The X3 ''(stylized as the X³)'' is an 800 cc V4 race bike built by

Ilmor Engineering Ilmor is a British independent high-performance motor racing engineering company. It was founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Mic ...

to compete in the 2007

MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...

series. The X3 is the brainchild of Ilmor co-founder

Mario Illien Mario Illien (born 2 August 1949) is a Swiss engineer specialising in motorsport engine design and comes from Chur in the Graubünden, Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Despite living in a country in which motor racing was banned in 1955 (when ...

and former grand prix rider

Eskil Suter Eskil Suter (born 29 June 1967) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and current motorcycle chassis constructor from Switzerland. Motorcycle racing career Born in Turbenthal, Zürich, Switzerland, Suter finished in second place in the 19 ...

of Suter Racing Technology (SRT). Illien used his world championship winning F1 engine experience to design the machine's V4 powerplant, with Suter, who has previously designed Kawasaki's MotoGP chassis, in charge of the twin-spar aluminum frame.

2006 Season

With rider

Garry McCoy Garry McCoy (born 18 April 1972 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional motorcycle racer. He has won races in the 125 cc and 500 cc World Championships, as well as in the Superbike World Championship. He is ...

, the X3 made its debut as a wildcard entry at the 2006 Portuguese Grand Prix and then two weeks later at the 2006 Valencia Grand Prix where the emphasis was more on testing than competition. McCoy exceeded expectations, putting in consistent performances to bring the Ilmor team their first two championship points and the first ever points awarded for an 800 cc capacity bike, though McCoy arrived last in both occasions, four and seven laps down respectively.

2007 Season

McCoy worked as a test rider for on the X3 development team and was expected to ride for Ilmor in 2007, but

Andrew Pitt Andrew Pitt (born 19 February 1976 in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia) is a retired motorcycle racer. He is a double World Supersport Champion, and has also won a World Superbike race and competed in MotoGP. He lives in Peel on the Isle o ...

and

Jeremy McWilliams Jeremy McWilliams (born 4 April 1964 in Belfast) is a former motorcycle road racer from Northern Ireland. McWilliams became ineligible for mainstream racing after the 2014 season due to his age exceeding the 50-year-old cutoff point, but has c ...

were chosen instead.Ilmor Announce 2007 Riders
official Ilmor press release, accessed 18 December 2006 On 15 March 2007 after one race, the team announced that they were taking a break from Moto GP as a result of funding issues.Ilmor pull out of MotoGP temporarily
autosport.com, accessed 15 March 2007 On 30 April they announced that they would run a "slimmed-down" set-up focused purely on engine development, releasing all unnecessary personnel but keeping under contract riders McWilliams and Pitt.
Image:IlmorX3-001.jpg,

riding the Ilmor X3 at the 2006 Valencia Grand Prix. Image:IlmorX3-002.jpg

References

External links

Ilmor Engineering
official site
Ilmor GP
official site Grand Prix motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 2006 {{Motorcycle-racing-stub