In 2013 Colin Edwards raced his last full season in MotoGP on the FTR Kawasaki for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team. That CRT (Claiming Rule Teams) MotoGP machine will be auctioned next February.
We all had a good laugh about it at the time, but much of what has been introduced to MotoGP since then has had its origins in the CRT, the Claiming Rule Teams introduced by Dorna to make it easier as a result of the global credit crisis to give a boost to the sharply reduced starting field.
The idea behind the CRT machines was to enable private teams with smaller budgets to compete in MotoGP. CRTs were given 12 engines per driver per season, double that of the MotoGP teams, and were also allowed to run with more petrol (24 instead of 21 litres).
The bicycle part could be developed in-house, the block had to be purchased from a factory for € 15,000 – € 20,000 including transmission. Thanks to the CRT machines, the starting field received a huge boost in 2012.
Colin Edwards had switched from Tech3 Yamaha that year to Forward Racing, which made its comeback in the premier class of road racing motorsport under the new CRT regulations with a Suter chassis, in which the engine of the BMW S 1000 RR was mounted.
In 2013, Colin Edwards stayed with Forward Racing, which had switched from BMW to Kawasaki for the 2013 CRT machine. The engine of the ZX-10R was overhauled by the French Kawasaki specialist Akira, resulting in a top power of more than 245 hp and a weight of 157 kilos, good for a top speed of more than 325 km/h (still more than 20 km/h slower than factory MotoGP machines).
The 2013 racer offered for auction, with which Colin Edwards raced his last full season in MotoGP (in 2014 he retired mid-season), was the last race of the 2013 season in Valencia of a new ZX-10R block provided.
The machine was purchased by the current owner in 2015, who made some modifications to the original Tyco race set-up. A kit Kawasaki Superbike cylinder head with accompanying ECU has been mounted, instead of the Magneti system with which the machine was equipped at the time.
Thanks to this adjustment, it is now possible to drive the machine without a data engineer having to be present to assist you. The package is still quite comprehensive, however, and includes traction control, power maps, a pit lane limiter, anti-wheelie, launch control and an HM display.
The original Magneti Marelli GP kit, including throttle bodies, lambda sensors, engine sensors, display and all associated parts, is included with the machine and can therefore be rebuilt if desired. The standard Magneti software would be introduced to MotoGP machines a few years later.
At the time Bridgestone Battlax tires were raced in MotoGP, but the machine offered for auction is now shod on 16.5″ Dunlop tyres. The Brembo carbon brakes are currently fitted, but a set of steel brake discs is also included.
The FTR racer will be auctioned at next year’s London Motorcycle Show, which takes place February 17-19. More information on the Silverstone Auctions website. The machine is expected to fetch between £35,000 and £40,000.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.