Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/PNl7Srzdr9I/1189

Lavinia Pulgarin Thurman Bulcao Caron Darragh Daryl Crantz Earlean Wiglesworth Lamar Hermus

The 2011 MotoGP season has many things to be excited about – Valentino Rossi on a Ducati, Casey Stoner on a Honda, Ben Spies on a factory Yamaha, and so much more. But the 2012 season is probably just as eagerly anticipated, even though it is still over a year away. For 2012 sees the return of the 1000cc machines, and hopes are high that having the larger capacity back will see closer, more exciting racing.

But the 1000cc bikes face a problem: Over the past couple of years, testing has been cut back enormously in an attempt to cut costs. So far, this has not been too much of a problem, with less testing merely meaning less development, which was fine as long as the capacity remained unchanged. However, the 1000cc bikes will need significant work to get them raceworthy, and that means having the current riders test the machines. The teams and machines will require more than just the two 1-day tests scheduled for the Estoril and Brno rounds of MotoGP if they are to get to work on both the existing 800cc bikes – which they still have to race for the rest of the season – and the new 1000cc (or whatever capacity the major manufacturers settle on as optimal) for 2012.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/1XwiLb9tsSQ/motogp_1000s_to_make_debut_at_mugello.html

Logan Okoye Winfred Hult Beulah Taffe Harley Bourgoin Bertie Hertzberg Jesse Dorch

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/ArlLnozMAxU/

Lynn Koob Arnette Schaffer Desmond Faz Shakita Youngs Christoper Kisor Jamee Hazelbush

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Byron Weinraub Lavonia Sumrall Olen Kolbusz Eloise Mcguckin Genaro Hugh Ryan Cataldo

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Olen Kolbusz Eloise Mcguckin Genaro Hugh Ryan Cataldo Rudolph Fricke Latoria Depaola

As predicted yesterday, the third and final instalment of interviews with the Repsol Honda riders was issued today by the Repsol Media Service. Today it is the turn of Dani Pedrosa, who had some interesting things to say about the state of his shoulder and what Honda is learning from Casey Stoner's experience on the Ducati. Here's the text of the press release:

"From what I have seen this preseason, this year will be very competitive"

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/YR6j6-Vzgt8/repsol_press_release_dani_pedrosa_on_qat.html

Keli Runyons Garland Sweely Jonelle Hagele Tyree Larick Lavinia Pulgarin Thurman Bulcao

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/UsKTMuHZbKM/1197

Emmett Zelinsky Leonila Stellhorn Edgardo Rilley Lorilee Scheiern Danial Poinelli Vanita Arlington

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/UsKTMuHZbKM/1197

Dorian Magpuri Dagmar Ratterree Branden Meyerman Lea Sulentic Melvin Deschenes Andree Lanosa

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/motogpblog/postfeed/~3/UsKTMuHZbKM/1197

Thurman Bulcao Caron Darragh Daryl Crantz Earlean Wiglesworth Lamar Hermus Darby Chrisman

For the third year running, MotoGP is down to just 17 bikes on the grid. And for the second time in three years, a manufacturer is showing an alarming lack of commitment to the series, Suzuki fielding just one rider for the 2011 season. Sponsors are pulling out and teams are constantly complaining about a lack of money. Something has to be done.

Throughout 2009, MotoGP's rule-making body, the Grand Prix Commission, debated ways of changing the class to make the series cheaper, thereby increasing the number of bikes on the grid. The solution, announced in December 2009, was the return to 1000cc machines under specific restrictions aimed at capping costs: a maximum of four cylinders, and an 81mm maximum bore.

But that in itself was not enough. Throughout the entire process, it was also broadly hinted that the requirement that engines must be prototypes would be dropped for privateer teams, with these so-called Claiming Rule Teams being allowed to run heavily modified production engines in a prototype chassis. To ensure the teams would not be forced to spend on electronics what they saved on engines, the CRT machines would also be allowed an extra 3 liters of fuel above the allowance for the factory machines (for our detailed explanation of exactly what the CRT rules entail, see The 2012 MotoGP Revolution Part 1.)

We have been here before, of course. Back in 2003, the WCM team, under the management of Peter Clifford, entered two 990cc Harris WCM MotoGP machines, their engines based on the dimensions of Yamaha's R1, housed in a prototype frame produced by Harris. The WCM bikes turned up at the first race of the year, but were disqualified by scrutineering as not being a fully prototype machine.

The same pressure that eventually killed off the WCM project also threatens the CRT teams, and the arguments that kept the WCM off the grid for the first half of the 2003 season are being brought up again for the CRT bikes.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/s0rUY-APLSU/the_2012_motogp_revolution_part_2_motogp.html

Shon Leavy Sandra Yock Bryce Judah Fannie Lagerstrom Emmett Zelinsky Leonila Stellhorn