Ducati Monster Forum

....that Ducati comes out in the 2012 season with a rocketship of a motor firing out of the gate like they did in 2007?...not talking the chassis here, as we are all up in the air with conjecture....but the motor and top speed, because I seem to recall the GP7 being an animal out of the corners in terms of speed in a similar fashion to what the RC212V was last year...

Making a rocketship isn't a problem for any manufacturer...it's getting that power to the ground that's the problem. Hence the Chassis.

And fuel consumption.

What they said. [thumbsup]

We just need to wait 1 more day to hear results of the testing. I'm sure that we will not get that much out of the first day, more likely worst times than Valencia, but I'm hoping they can get their act together to be closer to the 1/2 second rather than 1.5.

Even this year, Ducati was constantly setting highest top speeds at various tracks. Power they have, the rest of the package needs to catch up.

Ducati = Power + Top end speed

Yamaha = Handling + Rider feedback

Honda = Balanced package

Suzuki = Blue paint

The Suzuki was showing signs of improvement, but you need $$$ to go faster and they were not willing to pay to play.

I thought Bautista turned in a good last half of the season on the Suzook after he was healed up. Honestly I am surprised he didn't pull off an unexpected third place finish somewhere. Hey... it could have happened! [laugh] And no Suzook would not pony up the cash and development needed for those third place finishes and obviously people are smoking more pot in bongs and pipes or Rizla would have coughed (yes... it's a pun!) up the coin! ;D

The new aluminum MotoGP Duc. Wonder if it will also have the swelling plastic tank? [laugh]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Jan/120130d17.htm (http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Jan/120130d17.htm)

Am I the only one left wondering what was so bad about the steel trellis frame that it required a massive carbon fiber overhaul? [popcorn]

Maybe Rossi can join the class action suit! [popcorn]

Only thing that readily comes to mind is that it limited the volume of the airbox. 

I know Stoner and Hayden had lots of front end issues and crashes. But was that really because of the trellis frame or maybe the spec Bridgestone front tire? I'm sure Ducati didn't want to get all medieval on Bridgestone in the press because they are a huge sponsor for the series. Can't do that. I'm sure DORNA would be all over your ass if anyone complained about the tires. But I'd bet the farm that the spec 'stone front tire has a lot to do with Ducati's problems. Everyone else's bike seems to be OK with it.

Probably more that the carbon "front end" had no feel, and that the riders didn't trust loading it up when going into the corners.

That's what I remember reading.

I'd also heard that there was too much variation btwn bike frames since there were so many welds.  That primary and secondary bikes could feel different because of that and could need different set ups.  Not to mention that it started to needs so much bracing to achieve the needed stiffness that they were running out of room to put things.

Who gives a shit about their airbox when you are crashing losing the front end? The Duc's weren't slow so did they really need a bigger airbox? Staying up on two wheels and not falling off due to front end feel (or the lack of it) seems a lot more important than airbox volume. Did anyone actually hear the riders complain that they were crashing or two seconds off the pace due to an airbox that was too small? Rhetorical question. Of course they didn't. But they can't complain about their team or the Bridgestones either. No win situation. [bang] :P [roll]

Hopefully the out-sourced metal frame will help them out. They could use a break. This time next year Vale will be racing rally cars if they don't get their shit together. ;)

Don't forget, Ducati was building the "perfect bike" at that time, and it was the rider's fault if they couldn't win on it.

A well-designed airbox is as important to making HP as a well-designed chassis is to quickly getting around corners.

Kevin Cameron wrote about this years ago.  There seems to have been a similar progression in the late 70s/80s when tire development yielded much-better grip (and they also let-go without warning) and chassis design had to follow to keep riders from wearing out their 'leathers'.  Seems that Ducati's attempts with the stressed-member/CF chassis were just in the wrong direction for this era in MotoGP - who knows, but it might be the correct technology in some future scenario.