MOTOGP » Rossi: 800cc MotoGP's biggest mistake for 15 years

Totally agree with Rossi,the 800cc bikes are plain boring to watch and apart from the Lorenzo and Rossi show the races are pretty boring.Seeing the 990s sideways and smoking through the turns made it a must watch TV spectacle and the races were always far more entertaining.I think they should bring back the 990s for both the riders and the fans.

Dorna forget cost cutting with the 800's go back to the 990's and call it a day.

what a great photo of Rossi with the rear tyre smoking like that,,just like Melandri's one handed slide at Philip Island.Thats what turned us moto gp fans on but unfortunately we never see that in the 800's.

The 800cc are not as much fun. The noise, the burnouts, the straight line speed in general cannot be compared to the 990cc. Vale is right.

Could not agree more

I can not argue with Rossi on this - go back to 990s. Better yet make it an even 1000cc.

Unfortunately, the electronics have come on by leaps and bounds since 2006. I think this has more to do with it the change to 800cc. Remember, these are still 200hp bikes - 500cc where around the same if not a bit less at around 190hp. To make the slides look like they used to the electronics need to dialed back. A standard ECU or a basic standard electronics system that's not so sophisticated is needed IMO.

Rossi is so right. Take a look again at the race winners table and scrub out the riders who only won in the wet (or mixed) conditions and it's a much worse statistic.

Amazing that Honda implemented and pushed for these rules, and have not produced a World Champion since Hayden and Rossi on 990s or 500s.

How many other winners on the HRC bikes before.

Truly depressing reality. That is why Rossi has developed his own bicycle line, as to say, what is next?

I agree with him that switching from 990 to 800 was a mistake if the purpose is for safety. I think this is the main reason for the cutback. It was never about money. In fact 800cc is more expensive because they all have to develop new machine with new spec.

They "Dorna and manufacturers" are right on one thing, The 800cc is slower on straight, but with electronics, they are much faster on the corners. I think that no one on the decision making group has ever thought that electronics would advance so much making 800cc engine goes faster on the corners.

About smoking corners, entering/exiting corner sideways, I bet 800cc can do that as well, as long as you turn off TCS ... just watch NH.

Dorna, quit messing with the rules and go back to what the riders and spectators want. Unfortunately, Dorna won't want to write off the last few years of 800cc development.

A switch back to 990's could see a return of many teams, even the likes of the KR211v!