Hinckley firm unveils plans for uprated Triumph Moto2 engine, with larger capacity, less weight, more revs and more power from the 765 Street Triple-based control race motor.
We still remember how stunned we were when we heard a rumour that Triumph – Triumph! – was going to replace Honda as the control engine supplier for the Moto2 support race series.
Honda, that legendary race bike maker, had been building special CBR600RR engines from 2010, after the old 250 two-stroke 250GP bikes were replaced. And when we first heard the story in 2016, it seemed like nonsense.
That stopped when we texted the Triumph PR man that this BS story was out there, and he immediately phoned us up and asked us to keep schtum for a few months until the deal was confirmed with Dorna.
Fast forward to 2017, and the story was announced, with the Hinckley firm taking over from the people behind HRC to build the Moto2 race engines going forward. And the Leicestershire outfit has made a very good job of it.
The retuned engine, based on the Street Triple 765 unit, has powered every second-division MotoGP race bike since the start of 2019, with little in the way of fuss or mechanical problems.
That first iteration had a sort-of supersport tune, with a race-ported head skimmed for more compression, titanium valves, new springs, and suitably racey cams. The bottom end sported a smaller race alternator and adjustable slipper clutch, and there was a series of practical track tweaks: a revised sump to allow a sportier exhaust header arrangement and altered engine cases for more lean angle.
It was all controlled by a Dorna-approved Magneti Marelli ECU which let the teams fiddle with ignition, fuelling, throttle maps, engine braking and the like. Bolt one into your own custom-build Moto2 chassis from Kalex or the like, find a prospective Valentino Rossi, and go racing – easy!
There was a mild tweak to the motor design in 2022 that saw an extra five ponies and extra revs, while 2024 saw a new gearbox design added to the package. But for 2027, there’s another overhaul to the engine, for a more fundamental revamp of its power and torque.
In a release at the British MotoGP round, Triumph said that it would be developing new parts, with a focus on achieving a higher gas flow into the cylinders. A new cylinder head, with completely redesigned low-inertia valvetrain and higher flow ports and a new combustion chamber design will all help to produce a higher compression ratio that means more torque throughout the rev range.
There are also redesigned crankcases and new internal components to cope with the additional power and torque – which Hinckley says will give maximum reliability once the updated power unit hits the track. Together, the changes have also delivered an overall weight reduction of 2kg, while the higher-powered race engine offers around a 6% increase in peak power – putting it well north of 150bhp we reckon.
And there will also be a change in capacity, probably to a full 800cc, with further information available in the not-too-distant future. That makes sense on two fronts: there’s recently been an announcement that the Moto3 class will move to a 689cc engine based on the Yamaha R7 parallel twin unit.
So Moto2 probably needs to expand a little to delineate its ‘765’ motor from the ‘700’ engine in Moto3. At the same time, MotoGP is coming down in capacity to 850cc – so it’s going to be tricky placing the three classes exactly in terms of engine size… Though we guess a 100bhp 700 twin, 160bhp 800 triple, or 250bhp 850 four is easy enough to understand.
Triumph also says that the introduction of the new race engine will have implications for Moto2 chassis manufacturers, as the changes will require them to develop completely new chassis for 2027, particularly with regards to how the air intake is positioned and also the engine mounting points and the new motor’s centre of gravity.
Work with chassis manufacturers has been ongoing for the last 12 months, with Triumph providing the information they need. The new race engine will be available to Moto2 teams soon, with private testing ongoing ahead of its on-track debut later this year.
Steve Sargent, chief product officer at Triumph Motorcycles said: “Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward in the partnership between Triumph Motorcycles and MotoGP.
We have always strived to develop the Moto2 World Championship ever since we began powering the middle-weight class in 2019. We’ve introduced more power, we’ve seen gearbox changes and now we’ve introduced a brand-new, high performance race engine that will be powering the Moto2 series from 2027.
“The new engine has undergone a vigorous testing programme which has allowed us to really assess its performance, longevity and reliability, to ensure it continues to deliver the quality of racing we’ve seen over the last seven seasons.
Updates to the cylinders, bringing in more air, achieving higher compression ratios and more torque have all been expertly crafted and we’re really excited by the results we’ve seen. We can’t wait to see it on track and watch our partnership with MotoGP and the Moto2 World Championship continue to grow over the seasons to come.”
Alfonso Cartujo, sporting director at MotoGP added: “This is a great step for the Moto2 World Championship and underlines the commitment to the class that makes Triumph such a valuable partner for the class and for the MotoGP paddock.
Their ambition to evolve and improve only continues to grow, and its rewards are proven on track as Moto2 only gets better. Now, it will get even more powerful and we’re excited to see these new engine developments take to the track.”