Debating the MotoGP ballast idea
Toby Moody gives his take on the ballast debate that's gaining weight in the MotoGP paddock
Talk around the MotoGP paddock over the Jerez weekend peaked regarding weight limits and how it's unfair for the heavier riders to haul as much as 20kgs more bodyweight than some of their smaller rivals. With bikes weighing in at just 150kgs in 2011, and all having access to a about 225bhp, should there be a minimum weight limit in MotoGP for bike and rider combined, just as there is in 125cc?
Let's look at a few facts.
When he leaves the line, Dani Pedrosa and his Honda RC212V weigh 202kg, while Valentino Rossi and his Ducati are 217kg and the Marco Simoncelli/Honda combination with 222kgs. There are many advantages for Pedrosa to shift 19kg less than Ben Spies, least of all off the startline from a dead stop - a time when the shifting of the mass is the hardest for the engine.
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