800 just a tool

Legendary Aussie chief engineer Jerry Burgess says he doesn’t expect MotoGP to change too drastically despite the capacity reduction to 800cc for 2007.

Burgess, who is working with Yamaha and Valentino Rossi to try and wrestle the world title back from Honda, told MCN: “It’s still just a tool. Everybody is in the same boat and it’s just a straight out reduction in capacity. 

“The tyre companies have probably got breathing space for a while. They might have to develop something different but they have certainly got a little bit of an area to breathe. 

“They are not dealing with as much horsepower as they were.

“Perhaps the braking will change a little because the braking distance will be shorter, arriving at the end of the straight slower, so you’ve got more distance at full throttle and you can get deeper into the corner. 

And he added: “But I’ve never seen a capacity change affect things that much. 

“The bikes are weighing the same and it’s just a pure reduction in capacity. 

“It’s not like going from a two-stroke to a four-stroke. To me it’s not a big issue at all. I don’t think we will see much different up the front.”