Highside

Cubic centimeter (cc)
A cc, or cubic centimeter, is the unit of measurement for the Engine Displacement. An accurate way to measure the effective power of an engine, cc’s allow for variations in different engine variables, like the bore and stroke, while still measuring the same effective power.

125cc
The 125cc class uses the smallest engines of all the current MotoGP classes, and consequently has the smallest bikes of the three. 125cc engines in MotoGP are regulated to have two cylinders. The 125s are seen as more of a novice class, where young riders can gain experience on the world stage before progressing to the larger bikes. The 125cc class is currently the only class in MotoGP that has a maximum age limit (25 years old). Riders must be at least 16 years old in order to compete in the race. 125cc motorcycles have been raced in MotoGP since it’s inaugural season in 1949.

250cc
The 250cc class was the intermediary class between the 125s and the premier MotoGP class before it was replaced with the Moto2 class in 2010. Two cylinder 250cc bikes served as a training catalyst for riders hoping to move into the premier class, but the increased age and skill of the riders, along with the higher speeds and more advanced technology that went into designing the bikes, meant that many people considered it less of a stepping stone and more of a full-fledged, independent class. However, the trend of 250cc World Champions “graduating” to MotoGP hindered this reputation.

Moto2
Moto2 is the spiritual successor to the intermediary 250cc class, in which teams develop their own bike around a spec four cylinder 600cc engine. The Moto2 class began in 2010, in a change brought about by both a desire to cut costs for teams, and increase the number of riders on the track. The series has seen great success thus far, providing two drama-filled races in which over 40 riders have competed. The decision to use a spec engine was an attempt to even the playing field for smaller teams with less funding, while the ability to design a custom chassis has rekindled an old spark in the MotoGP world: privateer teams running “garage” bikes designed by one or two people, and not a factory. Initial reaction to the change has been mixed, with some people complaining about the loss of the traditional 250cc class, and others expressing concern over the use of a spec engine. However, the changes have been greeted positively by riders and team managers, as evidenced by the increased focus on the intermediary class.

MotoGP
The MotoGP Premier class uses four cylinder 800cc prototype bikes currently designed by one of four factories: Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, or Ducati. The premier class is the main attraction to the world of MotoGP, containing the fastest bikes, best riders, largest salaries, biggest sponsors, and the most glamour. Multi-MotoGP World Championship winners often go on to join the pantheon of racing legends, with the likes of Giacomo Agostini, Kenny Roberts, Michael Doohan, and Valentino Rossi.

We speculated a few days ago that Niccolo Canepa had fewer days left in MotoGP than was expected, and today that speculation came true.  GPone.com reported today that Pramac Ducati’s manager, Paolo Campitoni, has announced that Aleix Espargaro will be riding for the satellite Ducati squad in Estoril.  With Casey Stoner slated to return at the Portugal round, Mika Kallio will be returning to Pramac, which means that for Espargaro to ride, Canepa will have to step aside.

The news has upset Canepa, and his manager is currently in talks with Pramac to ensure he gets paid for the rest of the season.  Canepa’s contract does not stipulate that he must ride, only that he must be paid, so Espargaro will most likely be filling in pro-bono.

The battle between Espargaro and Canepa is hardly finished, however; both are slated to be potential candidates for Pramac’s Moto2 project next year, and while Espargaro would certainly like to stay in the premier class, spending a year in Moto2 might be more beneficial for the surprise Spaniard.  If Espargaro continues to be successful, expect to see him riding somewhere for Pramac next year, while Canepa will most likely have to step back to World Superbike or World Superstock.

Jorge Martinez, second from left, is welcomed into the MotoGP family.

Stepping in to replace the now-defunct Grupo Fransisco Hernando in the MotoGP class, the Aspar racing team will field one rider in the premier class ins 2010.

Jorge Martinez’s Aspar has been a dominant force in the 125s and 250s for the last few years, and is especially strong right now with their three 125 riders standing 1-2-3 in the standings, and Alvaro Bautista in second in the 250s.

The new Aspar team will field one Ducati rider in 2010.  Depending on the team’s success that year, Martinez has said that he is open to the idea of fielding a second rider in 2011.

The identity of the first Aspar MotoGP rider has not yet been revealed, but many bets are on Bautista taking the slot.  Bautista, who won with Aspar in the 125s before moving to the 250s with the same team, is poised to graduate up to the premier class in the next few years.

Joining him for sure in the premier class will be Marco Simoncelli, who has a confirmed ride for the Gresini Honda team.  Also looking to graduate in the next year or two is Hiroshi Aoyama, who currently leads the 250cc class and is poised to step in to fill the shoes of Yuki Takahashi as an (ideally) dominant rider in the premier class.

Jorge Martinez said he hopes to announce the identity of the team’s first MotoGP rider at Brno in August.

If you’ve been reading this blog and are new to the sport, chances are you’ve chanced across terms like 125cc and 250cc.  Today, we’re going to break down the differences between each class so you can understand the differences between the different bikes and races that take place.

125cc

The lowest level in the MotoGP championships, 125cc single-stroke bikes are small, lightweight bikes with significantly less engine power than their 250cc and MotoGP counterparts.  Riders in this class must be under 25 years of age.

The 125cc class serves as a springboard for the racers, with the best quickly rising into the 250cc class and those who aren’t as good struggling to battle it out year after year.

250cc

The middle child of the Grand Prix classes is the 250cc class, which features two cylinder bikes with slightly more mass than their younger siblings, but still far from the mass of the MotoGP class.  The 250cc league is a bit more intense than the 125cc class, with riders occasionally dropping out mid-season to take a promotion up to the premier class.

250cc races can be just as intense as MotoGP races, but the fact that the names are less prominent often leads to these races going unnoticed by many fans.  Regardless, the 250cc class is where the stars of next year are born, with current superstars like Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Dani Pedrosa all dominating in the intermediate class in their turns.

MotoGP

The premier class, known as MotoGP, has undergone many changes in the last 10 years.  In 2002, the class changed from being made of 500cc two-cylinder bikes to 990cc four-cylinder bikes.  The change dramatically increased the speed and fervor with which the races were held.  In 2007, the bikes were lowered from 990cc engines to 800cc engines, lowering the speed slightly while still increasing the speed at which laps were completed.

The MotoGP races are the flagship events, with some race weekends only featuring races in this class.  This is the class where the best riders in the world ride, and the class where there’s the most money and excitement to be had.  Most of the posts here on Highside will pertain to the MotoGP class, but occasionally we will talk about racers from the smaller classes.

(Editors note: Starting in 2010, the 250cc class will be replaced by the new 500cc Moto2 class.  We’ll talk more about the Moto2 class in future posts.)

GFH at work in the garage

Big news hit the web today, shocking most of the MotoGP community with the sudden announcement that Pablo Nieto’s famous Grupo Fransisco Hernando racing team will be folding in the MotoGP class, to resume focus back on their more successful 125cc team.

The announcement puts the team’s sole MotoGP rider, Sete Gibernau, back into retirement. The 36 year old Spaniard originally retired in 2006, after a lengthy career that stretched back to the earlier 500cc premier class. While Gibernau never won a world championship, he took 2nd place in both 2003 and 2004, challenging Valentino Rossi in the formative years of the current MotoGP class.

Grupo Fransisco Hernando’s withdrawal puts MotoGP in a precarious situation: a fully fit league will now only field 17 riders, well below what is desired and possibly jeopardizing MotoGP’s contract with Dorna Motorsports S.L., who administer the racing league.

The team’s withdrawl is immediate, meaning that the new field of 17 riders will take effect at next weekend’s Grand Prix in Saschenring, Germany. Stay tuned for more news as it becomes available.

(Hat tip to Rubb3r.com for bringing this to my attention, and to MotorcycleNews.com for breaking the story)

It’s been a few days since the tumultuous race over in Monterey, California, and a couple of things stand out from the race weekend.

Dani Pedrosa

Go figure that Dani would end up at the top of this list.  Honda’s year-long drought comes to an end, and in such a surprising way.  Starting from the front of the second row, Dani rocketed out from the grid, stealing first place and holding it for all 32 laps.  His chances of contending for the championship this year are slim to none, but if the spaniard can keep this up–and stay clear of the injuries that darkened the start to this season–we could see a stronger, faster, meaner Pedrosa running with the likes of Rossi, Stoner, and Lorenzo. Which brings us to…

Jorge Lorenzo

The Janitor went to work this week in a way I can’t possibly describe.  During the free practices, he continues the season-long battle with Rossi in daring fashion.  After crashing out during Qualifying, he jumps on his second bike and posts the fastest time to take Pole.  After crashing a second time, breaking bones in his foot and dislocating his shoulder, he gets up to race the next day.  And less than 24 hours after that horrendous highside, he goes on to take a podium–and was just shy of beating out Rossi, too!  Endless respect and congratulations to Lorenzo for this performance.  Despite the six week recovery estimate, I’d hardly call him out of the running for this championship.

Casey Stoner

Snubbed off of the podium by the powerhouse of Fiat Yamaha, the Aussie has been in bad shape now for weeks, and it shows.  Personal opinions of the man aside, I’m hoping he finally beats whatever has been beating him.  Between the time at the medical clinics in the States and the extra time off before Sachsenring, I have a feeling that Stoner will head into Germany with this mystery bug on the outs, if not gone altogether.  And let’s face it; a healthy Stoner means an even more intense battle for the Championship, and that’s one thing everyone wants.

There are a few important lessons to be learned from Laguna.  Clearly, there needs to be some examination on the choice of tires there; Bridgestone’s selections for the race were, in many people’s eyes, the cause for the ridiculous number of crashes this weekend.  As far as the race itself, we’ve learned (or reaffirmed) a few key facts: Pedrosa is far from washed up, the Janitor can still contend despite the pain, Stoner desperately needs a fast recovery, and The Doctor still has some stiff competition.  Going into the Sachsenring in just seven days time, the season still promises a lot of challenges–and a lot of excitement.

MotoGP is the premier motorcycle racing league, bringing riders, racetracks, and fans all over the world together to watch a motorsport spectacle unrivaled in the world.  MotoGP consists of three different classes, each with their own class of motorcycle.  The smallest is the 125cc class, followed by the 250cc class, and lastly the flagship 800cc class.

MotoGP races take place on circuits throughout the world, each designed to challenge the riders in different ways.  Far from the simple circles of NASCAR races, the MotoGP tracks resemble that of F1 circuits (and in many cases, races for both MotoGP and F1 are held on the same circuit).

What does all of this mean?  Simply put, MotoGP stands apart in three notable ways.

MotoGP races are exciting

Sure, going 200 miles per hour in a car might be a little thrilling.  But how about taking a corner at well over 150 mph with your knee just inches–or sometimes, touching!–the ground.  Moments away from losing life and limb, these racers put it all on the line to gain just an extra tenth of a second through the corner.  And, well, if that isn’t enough excitement for you, just imagine what happens when things go wrong.

MotoGP racers are talented

I once heard MotoGP described as a high-speed game of chess, with each move calculated and rehearsed laps in the making until finally, they move in for the kill.  Take the mental planning needed to figure out just when and where to strike, combine that with the extreme speed the riders are traveling at and the physical strength needed to control the machines they’re riding, and you have a recipe for some serious skills.

MotoGP racers are loveable

One of the best parts of the MotoGP world is that since there are so few racers in the premier class, they are all (out of necessity) in the spotlight all the time.  And because of that, you get the sense that you know the racers much better than you do in any other sport.  Far be it from me to say that Dani Pedrosa is my best friend, but I could tell you that after just a few races, you’ll look forward to hearing the Spaniard’s comments after races as he casually laughs off the mistakes he’s made, always with a smile and an eye for the next race.

Still not sold? Leave a comment or email me at random [dot] kaplan [at] gmail [dot] com and I’ll try to answer your questions!