2012 MotoGP Prep
MotoGP has amended the rules, allowing 1000cc engines in prototype chassis for the 2012 season. And this week during Moto2 tests at Jerez, one prototype was on the track, the Suter Marc VDS MotoGP motorcycle.
Suter, a chassis designer in Moto2, was on track at Jerez, completing more than 100 laps in both wet and dry conditions. The Suter Marc VDS MotoGP was piloted by Damian Cudlin and Carmelo Morales.
The three-day test began on Wednesday with rain, and Cudlin rode the Marc VDS MotoGP prototype on Michelin wet tires.
The Australian, a World Endurance Championship rider and the 2010 IDM German Supersport Champion, completed 30 laps aboard the prototype 1000cc MotoGP machine despite the wet conditions.
But on Thursday the inclement weather cleared, and Cudlin was able to perform 70 laps at Jerez before handing the bike over to Morales for additional analysis. But the rain returned on Friday, and the team wasn’t able to do any further testing.
Damian Cudlin (Marc VDS Test Rider) says: "Not many people get to ride a MotoGP bike, especially a prototype bike for 2012 like this one; it’s pretty cool and it’s been heaps of fun! We’ve learnt a whole lot about the bike and, while there’s still a lot more to learn, the potential is definitely there."
"The weight, or lack of it, is impressive and the handling has been pretty much spot on from the start of the test; it feels a bit like a more powerful Moto2 machine in a lot of ways."
"This week we’ve taken the first small steps on what will be a fairly long journey, I’m excited to be a part of it and I’m looking forward to seeing how the bike turns out at the end of the journey."
"I’ve got the easy job really, riding the bike, it’s all the clever people around me who will be taking on responsibility for development, but they’ve certainly done an impressive job so far."
Michael Bartholemy (Marc VDS Team Manager) says: "For a first rollout of the new bike the test has been very successful. The weather has been a problem, restricting us to just one day of dry testing, but we still managed to complete over 100 laps on the bike with no issues at all."
"The bike definitely has potential; we’ve seen that here in Jerez this week. Now we need to sit down with Eskil Suter and his technical team to agree a development plan that will unlock this potential, starting at the next test in January."