The MotoGP Japanese round takes place at the Mobility Resort Motegi and we're here as always to show you our best setup for Japan in MotoGP 23!
We're so impressed by MotoGP 23 and we showed exactly why in our full review. MotoGP 23 is probably our pick for the best motorbike game of the year so far, but it's not easy to get the hang of.
In MotoGP 23's Single Player Career Mode, Round 15 of your first full season takes place in Japan. Japan is home to some of the best bike manufacturers in the world, with Honda being the most notable example.
The Japanese Grand Prix is on the game's full calendar, but isn't featured on the short calendar. Here's our setup guide for Motegi in MotoGP 23!
MotoGP 23 Japan setup
The Japanese Grand Prix has been a fixture on the MotoGP calendar since 1987. The race was also run in the 1960s at both Suzuka and Fuji, but found a permanent home at Suzuka in the 80s.
Motegi was constructed in time for the 1999 race and the Grand Prix moved to her permanently in 2004. Motegi is a serious challenge for motorbike riders and is considered to be one of the toughest circuits on the calendar.
Starting with the tyres, we think that you should go for a Medium on the front and a Hard on the rear axle. This will give you good and consistent levels of grip through the race without having to conserve your tyres.
A Medium tyre on the rear would mean that you need to tyre save going into the final laps of the race, so we don't recommend it.
Suspension
Front pre-load needs to be low at 3 to allow for more consistent steering through the high-speed corners in the final sectors. Oil quality should be slightly higher at 4, with the front spring hardness up at 5.
The front fork compression is best at 1, with the fork extension all the way up at 7.
On the rear, the rear pre-load should be at 1, with the Swingarm connector at 4. Spring hardness should also be at 3, with shock absorber compression low at 1 and the extension all the way up at 7.
Vehicle geometry
For your Vehicle Geometry, the steering head inclination should be down at 1 to allow for more responsive steering.
The trail should also be low at 1 but the steering plate needs up slightly to 3. Lastly, the rear swingarm length needs to be around 3.
Transmission
Your gears should be slightly higher on the whole to allow for more controlled acceleration around Motegi. The exception to this though, is first gear, which should be at the minimum setting for better acceleration out of the hairpins.
The slipper clutch should be at 4 to help the bike's steering responsiveness.
Brake System
In Japan, there are a few long braking zones at the end of the pit and back straights. So, we're recommending the 340 mm high mass front brake and the 220 mm rear brakes for your Motegi setup.
ECU
As usual, electronic aids that are available to you in MotoGP definitely come in handy here. You'll need to turn all of them up quite high to keep your bike on the road. Traction Control is best at 4, as there are numerous big traction zones around here.
Engine Braking should also be cranked up to 4 in order to shave speed around the long corners. Anti-wheelie should be down at 3 though, as this is a relatively flat circuit.
Power mapping is best at 3 for a flying lap, but you'll need to turn this around during some points in the race. This is to save the engine and fuel.
All of these can be adjusted out on track using the HUD in the bottom-right of the screen.