Hitti… | 8 Unraced MotoGP bikes you never knew existed
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Motosport is a rich man’s game at the loftiest levels, the pursuit of racing greatness on two wheels being as much about investment and resource as it is about what your rider can do on a Sunday afternoon.
In a motorcycling context, this is no more apparent than in the MotoGP World Championship, which might explain why – in 2022 – each of the six different bikes on the grid have been designed, built and developed by six of the industry’s most prominent manufacturers.
But while many manufacturers have chased a spot on the coveted MotoGP grid over the years, precious few have succeeded in reaching the grid at all, as these stillborn would-be MotoGP projects attest to…
– BMW MotoGP
Number one on Dorna’s wish list of motorcycle manufacturers to join MotoGP, BMW has repeatedly turned down advances from Carmelo and co. to take the plunge over the last decade.
It’s a situation that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon, BMW instead preferring to market its flagship sportsbike – the M/S1000 RR – in the more like-for-like WorldSBK Championship. BMW hasn’t always shunned the notion of MotoGP, however.
Indeed, back in the mid-noughties, BMW was seriously considering entering from 2007 when the series adopted new technical regulations that swapped 990cc bikes for 800cc machines.
However, entering a series as competitive high-profile as MotoGP presents numerous risks for a company like BMW if it couldn’t hit the ground running straight away. It also lacked racing pedigree and know-how, on two-wheels at least.
As such, BMW dragged its feet on committing to MotoGP while it considered whether there was more to lose than gain by entering.
Nevertheless, that didn’t stop BMW from going ahead and building a prototype – fronted by the most prominent nostrils you’ll ever see on a race bike – with Jeremy McWilliams and Luca Cadalora even testing it on track. Curiously though, it was reportedly powered by a 990cc triple-cylinder engine, despite the impending shift to 800cc.
Alas, the BMW MotoGP project never made it to the grid. However, not all was lost, with the prototype going to be used as a test bed for what would become the S1000RR and the German firm’s WorldSBK effort.
– Sauber Petronas
The curious case of the Petronas FP1 has been well documented on many pages over the years… but how much do you know about the stillborn Sauber Petronas GP1 project?
Indeed, while the FP1 is still remembered for its modestly successful turn in WorldSBK between 2003 and 2006, the machine itself ultimately started life as a prospective MotoGP entry funded by Malaysian oil giants Petronas and built by Swiss F1 team Sauber, which is sponsored prominently.
However, while the Sauber Petronas GP1 was revealed to great fanfare at the 2001 Malaysian GP in readiness for a full-time 2002 MotoGP debut, the project hit the skids just weeks later when Sauber dropped out of the agreement, forcing Petronas can its MotoGP plans.
Nevertheless, Petronas remained committed…
Read More: Hitti… | 8 Unraced MotoGP bikes you never knew existed 2022-10-02 23:54:37