FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949.
104-588: It was formerly named Superside when the sidecars moved from being part of Grand Prix Motorcycles racing to being support events for the Superbike World Championship . In 2010 the FIM took over the management of the series from the Superside promoters, and the championship was called "FIM Sidecar World Championship". However, the FIM still uses the word Superside for promotion purposes, despite
208-507: A Blackburne engine was also available. The Grand Prix was priced £155, and the Family (with two notional child seats behind the front bench, setting a standard 2+2s would follow for generations) was £148 with air-cooled engine, or £158 with water-cooled engine. The Anzani -powered Aero was also available, for £148. MAG engines were also optional. Morgan's racing efforts suffered a blow in 1924, when E. B. Ware's JAP-engined car rolled at
312-471: A GWK ; Morgan returned later the same year, reaching nearly 60 mi (97 km). Morgan established its reputation via competition such as winning the 1913 Cyclecar Grand Prix at Amiens in France, driven by W. G. McMinnies , with an average speed of 42 mph (68 km/h) for the 163 mi (262 km) distance. This became the basis for the 'Grand Prix' model of 1913 to 1926, from which evolved
416-476: A Hub-center steering sidecar (built by Rolf Biland) called the Seymaz. O'Dell won despite the Seymaz being rarely raced during the season in favor of using a traditional Windle frame for much of the year. The next year Rolf Biland won the 1978 championship using a BEO-Yamaha TZ500 sidecar which was basically a rear-engine, rear-drive trike . In 1979 the FIM responded to these technological innovations by splitting
520-491: A 'spec' tyre supplier, Bridgestone, was appointed by the FIM (with Michelin no longer supplying any tyres to MotoGP and returning to the category in 2016). For the whole season Bridgestone provided four specifications of front tyre, six of rear, and a single wet specification—with no qualifying specification. For each round Bridgestone provided only two specifications for front and rear. Tyres are assigned to riders randomly to assure impartiality. Jorge Lorenzo has publicly supported
624-474: A 350cc class from 1949 to 1982, and a 750cc class from 1977 to 1979. Sidecars were dropped from world championship events in the 1990s (see Sidecar World Championship ). From the mid-1970s through to 2001, the top class of GP racing allowed 500cc displacement with a maximum of four cylinders, regardless of whether the engine was a two-stroke or four-stroke . This is unlike TT Formula or motocross , where two and four strokes had different engine size limits in
728-600: A 43 lb (20 kg) streamlined body, which covered 91.48 mi (147.22 km) in a one-hour trial at Brooklands, with a peak speed of over 100 mph (160 km/h). In 1925, the Standard's price had dropped to £95, and the Aero £130, compared to £149 for an Austin Chummy . Electric lighting by dynamo became standard that year. Front-wheel brakes and electric start (a £10 option) became available in 1927, while
832-453: A Fiat engine (1985–1988) and then a 4-cylinder Rover engine (1988–2000). Production was again suspended and the Plus 4 returned once more in 2004 with a 155 bhp (116 kW; 157 PS) Ford 4-cylinder. From October 1965 to April 1967 Morgan produced the two-seat +4 Competition, of which only 42 were built, about 11 of which survive. A limited edition Plus 4 was re-introduced in 2014 as
936-492: A Ford engine. Faced with the decreasing availability of large four-cylinder engines for use in their +4 models, Morgan began to install the recently available Rover V8 engine in their cars in 1968, giving these cars the model designation "+8". The engine displacement jumped from the 2.1 litres of the Triumph TR4 engine to 3.5, then 3.9 (1990), 4.0 (1998–2004), and with an optional 4.6-litre engine (1996–2000) all based on
1040-453: A car is approximately six months, but it has sometimes been as long as ten years. Morgan cars are unusual in that wood has been used in their construction for a century, and is still used in the 21st century for framing the body shell. A visitor centre and museum have exhibits about the company's history from Edwardian times until the present day, developments in automobile technology, and a display of automobiles. There are also guided tours of
1144-515: A factory team buying ("claiming") their rival's powertrain for a fixed price. The sport's governing body received applications from sixteen new teams looking to join the MotoGP class. For the 2014 season, the CRT subclass was rebranded Open, as the claiming rule was removed. Also, all entries adopted a standard engine control unit, with factory teams being allowed to run any software, and Open entries using
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#17327986831531248-469: A part of Investindustrial's investment, management and staff were rewarded with shares in the company, this appears nowhere in the information registered at Companies House. And though it was also announced that the Morgan family retained a minority shareholding and would continue to be involved in the company this does not appear on any statement filed with Companies House. The price of sale was approximately
1352-418: A price of £250. The Morgan +4 was introduced in 1950 as a larger-engined ("plus") car than the 4/4. The +4 initially used the 2,088 cc (127.4 cu in) Standard Vanguard engine and at introduction sold for £625 (two-seater) or £723 (coupé). The +4 used Triumph TR2 (in 1953), TR3 (1956), or TR4A engines (until 1969). Plus 4 production was suspended in 1969 but brought back in 1985 with
1456-471: A result of the programme and the company prospered. Sir John said he was very pleased to have been proven wrong in Morgan's case. Peter Morgan , son of HFS, ran the company until a few years before his death in 2003. He was replaced as chairman by Alan Garnett, a non-family director, from 2003 to 2006. After Garnett's resignation, a four-man management team was established. Charles Morgan (son of Peter), Matthew Parkin, Tim Whitworth and Steve Morris made up
1560-483: A speed of 113 mph (182 km/h) in a race-tuned Super Sports. Morgan three-wheelers benefitted from an annual tax of just £4, half the tax on the Austin 7 , provided they remained under 8 cwt . Morgans were also licence-built in France by Darmont . By 1930, however, inexpensive four-wheeled cars were proliferating, led by the £100 Ford Popular . Morgan, and partner George Goodall , countered by putting
1664-511: A standard software. For the 2016 season, the Open subclass was dropped, and factory entries switched to a standard engine control unit software. In 2010, the 250cc two-stroke class was replaced by the new Moto2 600cc four-stroke class. In 2012, the 125cc two-stroke class was replaced by the Moto3 250cc four-stroke class with a weight limit of 65 kg with fuel. For the 2019 season Moto2 introduced
1768-644: A successful team. Nowadays it is common to call the driver the "Pilot", while the passenger has several nicknames: the "Acrobat" used in North America which is no longer in use, and the now common term "Monkey" which originated from Australia. Occasionally the words "Co-Driver" or "Co-Pilot" are also used. Traditional sidecar racing remain popular in several countries, especially the United Kingdom, where it known as Formula Two Sidecars (600cc Engines). They are generally uses in true road racing events like
1872-447: A £236 drophead in 1938. Coventry Climax eventually ceased making engines available, so Morgan switched to a tuned 1,267 cc (77.3 cu in) Standard Motor Company Ten , producing 39 hp (29 kW ; 40 PS ). In 1938, a 4/4 was entered at Le Mans . This led to production of factory replicas, with fold-down windscreen, cycle fenders (mudguards) , smaller- displacement engine, and single spare wheels, with
1976-399: Is 148 kg (326 lb). Traditionally, the age limits for Moto3 were 16-28, with an upper limit of 25 for new contracted riders participating for the first time and wild-cards. A change of rules was introduced in 2014, allowing under-age FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 (junior) champions to participate in a subsequent Moto3 series at World Championship level. The first beneficiary of this rule-change
2080-468: Is 765cc displacement with three cylinders, contrasting with the previous Honda's 600cc in-line four. In 2024 Pirelli became the sole tire supplier in Moto2 and Moto3, replacing Dunlop. The 125cc class was replaced in 2012 by the Moto3 class. This class is restricted to single-cylinder 250cc four-stroke engines with a maximum bore of 81 mm (3.2 inches). The minimum total weight for motorcycle and rider
2184-572: Is divided into four classes: the eponymous MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE. The first three classes use four-stroke engines , while the MotoE class uses electric motorcycles . The most successful rider in Grand Prix history is Giacomo Agostini with 15 titles and 122 race wins. In the top-flight series, Agostini holds the title record with eight, followed by Valentino Rossi with seven and active rider Marc Márquez with six. As of 2023, Rossi holds
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#17327986831532288-3286: Is only one type of race (the Gold Race) in one round, usually when the round is a supporting event of a major meeting such as MotoGP . 1949 Oliver - Jenkinson 1950 Oliver - Dobelli 1951 Oliver - Dobelli 1952 Smith - Clements / Nutt 1953 Oliver - Dibben 1954 Noll - Cron 1955 Faust - Remmert 1956 Noll - Cron 1957 Hillebrand - Grunwal 1958 Schneider - Strauß 1959 Schneider - Strauß 1960 Fath - Wohlgemuth 1961 Deubel - Hörner 1962 Deubel - Hörner 1963 Deubel - Hörner 1964 Deubel - Hörner 1965 Scheidegger - Robinson 1966 Scheidegger - Robinson 1967 Enders - Engelhardt 1968 Fath - Kalauch 1969 Enders - Engelhardt 1970 Enders - Kalauch / Engelhardt 1971 Owesle - Kremer / Rutterford 1972 Enders - Engelhardt 1973 Enders - Engelhardt 1974 Enders - Engelhardt 1975 Steinhausen - Huber 1976 Steinhausen - Huber 1977 O'Dell - Arthur / Holland 1978 Biland - Williams 1979 A Biland - Waltisperg 1979 B Holzer - Meierhans 1980 Taylor - Johansson 1981 Biland - Waltisberg 1982 Schwärzel - Huber 1983 Biland - Waltisberg 1984 Streuer - Schnieders 1985 Streuer - Schnieders 1986 Streuer - Schnieders 1987 Webster - Hewitt 1988 Webster - Hewitt / Simmons 1989 Webster - Hewitt 1990 Michel - Birchall 1991 Webster - Simmons 1992 Biland - Waltisberg 1993 Biland - Waltisberg 1994 Biland - Waltisberg 1995 Dixon - Hetherington 1996 Dixon - Hetherington 1997 Webster - James 1998 Webster - James 1999 Webster - James 2000 Webster - Woodhead 2001 Klaffenböck - Parzer 2002 Abbott - Biggs 2003 Webster - Woodhead 2004 Webster - Woodhead 2005 Reeves - Reeves 2006 Reeves - Reeves 2007 Reeves - Farrance 2008 Päivärinta - Karttiala 2009 Birchall - Birchall 2010 Päivärinta - Hänni 2011 Päivärinta - Hänni 2012 Reeves - Hawes 2013 Päivärinta - Hänni 2014 Reeves - Cluze 2014 F2 Reeves - Cluze 2015 Streuer - Koerts 2015 F2 Reeves - Farrance 2016 Päivärinta - Kainulainen 2016 F2 Birchall - Birchall 2017 Birchall - Birchall 2018 Birchall - Birchall 2019 Reeves - Wilkes 2021 Schlosser - Fries 2022 Ellis - Clément 2023 Ellis - Clément Grand Prix Motorcycles Grand Prix motorcycle racing
2392-486: Is the Markus Bösiger/Jürg Egli team who would have finished third in the 1998 championship season. However, as they were using a configuration where Bösiger sat in an upright driving position no results were entered in the official records. Under FIM regulations, "rider" applies equally to the driver and the passenger on a sidecar. The driver is positioned kneeling in front of the engine with hands near
2496-605: Is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of the twentieth century and large national events were often given the title Grand Prix. The foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme as the international governing body for motorcycle sport in 1949 provided
2600-522: Is virtually the same. The later Roadsters were powered by a Ford UK Mondeo V6 producing 204 bhp (152 kW; 207 PS). In 2007, the Mondeo engine was replaced by a US-specification version of the same engine in the Roadster II. In 2011–12, the engine was replaced by the 3.7 Duratec Cyclone engine and output increased to 280 bhp (209 kW; 284 PS). The company calls this latest model
2704-508: The Austin 7 and the original Morris Minor , with comparable economy and price and better comfort, made cyclecars less attractive. H.F.S. Morgan's first car design was a single-seat three-wheeled runabout , which was fabricated for his personal use in 1908, with help from William Stephenson-Peach, the father of friends, and the engineering master at Malvern College . Powered by a 7 hp (5.2 kW ; 7.1 PS ) Peugeot twin-cylinder engine (from an abandoned motorcycle project),
2808-464: The Plus 4 Super Sports. Only 60 cars were made available, all right-hand-drive. A version of the +4, the +4+, was made from 1964 to 1967 with a fibreglass coupé body. The light weight and reduced drag improved the performance of the +4+ over the standard +4 in every aspect. However, traditional Morgan enthusiasts did not embrace this departure from Morgan custom, and mainstream enthusiasts did not embrace
2912-468: The Superbike World Championship and the Isle of Man TT Races that feature modified versions of road-going motorcycles available to the public. The top-division is known as MotoGP since 2002 , when the four-stroke era began. Prior to that, the largest class was 500cc , both of which form a historical continuum as the official World Championship, although all classes have official status. The championship
3016-471: The Watsonian company on the development of successive experimental racing outfits including such innovations as the use of 16 in (410 mm) diameter wheels. By 1953, motorcycle frames had undergone a complete redesign to accommodate the side car. Seat heights had been reduced to the point where the driver now sat in a semi-prone position. This permitted the use of a one-piece fairing which enclosed
3120-456: The 'Aero', and 'Sports' models. Morgan himself won the "very tough" ACU Six Days' Trial in 1913, in the sidecar class. The same year, the company entered the MCC reliability trial, which it continued to do until 1975. Racing success led to demand the company proved unable to meet. These models used air-cooled or liquid-cooled variations of motorcycle engines. The engine was placed ahead of
3224-557: The 1911 Olympia Motor Exhibition, he was convinced at the exhibition that there would be greater demand for a two-seat model. The Morgan Motor Company was registered as a private limited company only in 1912 with H.F.S. Morgan as managing director and his father, who had invested in his son's business, as its first chairman. In 1912, Morgan set out to win the trophy offered by The Light Car & Cyclecar for greatest distance covered in an hour, at Brooklands . The single-seater covered 55 mi (89 km), only to be narrowly beaten by
Sidecar World Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-626: The 1950s and most of the 1960s, four-stroke engines dominated all classes. In the 1960s, due to advances in engine design and technology, two-stroke engines began to take root in the smaller classes. In 1969, the FIM—citing high development costs for non-works teams due to rules which allowed a multiplicity of cylinders (meaning smaller pistons, producing higher revs) and a multiplicity of gears (giving narrower power bands, affording higher states of tune)—brought in new rules restricting all classes to six gears and most to two cylinders (four cylinders in
3432-511: The 250cc class, in the 1966 season. Mick Doohan , who won 12 out of 15 (80%) of the 500cc races in the 1997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season also deserves an honourable mention. Valentino Rossi is the most successful contemporary rider, having won nine titles including seven 500cc/MotoGP titles (2001–2005, 2008–2009), and one each at 250cc and 125cc levels. The current champion is Spanish rider Jorge Martín . The 2025 MotoGP World Championship consists of 22 circuits. The following shows
3536-428: The 3-cylinder, 765cc Triumph production engine, while Moto3 and MotoGP still use prototype engines. The starting grid consists of three columns and features around 20 riders. Grid positions are determined based on qualifying speeds, arranged in descending order, with the fastest rider occupying the pole . Each race is a 45-minute sprint, completed without any fuel or tire stops. In 2005, a flag-to-flag rule for MotoGP
3640-531: The 8 hp (6.0 kW; 8.1 PS) 933 cc (56.9 cu in) and 10 hp (7.5 kW; 10 PS) 1,172 cc (71.5 cu in) Ford engine in their own cars. Morgan's last vee-twins were powered by Matchless engines displacing 990 cc (60 cu in); they were delivered to Australia after the Second World War . The vee-twin models were not returned to production after World War II. The Morgan Three Wheeler Club
3744-569: The GEMS Land Rover V8 produced 190 hp (140 kW). In 2004, Morgan came out with a traditional styled model to replace the departing Plus 8. The Mk I Roadsters with the Ford UK Mondeo V6 produced 223 bhp (166 kW, 226 PS) at 6150 rev/min. It had a Getrag gearbox with direct drive in 5th with a 3.08 axle ratio. Later Marks had a Ford gearbox with direct drive in 4th with a 3.73 axle ratio. The overall gearing
3848-469: The Isle of Man TT races. Despite their lower top speeds, these machines retain better manoeuvring capabilities. Between 1981 and 2016 Superside machines were known as Formula One sidecars using a basic unchanged design. These modern high tech machines are only related to motorcycles by the classification of the engines they use. All chassis are purpose built and owe more to open wheel race car technology and
3952-643: The JCC 200 mi (320 km) at Brooklands; Ware was seriously hurt, leading to a ban on three-wheelers competing as cars. Electric headlamps were made available in 1924, at an £8 cost. The Popular, powered by a 976 cc (59.6 cu in) engine, sold for £110, the 1,098 cc (67 cu in) Aero for £148, and the one-seater £160. Like motorcycles, Morgans had hand throttles, Bowden-wire control mechanisms, and drip lubrication. Racing Morgans included Harold Beart 's 1,096 cc (66.9 cu in) Blackburne-engined special, with 3.33:1 top gear and
4056-540: The MotoGP grids. Presently four-cylinder engines appear to offer the best compromise between weight, power, and fuel consumption as all competitors in the 2009 series used this solution in either 'V' or in-line configuration. In 2002, the FIM became concerned about the advances in design and engineering that resulted in higher speeds around the race track ; regulation changes related to weight, amount of available fuel and engine capacity were introduced. The amended rules reduced engine capacity to 800cc from 990cc and restricted
4160-481: The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Metacritic gave the game a rating of 72%. In 2013, Milestone got the exclusive license for MotoGP video games, a contract that will now last until at least 2026. The first game in this run of their contract was MotoGP 13 , which was released on 21 June 2013 on PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game received mixed reviews and scored 73%. As of September 2024
4264-736: The Roadster 3.7. In 2000, the Morgan Aero 8 was introduced and, as always, the wooden body substructure was ash . (Contrary to popular myth, however, the chassis is metal; aluminium for the Aero 8.) The Aero 8, with a BMW V8 engine in a car weighing less than a BMW Z4 and considerably less than a BMW M3 , (though more than traditional Morgans) is even faster than the Plus 8, delivering what Autoweek magazine termed supercar performance. The newest Aero 8 (series V), presented in March 2015, puts out 367 hp (274 kW) at 6100 rpm with
Sidecar World Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-603: The Standard and Family at £87 10 s , the Aero £110, and the Super Sports £145. In 1933, the Family was priced at only £80. Morgan's racing programme in 1927 earned the marque eleven gold medals and three silvers from fourteen entrants at MCC's London-Edinburgh Trials alone. The team was joined by Clive Lones and C. T. Jay , who won the 1929 Cyclecar Grand Prix at Brooklands, driving a 750 cc (46 cu in) Morgan-JAP, with an average speed of 64.7 mph (104.1 km/h). And in 1930, Gwenda Stewart turned in
4472-534: The Standard's price fell to £89, complete with a double-thickness windscreen and "electric hooter". By year's end, the Standard was even cheaper, £85, while the new Super Sports debuted, with an overhead valve JAP 10/40 water-cooled vee-twin, priced £155. The 10/40 engine was also available in the Aero, at £132, while a more sedate air-cooled JAP-powered Aero went for £119. The Family was priced at £102 (air-cooled) or £112 (water-cooled). These new, lower prices persisted through 1928. They would be lower still in 1929:
4576-477: The amount of available fuel for race distance from 26 litres (5.7 imp gal; 6.9 US gal) in year 2004 to 21 litres (4.6 imp gal; 5.5 US gal) in year 2007 and onwards. In addition, the minimum weight of four-cylinder bikes used by all participating teams was increased by 3 kg (6.6 lb). The highest speed for a MotoGP motorcycle in 125cc category is 249.76 km/h (155.19 mph) by Valentino Rossi in 1996 for Aprilia and
4680-471: The amount of the 2016 government grant which was used, at the time, to purchase back the land and buildings on Pickersleigh Road, that had been sold in 2005/6 to fund the company. The early cars were two-seat or four-seat three-wheelers , and are therefore considered to be cyclecars . Three-wheeled vehicles avoided the British tax on cars by being classified as motorcycles . Competition from small cars like
4784-502: The axis of the front wheels in a chassis made of steel tubes brazed into cast lugs. After the First World War , the company introduced an easily changed rear wheel, which customers had been seeking for several years. The 1921 Popular, powered by an 8 hp (6.0 kW; 8.1 PS) JAP and bodied in poplar , sold for £150. It was a sales success, the price dropping to £128, and the name changing to Standard, by 1923, when
4888-499: The beginning of the new MotoGP era in 2002, 500cc two-stroke or 990cc four-stroke bikes were specified to race. The enormous power advantage of the twice as large displacement four-stroke engine over the half the size two-stroke meant that by the following season, no two-stroke bikes were racing. In 2007, the maximum engine capacity was reduced to 800cc without reducing the existing weight restriction. MotoGP-class motorcycles are not restricted to any specific engine configuration. However,
4992-547: The bike over to the "high side", usually catapulting the rider over the top. Increased use of traction control has made highsides much less frequent. 2023 saw the introduction of 'Sprint' race events; these races take place on the Saturday of the race weekend with the traditional Grand Prix taking place on the Sunday. The 'Sprint' races are shorter - approximately half the length of a Grand Prix. Riders score approximately half
5096-403: The car had a backbone chassis, an idea retained for all following Morgan three-wheelers, and used as little material and labour as Morgan could manage. A single-seat three-wheeler with coil-spring independent front suspension, unusual at the time, the driveshaft ran through the backbone tube to a two-speed transmission (with no reverse), and chain drive to each of the rear wheels. The steering
5200-417: The case of the 350cc and 500cc classes). This led to a mass walk-out of the sport by the previously highly successful Honda , Suzuki and Yamaha manufacturer teams, skewing the results tables for the next several years, with MV Agusta effectively the only works team left in the sport until Yamaha (1973) and Suzuki (1974) returned with new two-stroke designs. By this time, two-strokes completely eclipsed
5304-473: The company suggesting a top speed of over 170 mph (270 km/h). Due to the Aero 8's light weight it can do 0–62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds. During its customer production lifetime (2002–2009), the Aero was configured in five official versions, (I, II, III, IV, the Aero America and V) with mild variations in styling, engines, transmissions, braking and suspension. The company cancelled
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#17327986831535408-420: The company was subject of a critique by Sir John Harvey-Jones for his television programme Troubleshooter . Harvey-Jones recommended modernising production and clearing the order backlog. The company rejected the advice, arguing that traditional techniques were part of the appeal of the company, and that a waiting list helped the company deal with recessions and preserved their exclusivity. Sales increased as
5512-446: The control ECU hardware and software certain benefits to increase their competitiveness. From 2023, front ride height – or holeshot – devices were banned. These devices have been common place in MotoGP since the back-end of 2018, when Ducati first introduced a system that could lower the rear of its bike to help with acceleration off the line for race starts. Moto2 was initially a 600cc four-stroke class introduced in 2010 to replace
5616-669: The demise of the Superside promoters. The championship is raced over a number of rounds at circuits mainly in Europe, although other venues have been included in United States ( Monterey ), South Africa at Kyalami and Australia's Phillip Island . When the sidecar world championships began in 1949, they were dominated by unambiguous, orthodox outfits where a sidecar was attached to a conventional solo motorcycle. Rigidity and strength were poorly understood and pre-war machines have been described as "scaffolding on wheels". Development
5720-484: The entire race. Conserving rubber throughout a race is a specific skill winning riders acquire. Special 'Q' or qualifying tyres of extreme softness and grip were typically used during grid-qualifying sessions until their use was discontinued at the end of the 2008 season, but they lasted typically no longer than one or two laps, though they could deliver higher qualifying speeds. In wet conditions, special tires ('wets') with full treads are used, but they suffer extreme wear if
5824-417: The factory as the 4/4 because it had a four- cylinder engine and four wheels, was released to the public in 1936. Powered by a 34 hp (25 kW ; 34 PS ) 1,122 cc (68.5 cu in) Coventry Climax engine, and carrying a pair of rear-mounted spare wheels, the new two-seater 4/4 sold for 185 guineas (£194 5 s ). It proved popular, and a four-place model was added in 1937, joined by
5928-762: The factory. H.F.S. Morgan quit the Great Western Railway in 1904 and co-founded a motor sales and servicing garage in Malvern Link. In 1909 he designed and built a car for his own use. Previously he developed the first independent front suspension in the engineering shop of Malvern College . He began production a year later and the company prospered. Production of three-wheelers approached 1000 by World War I and quickly resumed with both racing and touring models. Morgan's first four-wheeler came in 1935 with three-wheelers phased out in 1952. Morgan continued to run it until he died at age 77 in 1959. In 1990,
6032-469: The following rules: The 1981 rules remain largely unchanged. For example, trikes or cyclecars are still banned. However, there have been a few amendments and easing of the rules. In the late 1990s the FIM allowed a sidecar front wheel to have automobile-style suspension (e.g. wishbone configurations . Likewise sidecars that are outside of the technical rules are permitted to compete in races but their results, points or finishes are not recorded. An example
6136-656: The four entities, with Dorna casting a tie-breaking vote. In cases of technical modifications, the MSMA can unilaterally enact or veto changes by unanimous vote among its members. These four entities compose the Grand Prix Commission. There have traditionally been several races at each event for various classes of motorcycles, based on engine size , and one class for sidecars . Classes for 50cc , 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, and 750cc solo machines have existed at some time, and 350cc and 500cc sidecars. Up through
6240-535: The four-strokes in all classes. In 1979, Honda , on its return to GP racing, made an attempt to return the four-stroke to the top class with the NR500 , but this project failed, and, in 1983, even Honda was winning with a two-stroke 500. Previously, the championship featured a 50cc class from 1962 to 1983, later changed to an 80cc class from 1984 to 1989. The class was dropped for the 1990 season, after being dominated primarily by Spanish and Italian makes. It also featured
6344-517: The front of the outfit as well as the sidecar platform. The enclosure led to unfamiliar handling, and the advanced design was only used in practice for the Belgian Grand Prix and in the final Grand Prix at Monza, where it finished fourth in the hands of Jacques Drion and Inge Stoll . Throughout the year, other outfits experimented with more modest refinements such as additional braking via the sidecar wheel, sometimes linked to one or both of
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#17327986831536448-432: The front wheel, while the passenger moves about the platform at the rear transferring their weight from left to right according to the corner and forward or back to gain traction for the front or rear. The passenger also helps the driver when it comes to drifting, and is also usually the first person to notice any engine problems since he is next to the engine while the driver is in front of it. The two must work together to be
6552-459: The key technical regulations for each class. It was also introduced for the 2005 year, that under rule 2.10.5: 'No fuel on the motorcycle may be more than 15 °C below ambient temperature . The use of any device on the motorcycle to artificially decrease the temperature of the fuel below ambient temperature is forbidden. No motorcycle may include such a device.' This stops an artificial "boost" gained from increasing fuel density by cooling it. At
6656-562: The late Peter Morgan, as chairman. In 2016, he resigned as chairman and company director and was replaced as chairman by a new director, Dominic Riley. In January 2016, the company was once again UK government funded by a £6 million grant by the British Government after a series of visits from UK politicians and Royals. In August 2018, the name of Morgan Technologies, was allowed to change its name back to The Morgan Motor Company while
6760-592: The latest release is MotoGP 24 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. Morgan Motor Company Morgan Motor Company Limited is a British motor car manufacturer owned by Italian investment group Investindustrial . It was founded in 1910 by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan . Morgan is based in Malvern Link , an area of Malvern , and employs approximately 220 people. Morgan produce 850 cars per year, all assembled by hand. The waiting list for
6864-458: The lifespan of engines, switching to a single tyre manufacturer, and banning qualifying tyres, active suspension, launch control and ceramic composite brakes. For the 2010 season, carbon brake discs were banned. For the 2012 season, the MotoGP engine capacity was increased again to 1,000cc. It also saw the introduction of Claiming Rule Teams (CRT), which were given more engines per season and larger fuel tanks than factory teams, but were subject to
6968-558: The mono tyre rule. At the end of the 2015 season, Bridgestone withdrew as tyre supplier of MotoGP. Following a formal tender, French tyre manufacturer Michelin became the official supplier for the 2016 season, marking their return to the series and testing began in Aragon immediately after the end of the 2015 season. Early Grand Prix video games include Grand Prix 500cc (1987), Cycles: International GP Racing (1989), Grand Prix 500 2 (1991) and GP-1 (1993). The first simulator
7072-476: The most by any engines. In 2014, for the first time a Kawasaki-powered machine won the title with Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze ending an 11-year consecutive Suzuki run. In 2016 Kirsi Kainulainen became the first woman motorcycle world champion, as passenger to Pekka Päivärinta . However, in 2017 the engine capacity of F1 sidecars was reduced from 1000cc to 600cc. This was a conscious effort by FIM to attract more participation from racers who still preferred
7176-474: The negative equity that had occurred over the Charles Morgan tenure. UK Company House In January, 2013, Morgan was removed as managing director, replaced by Morris, but continued as strategy director until October 2013 when he was removed both as an employee and member of the board of directors. At the end of 2013, the shareholders appointed Andrew Duncan, a local solicitor and very close friend of
7280-441: The new PlayStation publisher and worked together with Italy-based Milestone to produce MotoGP '07 (PS2) and some of its successors. In 2008, THQ lost the MotoGP licence and Capcom became the exclusive publisher. MotoGP 2010 , an iOS game made in 2010 by I-Play, released on 3 September 2010 and was not received well by critics after having a 43% rating on Metacritic. MotoGP 10/11 was released by Capcom on 15 March 2011, for
7384-589: The new four-stroke engines, they were soon able to dominate their two-stroke rivals. As a result, by 2003 no two-stroke machines remained in the MotoGP field. The 125cc and 250cc classes still consisted exclusively of two-stroke machines. In 2007, the MotoGP class had its maximum engine displacement capacity reduced to 800cc for a minimum of five years. In 2009, during the Great Recession , in an effort to cut costs, MotoGP underwent changes including reducing Friday practice sessions and testing sessions, extending
7488-592: The new management team, and in 2010, after Parkin's resignation, Charles Morgan was named managing director. In 2010, the MMC became dormant and all assets were sold to a new company called Morgan Technologies for an unpaid 15 million and which took over all the former assets of the Morgan Motor Company, Aero Racing, the Morgan M3W Company and all other companies bearing the Morgan name. This cured
7592-462: The number of cylinders employed in the engine determines the motorcycle's permitted minimum weight; the weight of the extra cylinders acts as a form of handicap . This is necessary because, for a given capacity, an engine with more cylinders is capable of producing more power. If comparable bore to stroke ratios are employed, an engine with more cylinders will have a greater piston area and a shorter stroke. The increased piston area permits an increase in
7696-458: The number of engines that could be used in a season, and with larger fuel allowances during the races. Under the claiming rule, CRTs agree to allow up to four of their engines per season to be claimed, after a race, by one of the major manufacturer teams at a cost of €20,000 each including transmission, or €15,000 each for the engine alone. From the 2014 season, the CRT class was dropped in favour of an "Open Class" specification - allowing teams using
7800-439: The opportunity to coordinate rules and regulations in order that selected events could count towards official World Championships. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship . Grand Prix motorcycles are purpose-built racing machines that are unavailable for purchase by the general public and unable to be ridden legally on public roads . This contrasts with the various production-based categories of racing, such as
7904-543: The original company, founded by HFS Morgan in 1957, had its name changed to a numbered company and accordingly registered at UK Companies House. For most of its history, the company was owned by the Morgan family. A press release dated 5 March 2019 announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Morgan Motor Company Ltd by the Italian investment group Investindustrial . Though it was announced that as
8008-413: The other two brakes. Nevertheless, racing sidecars remained intrinsically the same to road-going sidecars. A traditional racing outfit was a road-going motorcycle outfit without the boot and with the suspension lowered. The bootless sidecar frame would have a flat platform. Both the battery and the fuel tank could be placed either between the motorcycle and the sidecar, or on the sidecar platform. Over time
8112-544: The performance of his Michelin tires, switched to Bridgestones for 2008 and won the world championship in dominant fashion. Pedrosa controversially switched to Bridgestones during the 2008 season. In 2008, the rules were amended to allow more tires per race weekend—18 fronts and 22 rears for a total of 40 tires. The lower number of tires per weekend was considered a handicap to Michelin riders. The only MotoGP team using Dunlop tires in 2007, Yamaha Tech 3, did not use them in 2008 but switched to Michelin. For 2009, 2010 and 2011,
8216-424: The points in these races. The Riders' World Championship is awarded to the most successful rider over a season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results. Giacomo Agostini is the most successful champion in Grand Prix history, with 15 titles to his name (8 in the 500cc class and 7 in the 350cc class). The most dominant rider of all time was Mike Hailwood , winning 10 out of 12 (83%) races, in
8320-409: The power of the four-cylinder machines. In 2002, rule changes were introduced to facilitate the phasing out of the 500cc two-strokes. The premier class was rebranded MotoGP, as manufacturers were to choose between running two-stroke engines up to 500cc or four-strokes up to 990cc or less. Manufacturers were also permitted to employ their choice of engine configuration . Despite the increased costs of
8424-702: The record for most top-flight race wins with 89. An FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix was first organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1949. The commercial rights are now owned by Dorna Sports , with the FIM remaining as the sport sanctioning body. Teams are represented by the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) and manufacturers by the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA). Rules and changes to regulations are decided between
8528-423: The revolutionary changes being made by the constructors to their designs, the FIM banned all sidecar prototypes because it was concerned that the developments were turning passengers into non-active participants, and the machines were ceasing to resemble motorcycles. However, a year later FIM reversed its decision and reached a compromise after protests from the teams. Prototypes would be permitted to race subject to
8632-470: The same Land Rover block. However, this V8 was no heavier than the Triumph engine. These features made the +8 accelerate much more quickly than the early +4 and also improved its road-holding capability. Horsepower (143–204 bhp), weight and performance varied with emission and structural laws through its history. Thus powered, the car could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 5.6 seconds. In its final form,
8736-415: The same class to provide similar performance. Consequently, all machines were two-strokes, since they produce power with every rotation of the crank, whereas four-stroke engines produce power only every second rotation. Some two- and three-cylinder two-stroke 500s were seen, but though they had a minimum-weight advantage under the rules, typically attained higher corner speed and could qualify well, they lacked
8840-405: The seemingly archaic +4 chassis. Fifty were planned, but only 26 were built. Production of the 4/4 was halted during World War II but resumed afterwards. Production halted again in 1950 when the Standard engine ceased to be available but resumed in 1955 when a suitable replacement, the side-valve 1,172 cc Ford 100E engine was found and has continued ever since. The 4/4 now uses the +8 chassis and
8944-453: The sidecar championship into two competitions: Bruno Holzer won the B2B championship with an LCR BEO-Yamaha sidecar that turned motorcycling into something more like driving a car because the machine had a driver's seat, steering wheel and using foot pedals. It also did not require much participation from the sidecar passenger who just had to lie flat on the passenger platform. In 1980, due to
9048-407: The subframe, struts, clamps, sidecar frame, etc. would merge with the motorcycle mainframe and form a single frame. But essentially the racing outfit was still a variant of the road-going outfit in principle. Beginning in 1977 there was a seismic shift away from the traditional engineering that had underscored sidecar technology up to this point. It began when George O'Dell won the championship using
9152-625: The tires are wide and have a flat profile. They are sometimes known as "worms". The most successful sidecar racer in Superside has been Steve Webster , who has won four world championships and six world cup between 1987 and 2004. The most successful chassis is LCR , the Swiss sidecar maker, whose founder Louis Christen has won 35 championships between 1979 and 2016, with a variety of engines, originally Yamaha and Krauser two-strokes, more lately Suzuki four-strokes. The BMW Rennsport RS54 Engine powered to 19 straight constructors titles from 1955 to 1973,
9256-421: The top speed in the history of MotoGP is 366.1 km/h (227.5 mph), set by Brad Binder during the 'Sprint' race of 2023 Italian Grand Prix with a KTM RC16 . On 11 December 2009, the Grand Prix Commission announced that the MotoGP class would switch to the 1,000cc motor limit starting in the 2012 season. Maximum displacement was limited to 1,000cc, maximum cylinders were limited to four, and maximum bore
9360-427: The total valve area, allowing more air and fuel to be drawn into the engine, and the shorter stroke permits higher revs at the same piston speed, allowing the engine to pump still more air and fuel with the potential to produce more power, but with more fuel consumption too. In 2004 motorcycles were entered with three-, four-and five-cylinder configurations. A six-cylinder engine was proposed by Blata, but it did not reach
9464-815: The track dries out. In 2007 new MotoGP regulations limited the number of tires any rider could use over the practice and qualifying period, and the race itself, to a maximum of 31 tyres (14 fronts and 17 rears) per rider. This introduced a problem of tire choice versus weather (among other factors) that challenges riders and teams to optimize their performance on race day. This factor was greeted with varying degrees of enthusiasm by participants. Bridgestone had dominated in 2007 and Michelin riders Valentino Rossi , Nicky Hayden , Dani Pedrosa , and Colin Edwards all acknowledged shortcomings in Michelin's race tires relative to Bridgestone. Rossi, disappointed with and critical of
9568-400: The track, a stationary yellow flag is shown. If a fallen rider cannot be evacuated safely from the track, the race is red-flagged. Motorcycle crashes are usually one of two types: lowside , when the bike loses either front or rear tire grip and slides out on the "low" side, and the more dangerous highside , when the tires do not completely slide out, but instead grip the track surface, flipping
9672-461: The traditional 250cc two-stroke class. Engines were supplied exclusively by Honda, tires by Dunlop and electronics are limited and supplied only by FIM-sanctioned producers. Carbon brake discs are banned, only steel brake discs are allowed. However, there are no chassis limitations. Until 2019, only 600cc four-stroke Moto2 machines were allowed. In 2019 Triumph replaced Honda as the sole supplier of Moto2 engines. The Triumph's engine configuration
9776-516: The traditional F2 chassis. By reducing the engine size, it was hoped that this would mean competition on more equal terms. Nevertheless, the 2017 championship was still dominated by competitors using the F1 chassis. The highest placed F2 chassis team was 12th by Eckart Rösinger and Steffen Werner on their Baker-Suzuki GSX-R600. Since 2005 there are now three types of race classes. Any given championship round can have all three type of races but sometimes there
9880-460: The wet-weather bikes have steel brake rotors and different brake pads instead of the carbon discs and pads used on the 'dry' bikes. This is because the carbon brakes need to be very hot to function properly, and the water cools them too much. The suspension is also 'softened' up somewhat for the wet weather. When a rider crashes, track marshals up the track from the incident wave yellow flags, prohibiting overtaking in that area; one corner farther up
9984-409: Was GP 500 , launched in 1999. In the early 2000s, THQ published five video games for Windows and Xbox platforms, the first being MotoGP: Ultimate Racing Technology (2002) and the last MotoGP '07 (2007), whereas Namco of Japan published and in-house developed five video games for PlayStation platforms starting with MotoGP (2000) and ending with MotoGP (2006). In 2007, Capcom became
10088-404: Was based around cutting weight, providing a flat platform for the passenger, and reducing drag around the sidecar wheel and at the front of the sidecar platform. When developments in dolphin and dustbin fairings on solo machines proved successful at reducing drag, it was natural to adapt similar streamlined enclosures for the sidecar outfits. A pioneer in this area was Eric Oliver who worked with
10192-571: Was built in 1911, adding a bonnet, windscreen, wheel steering, and crank starting; it was displayed at the 1911 Motor Cycle Show. An agency was taken up by the Harrods department store in London, with a selling price of £ 65. The Morgan became the only car ever to appear in a shop window at Harrods. Interest in his runabout led him to patent his design and begin production. While he initially showed single-seat and two-seat versions of his runabout at
10296-488: Was by tiller, and it had band brakes. It also had no body. With financial help from his father and his wife, the car went into production at premises in Pickersleigh Road, Malvern Link. Three single-seater cars were exhibited at the 1910 Motor Show at Olympia in London. In spite of great interest being shown, only a few orders were taken, and Morgan decided a two-seater was needed to meet market demand. This
10400-522: Was capped at 81 mm (3.2 inches). Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of Dorna Sports , indicated that the projected changes were received by the teams favorably. From 2012, teams not entered by one of the major manufacturers could seek "claiming rule team" (CRT) status. Claiming rule team were intended to allow independent teams to be competitive at a lower cost and increase the number of entries in MotoGP. Claiming rule teams benefitted from less restrictive rules on
10504-553: Was contested over 6 rounds (at 4 Grand Prix weekends). The MotoE class gained World Championship status in 2023, and also switched to Ducati bikes. Tyre selection is critical, usually done by the individual rider based on bike 'feel' during practice, qualifying and the pre-race warm-up laps on the morning of the race, as well as the predicted weather. The typical compromise is between grip and longevity—softer compound tyres have more traction, but wear out more quickly; harder compound tyres have less traction, but are more likely to last
10608-410: Was double (2013 and 2014) CEV champion Fabio Quartararo . However, after a rash of incidents involving young rider fatalities in lower classes, the FIM set a minimum age of 18 starting in the 2023 season. The MotoE World Cup was introduced in 2019 and features all-electric motorcycles. The series uses a spec Energica Ego Corsa motorcycle, manufactured by Energica Motor Company . The first season
10712-669: Was formed in 1945. The Morgan F-4 was introduced in 1933 at the Olympia Motor Cycle Show. The F-4 had a new pressed-steel chassis the four-cylinder Ford Sidevalve engine used in the Model Y , and a four-seat body. The F-4 was supplemented by the two-seat F-2 in 1935 and the more sporting F Super, with cycle-type wings and louvred bonnet tops, in 1937. Production of the Ford-engined three-wheelers continued until 1952. Morgan's first four-wheeler, designated by
10816-415: Was introduced. Previously, if a race started dry and rain fell, officials could red-flag (stop) the race and either restart or resume on 'wet' tyres. Now, when rain falls, a white flag is shown, indicating that riders can pit to swap the motorcycle on which they started the race for an identical one, as long as the tyres are different (that is, intermediates or wets instead of slicks). Besides different tyres,
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