2002 marked a pivotal year for Grand Prix motorcycle racing. For decades, race teams turned to two-stroke race machines for their compact construction and favorable power-to-weight ratio. Emissions standards all but killed street-legal two-strokes by the mid-’80s, but Grand Prix racing clung to tradition until the 2001 season.
In 2002, organizing body Dorna Sports adapted to the changing consumer landscape by transitioning the premier class away from 500cc two-strokes and toward 990cc four-stroke machines. Dorna marked the four-stroke era by rebranding the top category as MotoGP and allowed manufacturers to produce the 990cc engines with three- to six-cylinder configurations.
