MotoGP™ never stops innovating. Factories are constantly evolving their engineering philosophies to push the boundaries of creativity, while working within the rules and regulations of the sport.
In recent years, the MotoGP™ holeshot device has been one such creation that has significantly impacted MotoGP™. First used towards the end of the 2018 season by Ducati, it has since become a standard integration on all MotoGP™ motorcycles. It has helped revolutionise the way bikes launch at the start of a race.
With the key aim of reducing wheelies at the start of the race, a phenomenon that costs riders valuable momentum, the holeshot device lowers the bike's height and therefore its centre of gravity. It is another example of mechanical ingenuity from MotoGP™ engineers.
What Is a Holeshot Device?
A MotoGP™ holeshot device is a mechanical solution, activated by a rider just before the start of a MotoGP™ race, which allows the ground clearance height of the motorcycle to be manually lowered.
It locks the bike’s suspension into a lowered position, which helps torque and improves the momentum required to get a fast start from a standing position by minimising wheelies. Simply put, it allows a rider to apply the maximum power available without compromising traction or control, which can both suffer when a bike wheelies.
A MotoGP bike’s electronics also cut power when a bike’s front wheel starts to lift - another factor that’s counteracted by the holeshot device.
The holeshot in the name refers to the much-coveted first position at the apex of the first corner of a race, an advantage that can help make or break the opening lap - and race - of a rider.
Being first into the opening turn of the race has several benefits, and it is fiercely contested. The holeshot device gives a rider the best possible chance of performing their launch as quickly as possible with minimal adverse side effects.
The term “holeshot” originated in motocross racing, where prizes are awarded to the first rider to cross a marked line at the first corner. Mechanical devices to combat wheelies have been used in the sport for many years.
How Does a Holeshot Device Work?
When the rider is on the start line for a race and prepares for the start procedure, they will use their body weight on the bike to push down and compress the suspension. By turning a lever on the top of their bike’s triple clamp, the rider engages the holeshot device, which locks the suspension in its compressed state.
When everything runs to plan, the device is disengaged automatically under the force of braking in the first corner and then remains unused for the remainder of the race, as per MotoGP™ regulations. Its sole function and use is for the start of the race. It’s a mechanical device and does not operate with electronics, as stated in the rules of MotoGP™.
Front vs. Rear Holeshot Device
The MotoGP™ holeshot device can be applied to both the front and rear of the motorcycle, with each having different practical reasons, including the compression method, the amount of suspension that can be compressed, and the ease of use and application.
The concept is the same for both, in that it compresses the suspension, and the method of engagement is similar too. The significant difference between front and rear is that the front can only be engaged for the race start, and not during the race, whereas the rear device can be used in-race. More information on that (known as the ride height device) can be found below.
Benefits of the Holeshot Device
The advantages gained from the holeshot device are multiple. By lowering the bike’s centre of gravity, the maximum viable acceleration can be applied because the limiting factor for acceleration off the start line is wheelie.
Likewise, with its application to the rear of the motorcycle, traction and torque improve off the start line, which translates into better power transfer and faster speed. Improved stability and feel are both essential elements that help a rider from the very start.
The reduction of wheelie, aside from the benefits mentioned above, also limits the power-restrictive electronics from kicking in. Throughout a race, the bike’s complex electronics system reduces or cuts power when the bike wheelies. Therefore, eliminating this at the start means that no power is diminished.
With the overall objective of the MotoGP™ launch device being to give the rider the best possible start and position into Turn 1, the knock-on effects are multiple. Being first, or higher in the race order, into and out of the first corner can help a rider avoid risks at the bottleneck of Turn 1, and give them a clearer run of the lap depending on the number of riders in front of them. This can be critical in the opening seconds of a race.
Holeshot vs. ride height device
The MotoGP™ holeshot device is only permitted to be used at the start of the race, to aid with the specific scenario encountered from a static start. It is a single-use system, lowering the bike noticeably more than the ride height device and is automatically disengaged upon heavy braking.
The Ride height device can be used during the race. It uses the same mechanical process as the holeshot device and indeed started life as the application of holeshot devices mid-race, before rules were implemented to only allow its application to the rear of the bike during the race.
Ride height devices can be used multiple times throughout the race. It is controlled by the rider using a switch, both to activate and deactivate, to help control wheelies out of corners and onto long straights.
In summary, both have the same effect, with the main difference being when and how often each can be used in a MotoGP™ race.
Controversy and Future Regulation
As with many innovative interpretations of the MotoGP™ rules and regulations and the solutions that manufacturers bring to the racetrack, holeshot devices have not been without their controversies.
Safety concerns have arisen when riders are unable to disengage their holeshot devices in instances where the automatic disengagement feature does not trigger. This can happen when the braking forces into the first corner do not reach the required levels to trip the device, or even due to mechanical malfunctions.
At the 2025 British Grand Prix, Enea Bastianini was forced to ride the entire first lap with the holeshot device engaged. “I made the first lap with the front device activated, and it was impossible to take out,” he said after the race. “I don't know if we have tried to go a bit lower, but it was impossible for me to remove it.”
In the same race, 2025 World Championship runner-up Alex Márquez crashed at Turn 1 and said it was due to "the devices and being too optimistic".
One issue that has driven debate, especially among riders, is the danger caused by some riders braking excessively hard into the first turn of a race, in an attempt to ensure they deactivate their holeshot devices. This can cause risks to the riders following in their wake.
From 2027, all devices that modify ride height will be banned, bringing to an end the use of holeshot and ride height devices. Safety concerns, performance, competition considerations and cost have all contributed to this decision.
Impact on Race Starts and Strategy
MotoGP™ start devices have undoubtedly had an impact on rider performance, especially in cases where they have malfunctioned, influencing how a rider handles their bike until the issue is resolved. The wheelie control imposed by the device has also removed an element of challenge that riders who competed without had to deal with when battling a rising front on the start straight.
As previously mentioned, it has also affected braking into Turn 1, with numerous implications.
Different manufacturers and teams have utilised the device in varying ways, creating another area where gains or losses are made in MotoGP™. Each developed their own proprietary system with different activation methods and, importantly, levels of compression based on other intricate performance and engineering aspects of their respective bikes. Ducati led the way, introducing its system in 2018, with others following suit, and Suzuki was the final manufacturer to deploy a system in 2021.
Holeshot devices also influence specific areas of race strategy, with weight and reliability both coming into consideration, as well as the additional wear on tyres and brakes due to adjusted braking techniques.
There are also track-specific scenarios in which the first turn is not slow enough to merit the use of the device: Phillip Island’s layout is one example where a fast Turn 1 negates the need for a holeshot device on some bikes.
Holeshot devices – innovation at the pinnacle
A relatively modern development, and one which will soon no longer be permitted, holeshot devices have become another example of the kind of continual and evolving innovation that makes MotoGP™ the pinnacle of motorcycle racing.
A genuine rider aid, but not without their own risks and problems, holeshot devices rapidly changed the approach to race starts in MotoGP™.