Have your say: Is MotoGP doomed?

With companies like Aprilia and BMW using the production-based WSB series to develop new motorcycles and technologies, you have to ask why we need such an expensive racing series like MotoGP? BMW could easily afford to enter MotoGP and they chose not to.

Japanese manufacturers argue it’s a way of developing new technologies that may filter down to road bikes in five to ten years.

But from looking at Valentino Rossi’s M1 and next year’s Yamaha R1 superbike, it would seem that MotoGP and WSB motorcycle technology is merging ever closer.

Paul Denning, MotoGP
Team manager, Rizla Suzuki
Without question what was learnt in the two-stroke era of the RGV500 in GPs in terms of aerodynamics, weight distribution and chassis geometry in 1994 gave us the GSX-R750 S-RAD road bike in 1996. MotoGP is the racing test-bed for road machines.

Davide Tardozzi, WSB
Team manager, Ducati Corse
The influence of MotoGP in WSB and on our road bikes is huge. The level is very high in MotoGP and this is then transferred to WSB, which is then transferred into Superstock racing, and then to our road bikes.

Sometimes the technology used in MotoGP and WSB is very similar. The development of electronics is similar and we can share this information even if we don’t have the same number of cylinders. This is a big help and it also saves a lot of cost.

What do you think? Cast your vote in the poll below, and don’t forget to voice your opinion in the comments section at the bottom

 

• To get the full story, pick up the November 26 edition of MCN, out now.