How much does a MotoGP bike cost? An astonishing amount

We see them darting around the track during a race weekend, beautiful in shape and colour, but above all fast and increasingly high-performance and technological. They are prototypes after all, and thus require every possible expedient. And hence, the MotoGP package is astonishingly expensive. More or less the cost of a flat for mere mortals. Not to mention the crash scenario that sees the bike smashed into a thousand pieces. Here’s what the MotoGP bikes cost…

3 million Euro to compete in a MotoGP season

No one had any doubt that the figure was high, but the costs that teams pay out for their prototypes are pretty staggering. For bikes in the top class, we’re talking somewhere between €200,000 and €250,000, just for the engine. That’s just the start though and, to participate in a full season, for the bikes alone, a factory teams spends something like 3 million Euro. It’s a different case for satellite teams, which pay two million for two bikes per rider, but spare parts must be added on top of this. Of course, you then have to add everything relating to the electronics, where the sensors, cables and panels can cost up to €100,000. The cost of the brakes is controlled, the FIM having fixed the front brake kit price at €70,000 (excluding tax), the kit comprising three pairs of callipers, three cylinders, ten carbon discs and 28 pads.

In case of accidents, the figures go through the roof

But things get really serious when there’s an accident. You’ve seen a rider have a small crash on the asphalt and it looks like there’s no serious damage? Well, in those cases, the team throws away about €20,000 to repair levers or the rear brake. And if there’s a big crash? Like a highside where the rider is thrown into the air and the bike tumbles in the gravel, disintegrating into thousands of tiny pieces? If that happens, then the figure reaches around €100,000, practically half the cost of a new bike. In those cases, important parts such as the tyres, brake discs, suspension, radiator and sensors need to be repaired. But if there is damage to the swingarm, frame, electronics or tank, the repairs can cost up to half a million Euro.

Honda sums up season costs

As well as bike costs, Honda wanted to provide travel costs too, and this is no joke either. We’re talking €1200 for each member of the MotoGP team for each race. That means spending almost €700,000 for a team of 30 people. Essentially, every aspect of the spectacular show that is MotoGP involves significant costs. We knew this, but seeing a detailed breakdown of the figures makes our head spin! And we haven’t even mentioned the tyres, the most expensive part - Michelin spends more than 1.2 million Euro for each race.

Translated by Heather Watson

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