3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue 1 & 2 Jan - Apr 2 3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue | Page 81

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
Motorcycle Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
refers to the premier category
of motorcycle road racing. It
is divided into three distinct
classes:
•Moto3: Introduced in 2012,
motorcycles in this class are
250cc with single-cylinder
four-stroke engines Previously
it featured 125 cc two-stroke
motorcycles. This class is also
restricted by rider age, with
an upper limit of 25 for newly
signed riders and wild card
entries and an absolute upper
limit of 28 for all riders.
•Moto2: Introduced by Dorna
Sports, the commercial rights
holder of the competition, in
2010 as a 600 cc four-stroke
class. Prior to that season, the
intermediate class was 250
cc with two-stroke engines.
Moto2 races in the 2010
season allowed both engine
types; from 2011 on, only
Honda controlled-engine four-
stroke Moto2 machines were
allowed. Beginning in 2019,
Triumph
Motorcycles
will
replace
Honda
as
the
controlled-engine supplier for
Vol 4 | Issue 2 |Mar - Apr 2019
Moto2. The new engines will
be based on the 2017 Triumph
Street Triple RS 765.
•MotoGP: is the current
term for the highest class
of GP racing. The class was
contested
with
prototype
machines
with
varying
displacement
and
engine
type over the years. Originally
contested
by
large
displacement
four
stroke
machines in the early years it
eventually switched to 500 cc
two strokes. In 2002 990 cc
four-stroke bikes were allowed
to compete alongside the
500 cc two strokes and then
completely replaced them in
2003. 2007 saw a reduction
to 800 cc four stroke engines
to unsuccessfully slow things
down a bit before finally
settling on 1000 cc four strokes
in 2012.
Grand Prix motorcycles are
prototype machines not based
on any production motorcycle.
Superbike Racing
Superbike racing is the
category of motorcycle road
racing that employs modified
production
motorcycles.
Superbike racing motorcycles
must have four stroke engines
of between 800 cc and 1200
cc for twins, and between
750 cc and 1000 cc for four
cylinder machines. The motor-
cycles must maintain the same
profile as their road going
counterparts.
The
overall
appearance, seen from the
front, rear and sides, must
correspond to that of the
bike homologated for use on
public roads even though the
mechanical elements of the
machine have been modified.
Supersport Racing
Supersport racing is another
category of motorcycle road
racing that employs modified
production motorcycles. To be
eligible for Supersport racing,
a motorcycle must have a four-
stroke engine of between 400
and 600 cc for four-cylinder
machines, and between 600
and 750 cc for twins, and must
satisfy the FIM homologation
requirements.
Supersport
regulations are much tighter
than Superbikes. Supersport
machines must remain largely
as standard, while engine
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