DUCATI AND APRILIA: 850CC BIKES CAN BE FAST WHILE REDUCING TOP SPEEDS

MotoGP’s 2027 generation of 850cc bikes may not be dramatically slower over a single lap than today’s 1000cc machines, according to information emerging from private tests. Official lap times will not be available until the post-season Valencia test on December 1, but Ducati and Aprilia say the new rules should still deliver their central safety benefit: lower speeds on the approach to corners.

The five manufacturers—Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, Honda and Yamaha—have already completed substantial testing with their new bikes. Although official times have not been released, reported results suggest the 850cc prototypes on Pirelli tyres are already close to the current machines on Michelin rubber. At the Spielberg test, LCR-Honda rookie Diogo Moreira reportedly set a 1:28.4, compared with the 1:29.1 he recorded on a 1000cc Honda during the race weekend. Pedro Acosta’s 1:28.9 test lap on the 850cc KTM was one second slower than the 1:27.9 he had posted in Grand Prix qualifying, a time good enough for the front row.

Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna said lap times were not the main measure of success. “The main reason why we would like to reduce the performance is not the [lap time]; it's the [top] speed - the speed that riders arrive at the [first] corner,” he said at Mandalika. Reducing engine capacity and power should help achieve that, he added, even if lap times remain close to those set in 2026. “I think that we can gain something in safety,” Dall’Igna said, describing the change as a necessary step.

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola pointed to the current bikes’ record pace as a reason to welcome the reduction. Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi both reached 368.6km/h (229mph) at Mugello in May, setting a new MotoGP speed record. Rivola estimated the 850cc machines would have roughly 50 fewer horsepower. “Removing more or less 50 horsepower for sure is going to reduce that speed,” he said.

Early indications suggest the new bikes can still be quick. “From what we are seeing, the lap time seems to be quite fast, still,” Rivola said. Riders have also reported that the machines are easier to handle, which could help them make the most of the available performance. Rivola cautioned that race-distance pace may show a larger gap to the current bikes, and that the effect of the new tyre remains uncertain.

“In a single lap at the moment, the bikes seem to be quite fast,” Rivola said. “Maybe in some tracks very fast, with less delta gap compared to the 1000. But for sure the tyre is the differentiating factor that is still a bit unknown.” The 2027 rules bring Pirelli tyres alongside smaller engines, reduced fuel limits, the removal of ride-height devices and tighter aerodynamic restrictions. Minimum weight will also fall by four kilograms, a change that could help cornering speed.

Rivola said the focus should be on what comes next rather than comparing the new package with the old one: “It is better to look forward than back, because it has been decided.” The full impact of the regulations will become clearer once teams can assess official times and race-distance performance.