I don't know was it discussed previously did anyone besides me noticed those carbon fork tubes few riders using (visible really good on Ducati's), are they tubes, covers...!?
They've been using carbon forks for a little while. Quartararo is the only Yamaha rider doesn't have them.
Damn I need to pay more attention, are they tryin to get more rigiditi /flex out of forks!? (tunable by thicknes of the wall)
They've been on the Factory GP bikes for at least 2 seasons now. Ducati were the first to run them IIRC.
I could be wrong but I believe they are lighter and more rigid. Last year, they were going back and forth (sometimes trying them in practice, not necessarily always racing them) but it seems like they will eventually all be using them. To use Yamaha's example again, Quartararo uses aluminum forks because he gets lower spec shit. He will most likely be on carbon forks by next year at the latest.
I heard Spalding ,during the FP4 , say that Quartararo is on a 2016 M1 chassis. 2016 Jerez race: 1.Rossi 2.Lorenzo It seems that the old bike is working well there. Good job kid!
Just to set the record straight regarding Carbon Fiber ... Carbon fiber is much lighter than Aluminum. It is also stronger that normal steel - well at least in the plane of the fibers. But it is NOT rigid. It deflects about the same as Aluminum- three times more than steel - when the same load is applied to the same section. It has great potential for use in suspensions because of this flexibility and also because it is apparently possible to make carbon fiber composites with damping characteristics....