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KTM Commences Moto3 Racing Program

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With the demise of 125GP coming down the pipe, it comes as no surprise today that we learn that KTM has begun working on a Moto3 racing program. According to GPOne, work began on the project a few weeks ago, and is still in the early stages of its design. With all the 250cc MX, enduro, and supermoto four-stroke singles in KTM’s arsenal, the Austrian company has a surfeit of experience in making potent small displacement machines, and could be an early favorite in the 2012 opening season. The news also balances out well with the recent confirmation that KTM is working on a 250cc+ version of its KTM 125 Duke, which is destined for the American market in the next 18 months or so.

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Bikes

Bakker RM-Z250R Moto3 Contender

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The guys at Bakker have been busy this year, first bringing us a re-imagining of the Suzuki TL1000R, and now a turnkey Moto3 class contender. Noting that two-stroke race bikes are going the way of the dinosaur, the master frame builders at Bakker set out to make a four-stroke package that would fit into MotoGP’s Moto3 series and other 250cc single-cylinder racing classes.

Able to accomodate any manufacturer’s motor, Bakker has a Suzuki-powered model (the Bakker RM-Z250R) that’s been proven in the Open Dutch Championship (ONK) 125cc, the German IDM 125cc, and the UEM Supermono Cup. The Dutch company also has a Honda-powered unit that is ready to go for Moto3 competition when the rules switch in 2012.

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Bikes

Honda NRS 250 Gets a Little Brighter

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Honda continues to taunt us with its upcoming Moto3 contender, the Honda NRS 250. Shedding some more light (that would be literally, not figuratively), on the 250cc four-stroke GP racer, Honda still hasn’t released any details on the machine, but you can expect an 81mm bore and a maximum weight (with rider) of 326 lbs, per the Moto3 regulations that were recently released. Moto3 is scheduled to replace 125GP racing in 2012, but we imagine Honda will divulge info on the NRS 250 well before then. The original and super-enhanced photos of the Honda NRS 250 are after the jump.

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Racing

Official Moto3 Regulations Finally Released

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Announced at Valencia this weekend, the GP Commission has finally released the details on the upcoming Moto3 class, which will replace 125GP racing in 2012. Based around a four-stroke 250cc single-cylinder motor with an 81mm maximum bore size, Moto3 aims to reel in the spiraling costs of GP racing, with numerous provisions that are designed to limit how much money teams and manufacturers can sink into the sport to buy victory.

Perhaps the biggest provision designed to help lower the cost of GP racing’s intro class is the spec-ECU rule, which sees teams limited on the level of electronics they can implement, and institutes a hard-cap on the engine’s maximum RPM (14,000 RPM). With multiple manufacturers able to offer motors and chassis for the racing class, Moto3 should be more open thatn the single-motor Moto2 series. The GP Commission has included a laundry list of other provisions, you can find them bullet-pointed after the jump.

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Bikes

Honda NRS250 Teased – The Moto3 Racer Cometh

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Honda has begun teasing its NRS250 race bike, which many believe will be the basis to the company’s involvement in the Moto3 racing class that will replace 125GP racing in 2012. NRS stands for “Next Racing Standard”, not to be confused with NSR series of two-stroke machines from Honda (Editor’s note: Great naming convention, right?), and not much is known about the bike beyond these dark photos.

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Racing

AMA Pro Racing Will Continue as Support Class for MotoGP at Laguna Seca in 2011

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AMA Pro Racing will continue to field its three support races for the Laguna Seca GP during the 2011 season. The announcement made about the 2011 season makes for the seventh consecutive season that AMA Pro Racing has supported the sole MotoGP race at Laguna Seca. Unlike the Indianapolis GP, the Laguna Seca GP runs without the 125 GP & Moto2/250 GP support classes.

With the announcement of the Moto3 series replacing 125 GP in 2012, there’s been some talk about whether the other GP series will make the trek out to California. The answer, at least for 2011, is no, but with only a one-year renewal on the contract, 2012 could be another story.

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Racing

Moto3 Officially Killing Two-Strokes in 2012

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Meeting this weekend, the GP Commission confirmed the demise of two-stroke GP racing as they finalized plans to start the Moto3 series in 2012. Replacing the 125GP racing class, Moto3 will center around 250cc singe-cylinder four-stroke motor with a maximum bore size of 81mm. The class will be open to multiple engine manufacturers, who will have to make their motors available for €10,000 or less.

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News

Moto3 Announcement Expected at Brno

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Two-stroke GP racing is expected to die next year, and the announcement of the Moto3 class is expected to occur during the GP Commission’s meeting at the Czech GP in a couple days. Scheduled to meet on Friday, the GP Commission has been hammering out the details on the 250cc single-cylinder four-stroke racing class that will replace 125GP in 2012, and will likely make an announcement after Sunday’s race.

Similar in concept to the Moto2 class, the most notable difference is the rumor that the Moto3 class will not be a spec-motor series, meaning any manufacturer can build a thumper and compete in the series. Considering the large number of manufacturers that already have experience racing 250cc singles, we can expect an array of bikes to be on the grid in 2012.

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Racing

Moto3 Rumors Continue – The Death of 125GP & Two-Strokes Seems Nigh

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After the GP Commission convened at Assen to meet regarding rules for the 2011 season, and other GP affairs, talk quickly began to spread that rumors of a Moto3 class were true. Seeing the success of Moto2 in replacing 250GP, the GP Commission seems to think that a similar race series could successfully replace the 125GP class, making all of GP racing a four-stroke affair as early as 2012 or 2013.

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Rumors

Moto3 Coming to Replace 125GP in 2012?

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MCN is reporting that the days of 125GP may be numbered as Dorna and the FIM get ready to replace the small displacement GP series with what’s being called the new Moto3 race class. Drawing from the formula found in Moto2, Moto3 features prototype bikes with 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder motors. However instead of a single-spec motor rule, as found in Moto2, Moto3 appears to be open to multiple engine manufacturers.

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