able to supply 15 teams if necessary. Spec tires and approved ECUs will be used, with the electronics limiting maximum engine rpm to 14,000 and suppressing the use of traction control.
There's no doubt that after just one year Moto2 is a success, with full grids and close racing. I don't doubt that the Moto3 class will be just as popular and have just as intense competition, even with the more open engine specification. The FIM accepted 29 of 61 entries for the 2011 Moto2 series, and certainly some of the teams that didn't get a slot in Moto2 will end up in Moto3. Hopefully some engine manufacturers will step up to the plate and there will be variety in both the engine and chassis departments.
With the changes to the MotoGP class, the in-place Moto2 class and now the addition of Moto3, 2012 is already shaping up to be an interesting season that is sure to be full of surprises. Some race watchers mourn the end of the two-stroke era, just as people were unhappy when the two-strokes pushed the four-strokes aside all those years ago. Fans of either engine type may all be disappointed in the not-too-distant future though: the next big change in MotoGP rules may just be the switch to electric bikes.