Whilst Triumph has resisted the temptation to enter Grand Prix racing in its own right as a manufacturer, that hasn’t stopped the company from making a huge impression on the sporting world by signing a three-year contract to supply its signature triple-cylinder engine to the Moto2 World Championship.
So far, the 765cc engine, which was derived from the production engine found in the Street Triple RS, has proven itself to be brilliantly powerful and, more importantly, reliable, complete with a spine-tingling exhaust note. The engine has been praised by riders and teams alike for making the racing in Moto2 much closer and for being an extremely easy engine to ride.
Already four years into the contract, Triumph certainly isn’t resting on its laurels and development of the engine continues, the aim being to find more power to enable Moto2 riders to continue to set more lap and speed records.
The latest developments are aimed at improving the top-end power of the engine, with a new cylinder head, revised valves, valve springs and camshaft. To maintain reliability in the face of higher power output, the pistons, conrods and crankshaft have all been revised.
Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer, said: “We are incredibly proud of the way that our 765cc triple engine has redefined the Moto2™ category, making it faster, more competitive and better sounding. To have achieved so many lap records, and a top speed equivalent to more than 100km/h per cylinder, is something we are very satisfied with since Triumph started powering the class from the 2019 season. When there’s such a fundamental change to a category everyone embarks upon a journey of learning – the riders and teams in terms of becoming attuned to the characteristics of the triple and optimising the overall package of engine, electronics, and tyres, and us as Triumph in terms of performance potential and reliability. We have achieved very nearly 1 million competitive kilometres on the current-spec 765cc Moto2™ engine and that gives us enormous confidence as we take this next step to give the riders something they all want – more revs and more power. We look forward to seeing yet more lap records fall as lap times get faster, and how more power gives riders more freedom to create overtaking opportunities and are excited to begin the next chapter of Moto2™ powered by Triumph.”
Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Managing Director, added: “Since the start of the Triumph era in Moto2™, we’ve been very satisfied with the performance of the Triumph 765cc triple and the lap records speak for themselves. It’s important that Moto2™ is a spectacle in its own right and that it provides a relevant platform to develop the next generation of MotoGP riders and this new announcement of more engine power goes even further in achieving both of those objectives. We’re very happy with the work of Triumph in powering Moto2™ and to see the way that they are constantly evaluating and improving.”
