Moto2 is subject to the single engine rule. This one comes from the Honda 600 CBR. Problem: this motorcycle will disappear from the manufacturer's European range at the end of this year. After him, the flood?
Since Moto2 replaced the 250cc as the intermediate category of Grands Prix, its existence is linked to a 600cc Honda engine from the 600 CBR model in the manufacturer's range. However, this motorcycle disappears from the European catalog of the world's leading manufacturer at the end of this year. Hence this question: will Moto2 be able to continue its adventure with this mechanism?
A question that is relevant since we will have to think about what Moto2 will be like after the 2018 season. A fairly close deadline in a situation where the question of the engine will inevitably arise. Because of the so-called Euro4 anti-pollution standards, Honda has decided to remove from its European range a 600 CBR which has been delighting fans of small, high-energy sports cars for thirty years.
After 2018, this Honda will therefore be more than ancient history. Will its mechanics be able to persist in a high-level competition with the status of exclusivity? The question is asked and at the moment, no one can answer it. A clue, however, may have appeared in recent days with the announcement of official involvement KTM in the category. An Austrian executive with the heart of a Japanese competitor. But tomorrow ?
This week we discussed the problem with Mr. Osamu Goto (ex-Director of Honda F1, ex-R&D Director of Ferrari F1), the very close to Honda boss of Geo Technology who ensured the assembly and maintenance of Moto2 engines during 4 years. He himself does not know who will supply the engines in 2019, Honda or another manufacturer, but one thing seems certain; no team currently present in the intermediate category wants a prototype engine, for obvious cost reasons. The idea of a Ktm engine made up of two Moto3 engines therefore seems excluded. Now, who knows if the Austrian manufacturer is not capable of offering a less powerful, more reliable and therefore less expensive twin-cylinder…
