Yamaha
The factory Yamaha team gained a new sponsor in Fiat and the new 800cc M1 has put Rossi up in his customary podium-finishing and championship-leading position.
The most potent of the Inline-Fours, at least on the results sheet, the Yamaha M1 is the front-runner for the 2007 Constructors Title. This would in all probability not be the case if a fellow named Valentino Rossi wasn't riding for the factory Fiat Yamaha team, but the M1 does appear to be an improvement over its '06 990cc predecessor.
On two occasions in 2006 Rossi was let down by his M1, including a championship-killing mechanical DNF at Laguna Seca. Michelin may have been more to blame than Yamaha for the DNFs, but there was no denying that the '06 M1 was not the best machine on the track. It was a chatterbox all season long, judging from the 2006 rider quotes.
This season has been an altogether different story, at least thus far. Rossi and his American teammate, Colin Edwards, have been headliners on the timesheets in preseason testing and regular-season qualifying. The duo sealed the deal with a double-podium performance in Round 2 at Jerez. Rest assured Rossi's standby wrencher, Jeremy Burgess, and the rest of Yamaha will be working night and day to give Rossi the best ride available, but the tuning fork folks have to sleep pretty well at night knowing The Doctor is in the fold through the 2008 season.
Rossi is the unquestioned king of MotoGP, even if his usual crown is now worn by Nicky Hayden. Will the '07 M1 not let down The Doctor like its '06 predecessor?
Engine: liguid-cooled, Inline Four, DOHC
Displacement: 800cc
Ignition: Magneti Marelli - NGK spark plugs
Carburetion: Fuel injection
Lubrication: Wet sump - Motul Oils
Max Power: Around 200 hp
Max '07 Race Speed: 190.0 mph (Sylvain Guintoli - Qatar)(Yamaha claims "in excess of 320 km/h, which is 198.8 mph)
Transmission: six-speed cassette-type gearbox, with alternative gear ratios available
Primary Drive: Gear
Clutch: Dry multi-plate slipper clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Chassis
Frame: Twin-tube aluminum frame, with aluminum swingarm
The top speed set on an M1 this season? Try Tech 3 Yamaha's Sylvain Guintoli, who went 190 mph down the straight at Qatar.
Front Suspension: Ohlins inverted fork
Rear Suspension: Single Ohlins shock and rising-rate linkage
Wheels: 16.5-inch front and rear
Tires: Michelin (Fiat Yamaha), Dunlop (Tech3 Yamaha)
Front Brake: Dual 320mm carbon disc with four-piston radial mounted four-piston Brembo calipers
Rear Brake: Single 220mm ventilated stainless steel disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper
Weight: 148 kg (326 lbs)
Fuel Tank: 21 liters
Height: NA
Length: NA
Width: NA
Ground Clearance: NA
M1 Riders - Team - Tires
Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha - Michelin
Colin Edwards - Fiat Yamaha - Michelin
Makoto Tamada - Tech 3 Yamaha - Dunlop
Sylvain Guintoli - Tech 3 Yamaha - Dunlop
Suzuki
Suzuki hasn't got things straight since the MotoGP world switched over to four-strokes, but the 800cc GSV-R is showing promise.
Suzuki has lagged behind its competitors ever since the switch from two- to four-stroke machinery. The 990cc GSV-R was plagued with electronic gremlins much to the frustration of John Hopkins, who has toiled away the beginning of his career behind the Suzuki machine. As everyone starts 2007 with a clean slate, the hope for Suzuki was the 800 era would be Zook-friendly.
Success in preseason testing gave the Suzuki faithful cause for optimism, as did the near podium result of Hopkins at the season opener. Hopper crashed out of fourth-place in Round 2, with his teammate, Chris Vermeulen, also a solid top-10 rider this year. It looks like the GSV-R is more of a player in '07, but a full season will be required to confirm that assertion.
The new Suzuki GP bike appears to produce enough power from it's V-Four powerplant. The Rizla Suzuki spec sheet is the most optimistic at least, claiming 20 hp over the nearest competitors, although the top speeds haven't quite correlated. Either way, John Hopkins has been on a top-five pace for both rounds this season, so that's an encouraging sign.
Suzuki GSV-R Specs
Suzuki's John Hopkins finished a solid fourth at the Qatar opener and lowsided out of fourth-place at Jerez. Can Hopper keep a top-five pace throughout the 2007 season?
Engine: liquid-cooled, V-Four
Displacement: 800cc
Ignition: NA
Carburetion: Fuel injection
Lubrication: Wet sump
Max Power: 220-plus at 17,500rpm
Max '07 Race Speed: 191.1 mph (Chris Vermeulen - Qatar)
Transmission: 6-speed constant mesh
Primary Drive: NA
Clutch: Dry multi-plate slipper
Final Drive: Chain (RK Chain for Hopkins, DID Chain for Vermeulen)
Chassis
Frame: Twin spar aluminum alloy
Front Suspension: Ohlins inverted
Rear Suspension: Ohlins link type
A 800cc V-Four propels this year's incarnation of the GSV-R, but will it be able to return the manufacturer to its past MotoGP glory?
Wheels: 16.5-inch front and rear
Tires: Bridgestone
Front Brake: Brembo dual carbon disc
Rear Brake: Brembo single steel disc
Weight: 148-plus kg (326 lbs)
Fuel Tank: 21 liter
Height: 1150mm (45.2 inch)
Length: 2060mm (81.1 inch)
Width: 660mm (26.0 inch)
Wheelbase: 1450mm (57.1 inch)
Ground Clearance: NA
GSV-R Riders - Team - Tires
John Hopkins - Rizla Suzuki - Bridgestone
Chris Vermulen - Rizla Suzuki - Bridgestone
Kawasaki
Kawasaki enters the 800cc era with a new team structure and renewed purpose to create a competitive GP racer in the ZX-RR.
Of all the manufacturers heading into 2007, Kawasaki would seem to have the lowest expectation bar, although the manufacturer and loyal Kawi fans might disagree. Team Green ended 2006 in disarray with the abrupt dismissal of Harald Eckl as team manager and also parted ways with longtime rider Shinya Nakano. This year the Kawasaki Team gets a new lease on life, with the manufacturer going in-house for '07. The new structural changes mean the MotoGP team will operate out of a new base located in the Netherlands and overseeing the entire Kawasaki MotoGP operation is Ichiro Yoda, who was instrumental in the development of the Yamaha M1 project.
One thing that doesn't change from '06 is Kawasaki's association with Bridgestone as tire supplier, as well as its roster of riders. Second-year rider Randy de Puniet is the headliner and replacing Nakano Kawasaki went in-house as well, picking test-rider turned regular, Olivier Jacque, to carry on the 800cc ZX-RR's development. The Kawasaki hasn't showed any breathtaking results as of yet, and unless something drastic changes '07 has to be considered yet another developmental year for the Kwakker.
Kawasaki ZX-RR Specs
Engine: liquid-cooled, Inline Four, DOHC
Displacement: 798cc
Ignition: NA
Carburetion: Electronic fuel injection
Lubrication: Wet sump
Exhaust: Akrapovic titanium 4-2-1
Max Power: In excess of 200 hp
Max '07 Race Speed: 192.1 mph (Olivier Jacque Qatar)
Transmission: six-speed cassette type
Primary Drive: gear
Clutch: dry multi-plate slipper clutch
Final Drive: chain
Although there is a new team structure and 800cc powerplant, the ZX-RR continues to sport Bridgestone tires and retains second-year rider Randy de Puniet, as well as test rider turned full-time competitor Olivier Jacque.
Chassis
Frame: Aluminum twin-spar
Front Suspension: Ohlins inverted telescopic forks
Rear Suspension: Ohlins monoshock
Steering Damper: Hydraulic adjustable
Wheels: 16.5-inch front and rear
Tires: Bridgestone
Front Brake: Dual 314mm carbon disc with radial mount, monoblock, four-piston Brembo calipers
Rear Brake: Single 203mm ventilated steel disc with single-piston Brembo caliper
Weight: Over 145 kg (319 lbs) (We assume the over means up to the minimum weight limit of 148 kg.)
Fuel Tank: 21 liters
Height: NA
Seat Height: 850 mm (33.5 inch)
Length: 2080 mm (81.2 inch)
Wheelbase: 1460 mm (57.5 inch)
Width: NA
Ground Clearance: NA
ZX-RR Riders - Team - Tires
Randy de Puniet - Kawasaki Racing - Bridgestone
Olivier Jacque - Kawasaki Racing - Bridgestone
Team Roberts
Utilizing Honda's V-Four powerplant, the Team Roberts KR212V has hooked up with F1 MAX-X and MGM's Treasure Island Casino for 2007 sponsorship, after preseason rumors made it sound like Team Roberts' '07 funding might not make it through the year.
Team Roberts is an anomaly in the MotoGP paddock. Not quite a satellite team, Kenny Roberts' MotoGP effort gets major support from Honda in the form of the RC212V V-Four powerplant, with the Team Roberts fabricating its own frame for the KR212V. Sponsorship rumors, coming from pre-season comments by King Kenny himself, led to speculation that Team Roberts' 2007 season might not come to be. KR has since found further sponsorship from Vegas-based casinos to put on the KR212V livery and '07 funding looks secure.
Piloting the 2007 KR212V is former 500GP champion and KR Senior's eldest, Kenny Roberts Junior. Last season the KR212V was good enough for KRJR to claim sixth-place in the championship, a position which Team Roberts will be trying improve upon in 2007. As Team Roberts is not a satellite team it does not benefit from full collaboration with HRC in development, although it has been reported that Honda made suggestions to improve the Team Roberts chassis design for 2006. If King Kenny's boys can dial in the KR212V, they have a tested veteran in KRJR to campaign the Michelin-shod, Honda-powered GP racebike.
KR212V Specs
Engine: Honda RC212V, Liguid-cooled, V-Four, four-stroke
Displacement: 800cc
Ignition: NA
Carburetion: Electronic fuel injection
Lubrication: Top 1 Oil
Exhaust: KRTuned
Max Power: In excess of 200 hp
Max'07 Race Speed: 187.5 mph (Kenny Roberts Junior - Qatar)
Transmission: NA
Primary Drive: NA
Clutch: NA
Final Drive: Chain
So far KRJR hasn't been able to find the same results in '07 as he tallied in '06, when he finished sixth in the championship. Last year's bike got better as the season progressed, perhaps Team Roberts will repeat the trend.
Chassis
Frame: Fabricated aluminum, designed and manufactured by GP Motorsports UK
Front Suspension: Ohlins
Rear Suspension: Ohlins
Wheels: NA
Tires: Michelin
Front Brake: Nissin
Rear Brake: Nissin
Weight: NA
Fuel Tank: NA
Height: NA
Length: NA
Width: NA
Ground Clearance: NA
KR212V Riders - Team - Tires
Kenny Roberts Junior - Team Roberts - Michelin
Ilmor GP
Powered by a V-Four mill, the Ilmor GP racer wasn't able to find the pace against its more established competition.
Ilmor's 800cc project stretches into last year, when it competed in the final GPs of the 2006 season and managed point-scoring finishes with Gary McCoy on board. At the time the results seemed promising, but the points were earned via attrition of the regular point scorers and not from Ilmor's engineering excellence. Beginning 2007 with Jeremy McWilliams and Andrew Pitt as a two rider team, Ilmor is now out of the picture, having suspended operations due to lack of funds and poor results.
A casualty of fierce competition, Ilmor has been unable to secure the gross amount of money and resources it takes to be competitive in MotoGP. As the old axiom states: If winning were easy, everyone would do it. There will always be someone at the bottom and so far that has been Ilmor, and one would presume it would remain that way should the team return to action.
Ilmor GP Specs
Engine: V-Four
Displacement: 800cc
Ignition: NA
Carburetion: NA
Lubrication: NA
Max Power: NA
Max '07 Race Speed: 184.0 mph (Andrew Pitt - Qatar)
Transmission: NA
Primary Drive: NA
Clutch: NA
Final Drive: Chain
As it now stands, Ilmor seems to be on permanent vacation from MotoGP. Bad news for riders Jeremy McWilliams and Andrew Pitt (above). It has to taste extra bitter for Pitt, as he was dumped from his factory WSB Yamaha in favor of Troy Corser and now out of an '07 ride entirely.
Chassis
Frame: Eskil Suter designed
Front Suspension: NA
Rear Suspension: NA
Wheels: NA
Tires: Michelin
Front Brake: NA
Rear Brake: NA
Weight: NA
Fuel Tank: NA
Height: NA
Length: NA
Width: NA
Ground Clearance: NA
Ilmor GP Riders - Team - Tires
Andrew Pitt - Ilmor GP - Michelin
Jeremy McWilliams - Ilmor GP - Michelin
Come on, let's talk racing in the MCUSA Forum.
Click Here
