For the 2007 season, MotoGP changed the rules, capping engines to a maximum displacement of 800cc, down from 990cc in the previous seasons. Ducati responded with an absolute monster - the Desmosedici GP7 - which charted the Italian team's biggest success in the sport so far.
Although the 800cc cap meant that these were less powerful than the previous GP bikes, they were significantly lighter as well. The 225 horsepower GP7 was capable of hitting 330kmph on the speedo. It completely dominated the season, scoring 11 out of 18 victories, becoming the first European manufacturer to win the premiere class title in 33 years. It even landed Casey Stoner a world championship.
Also Read: Who Are The Most Successful MotoGP Champions Of All Time?
At a time when Rossi and Yamaha seemed unstoppable with three back-to-back championships, the Honda RC212V managed to break their streak with an outstanding run in the 2011 season.
When the regulations changed to limit displacement to 800cc, Honda had to downsize from a V5 engine to a V4 engine, and just wasn't as competitive as its predecessor. But for 2011, Honda made radical changes to the entire bike. The 210 horsepower RC212V weighed just 150 kilograms, and perfectly matched Casey Stoner's riding style. Casey won 10 out of 18 races and bagged for himself the 2011 rider's championship, while Honda ended up winning the team's and constructor's championship as well.
Also Read: Toughest Circuits In MotoGP
The RC211V was the first Honda to be fielded on the grid, when the rules changed back in 2002. It featured the first V5 engine in the history of the sport, with three cylinders in the front and two in the rear. This engine was one of the most cutting-edge pieces of technology that the sport had ever seen.
In its debut year, the RC211V gave Honda 14 victories in 16 races. Honda went on to win three of the five World Championship titles and four constructor's titles with this bike, with Rossi and Nicky Hayden.
In 2012, MotoGP brought along another major overhaul of regulations, which saw engine displacement jump up from 800cc to 1000cc. And this warranted the introduction of brand new motorcycles developed from ground-up. At Honda, this resulted in the birth of the RC213V, a motorcycle capable of hitting 342kmph on main straights.
Also Read: Stunning Safety Cars in MotoGP
In 2013, Marq Marquez joined the ranks at Honda, and the rest as they say, is history. He went on to win 6 out of the last 9 world championships, rewriting several records on the way. There have been numerous tweaks for the RC213V over the years, but it still wears the same moniker as the 2012 bike.
Yamaha had always played second fiddle to Honda in the premiere class motorcycle racing - always in the horizon of a title, but never quite there. But things changed the moment they managed to persuade Rossi to join the team.
Fresh from winning the 2003 championship on an RC211V, Rossi didn't come alone, he brought along his entire racing crew from Honda. What happened next was something that none of us could fathom. Together, they blew apart the competition with the help of a monster - the Yamaha YZR M1.
Also Read: Street-Legal MotoGP Bikes That You Can Buy
While most of the teams were experimenting with different engines, Yamaha decided to stick to an inline-four configuration, which gave the bike a firm link to R1s and R6s of the era. The 2004 bike was different from the 2002 and 2003 versions, and debuted a few signature elements that have become an important part of the brand and the team ever since. Not only has the bike retained the YZR M1 name since its birth, but Yamaha has remained faithful to the same technical layout as well.
