MotoGP 2012

As currently planned after the end of the 800cc era, MotoGP bikes displacing 1000cc in 2012 will be given 25 liters of fuel, up from the present 21. The point of this larger allowance is to make it possible for those factories building bikes with production-based engines not to have to deal with fuel-conservation software. This might be negotiated down to 24 liters if the primary builders want it so.

It appears no limits on MotoGP electronics are planned, hope being that the mandated 81mm bore will put a stop to ever-higher rpm, and the large displacement will make it unnecessary to seek ever-greater horsepower. Everyone will be glad to say goodbye to the tight fuel conservation game. Also, new entrants and manufacturers who have not won two races in the previous year will get 12 engines per season instead of six. BMW is confidently expected to enter MotoGP "in three years."

Moto2 horsepower will probably end up around 125–130 (a Ten Kate World Supersport engine is more like 140 hp and has a life of 350–500km). The Moto2 redline will be 16,000 rpm. The Swiss outfit that looks after the engines will download the data from each engine after each race, and anyone who has over-revved on downshifts will be somehow penalized (assumption being that they are trying to wreck their engines in order to get different ones). ECUs will be returned after each race and shuffled before being handed out again at the next one. At random, the organizers may exchange ECUs 20 minutes before the start of a race.

—Kevin Cameron