Which bikes can MotoGP riders train with? What do the regulations say?

Saying that MotoGP is the only championship that doesn’t allow its participants to train isn’t exactly correct. True: they can’t do it with their main “work tool,” namely a MotoGP bike, but no one forbids them from training with the latest-generation hyper‑sport motorcycles. Even if this is subject to regulations expressly specified by the current rules.

The summer break allows MotoGP riders to recharge their batteries or recover from recent niggles, but it’s also an opportunity to train more extensively on their own bikes. Ai Ogura, no later than last week, trained on a motorcycle 5 days out of 7: 3 with the CRF Motocross, 2 with his own Honda CBR 600RR between Ebisu and Tsukuba. Last Thursday at Misano, during the free practice sessions before the CIV Racing Night, Pecco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, and Luca Marini were seen in action, together with Valentino Rossi and other riders from the VR46 Riders Academy and beyond, on track with their own supersport bikes.

These bikes, however, must comply with specific regulations regarding preparation. With 1000cc motorcycles, therefore the same displacement as MotoGP, training is allowed exclusively with bikes homologated for road use. Regardless of displacement, the aforementioned training bikes can clearly have their lights and mirrors removed, and modifications can be made to the suspension, brakes and wheel rims, as well as to the exhaust system. The shapes and dimensions of the fairings must be the same as the production model: materials can change, but various types of modifications are not allowed. As for tires, testing is permitted only with commercially available tires approved by the FIM technical director. Speaking of MotoGP, considering the current single supplier, Michelin Power 2 tires do not pose an issue in this regard.

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