Next year's schedule has been announced. :celebrate: It's out early this year.
MotoGP_sched_2026.png
Repsol is coming back to the paddock. It will replace Liqui Moly as the official supplier for Moto2 & Moto3 beginning in the 2026 season.
Just before the start of the final 2025 round at Valencia, Yamaha officially announced that all their M1s on the grid in 2026 will be running the new V4 engine. :vroom:
A new heart beats within me in 2026 – the V4 💙
But my soul and racing DNA? It's the same.
Pure Yamaha 🧬
My legacy forged in speed, passion, and dreams remain 🏆
My heart will continue revving.
And I'll keep making MotoGP fans' hearts race 🏁🏍�
I promise.
Always yours,
The M1
#PlanV | #YamahaFactoryRacing | #MotoGP
i was in Valencia for the final round, very good weekend. we were sat in front of a couple of guys from the UK who were telling us how superb the Yamaha V4 sounded, and i had the thought "how can you pick it out from the pack and how much different can it sound?" then it came round............. it sounds unearthly and unlike any other V4 out there. dont know why tho??!! looking forward to next year with Razgat on it!
cheers
les.
Quote from: elliottles1 on November 30, 2025, 03:47:36 PMi was in Valencia for the final round, very good weekend. we were sat in front of a couple of guys from the UK who were telling us how superb the Yamaha V4 sounded, and i had the thought "how can you pick it out from the pack and how much different can it sound?" then it came round............. it sounds unearthly and unlike any other V4 out there. dont know why tho??!! looking forward to next year with Razgat on it!
cheers
les.
Next year will really be interesting regardless of the V4 competitiveness. Toprak will be pushing Fabio and bring even more of the demon out of him. With 'El Diablo' already riding at 101% and wringing the snot out of the M1 it should be super entertaining to see what happens when the Turk arrives next season in the paddock next door.
Quote from: SoCal250 on November 30, 2025, 08:17:15 PMNext year will really be interesting regardless of the V4 competitiveness. Toprak will be pushing Fabio and bring even more of the demon out of him. With 'El Diablo' already riding at 101% and wringing the snot out of the M! it should be super entertaining to see what happens when the Turk arrives next season in the paddock next door.
It should be!
It will be interesting to see if they can make the V4 competitive , or close, by the start of next season. Fabio has done pretty well, especially in qualifying, this season on the M1, but he is getting more and more frustrated. I have to give him credit, he is pushing hard for everything he gets.
I'm anxious to see how Toprak does in MotoGP. So far, he seems to be getting more comfortable but is still being very cautious in testing, as they have only one V4 for him.
Less than 90 days until Round 1! :cheerleader:
Team launches for the new season have been taking place recently.
Yamaha unveiled the new V4 livery
Pramac was the first the launch
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Aprilia has brought back their iconic lion logo
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Trackhouse showed off two liveries
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And VR46 is going with a 50/50 flo-yellow and black
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Crazy rumors in the GP paddock coming out of the shakedown test at Sepang.
Supposedly...
-Acosta is moving over to factory Ducati in 2027 alongside MM93.
-Quartararo is leaving Yamaha and moving over to factory Honda.
-Martin is switching from Aprilia to factory Yamaha.
If true, Ducati will be a tough team, and I'm not sure it's a positive change for Yamaha. Curious as to where that puts Bagnaia.
I had heard everything except the rumor about Martin and Yamaha.
Anxious to see how Toprak does on the Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Lots of buzz about him during testing.
More from the rumor mill...Alex Marquez is apparently targeting a factory seat with Yamaha or KTM for 2027
i heard Peco is off to Aprilia! 2027 is a real shake up.
Quote from: elliottles1 on February 02, 2026, 03:47:19 AMi heard Peco is off to Aprilia! 2027 is a real shake up.
That would make sense, since his buddy Bezzecchi is there, and in fact just signed a new deal through the 2028 season. Marco had a ceremony where he "married" his motorcycle, which he has given a name.
Things aren't going well for Yamaha at the Sepang Test. Tues morning Fabio crashed and broke his right middle finger. Then a technical & safety problem was discovered with the V4 which forced Yamaha to pull all their bikes and put a temporary hold on the test. As a result all the Yamaha riders sat out the afternoon session on Day 2 and Day 3 is in jeopardy while they investigate the issue with the engineers in Japan.
And on top of that their riders are still saying that the new engine is lacking power compared to the rest of the field. Talk about being stuck in a rut. I really hope things start to turn around for Yamaha in '26.
Well Liberty Media is doing what they were expected to do; drive the GP series into the ground. They have just axed the Phillip Island round which has been part of the schedule for over 30 years. This season will be the last time MotoGP runs there. In it's place they're adding a street circuit in Adelaide, which now has a contract through 2032.
They first tried to move the AUS round to Albert Park in Melbourne but the Victorian government rejected the request.
adelaide_map.jpg
Just one of the changes Liberty Media is making to GP racing.
My favorite class, Moto3, will be changing in 2027 from a 250cc prototype class to a 700cc spec class.
I'm doubtful we will see the same tight, high quality, racing we have seen in Moto3 from its inception.
I was sad to see the sport move away from 125cc 2-strokes, back in the day, but you can't stop the wheels of progress ya know...
Quote from: SoCal250 on February 02, 2026, 01:19:32 PMQuote from: elliottles1 on February 02, 2026, 03:47:19 AMi heard Peco is off to Aprilia! 2027 is a real shake up.
That would make sense, since his buddy Bezzecchi is there, and in fact just signed a new deal through the 2028 season. Marco had a ceremony where he "married" his motorcycle, which he has given a name.
At the Buriram test Pecco announced that he has decided on Aprilia for next season.
Also at the test things are continuing to look bad for Yamaha this year. After day 1 they're all more than a second off the pace in 17th, 18th, 19th & 21st (out of 22).
Well, that was an interesting race weekend. Bez is starting to look very dangerous. Looks like the championship will be more open this year, possibly MM may not have it all his own way, and Yamaha may have nothing at all going their way! Maybe Pecco will go to Aprilia at just the right time, and Martin will leave at just the wrong time.
Very happy that now in Ireland we have someone to cheer for in Moto3, go Casey.
also, cant see the Qatar round going ahead at the moment.
cheers
les.
Can't believe the state Ducati is in. Maybe the heat was driving the lack of performance but that was a surprise for sure. Nice to see some other makes on the podium though.
This news was imminent as there was no way the Qatar round could be held under current conditions in the Middle East. While F1 cancelled their two rounds in the region, MotoGP has decided to postpone the Qatar event from April 10-12 to Nov 06-08. As a result, the Portugal and Valencia rounds at the end of the season each get bumped out a week from the original schedule. They will now take place Nov 20-22 and Nov 27-29, respectively. So this year we'll have racing into Thanksgiving (US) weekend.
ROUND ORIGINAL NEW
Qatar Apr 10-12 Nov 06-08
Portugal Nov 13-15 Nov 20-22
Valencia Nov 20-22 Nov 27-29
VR46 unveiled a new "pop art" livery by Aldo Drudi in NYC this week for the Austin round.
vr46_aus.jpg
Well, what a sprint race at COTA, you could not write it yourself, this season looks set to be a blinder. the Yamahas are a bit depressing tho, i would love to see Razgat on competitive machinery
Excellent Motogp weekend, best i can remember for a long time. the Yamahas desperately need to find something, its becoming embarrassing. What is wrong with Marquez and the Ducatis? The Aprilias are starting to look impressive, i can hear Martin saying "please can i have my old job back!" Also great to see Acosta getting closer to the win.
Yamaha not capable of getting the same power as all the other V4's. Maybe next year's redesign will work better
The Yamaha isn't even in the same league.
Quote from: busa1300 on April 03, 2026, 07:08:09 PMYamaha not capable of getting the same power as all the other V4's. Maybe next year's redesign will work better
Going to 800CCs should shake things up a bit. There is talk about new teams coming in also.
I hope Yamaha can catch up.
Next year Moto3 will be Yamaha 700CC twins, based on the R7. I'll miss the 250s. It should make the transition from Moto3 to Moto2 (Triumph 765CC triples) easier. It's currently a pretty big step. Last years Moto3 Champion, Rueda, has been struggling in Moto2.
Quote from: JKV45 on April 03, 2026, 09:55:01 PMGoing to 800CCs should shake things up a bit.
The new engine spec for 2027 is 850cc. We already had an 800cc era and it is not thought of fondly. Hopefully this engine downsizing goes better than the last one.
I was at the Austin GP and got to see the poor Yamahas bringing up the rear. They were all at the back fighting each other to not cross the line last. It's pretty embarrassing when you're so far off the pace. And things don't look to improve any time soon.
Some choice quotes from the Yamaha factory riders during the weekend:
Fabio Quartararo:
"The team has no idea how to fix all of the problems we have". Alex Rins:
"I felt useless on the bike. I say, 'what the f**k I'm doing here?'"
"There is time that I don't enjoy right now, but I was like, what are we doing?"Quite a lot of news and rumors regarding rider moves, (some of this has been previously announced):
Alonso up from Moto2 to factory Honda, to join Quartararo
Holgado up from Moto2 to Gresini, which is losing both riders (A. Marquez & Aldeguer)
Bastianini may jump over from Tech3 to rejoin Gresini.
Quartararo to factory Honda. That would mean both Honda riders are out, so Marini may jump over to Yamaha and Mir may go to Trackhouse Aprilia to rejoin his old boss Brivio.
Martin to factory Yamaha, replacing Quartararo
A Marquez to KTM, replacing Acosta
Bagnaia to factory Aprilia, replacing Martin
Acosta to factory Ducati, replacing Bagnaia
Aldeguer to VR46, meaning Morbidelli is out
Honda is pushing to have 6 bikes on the grid in 2027. Tech3 is considering a switch to Honda, as is Gresini.
The Austin race weekend had some of the best races and duels at the front that I've seen in a while. Moto3 was awesome and both Talent Cup races were outstanding! :cheerleader: The entire weekend was a total blast! The weather was great, although a little cool on Saturday morning. Sunday was warm and sunny but not as hot as it sometimes gets at this time of year. Attendance was pretty good, I think the crowd was a little bigger than the previous year.
I only took a couple action shots because I only had my cell phone, so pics aren't the greatest.
MM93 at T9 on Saturday
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T7 on Saturday
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Fabio's old bike
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BB33's KTM
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They had a lot of cool stuff displayed celebrating Nicky, as this year marks the 20th anniversary of his MotoGP title :patriot:
20260328_164313_Nicky.jpg
The Sunday pre-race flyover was incredible! A formation of helicopters flew down the main straight and then the two Apaches peeled off and followed the track route at low altitude. And then they did super low circles around the tower before heading out.
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Some of the bikes in the manufacturers area at COTA that I was able to check out
YZF-R7 70th Anniversary Edition
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YZ125 70th Anniversary Edition
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The new WR125R
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The new Benelli Tornado 550. Quite a bit of decent features for a $6500 (est.) bike! 554cc parallel twin with 62 HP, Brembo brakes, ABS, Marzocchi suspension, traction control, 5" TFT display, Bluetooth, etc.
20260328_125459_Benelli_550.jpg
MV Agusta Superveloce 1000 Ago, limited edition of only 83 units to celebrate Agostini's 83rd birthday. He was given #1. Each one comes with a key containing an insert that is made from one of Ago's vintage race trophies that he selected for the project. Lists for about $81K
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Check out the rear wheel. Pretty unusual.
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And a collector exhaust from a Team Roberts Proton KR3 signed by The King
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And some scenic shots from downtown Austin
Friday evening on Congress Street bridge just before the famous bats make their nightly appearance.
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And last but not least, the monkey god statue fountain at one of my favorite places on 6th Street.
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(http://www.2strokeworld.net/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=25523;preview)
:umm: :shocked: :lipsrsealed:
Quote from: busa1300 on April 10, 2026, 08:33:11 AM(http://www.2strokeworld.net/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=25523;preview)
:umm: :shocked: :lipsrsealed:
Yuk.
It now seems Ogura is leaving Trackhouse and joining Yamaha next season alongside Martin. Pretty surprising for him to leave such a great performing bike for the dismal Yamaha at the rear of the field. I guess the money must have been good.
Looks like Aprilia is kicking the competition pretty good so far this year :celebrate:
Hope they win top spot this year.
Liberty Media, the new owners of MotoGP are proving they know nothing about the sport and are determined to ruin it. The latest news is that they're negotiating for a new street race in Miami on the temporary F1 circuit. CEO Derek Chang said "Miami would seem to be a logical spot." :eek:
WTF? Logical? To whom? That's not logical, that's friggen ridiculous!
Quote from: SoCal250 on May 10, 2026, 03:04:25 PMLiberty Media, the new owners of MotoGP are proving they know nothing about the sport and are determined to ruin it. The latest news is that they're negotiating for a new street race in Miami on the temporary F1 circuit. CEO Derek Chang said "Miami would seem to be a logical spot." :eek:
WTF? Logical? To whom? That's not logical, that's friggen ridiculous!
Not encouraging.
We'll see how this plays out, but Liberty is most likely going to mess everything up.
I don't think today's riders would go for a street race.
Last one I remember was Macau, with Schwantz taking the win by a mile - and doing wheelies all the way. Concrete walls and no run-off. Not sure any of the current riders would have done it.
Davide Brivio is leaving Trackhouse and moving over to HRC as a management consultant. Alberto Puig, who it seems like has been there forever, is stepping down from his Team Manager position at HRC and moving into a senior advisory role for MotoGP and World SBK.
The latest rule change that MotoGP is now considering is a single bike rule for the top class. Meaning no more back-up bike or flag-to-flag bike swaps. So far Acosta has come out against the change.