MotoGP » Four teams to run control ECU in MotoGP 2013

Speaking as a mainly TV bike race viewer myself - I'll throw in another (unrelated) pet hate of mine...
When are the TV people going to actually employ Directors who actually understand that they are showing a live motorcycle race and what it is their viewers want to see?
I want to see the racing, and the dices through the field. I DON'T want to watch others watching monitors in the pits for 30sec at a time & miss a chunk of the race. I DON'T want to watch racers trudging through the gravel after a crash for 30 sec & miss a chunk of the race. I do not want the Directors to focus too much on Spanish & Italian stars on track, when they are circulating on their own mid-pack - find a battle & show me that! And so on. I want to see the damned RACING, not some out-of touch Director getting all Arty and playing around to suit himself not the viewer. Best use of TV would help MotoGP too!

RSMick & Bikenut. I appreciate your comments.

What I'm on about is that MotoGP is generally accepted as being the premier 'F1' of mororcycle sport. So, if bike racing is ever to reach, interest and 'grab' new fans, then MotoGP is the benchmark by which ALL bike racing will be judged. Why? Because its the series that most potential new fans would tune in to view before any other.
And, as a 'show' and competitive spectacle with grit and personality we all know that MotoGP is failing badly.
The VR Show hid that from many for a while perhaps, but (just like F1 badly needed and got) MotoGP badly needs to be a lot more involving for the television viewer - and so far I'm not seeing that there's any real initiatives and innovation to the rules and the bikes that is going to do anything about that.
Making the racing better (which tends to mean evening up the performance disparity and putting more control in the hands of the pilot) is part of a much bigger picture IMO.

@talentfan you are maybe taking me a little to literally but there are any number of series where the machines are far more similar which are for the type of fan base you are talking about, all the riders had to prove themselves in these situations initially, plenty of the motogp followers, yourself included maybe, think its all about the rider or at least should be but I don't think that is the case, just keep thinking prototypes!

No,No,No and I care passionately about the series and as I keep saying its not just about the race, its the whole event and the whole championship.
I like to marvel at how these guys get these bikes round so precisely lap after lap, watch WSB and the bikes are shaking their head and looking ragged, I'm sure if you put a 20p on a corner Lorenzo would hit it every time. People keep saying the races are getting more strung out, I say it hasn't changed much in 30 years, I think for a few its just boring when Rossi isn't winning.
The electronics are not just rider aids but engine aids as well, do you not find it amazing that and engine can be thrashed yet used again and again?
I enjoy quotes like these from Tom Jojic "Ran the new MM spec ECU on the dyno. Looking forward to Sepang" and "Have to give Marelli people credit. Switched on people that know there stuff. Spec ECU is impressive."

Its not about being obsessed Mick. Its just that, despite the woeful state of MotoGP you & others seem hell-bent on supporting elements clearly are detrimental to the competitive racing and therefore the appeal and sustainability of MotoGP.

The fact that the year-on-year spiralling costs and technology in the 4-stroke era have done nothing to improve the racing would indicate its the wrong approach.

Actually, what my question is, is why are you so determined to defend and promote the party line of the manufacturer's in this Mick? You work in software development or similar yes? Do you have a direct involvement with one of the mfrs? Do you work for them or one of their contractors maybe? I don't get why as a racing fan you seem to care more about the technology than you do about the health of the series?

I wasn't referring to the racers so much.
Seriously Talent, the rider is and in our lifetime will be the biggest influence on the bike, for a start he has to have the balls to keep the throttle pinned open, or go through a corner at those speeds, then get his weight and body position correct.
I remember the Illmor and its biggest problem like Edwards last year, car derived software engineers who kept telling him keep the throttle on through the corners, he repilied you go out there and keep the throttle on through the corners. We saw the result when he did.
A diffence between a certain 2 riders on the Ducati, one who could react fast enough and one who couldn't.
I have to leave for Southall now and make the transportation of finished goods even more boring.

If its about saving a racers life, then the logical extension is to not do it at all.

Look at many of the events/sports Red Bull sponsor. A lot of high risk, adrenalin type events, things that are exciting and celebrate the joy of living.

Red Bull aren't stupid. They are associating a pretty mundane energy drink product with a lifestyle, and it works for them. Red Bull means danger, excitement, edgy, hardcore. Which bike racing needs to mean too.

Do you think Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi etc. want to be seen increasingly as bit-part players and passengers on a high-tech bike that can be ridden fast by just about anybody? Is that what we fans want (Bikenut & Shamarone excepted of course)?

TalentFan you are becoming a little obsessed now.

The fact is, you will never replace human reaction on a bike. The logic needed to counteract problems is immense and the processor could not scan quick enough. Ok when a bike starts spinning the back wheel or wheelies.
What it will never be able to do is compensate for braking too hard, pushing the front too hard, a highside, worn tyres etc. They have very advanced systems now and all these things still happen. There are so many IF's involved but it could not react enough. Once a bike is leaning over everything changes, when it brakes everything changes and only human weight transfer could react to any changes, it is a wonderful computer. Just watch Asimo how long it takes to calculate any movement he makes, also how many times he falls over.
A control ECU will whatever you believe restrict that developement, Magnetti/Dorna will decide on the CPU power and memory available.
If it saves any riders life its worth it,

People just don't seem to be getting it.

This is not like even 30-years ago, when racing was a good arena for developing bikes that would be useful for the road rider.

Race Bike development and tech now has been WAY beyond what is actually useable away from the track.

So - continuing to say that MotoGP has to be used as a tool to develop the tech even further makes no sense. Do most bikers want to ride a bike that requires no involvement and skill at all? Something about as involving as a kitchen appliance (or a modern city car?)

The focus HAS to change. No-one will want to watch a few very expensive soulless robots that effectively ride themselves. The OTT Tech has to go!

As I put in another thread...
"As I see it, with the continued adoption of all the rider-aids to keep the factories cheery, then the holy grail for Honda is to perfect a bike that they could Gaffer-Tape your Granny on and it would take itself (& Granny) around the track at race-winning velocity.

It must irk Honda no end that despite the wonders of their machines, its mainly the Riders that attract all the attention and are still (just about) THE vital ingredient in bike racing success. Once they've eradicated the annoying element of a Star Rider, do they hope all the focus will be about about Yam v Honda instead of Rossi v Stoner?"

Bikenut & Shamarone - seems like you must love the above scenario then eh? How many people do you think will want to watch a giant remote control bike zooming around with no human interest element?