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What Roles do Satellite Teams Play in MotoGP

Why are there satellite teams in MotoGP?
What are they and what do they do?
Why the disparity in machinery?

We were coming through social media when we came upon an article comparing factory and satellite teams in MotoGP.

We thought we could add more details as we’re currently looking at the 370-page 2020 FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix Regulations. The questions revolved mostly around why satellite team riders are on factory-spec bikes, too.

What’s a “factory team”?

A factory team is a team entered directly by the manufacturer. Consequently, the team has the highest budgets hence the best riders and team members; and first priority to parts and upgrades; and of course, top sponsors.

This why every rider on the grid aims to join a factory team. Factory teams also provide much higher levels of technical, PR, physical and even psychological support. The salary is also much higher. Along with these perks come bikes that can actually perform because which rider doesn’t want to perform well and win?

What’s a “satellite team”?

A satellite team has no bike of their own. As such, they have to rent them from a manufacturer. Yes, rent because MotoGP bikes are (usually) not for sale. What level of machinery or parts depends on how much they could shell out.

A satellite team’s budgets are from sponsors and are more constrained, hence the disparity in terms of support for the riders.

Traditionally, the factory usually provides lesser equipment to the satellite team because they don’t like to be beaten by the “lesser team.” However, we’ve seen manufacturers extending one or two of their latest bikes to satellite teams lately.

Reasons to run satellite teams

1. Data collection

Data here pertains to information which could be used to speed up development for building and setting up a race winning bike. Even the factory team has to justify the astronomical costs for going racing to the management and shareholders.

Data consists of suspension, chassis balance, traction control, engine map settings, etc.; sector times, lap times, corner speeds, top speeds; performance of parts, tyres, the engine; and almost everything else.

The role of data supplier is even more critical in these last 3 years when FIM reduced the number of test sessions to cope with including extra rounds. Gone were the days of unlimited testing, tyres, engines and development throughout the year. Doing so reduces costs to encourage more manufacturers to join the championship and create closer racing.

So, since there are fewer opportunities to test and gather data, having a satellite team in effect doubles data collection.

2. Exposure

Quartararo may be in the PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team, but he’s still on a Yamaha.

Having more than one team running the same brand provides the higher chances of being spotted by spectators at the track and those in front of their TV screens.

3. To bring in new riders

New riders are usually signed to satellite teams before being “promoted” to the factory teams. There is no point in putting someone who may struggle to perform on a full factory machine when there could be other better riders. There are exceptions of course, but this is normally the case.

How does this affect teams?

Suzuki may have run at the front and won a number of races, but they also suffered from inconsistent form in 2018 and 2019. The same goes with Aprilia. These two teams also couldn’t audition new riders in satellite teams.

KTM on the other hand, suffered from not having a MotoGP-winning rider to develop their bikes, as Dani Pedrosa was sidelined from his role throughout the 2019 season.

The Yamaha team definitely benefitted from Fabio Quartararo’s surprising and amazing debut. This was one reason why we saw the resurgence of factory rider Maverick Vinalez at the end of the season.

Honda, well… they’ve got Marc Marquez.

So, why not give everyone equal machines?

The simple answer is: Cost.

Renting a top MotoGP bike is around € 2 million per rider per season these days. No electronic part is less than € 1,000. A carbon fibre part is valued at € 2 per 100 g. A Marchesini magnesium alloy wheel costs € 4,000.

A manufacturer will find it more productive and cost efficient to support the best rider in their stable, hence building a bike which suits his riding style. Marc Marquez is the best example. The other best Honda rider, Cal Crutchlow found himself in mid-pack almost throughout last season as he couldn’t get used to the bike. Even three-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo had to call it quits.

A manufacturer with vast resources like Honda couldn’t even build two different bikes for each of their riders. Hold on, what we meant by two different bikes was two variants instead of just two bikes. Each rider may have two bikes per round, but the constructor may well build three or four bikes per rider for the entire season. The number could be higher but the true quantity has never been revealed.

Apart from that are the costs arising from crashes.

Hence, the satellite teams usually made do with the older bikes. Oh, they come without wheels and suspension. Consumables such as tyres are sponsored but the FIM had placed a limit on the number each team could use per season. Anything extra would have to be paid by the team. Could they afford higher prices?

As we mentioned earlier, the top manufacturers such as Honda, Yamaha and Ducati are now providing factory-spec bikes to the best riders in their respective satellite teams. This was why we have closer competition these days.

Conclusion

Hope you find the above information useful. You’re always welcome to share your thoughts with us.

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Building Motorcycle Model Kits – A Great Hobby for the Bike Nut

Hobby for a biker? How about building motorcycle model kits?
The kits come in pieces which you have to assemble into a complete bike.
The hobby is great for relaxation and self-discipline.

Bikers can have other hobbies, too, other than just riding. One of the best would be building motorcycle model kits.

There’s nothing like the amount of satisfaction and gratification when you assembled something that came in pieces into your favourite bike. You need to have patience, eye for detail, finesse, determination, discipline and concentration to work through all the challenges and frustration to come away with the end result. Good or otherwise, I bet you’d still feel happy when the bike is finally assembled complete with its decals.

Honda RS1000 Suzuka racer – Credit Tamiya.com

Patience is a dying virtue in this current society which is driven by instant gratification. That’s why social media is so addictive to so many ways. But why not use current media such as YouTube to search out tips on assembly techniques? We didn’t have any guide at all except for the assembly instructions when I started this hobby in the mid-80s. We’re so much luckier now.

The way I see it, assembling model kits is a great way of being at peace with yourself. I know for a fact that I’d switch to a zen-like state and shut out the world completely when I work on a model (even on a Lego set). It’s probably the best way to slow your heart rate down after a hectic day at the office or after your family’s gone to sleep. It may also be the very thing to return that great virtue called patience.

No, these kits aren’t necessarily for kids, perception be damned. I remembered that when a girl I who tried to impress complained to her friends that I brought her to the toy section during our date. She friendzoned me. But hey, I got to complete the Tamiya RZ350 kit without having to waste money and time on her any further nyah, nyah. She didn’t know how much work it’s required to bring a legendary bike from hundreds of pieces of non-painted plastic.

If you’ve never seen how a kit looked like before, check out the picture below.

Tamiya Suzuki RG250 Gamma kit – Credit Tamiya.com

My late-Dad presented me with a 1/12^th-scale Suzuki RG250 from Tamiya when I was 14 years old in 1986. I opened the box with glee, thinking that it’s a completely built-up bike. I was greeted by a frame with “exploded” parts in a clear plastic bag, instead. The kit included a manual that presented a brief description on the particular bike.

My Dad sat down and helped me get started. He bought me the paint, paint pens, brushes, clippers, etc., except for the airbrush and compressor as they were too expensive even at the time. I found that the most difficult process was painting and detailing, while assembly was more or less a breeze.

I remembered building up the bike as best as I could with what I had at hand. The end result was far from those built by long-time enthusiasts, but hey, I was super satisfied.

I’ve stuck with the Tamiya brand since then due to the high level of details and well, Tamiya is essentially the only brand that’s left today. Millennials or kids probably associate the brand to the Mini 4WD racers.

Their motorcycle model catalog is filled with some 72 1/12^th-scale and just 12 big-sized 1/6^th-scale kits. These are motorcycles that made impacts in motorcycling. There aren’t more because they weren’t licensed by the respective manufacturers.

Still, the 1/12 kits include legends such as the Kawasaki H2R and H2; Ducati 888, 916, Desmosedici, Panigale; Suzuki Katana 750 (with pop-up headlight), 1000 and 1100; Honda RC30; Yamaha YZR500 GP racer, YZR-M1, YZF-R1M; etc. A number of models have been discontinued including the bevel drive Ducati 900SS, Mike Hailwood Replica and 900 NCR Racer.

Screenshot of Page One of the 1/12 catalog – Credit Tamiya.com

The 1/6 kits are reserved for certain groundbreaking bikes, such as the 1981 Honda CB750, Suzuki GSX-1100S Katana. But there are two engines kits here: One for the 1979 Honda CB750F and another for the Kawasaki Z1300.

Screenshot of the 1/16 catalog – Credit Tamiya.com

I wish BMW Motorrad and Triumph would license their bikes to Tamiya. I’ll be building a BMW R32 or Triumph Rocket 3 or Thruxton TFC with glee!

They are not cheap these days, though. Each 1/12 kit will set you back around RM 300 (curse you, inflation!). However, am of the opinion that the money will be well-spent. Unless someone deposits RM 2.6 billion into my bank account (I know, the joke is stale but hey, is there a better example?), I could never get to own any one of these legends. Even then, bikes like the YZR500 or RG500 aren’t for sale at any price! So, RM 300 for a historic motorcycle isn’t that bad and I don’t have to worry about where to store it. Hey, RM 300 is about the price of a Playstation game, anyway.

Tamiya Yamaha YZR500 – Credit Grand Prix Models on Twitter

Give it a try, you may just fall in love with it.

You can the 1/12-scale catalog here; the 1/16-scale lineup here; and entire Tamiya catalog here. There is an authorized distributor here in Malaysia.

How do Forks Work?

Hydraulic forks have been around since 1935.
The springs provide the preload function.
Damping works by forcing hydraulic fluid through orifices or shims.

The hydraulic fork has been with us since the BMW R12 in 1935. Since then, forks have been revised to no end in the pursuit of excellence, giving rise to electronically controlled suspension.

But how do they really work? What goes on in there?

Basic principles

The most basic principle involves inserting a spring in each fork. For many years, the spring was the only component to play the role of preload (keeping the suspension from bottoming out) and damping (absorbing shocks).

The earliest form of damping came in more… springs. Yup, you’ve got one with larger diameter, surrounding another with a smaller diameter. The former is longer than the latter, so as the fork compresses more due to a larger bump or shock, the shorter, more tightly wound spring comes into play to put up more resistance. This provides a rising rate suspension, in effect.

Hydraulic damper rod

Next to arrive was the hydraulic fork.

When the hydraulic damper appeared, fluid is pushed through orifices on a damper rod to create damping. The rod is inserted into each fork leg, on top of the spring. The damping rate – how the quickly the suspension reacts – depends on the size or sizes of the orifice or orifices.

Cartridge forks

Instead of using damper with orifices, a cartridge consists of different sized shims. Oil is then forced through. A soft shock will bend the weakest shim to allow oil through. Harder shocks will bend more shims to allow the wheel to move up at a faster rate. This means damping is more precise. One of the biggest advantages of the cartridge fork is that you can replace certain shims for different damping characteristics.

Separate function forks

As the name suggests, one fork leg holds the spring or springs, while the other size holds the damper mechanisms. The one with the spring controls preload, while the other checks damping. This way, the forks could be made to cater to their specific purposes. They can also be lighter as the components are not duplicated. Having different functions on each side doesn’t give off different feedback when the bike is turned to either side as the forks are tied to the same triple clamps.

Electronic suspension

These systems can control preload and damping, or separately depending on the bike. Instead of having the rider adjusting the parameters with tools (plus sweat), it’s all done through a button on the handlebar.

However, the principles remain the same. What’s different is that sensors on the fork and swingram provide real-time ride height and damping data to the suspension ECU. The ECU then determines the correct strategy i.e. setting, depending on the selected mode. The ECU then sends signals to servos to alter the parameters.

Fork oil

Damping works by converting kinetic energy (moving fluid) to heat. This is why oil is commonly used as it could absorb the heat plus has low flow resistance. Changing the oil to difference viscosities or amount alters the damping characteristics.