TRIUMPH MOTO2 PROTOT YPE
FIRST TEST
P82
This totally unexpected three-
year deal comprises the biggest
shake-up in GP racing's interme-
diate class since Moto2 replaced
250GP two-strokes in 2010. For
not only will the larger-capacity
new Street Triple RS-based 765
motor be upwards of 10 horse-
power more powerful than the
outgoing Honda 600 four, as well
as delivering lots more midrange
torque, in 2019 for the first time
the class will run traction control
and clutchless downshift auto-
blippers, delivered via the Mag-
neti Marelli control ECU that'll
be adopted in tandem with the
three-cylinder Triumph engine.
The arrangement will see the Brit-
ish manufacturer provide around
200 engines annually for the
class, similar to what Honda has
currently furnished for a full grid
of 32-34 riders. That's together
with the supply of components
to Dorna subsidiary ExternPro,
based at Motorland Aragon in
Spain, for them to refresh each
motor after every three rounds in
a current 19-race series.
SEALING THE DEAL
To be anointed as Dorna's
partner in taking the Moto2
category up a level in terms of
performance and sophistication
next season, Triumph had to
overcome rival bids from several
other manufacturers with estab-
lished links to MotoGP—KTM,
Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki
are all believed to have tendered
for the deal.
But it was the British manu-
facturer which clinched it, and
Triumph's R&D team has thus
spent the past 18 months devel-
oping the engine, and evaluating
the result on track mounted in
a 2013 Daytona 675 test mule
ridden by their designated R&D
rider, 2009 125cc World Cham-
pion, Julián Simón, in a series of
tests at Aragon and Calafat.
This June at Aragon the en-
gines were finally matched for
the first time on track with Mag-
neti Marelli's specially developed
This is very much a test mule, as
the bike still uses a Daytona-derived
chassis. The Moto2 race bikes will
have bespoke chassis from the likes
of NTS, Kalex, KTM, etc.
