MotoGP rear ride-height sy🙈stems have already morphed from one-off use at the start of a race to being repeatedly activated under hard acceleration onto long straights.

But the most advanced systems are now starting to go from 'manual' to 'autoജmatic'.

The manual systems – still in use by most teams - instan♒tly lower the bike whenever the rider pulls a lever on the exit of a corner (then reset under hard braking for✱ the following turn).

The new versions are instead thought to allow the rider to activate the system before the corner and then - using ꧃hydraulic and mechanical connectors, 🌳combined with weight transfer from braking to acceleration - let the bike automatically lower itself on the exit.

Suspicions that Ducati, at the forefront of the wheelie-reducing holeshot and ride-height systems, had made such a breakthrough were reinforced whe🦹n this year's technical rules covering suspensions and dampers tripled in size.

Previously, the rules simply statedღ that no 'electronic controlled suspension, ride height and steering damp🅷er systems' were allowed, adding: 'Adjustments to the suspension and steering damper systems may only be made by manual human inputs and mechanical/hydraulic adjusters.'

But the new text also clarified that adjustments can be 'passively determined by forces/displacements directly transmitted by mechanical/hydr🅠aulic connections (e.g. suspension position, load, acceleration, pitch… may be used as mechanical triggers of a passive adjustment)🐓.

'For example, ride height systems that operate on collapsible elements that collapseꦰ/exte🎉nd under the load they are subjected to, and are locked/unlocked by the rider and/or by mechanically-triggered locks are allowed.'

In othe💧r words, the exact timing of when the suspension linkages 'collapse/extend' to lower or raise the bike can be 'passively' triggered b🍷y weight transfer during braking and acceleration.

The rules also seem to leave the option open for a completely mechanically-t♛riggered ride-height system (without the need for a rider to 𒉰prime the device).

However, unless the need for hard braking to reset th𒅌e suspension has been overcome, there would be a risk that a fully automatic system might deploy out of a slow corner that is followed by a faster turn, leaving the bike 'stuck' in the lowered position.

Eiꩵther way, the appearance of a small hydraulic cylinder behind the lower part of the front fork is thought to be part of the new 'automatic' systems, by 'powering' the rear dro❀p on the exit of the turn.

Aleix Espargaro first tried Aprilia's versio🐟n of an automatic ride-height systꩵem in Austria, before going back to the standard manuജal version at Silverstone.

After qualifying in sixth place, the Spaniard spoke about the 'button' operated automatic device and why he currently prefers the manual method of deployment at Ar꧋agon, which has a tight chicane leading onto the back straight.

Needing to wrestle the bike from right to left through the chicane means t💜here is little time to use the 'automatic' deployment and he finds it easier to just 'manually' drop the rearon the way out of the corner.

"Duca🌜ti invented this, but Aprilia was quicker than all Japanese manufacturers, also KTM, to develop this. They did a very good," Espargaro began. "I had the manual device three or four months ago. I had the - it’s not automatic, but let’s call it automatic device - in Austria. So, we’re still trying.

"At the beginning I had it on the right side, on th🔴e throttle side, which is not easy. Now I have on the left side. But, I don’t really like it on the left either, so now I have both sides automatic and it depends on the track.

"But I prefer to use the manual here. To push an🍎d then remove also a button when you are pushing on the track, it’s very difficult. For example, before the back straight here there is the chicane, so the automatic device was difficult to operate, so I prefer to use the manual.

"As soon as I accelerate, I press it and the bike drops and I have less wheelie. On Friday, I꧅ tried both bikes, automatic and manual, and I decided to stay on the manual."

Regardless of how it is activated, Espargaro was full of prai🥀se for the non-intrusive way in which the RS-GP lowers and then rises back again to its normal position.

"This🐭🌼 [ride height] thing is working very good on the Aprilia, especially when you activate the system the bike accelerates a lot more. You have less wheelie," he said.

"The problem we had at the beginning was that when you b♌rake to remove the system, it was super aggressive and I had some problems on the front.

"Aprilia did a very good job. Now on the brakes I don’t feel if it’s on or off, which is fantastic. So, I can’t wait for the pre-season to decide if I will use the m♐anual or I will use the automatiꦇc on the left or the right [next year].

"I asked Aprilia to modify a little bit the place to make it easier. So, we are working especially toജ make it easier for the rider, but the system is fantastic."

At t♛he other end of the ride-height development scale is Suzuki, which became the sixth and final factory to introduce a rear system aℱfter the summer break in Austria.

While the system initially worked well at the sꦛtop-go Red Bull Ring track, the fine tuning required for the flowing Silverstone circuit saw the device removed from the GSX-RRs.

It was then reinstated for Aragon this weekend, which features a slow chicane onto a long back straight, the🐟 ideal scenario.

But reigning champion Joan Mir felt he had no choice but to remove the device due to braking issues, presumably caused by the ♓𒉰rear of the bike popping up too aggressively when the system disengages.

"To remove ꧂the device is not the [best] way. But we can se𒁃e with the device, at the moment it’s not on the best performance. So we need to improve a lot more the device to use it all the time," explained Mir, who qualified seventh.

"The key of the device is when 💝you use it you don🏅’t have feel that you have it on the bike. At the moment there is a difference. It’s really difficult to stop the bike with the device on the bike.

"I hope to have a new [versio♚n of the] device and soon. I'm probably the only rider on the grid not using the device and it’s free time I’m losing."

Team-mate Alex Rins confirmed he is continuing to use the device, due to the acceleratio🐼n and top speed gains (also due to the lower drag of a 'smaller꧑' bike) on the straights.

Meanwhile, Aprilia's ride-height system is not the only Aragon boost for Espargaro, who alsไo confirmed he has an engine upgrade for th൩is weekend.

"Yes, I used from this morning a new engine with a very small difference from the one that I used at the beginning of the season," he said. "But, I have to💮 say that I’m happy. The acceleration is a li𓂃ttle bit better. Top speed especially in sixth gear especially when I’m alone, not in the draft.

"We still have to improve a little bit, but especially on the acceleration phase, it has a little bit more of power. So it’s always welcome. I know that I will not receive one day to the other one engine gives 15 more horsep🔜ower. So, these small step📖s are more than welcome.

"I c𒈔an’t wait to try it tomorrow in the🍬 race, fighting with the others, with the top guys, to see if the engine will be better, but it looks not bad. Looks promising."