Ducati finally getting it together

[Spidey]

Ducati seems to be getting it's shit together in MotoGP, no?  It's not just Hayden.  Esparago, Kallio and now Barbera are doing ok (not great, but ok) on the bike. 

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/154626/1/barbera_top_250_rookie_at_valencia_test.html

It's a far different situation than the beginning of '09 when Casey was up front and everyone else was waaaaaaaay back.  I wonder how much of that is specifically b/c of Hayden's input or how much is from Ducati finally realizing that they had to develop a bike that others could ride. 

[desmoquattro]

I hope he runs mid pack to the front. Can't wait to see him pull all those loco moves on a GP bike

It's definitely nice to see someone else be comfortable on the Duc. But two seconds is a long way, and I suspect that's where the discomfort starts.

[derby]

It's a far different situation than the beginning of '09 when Casey was up front and everyone else was waaaaaaaay back.  I wonder how much of that is specifically b/c of Hayden's input or how much is from Ducati finally realizing that they had to develop a bike that others could ride. 

i wouldn't say those two things are mutually exclusive.

i think troy's test session opened their eyes that maybe they needed to go a different direction.

beyond that, i'd venture a guess that the current line of "make-it-friendlier-to-ride" development has been centered around nicky since stoner can apparently ride around all the issues.

[gm2]

i've heard "power delivery issue" a thousand times re the duc GP bikes.  and that is the primary thing that both stoner and hayden have been saying is better so far about the GP10.

[Spidey]

I didn't think they were mutually exclusive.  I was just wondering how much of that is Nicky's ability to develop a bike.  Rossi is great at it, and I always thought--with no really basis--that Nicky was poor at it (he can ride the hell out of an already developed bike though).  Which is why Rossi should go to Ducati.

i've heard "power delivery issue" a thousand times re the duc GP bikes.  and that is the primary thing that both stoner and hayden have been saying is better so far about the GP10.

I thought it was front (or was it rear?) feel and struggles with warming the tires.  Is that fuel delivery issue turn-exit pumping or pogo-ing they were talking about earlier in the season?  Either way, good to see them actually developing a bike that is less of a career-killer.

[EvilSteve]

Sorry if I missed it but were all the Ducati riders on GP10s?

[gm2]

Sorry if I missed it but were all the Ducati riders on GP10s?

without looking (aka i'm not really sure) i know for sure that at least kallio was on something very new'ish.  incl an aluminum swingarm.

[Speeddog]

without looking (aka i'm not really sure) i know for sure that at least kallio was on something very new'ish.  incl an aluminum swingarm.

This link:
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2009/Pramac+have+high+hopes+for+2010

Makes it *sound* like they were still on '09 machines.

[gm2]

i know i saw something about kallio and an aluminum swingarm.  i don't claim to know anything else. 

[EvilSteve]

I would suspect that none of them were on GP10s except for the factory team. They've been switching back and forward between the aluminum and CF swing arms for a while so I think that's not an indicator that they were on GP10s necessarily.

[rockaduc]

I would suspect that none of them were on GP10s except for the factory team. They've been switching back and forward between the aluminum and CF swing arms for a while so I think that's not an indicator that they were on GP10s necessarily.

IIRC, Stoner said the CF swing arm was too stiff and the rear tire wouldn't get up to temp on some tracks.