The technical regulations bring innovations to almost all classes, 2023 will be a year of innovation for tires and bikes in some categories. This is how the TT will change
February 15, 2023
After the pandemic and the consequent stop for two years, the Tourist Trophy has introduced many innovations in logistics, safety and regulations. Not that before there was immobility, far from it, but the two-year break allowed us to think about various aspects with the necessary breathing space.
At the end of the 2022 edition it was possible to do it one more thought about safety and now we are also dealing with the part of the regulation which involves the more technical part and closely touches the bikes that will participate in the 2023 races.
Slicks for all
Let’s start with a significant novelty: from 2023 slick tires will be allowed even for classes Supersport, Superstock e Supertwin (the ex Lightweight), which up to now have raced with normal production treaded tires (mainly Dunlop and Metzeler): the reason lies – according to the press release issued by iomttraces.com – in the production decisions of the manufacturers and in the changes to regulations at World Championship and British Championship level which led to a desire for greater uniformity in coverage. According to Dave Hagen – Technical Director of the TT – given the durability of the tires or the extreme grip on the corner are not critical elements for tires at the TT, following the adoption of slicks decisive improvements in the lap time at the TT are not foreseen but every doubt will be dissolved in June…
Superstock: even the 1100s
Another interesting point is the reduction of the limit of 1000 cc to compete in the Superstock: as happened in the British Superstock championship and to align with it, the regulations have taken into consideration that some super sports cars have now crossed the liter of engine capacity (think of theAprilia RSV4 and to Ducati Panigale V4 1100) and consequently increased the volume admitted for the four cylinders up to 1100 cc provided that the 1100 are equipped with a control unit to ensure balanced performance with the rest of the starting grid (which then isn’t there at the TT, given the single start…).
In Superstock it will therefore be allowed to use the standard ECU, the reprogrammed standard ECU, the kit ECU from the motorbike manufacturer or the Motec ECU with the British Superstock firmware, with the latter mandatory for motorcycles over 1000 cc but it has already been stated that even some 1000cc bikes would have already chosen the Motec ECU. Speaking of equipment, wider plexiglasses remain permitted – in consideration of the high speeds maintained for a long time and, let us add, the low temperatures that can be found by the riders on the mountainous part of the track – and the more capacious tanks compared to the stock one, eligible for the completion of 120 kilometers of two-lap races.
Supertwin: balancing performance
The Supertwin in 2022 saw the 650cc displacement limit go up to 700cc, opening the doors to bikes like the Yamaha YZF-R7 and theAprilia RS660, however penalizing them with a weight limit 10 kg higher than the Paton and Kawasaki. This year the minimum weight is raised for all motorcycles a 150 kgbut the 11,000 rev limit for Supertwins is raised to 11,500 only for the Aprilia RS660, given the more racing nature of its engine, but will have to use stock throttle bodies and injectors, as opposed to the 650 cc competitors who can fit different or modified throttle bodies and more injectors. A slightly different story for Yamaha which as standard has smaller throttle bodies than the Aprilia but since it has a larger engine capacity only modifications to the standard throttle bodies are permitted.
