Gleaming new machinery was pulled out of freight and cases at Qatar and we were curious about some of the factory toys and the work that had been done by the teams for the better part of five months leading up to Losail and the ’16 campaign. Prizing exact details on parts and components is never easy in the race paddock so we asked the questions of each crew on their upgrades for the season and listened to what they had to say/reveal…

Yamaha – Massimo Raspanti

“Well, we have some new graphics! Monster Energy has come back as a sponsor but largely the bike looks the same because the 2015 and 2016 production models were quite close. The frame is a little thicker around the footrest position and the offset is different; we looked at that in the winter. We tested with the engine for modifications on the power and character and both riders were happy so that meant an improvement for 2016. There are some new parts with the Kayaba suspension. We slimmed the weight just a little bit. One of the riders uses a 280 front brake disc while the other goes for a 270 but this can also depend on the track condition. We have a new GPA system from GET on the front fender and a LED strategy for the starts. When the bike is running and the GPA level selected then the rider can look at the dial. When the light is hitting 9-10 then he has the right RPM for the start. Normally a rider can do it alone when he is testing but in the gate there is more noise, riders and stress so this helps if the power needs to be just a little bit higher or lower. It is up to the rider to decide if he wants to use it because the state of the ground can also be a factor. The production bike already has launch control but we use a GET CDi. We only have one map and no switches for the moment.”

KTM – Dirk Gruebel

“Not that much! We made some engine modifications because Tony wanted smoother and more manageable power. We took a new exhaust for that – the same for Glenn – and then adjusted the mapping. We developed another small step with suspension this year and have different linkages. We have new internals for the shock and forks. Overall there is not such a big evolution. We have tested and worked on electronics but at the moment the riders are not using those upgrades like launch control, not even Dungey. A good starter is a good starter and you don’t get a good advantage. I think the 450SX-F race bike we have is now even easier to ride because of the handling improvements and the suspension and for Tony the rideability has increased because last year he just jumped on the bike that was set up for Ken De Dycker. It was not too bad for him but now we’ve had time to go deeper.”

To read about the rest of the bikes see the story in the OTOR MXGP special edition HERE