Yamaha’s Max Biaggi could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the switch to four-stroke GP machines in 2002. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Biaggi has virtually no racing experience on four-strokes (outside of the occasional supermotard race), but an analysis of his style indicates he could be a big winner with the switch. Why? Front-end grip, that’s why.
Biaggi was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, 250cc GP racers of all time. Four 250 world championships came in the classic 250 racing tradition, i.e. with tremendous corner speed. Biaggi still rides a 500 similar to his 250 style, and puts tremendous stress on the front tire. Look at the types of crashes Biaggi has suffered recently trying to keep pace with Honda’s Valentino Rossi. The front tire washes out mid-corner, and Biaggi lowsides.
Four-strokes can provide more feel and grip in the corners. As Biaggi’s teammate Carlos Checa says, the new Yamaha four-stroke GP machine feels more “connected” than a two-stroke 500, particularly in the front.
One would think Biaggi would struggle with a four-stroke, but, other than learning to cope with engine braking (which can be dialed out to a great extent), everything should be easier, and his two-stroke training should only make him a more precise rider, and better able to exploit the added grip provided by the four-stroke.
