2027 MotoGP Technical Rules Published: 850cc, 75mm Bore, No Ride-height Devices, Aero Restricted

By David Emmett |

The FIM has published the MotoGP technical regulations which are to be introduced for the five-year period from 2027. The rules contain few surprises, as much has been leaked and discussed previously. Here are the main points, and at the bottom is the full press release:

Engines
Maximum capacity has been reduced from 1000cc to 850cc. Maximum bore diameter has been reduced from 81mm to 75mm. This means the stroke of the engines will remain almost unchanged, and the revs will remain similar.

Engine allocations will be reduced by 1 for the season. For a season of 20 races or fewer, manufacturers will be allowed 6 engines. If there are 21 or 22 races, they will be allowed 7 engines.

Fuel
Maximum fuel capacity has been reduced from 22 liters to 20 liters, and from 12 liters in a sprint race to 11 liters. MotoGP has not followed WorldSBK in introducing fuel flow limits. Fuel will be from 100% non-fossil sources, with the policing of fuel to be determined in a working group together with fuel suppliers.

Transmission
The maximum number of permitted gear ratios to be used during a season has been reduced from 24 to 16. Manufacturers will have to make combinations of those 16 gear ratios work at all of the tracks on the calendar, from the tight and twisty Sachsenring to the wide open blast of Mugello.

Ride-Height/Holeshot
Ride-height devices (for use during the race) and holeshot devices (for use at the start) are banned completely. 

Aerodynamics
Aerodynamic surfaces have been significantly reduced. The maximum width has been reduced from 600mm to 550mm. The nose of the fairing has been moved back by 50mm as well, reducing the leverage of front wings. And the way the fairing tapers has been altered as well.

New for 2027 is that rear aero is now homologated, with one update per season allowed. The maximum height of the tail has been reduced from 1250mm to 1150mm. What this means is that there is much less room for aero on the tail of bikes, and factories will not be free to keep developing it.

Minimum weight
The minimum weight of the MotoGP bikes has been reduced from 157kg to 153kg.

GPS
New for 2027 is that GPS data will be shared between all riders. Every team and rider will be able to see the GPS data of everyone else. The GPS data only includes speed and position. But this will make it easier for teams to see where they are losing out and gaining compared to other riders.

Concessions
With the introduction of new technical rules, the concessions system will reset. All factories will start out with the same concessions, at Category B. That means engine development is frozen for the year, all riders are allowed 1 aero update per season, testing is restricted to test riders at nominated circuits, with a limit of 190 tires for the season, and they are allowed 3 wildcards per season. Concessions will be recalculated after the first half of the season, using only the 2027 results. 

New manufacturers who enter will be entered in Category D for concessions, which means free testing, free engine development, 2 aero updates, and 260 test tires. Currently, no new manufacturers are expected to enter.

A deeper analysis of how the new rules might affect the racing will be published later today, after I have spoken to some people about it.

The press release with a summary of the changes for 2027 is shown below:

FIM Grand Prix World Championship
Decisions of the Grand Prix Commission

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Paul Duparc (FIM), Hervé Poncharal (IRTA) and Biense Bierma (MSMA), in the presence of Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna), Mike Webb (IRTA, Secretary of the Meeting), Corrado Cecchinelli (Director of Technology), Jorge Viegas (FIM President), Paul King (FIM CCR Director) and Dominique Hebrard (FIM CTI Technical Manager) met in Jerez on 26 April 2024.

The commission ratified the outline of new technical regulations to be introduced in the 2027 season:

MotoGP Class Technical Regulations – Effective Season 2027

1.9.1/2.2
MotoGP class engine displacement will reduce from 1000cc to 850cc. The maximum cylinder bore will reduce from 81mm to 75mm. Engines will remain 4-stroke only, with 4 cylinders.

2.4.2 Concessions
Manufacturers who have raced in 2026 will start the 2027 season in Rank B. Rankings will be revised at the mid-season checkpoint in 2027, based on the first part of the 2027 season results only – 2026 results, before the regulation changes, won't be counted. The regular ranking system will resume at the end-season checkpoint at the end of 2027.

Any manufacturers who have not raced in 2026 will start 2027 season in Rank D. Their rankings will also be revised at the mid-season checkpoint in 2027, based on the first half of the 2027 season.

2.4.3.3 Engine durability
The number of engines available for use by each permanent contracted rider will reduce to 6 engines per season (up to 20 races), or 7 engines per season in the case of 21 or 22 races on the calendar.

Manufacturers in Concessions Rank D will continue to be able to use two additional engines per rider per season.

2.4.3.5 GPS
GPS data from all riders will be made available to all teams at the end of each session.

2.4.3.9 Transmission
In the MotoGP class the total number of gearbox ratios (pairs of gears) permitted will reduce to 16, plus 4 different overall ratios for the primary drive, for each season.

2.4.4.1 Minimum weight
The minimum bike weight in the MotoGP™ class will be 153kg.

2.4.4.4 Suspensions and dampers
No ride height devices of any kind will be permitted, including “holeshot” devices activated solely for race starts.

2.4.4.5 Fuel Tanks
Fuel tank capacity will be reduced to 20 litres for Grand Prix races and a maximum of 11 litres will be permitted for the Sprint.

2.4.4.7 Reduction of aero surfaces
The maximum permitted width of the high portion of the front fairing Aero Body will reduce from 600mm to 550mm, the maximum rear end height will reduce from 1250mm to 1150mm, the foremost point of the front fairing (nose) will be moved back by 50mm, and the rearward taper of the front fairing aero appendices will also narrow.

Homologation of aero surfaces
The rear end of the machine – any aerodynamics behind the rider – must be homologated as part of the Aero Body. Manufacturers will be permitted to make one update per season.

2.4.5.1 Fuel and Oil
The use of 100% non oil-refinement origin fuel is confirmed from 2027.

The FIM, together with MSMA and the MotoGP fuel suppliers, will clarify all technical details via the TWG1 working group, including representatives from Dorna and IRTA, beginning in May 2024.

MotoGP
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Comments

Definitely some mixed feelings on the ban on holeshot/ride height.  The tech is very interesting and cool, and i feel like the issues with the racing becoming a bit boring due to them hasn't really be present the last half maybe of 23 and now in 2024.  For sure I'll let the powers at be who are informed make the decision, and surely there is a safety component that is paramount.  Hoping we still have the amount of competitive bikes on the grid that we do now, that will be the main thing moving forward. 

Do you think the sustainability focus might make Suzuki entertain the thought of returning? It would bring them back into competition, along with keeping with their new environmental and sustainable attitudes post the automotive branch getting themselves in trouble...

Afterall, they are entering the Suzuka 8 Hour with a full factory 'sustainable' effort.

Plus the removal of devices and reduction in aero means they could narrow the bore of the pretty good 22 engine and wack it in that chassis/aero package and it'd be good to go....

Or am I dreaming Suzuki die-hard dreams?

This sustainability focus is doubtful at the least. The future of mobility is electric. A focus on sustainability would imho involve a full blown electric prototype class....

Just dreaming, maybe 2032 🤞

It is my understanding that the motorcycle manufacturers want non-fossil fuels because they fear batteries won't give the range consumers want. It also means they don't have to completely retool, of course. But we could well end up going electric. If I could be guaranteed a 400km range and a 20 minute recharge time, I would switch when it is time to change my bike.

Suzuki recently made a hydrogen cell Burgman scooter. So that has become reality too. Curious.

SO different what we want racing vs what we could drive on streets. Electric vehicles are on a downswing currently! Right now you see 10 yr old full electric cars (Nissan Leaf) selling used w saggy 30% batteries for next to nothing. Interesting...

I don't think there is just one Silver Bullet solution for all needs (the way gasoline has proved not to be, what with the minor downside of changing our planet). The future may prove out that diff solutions fit different applications better. Battery cars? Nat gas buses? Mini-nuclear cargo ships? Cargo trains are already diesel-electric hybrids...

Until batteries make that next leap (how soon??) motorbikes are a great application for synth fuels with their power, if they can be mass produced sustainably.

It’s going to be fun to see how the most creative minds go about circumventing the intent of these rules without actually violating them. Most everything being banned falls into the “creative circumvention” category from the current rule set. Let the tomfoolery commence (sure it did months ago).

Prob work out as less than a 10% reduction in front wing area. Five 5cm back....an additional 5% roughly off anti-wheelie. Less power meaning less needed to maintain current position anyway. Aero efficiency will march on in it's never ending quest for less drag per newton. The rear will look different. I'd love to preach about what they should have done but I lack answers. Situation very much the same. No meaningful reduction but less motor.

I'd hope to see a net 10% reduction in top speeds with the reduced aero coupled with the elimination of ride height devices. You'll have more wheelie tendency and reduced front downforce. Even with 850 cc motors, I'd wager the bikes will still make ~230-250 hp and will still be wheelie limited on acceleration up to, and probably in, top gear before any aero forces are added in. Maybe some drag reduction due to the narrower engine, but probably minimal. 6 mm bore reduction x 4 cyl = 24 mm in Yamaha's case. Half that for the V4s.

Exactly. As long as the bikes remain wheelie limited then wings on the nose win. Push them back 5cm and said wings just need push harder. Lop 50mm off the ends and they still need to push harder. It's not top spped that makes lap times, it's average time point to point. Accelerate quicker, stop quicker and the time taken to get down the straight bit is less. The only major changes in these regs are engine capacity and the ride height devices. I'm hoping the ride height devices make a big difference. At the very least they force a compromise between drag bike and a...well....a bike. 

It’s astounding to think of the fortune that’s been spent through the years trying to prevent motorcycles from wheelieing as is their nature.

I’m excited for the engineering innovations we’re going to see, but I agree with the sentiments others have expressed that the racing under the current technical regime has gotten astoundingly good now that there are more fast riders on fast bikes and Ducati isn’t nearly as dominant as in recent years.

Its official! Glad for the holeshot and height adjusters to have been nixed. As Wavey says, interested in how these new regs synergize.

Perhaps it was/is interesting to get to see this NASA era? I know we are all a bit scarred from the 800cc era. This is different, and looking fwd to seeing what unfolds. Seems to be in the ballpark of good doesn't it?

Crash.net interviewed Corrado Cecchinelli and here are his words on the trepidation some people (including myself) have about capacity reduction:

“First of all, because now I'm here! [Laughs]. Jokes apart, this is a lesson learned. At the moment, we have a maximum capacity [1,000cc] together with a maximum bore [81mm], which gives a result. If you just ‘downsize’ the engine in the way people understand it, which is reduce the capacity, you may end up with the same power output [by raising the revs] but a ‘worse’ engine, meaning it’s difficult to ride and less reliable. 

So what we are doing is considering downsizing and downboring at the same time. So that the [850cc] engine will not only lose power, but it will become the same or even more reliable and be [just] as easy to ride [as the 1,000cc], hopefully."

Response to this has been bizarre. MotoGP fans have been complaining bitterly about aero/ride height devices. Dorna cuts them back/gets rid of them and people still find a way to complain. I feel like the only acceptable solution for many would be a time machine to go back to 2000.

The aero is, in itself, pretty much the same. The ride height devices....more I think about it, a big big change. Whatever limits they put in place, the new limits will force innovation. A temporary respite for your favorite ludites and exciting new things for the rest. 

Wow, what a goof-up!! (not the first, not the last, I'm afraid). As breganzane and ehtikhet pointed out, the last year for the 990cc class was 2006 (not 2007). My apologies!! The comment and the table below have been updated using Sachsenring (instead of Misano - no race there in 2006) and the same Valencia info. Thanks again to breganzane and ehtikhet!

The often cited reason for all these changes is the need to reduce speeds (top speed? corner speeds?) and create safer race conditions. The last time something similar was done, in 2007, displacement limits were reduced from 990cc to 800cc. At the time (if I recall correctly), the primary change was just to displacement. So the following comparison may not be apples-to-apples, as the 2027 regs restrict categories of equipment that didn't exist back in 2006 (last year of the 990s).

I just picked two races to compare: Sachsenring (Jul) and Valencia (Nov) - where I could find about the same weather conditions for Qualifying (pole time and max speed) and for the Race (race time and average speed). Afterwards, I added 2011, the last year of 800cc development - then realized the 2011 Valencia race was wet : -(  so only included dry qualifying pole time and top speed

Pole (Qual) Sachsenring     Valencia  
990cc - 2006 Dani PEDROSA (HON) 1'21.815   Valentino ROSSI (YAM)  1'31.002
800cc - 2007 Casey STONER (DUC) 1'22.384   Dani PEDROSA (HON) 1'31.517
800cc - 2011 Casey STONER (HON) 1'21.681   Casey STONER (HON) 1'31.861
Top Speed (Qual)          
990cc - 2006 Dani PEDROSA (HON) 283.2   Valentino ROSSI (YAM)  311.5
800cc - 2007 Casey STONER (DUC) 280.4   Randy DE PUNIET (KAW) 300.8
800cc - 2011 Casey STONER (HON) 283.4   Casey STONER (HON) 309.9
Winners's Race Duration          
990cc - 2006 Valentino ROSSI (YAM)  41'59.248   Troy BAYLISS (DUC) 46'55.415
800cc - 2007 Dani PEDROSA (HON) 41'53.196   Dani PEDROSA (HON) 46'43.533
800cc - 2011 Dani PEDROSA (HON) 41'12.482   WET NA
Winner's Avg Speed (Km/h)
          
990cc - 2006 Valentino ROSSI (YAM)  157.375   Troy BAYLISS (DUC) 153.632
800cc - 2007 Dani PEDROSA (HON) 157.754   Dani PEDROSA (HON) 154.283
800cc - 2011 Dani PEDROSA (HON) 160.352   WET NA
Race Conditions          
990cc - 2006 Dry, Air 20°, Ground 38° 30 laps   Dry, Air 32°, Ground 43° 30 laps
800cc - 2007 Dry, Air 33°, Ground 41° 30 laps   Dry, Air 19°, Ground 25° 30 laps
800cc - 2011 Dry, Air 21°, Ground 29° 30 laps   Dry, Air 17°, Ground 16° 30 laps

Please correct me (again) if I got something wrong! I do this all manually (classic retiree problem: got more time than smarts).

If there is a take-away, it might be that the new regs could limit the rate of development/higher speeds to about what they are now.

I have been thinking about this too, especially in light of whether the 2026 lap records will end up standing for the next decade or so. I believe that you are right in terms of the engineers managing to squeeze the power out of the smaller capacity engines, but I think that a lot of what we are seeing in terms of increased lap times and records comes from the faster starts and increased corner exit speeds due to the dragster nature of the shape-shifted bikes. 

Having said that and in reference to your time vs smarts, you're still one up on me so these random thoughts of mine certainly hold no weight.

Wow, what a goof-up!! (not the first, not the last, I'm afraid). As breganzane and ehtikhet pointed out, the last year for the 990cc class was 2006 (not 2007). My apologies!! The comment and the table in the original post (above) have been updated using Sachsenring (instead of Misano - no race there in 2006) and the same Valencia info. 

Thanks again to breganzane and ehtikhet!

Memory says that riders on the 800cc bikes were already breaking pole and race lap records the first season of the 800 era by using higher revving engines and electronic engine management systems. Maybe before the mid way point of the calendar. At Donington in 2008 Hayden began using the pneumatic valve engine (Honda's response to Ducati's desmodromic valves). The 2027 bore limit and spec electronics should nullify the possibility of higher revving engines.

The 800s especially and 990s before them were amazingly oversquare hence their peaky nature had to be controlled with gradually increasing levels of electronics. Bore and electronics are now restricted so the engines should be more manageable. 

The 850s may not replicate the boring racng that sometimes happened with the 800s.  

So, can we poll the Mutterers here and ask, who does not like wheelies? As a fan?

Obviously the front rising to the sky limits acceleration out of the corner, and therefore speed down the straight etc. But it's not as fun. Unless those smarter than I deem this a safety issue I would much prefer that wheelies be modulated by the throttle.

I am also surprised that front aero was not reduced much, looking forward to an analysis of the thinking behind this decision.