MotoGP riders say the next-generation 850cc bikes are lighter and less physically demanding than the current 1000cc prototypes, making for a more enjoyable experience on track.
The development of the new breed of MotoGP bikes has reached a stage where riders can provide a more definitive assessment of how they will perform when they make their race debuts next year.
While the goal behind the new ruleset was to reduce speeds and make the series more sustainable, the 850cc bikes also have significantly different characteristics from the machines they are accustomed to.
This is down to a smaller capacity engine, a new chassis, reduced reliance on aerodynamics and a switch to Pirelli tyres.
For KTM’s test rider Pol Espargaro, the 2027 rules represent a step in the right direction, having felt the aero-heavy bikes of today put too much physical strain on riders.
“I would choose the 850. The 1000cc bike is super physical. I feel it’s more dangerous because it’s much more powerful,” he said. “These tyres are made by Michelin to support this high torque that [current] MotoGP [bikes] have.
“To reach the end of the race, even if the rider is full crazy and mad, giving a lot of throttle and torque at the exit of the corner, the tyre needs to be very hard and the rubber needs to be also hard because it needs to last all the race.
“So, it’s not that the tyres are worse or dangerous. The tyres are made for this kind of bike. And this kind of bike is really, really demanding on the racing side.
Pol Espargaro, Red Bull KTM Tech3
Photo by: Qian Jun / MB Media via Getty Images
“So, it’s really a race bike. I don’t think that any amateur can take this bike with the current tyres because the first problem is that it would not be possible to put the front pressure and the temperature on the tyres.
“With the 850, everything changes. The bike is much easier, lighter and the tyres are much softer because the bike allows the tyres to be like this. So, everything is much easier, and as I’m getting older, I do not regret it.”
Takaaki Nakagami, who raced for LCR Honda until 2024 before transitioning to the role of a test rider with the Japanese manufacturer, cited the switch from Michelin to Pirelli as the biggest change for 2027.
Asked whether he finds the 850cc bikes more fun to ride, he added: “For me, yes, I like it more than the 1000cc.
“I don’t [have to] think about the rear height device, so it’s more simple. Also, the size of the aerodynamics is a little bit smaller. Still, we have [aero], we have to use all these parts.
“But the bike is a little bit more naturally pitching. I like it. I enjoy it a lot.”
Honda rider Luca Marini believes the new 850cc bikes are more akin to the current Moto2 machines powered by Triumph’s 765cc three-cylinder engines and running on Pirelli tyres.
Luca Marini, Honda HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
He believes the shift will play into the hands of Izan Guevara, Daniel Holgado, Senna Agius and David Alonso, all of whom are moving up from the intermediate class next year.
“I think the guys from Moto2 will have a very big advantage compared to the past transition between Moto2 and MotoGP. So for everybody that had this great opportunity to go directly to MotoGP in 2027, it’s fantastic. I think it’s the perfect moment for them,” said Marini, who will race for Tech3 KTM next year.
“So I think that everybody is expecting a lot from them from the beginning because maybe the next MotoGP bike will be much closer to the Moto2 than to the MotoGP [of today].”
Outgoing Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales described the 850cc bike as a “Moto2 machine with a good engine” after turning his first laps on KTM’s 2027 contender at Spielberg last month.
“The next-generation bikes are much easier to ride, and physically as well [they are less demanding]. I rode a few laps and it was easy. I did 11 laps in a row like it was nothing,” said the Spaniard, who is still recovering from a previous injury.
“The feeling with the bike is so nice. It’s like a Moto2 with a good engine. It was so beautiful.”
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