Four-stroke bikes between 625 and 650cc will replace the current world 250GP championship in 2011, MCN can exclusively reveal.

Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta submitted a proposal for the new format at a meeting of the Grand Prix Commission in Le Mans at 12.15pm today. Representatives of the FIM, International Race Teams Association and the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association attended the meeting.

The new class will be exclusively for in-line four-cylinder four-stroke machines with the philosophy behind the new class being cheap, competitive and prototype racing to replace the current two-stroke 250 class.

Originally planned to be 600cc, Dorna changed the displacement at the request of the FIM, motorcycling racing’s governing body. It is believed that move was to protect the current World Supersport series operating as part of the World Superbike championship.

The most likely final capacity will be 640cc, with Kawasaki’s current ZX-6R having a 636cc engine.

Traction control will be banned and Dorna will operate a controlled ECU management system to keep costs down and also ensure a level playing field for participating teams and riders.

Ezpeleta wants the new class to be much more affordable than the current 250GP class, where lease costs for a factory Aprilia can be over one million Euros.

That is only around 500,000 Euros short of what it costs to lease a Honda RC212V in MotoGP, MCN understands. Ezpeleta wants lease costs for the new four-stroke class to be around less than 100,000 Euros.

Ezpeleta’s proposal is expected too be fully approved at the next meeting of the Grand Prix Commission in Catalunya on Saturday, June 7, 2008. Following approval at that meeting, definitive rules will be drawn up for the new class.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sp...sstobereplaced/

This should make everything a bit more interesting. It's only a small hop up to 800's from then on.

Then again, this is MCN.

Exactly I can't see the point of running a 6/650cc class along with an 800cc class, mabey we might get our beloved 990's back

Maybe, or maybe it's just MCN. I was hoping for and expecting twins at around 500cc. This would be away from the current SS and closer to the current 250cc power.

Awful news, the 250cc class is one of the best in the world. Hopefully it will mean 990cc comes back however which will definatly make things better.

I'm sad to see 250cc go, I guess nowadays considering MotoGP and SBK use TC and other aids 250cc is actually the category that requires more rider talent.

Save money? just use the ssport 600 from sbk... Why DORNA just think other way to save cost, 990 then 800cc,,..what else next?..those 250cc 2 stroke gp bike should be maintained

My rules would be..

450 super singles to replace the 125s
650 super singles to replace the 250s
both these based on the thumper engines ALL MANUFACTURES in the world have now. (save money)
990 to replace children's 800s

That would be so kickass, you would get my vote for the chairmans job at Dorna

Its great to dream

Not necessarily talent but maybe finesse (along with 125's)

At least Aprilia hegemony will be challenged/disappear, although this could be crippling for them as a small market concern when the 125's are also superseded, and only means the new class will play straight into the hands of Japan.

MotoGP won't be the same anymore..gone are those era and the last of 2 strokers.

All hail the new premier class

So long 250's.

I'm going to miss the strokers, but hopefully Ezy will put a rev limit on the new 600's so teams can tune them for bottom end. Maybe someday soon we'll see a man come out of the 250 class again.

I can't help but think that this is what has fueled the AMA's awful decision to go towards 600's as the premier class. Maybe the big four are secretly behind all of this. Think about it from their perspective, they have to completely build a new 600 one year than a 1000 the next. They will get so much more exposure with only one model and save a bundle of cash.

Maybe WSBK is next!

edited: I guess someone kind of beat me to this thought. My bad.
http://www.powerslide.net/forum/Lets-FK-UP...-AMA-t7537.html

Sounds potentially good. It will be good to get Japanese factories back into the small classes but i hope this is at the expense of the Europeans. Ideally all will be represented. 650 sounds big to me, like it will be relatively close to the 800's and a big jump from the 125cc which is apparently going un-altered.

Does anyone else think this class (if done right) will do damage to the depth of the WSBK field?

Posssibly, and maybe the Flammini's who currently hold the the rights to a supersport production based class are already consulting their lawyers. Perhaps the distinction being that although a stock production class is being proposed, the rules would also give dispensation to fully adjustable suspension, and allow slicks - (a bit like a more elabourate version of FX). One of the great advantages that a rider with two stroke pedigree exerts over his superbike counterparts I feel, is the tremendous experience that the 125/250 classes impart in set up skills.

As I said in an earlier post, although this does challenge the hegemony that Aprilia has maintained in the class, it also leaves them somewhat out in the cold, opening the door to the Japanese markets who already corner this market. Aprilia's racing director Gigi Dall'Inga has long been pushing for a prototype 600 class, which I think would be better but now looks unlikely. The FIM want this 400cc V Twin four stroke class, which would effectively be half a GP mill, which would attract broader interest from the manufacturers and would also be good.

With the inevitable inauguration of the new proposals (600-650 stock production), HRC look to have ultimately got what they have long been petitioning for I'm afraid. If you watch WSS, truth be told it's more exciting than 250GP, and as a feeder class to WSB, you could well be right Tom, that beyond 2011, riders are going to look at it as being preferable to WSS as a potential opening to the Blue Riband class. That said I'm sure the usual prohibitive barriers (ie sponsorship, passport) will remain and ensure that the front half of the grid is mainly contested by 'Latin' riders, on the most competetive works machinery.

Yes I imagine it will kill WSS but honestly I don't care. If this new project is done correctly it will be better than WSS b/c of the magnitude of the global appeal.

I can't help but imagine the new 600 class will be an anesthetized version of the free for all they're making it sound like it may be. If they want people to be able to run bikes for 100,000 euros there will be a lot of talent and a lot of sponsors boosting people onto that grid.

I'm also hugely pessimistic about manufacturer neutrality. I can't see a situation where Ezy lets a control bike send the real best riders to motogp and not the marketing wonderkids.

If they can maintain neutrality and let the class be a free for all, it will be the best racing series on the planet. Control tire, control bike, no electronics, know let's see who's balls are bigger. Good stuff. I hope the Europeans invest a little money and start building 600cc race bikes to compete.

Any bets that this is what Roberts was talking to Red Bull about. I know Kenny doesn't want to play in the little classes, but I bet news of this has trickled to the important GP sponsors. I'd bet Red Bull are going to try their vertical monopoly strategy whereby they start branding the best riders at birth.

HERRIN TO 600 GP.

You heard it here first.

I realize they want to continue with the feeder series concept of things for the lower classes, but geez, 650s? They should just run another 800 class and put an age limit.

The proposal put foreward was for prototype bikes, if it gets approved then it'll be on




Sounds expensive. Its hard enough to convince the factories to produce enough 800's for the premier class. ALso imagine getting on an 800 fresh from 125, that'd be huge.

Control ECU and control tyres does not mean control bike at all.

There is already the 600cc World Supersport Championship that supports the World Superbike Championship..

Maybe 250cc should be replaced by 500cc and the 125cc becoming the 250cc class. Now that would be much more interesting and way better racing.