MOTO2 DEFINED – THE RACING RULES

1. Fuel tank size and shape is free – there are no fuel consumption limits for the stock engines. As with MotoGP, fuel is carried as low and as centrally as possible. Eni is the series sole supplier.

2. The engine management ECU is supplied, and software modifications are banned. Teams have a limited range of settings, while organisers have the right to swap ECUs at any point.

3. Four-cylinder 600cc engines are identical sealed units, supplied and maintained by Geo Technology, on behalf of the organisers. Based on the Honda CBR600 engine, they produce about 140 bhp.

4. Air intake design is free, but must feed a standard airbox, as supplied to the teams. Throttle bodies and injectors are also supplied, along with fuel lines.

5. Two different Dunlop tyre specifications of front and rear tyres give riders a limited choice. Each gets seven front and nine rear slick tyres for the race weekend, plus three sets of wet-weather tyres.

6. The chassis “must be a prototype”, with no production parts. Designers are free to explore chassis possibilities, within existing racing rules. As in all classes, full streamlining is banned.

7. Choice of front and rear suspension is free, but electronic suspension controls are banned, along with high-pressure hydraulic systems.

8. Wheel dimensions are fixed, 3.75” x 17” front and 6.00” x 17” rear. Composite construction wheels (eg carbon fibre reinforced) and carbon brakes are banned. Both rules help control costs.

Moto2 was created to replace the 250 class. The aim was for a competitive World Championship that would offer exciting racing for the fans and a valid stepping stone to MotoGP for the riders.

Moto2 was conceived as a prototype class using 600cc four-stroke engines. At the same time, the concept was refined with two radical innovations:

Control engines – Each rider is allocated an engine (sealed) from a pool of identical Honda units. Only the fuel and oil provided by the official fuel supplier can be used.

Control tyres – Each rider will have exactly the same choice from a total of 16 slick tyres per race weekend. Dunlop was awarded the supply contract for 2010-2012.

The rules ensure equality in these fundamental areas, while allowing chassis designers freedom to explore different solutions in full prototype motorcycles.

The engines, based on Honda CBR600 street units, and delivering up to 140bhp are race-prepared and subsequently maintained by the appointed supplier. A racing slipper clutch and a six-speed fixed-ratio gearbox are included. The fuel, and lubrication systems are also part of the standard package.

Engines are allotted to teams by the race organisation’s Technical Director, on a random basis. They must be returned to the official engine supplier for rebuilding at regular intervals (1500km).

Crucially, organisers will also supply the engine management system, with a same-for-all standard ECU. Certain basic tweaks will be permitted using a standard software setting tool, which comes as part of the Moto2 kit. Other software modifications are banned, and the Technical Director has the power to swap ECUs, as well as to check their recorded data. A standard datalogger system is also supplied.

Exhaust is free, but maximum noise level is set at 115dB/A.

All maintenance will be performed centrally. Teams may not touch the engines, beyond basic set-up and running maintenance, such as oil changes, or replacing plates in the standard slipper clutches. Radiators are free, but use of the standard oil cooler is compulsory.

Chassis design “must be a prototype”, the rules state, with no production parts used. At the same time, exotic metals and electronic suspension are banned, and brakes will be steel rather than the costly carbon used by MotoGP. Composite wheels are also not permitted. Minimum weight of the complete motorcycle is 135 kg.

Tyres

Equality in tyres is also the goal.

In its first season last year, Dunlop developed five front tyre compounds of which a choice of two were brought to each round. As the season progressed it was clear that two of these compounds (a medium and hard compound) were favoured by all riders, so these two will be the starting options for 2011.

For rear tyres there is a wider choice of seven compounds, for which two are chosen for each race. This year the softest compound, 6712, has been dropped and improvements made to another three. Feedback and lap times from the pre-season testing was good.

A maximum of 16 slick tyres may be used per race weekend. All tyres are barcoded and allocated on the day before practice starts to each rider by the Technical Director. Some circuits will require ‘dual’ tyres, with different compounds on the left and right shoulders and, in some special cases (like Australia’s Phillip Island) also possibly asymmetric construction.

Three sets of wet tyres in one specification will be allocated: if every practice and the race are declared wet by Race Direction a further set of wet tyres will be authorised. As in MotoGP, no “intermediate” tyres will be supplied.