if i remember correctly, wasnt the whole point of limiting the displacement to 800cc to slow the bikes down?
but dont you think that once they go back to the liter bikes they are just going to get even faster yet again? dont get me wrong. im all about them bringing the big boy toys back and hopefully seeing Nicky get back to the top. :up: i just dont see understand the reasoning behind it.
Watch them make it 1000cc engines with fixed/limited ecu's. No pneumatic valving and a 17-18k RPM limit. That would make a huge difference in cost.
The article posted mentions it being a cost issue more than anything. There aren't any production motors capable of being tuned to compete in an 800cc class, thus forcing the design of prototype engines, which is apparantly too expensive. The idea is to be able to use current 1000cc production engines in prototype chassis, eliminating cost. Sounds like a glorified WSBK class to me, and we all know that the big teams will still be running prototype 1000cc engines anyway, taking away all chances the little guys on production engines had... Personally, I'd be happy if they got rid of the electronics. 800cc would be more than enough with no-one running state of the art traction control. Everyone would be riding like stoner.
They already have a high horsepower class out there with less electronics, it's call World Superbike. Edwards was asked about dropping electronic aids in one of the Racer X articles. Didn't sound too happy about loosing all of the development he put into them over the years.
They made the bikes smaller, lighter, which actually increased corner speed over the bigger bikes. Where do most crashes happen?.....in the corners, not on the straights. So, they may have reduced overall top speed and dropped HP, but that didn't/doesn't make the bikes more safe since the corner speed increased and that's where the crashes happen.
How do you figure this? If the rules say production engines, then that's what they'll run. You really think a team would be able to sneak in a prototype motor without every other team filing protests or it getting torn down? You think a manufacturer would invest in building and tuning a prototype motor for a production motor class, knowing they will be caught almost instantly?
