MotoGP's four-stroke era began with 990cc prototypes in 2002, replacing the 500cc two-stroke bikes in the premier class of motorcycle racing. Further rule changes reduced the engine capacity to 800cc in 2007, then increased to 1000cc again in 2012. In spite of these, MotoGP has always provided excitement with close racing and non-stop action across the grid.
The field just got even tighter in 2021, along with BMW M revealing a new lineup of safety cars for the new season. It's too hard to bet on a rider to dominate the series these days, especially as we saw Joan Mir take the MotoGP title for Suzuki, despite only winning a single race last year.
But there were, of course, notable bikes that seemed to have a clear edge against its rivals throughout the years of the MotoGP. Let's take a look at them.
10 Yamaha YZR M1 - 109 wins
Perhaps the best handling bike of the MotoGP thanks to its inline-4 engine configuration and nimble chassis, the Yamaha YZR-M1 has been around since 2002.
Most of its wins came from Valentino Rossi, with him taking four of his seven titles on board this machine in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009.
9 Honda RC213V - 81 wins
Honda's challenger for 2021 is still the RC213V, the 1000cc prototype that has been around since 2012. Its raw power due to its V4 engine and daredevil riders like Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, and Marc Marquez were the reason for its 81 wins in the premier class.
It's not an easy bike to ride, but at the hands of a talented rider, this bike can dominate as no other bike can. We expect the RC213V's win totals to increase this year, especially with the return of Marquez this season after a year's absence due to an injury.
8 Honda RC211V - 48 wins
The Honda RC211V started the dawn of the new era of MotoGP. It used a V5 engine, three cylinders in front and two in the rear at a 75-degree angle which made it not just high-powered, but also a balanced bike to ride.
14 wins in 16 races in its debut season proved that this bike is the class of the field. At the end of the 990cc era in 2006, Nicky Hayden took his only MotoGP drivers' championship onboard the RC211V, beating Valentino Rossi in the final round at Valencia.
7 Honda RC212V - 26 wins
In 2007, FIM reduced the engine capacity of MotoGP bikes to 800cc. And with it, the RC212V was born. It may have been less powerful than the all-conquering RC211V, but it posted similar times on the track due to it being a better handling bike.
The bike won 26 races from 2007 to 2011. Casey Stoner clinched his second MotoGP title riding the RC212V, and it was the bike that Marco Simoncelli was riding when he got killed in the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.
6 Ducati Desmosedici GP7 - 11 wins
There's no other bike that came from the Bologna factory that was as successful as the Desmosedici GP7. It remains the only bike that won Ducati the MotoGP riders' and manufacturers' championship.
Ducati took advantage of the 2007 season rule changes in producing a Bologna bullet, with such a powerful engine allowing it to accelerate away from its rivals Honda and Yamaha. The duo of Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi combined to take 11 race wins in the 2007 season, with Stoner crowned as the riders' champion.
5 Ducati Desmosedici GP18 - 7 wins
Like its predecessors, the Desmosedici GP18 possessed a powerful engine. However, Ducati's engineers hit the sweet spot in this bike, improving its rideability and handling for the 2018 season.
These changes allowed Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso to rack up 7 wins for the Bologna factory. However, this was not enough as the Marc Marquez and Honda combination was too much to beat for the Italian squad.
4 Ducati Desmosedici GP8, GP17 - 6 wins
These two Bologna bullets had what it takes to win a Grand Prix. However, it just wasn't enough to give Ducati a championship. Casey Stoner came up short defending his title in 2008 riding the Desmosedici GP8 when he got beaten by Valentino Rossi and the Yamaha M1 despite 6 wins in the season.
The GP17 was a turning point for Ducati after a drought in race wins from 2011 to 2015, bringing back the Italian squad's competitiveness by taking 6 race wins for the season. Andrea Dovizioso led the charge and took the fight to Marc Marquez for the title, ultimately finishing as runner-up.
3 Suzuki GSX-RR - 5 wins
Suzuki's comeback effort in MotoGP came to be with the introduction of the GSX-RR prototype bike in 2014, replacing the GSV-R.
It lacks power compared to its rivals Honda and Ducati, but like Yamaha, the bike uses an inline-4 engine layout, making it a very nimble bike to ride. That characteristic took Joan Mir to the 2020 title by being the most consistent rider throughout the season.
2 Ducati Desmosedici GP9 - 4 wins
The 2009 season saw the Ducati's straight-line speed advantage of the 800cc era cut down by its rivals Yamaha and Honda. And with it, fewer wins came in the form of the GP9.
Despite 2006 champion Nicky Hayden joining the Italian squad, Ducati did not pose a serious challenge to the superior rideability of the Yamaha M1 and the riding genius of Valentino Rossi as he successfully defended his title, beating teammate Jorge Lorenzo.
1 Ducati Desmosedici GP10 - 3 wins
Ducati continued on with the introduction of the GP10 with a new cylinder firing order layout. The previous 800cc bikes of Ducati used screamer engines noted for their high-pitched sound. For the 2010 season, the team switched to a big bang firing order, making the power delivery smoother and made the bike more rideable.
Despite this, the Ducati team still came up short in the 2010 season and with fewer wins. Casey Stoner only managed to win three times in his final season as he joined the Repsol Honda squad for 2011.