Valencia test

[gm2]

2pm roundup -- stoner, pedro, spies, rossi:  http://motomatters.com/results/2011/11/08/2011_valencia_post_race_test_times_at_2p.html

[desmoquattro]

LCR's former rider Randy de Puniet is also out on track, but this time on the Suzuki 800. No decision has yet been made on the factory's future involvement, but Paul Denning and the team are soldiering on in the hope of persuading Suzuki top management to fund the program for next year.

Suzuki...still non-committal...

[gm2]

http://www.motogp.com/en/photos/latest+photos

[desmoquattro]

http://www.motogp.com/en/photos/latest+photos

Awesome pics!

Sorry Vale...praying won't make that thing go any faster...

[gm2]

Sorry Vale...praying won't make that thing go any faster...

if the intention was to change *nothing* about the bike except the frame material, 4th fastest aint too bad.  esp since corse refuses to even call that bike the GP12 yet.

[desmoquattro]

if the intention was to change *nothing* about the bike except the frame material, 4th fastest aint too bad.  esp since corse refuses to even call that bike the GP12 yet.

We can only hope...

[Raux]

if the intention was to change *nothing* about the bike except the frame material, 4th fastest aint too bad.  esp since corse refuses to even call that bike the GP12 yet.

this isn't just frame material. this is a full perimeter AL frame with the engine not a stressed member.

[gm2]

this isn't just frame material. this is a full perimeter AL frame with the engine not a stressed member.

i know...

this is what i was referring to: 

The goal of such a move is to create a baseline, a starting point for the work that is to come. The first task of the aluminium perimeter frame is to replicate the existing frameless design, to understand the changes as Ducati moves forward on this new path. "At this stage, we would like just to realize a bike with a different kind of chassis but with exactly the same geometry and weight distribution as the current bike uses," Preziosi explained.

[gm2]

http://motomatters.com/results/2011/11/08/2011_valencia_post_race_day_1_test_times.html

[desmoquattro]

http://motomatters.com/results/2011/11/08/2011_valencia_post_race_day_1_test_times.html

Pos    No    Rider    Bike    Time    Diff    Diff previous
1    26    Dani Pedrosa    Honda    1:32.186         
2    27    Casey Stoner    Honda    1:32.322    0.136    0.136
3    11    Ben Spies    Yamaha    1:33.226    1.040    0.904
4    14    Randy de Puniet    Suzuki    1:33.544    1.358    0.318
5    35    Cal Crutchlow    Yamaha    1:33.652    1.466    0.108
6    46    Valentino Rossi    Ducati    1:33.857    1.671    0.205
7    4    Andrea Dovizioso    Yamaha    1:33.859    1.673    0.002
8    8    Hector Barbera    Ducati    1:34.174    1.988    0.315
9    0    Stefan Bradl    Honda 800    1:34.330    2.144    0.156
10    17    Karel Abraham    Ducati    1:34.393    2.207    0.063
11    69    Franco Battaini    Ducati    1:35.371    3.185    0.978
12    0    Kousuke Akiyoshi    Honda    1:35.728    3.542    0.357
13    22    Ivan Silva    BQR Inmotec    1:37.159    4.973    1.431
14    31    Carmelo Morales    Suter BMW    1:38.989    6.803    1.830
15    0    Gianluca Nannelli    Gapam BMW    1:39.173    6.987    0.184
16    0    Federico Sandi    Gapam BMW    1:39.827    7.641    0.654

I suppose I shouldn't be discouraged that the 800cc Zuke is faster than the 1000cc Ducati...new chassis and all. But damn...

[derby]

I suppose I shouldn't be discouraged that the 800cc Zuke is faster than the 1000cc Ducati...new chassis and all. But damn...

you shouldn't be... the guy on the suzuki is "interviewing" and the guy on the ducati is going through a test program.

[zooom]

WELL....Val's qualy time for the race was a mere 1:33.478....now...taking into account that was 2011 spec qualy tires, and his FP3 before the race disaster was a 1:34.268...then there is SOME improvement....

[gm2]

I suppose I shouldn't be discouraged that the 800cc Zuke is faster than the 1000cc Ducati...new chassis and all. But damn...

they aren't expecting it to be faster, yet.

But even as he made the announcement, Preziosi stressed that this frame - an aluminium twin spar design - was very much a starting point, rather than the finished product ready to race. "The bike you will see tomorrow with the perimeter frame will be not the bike for the first race," Preziosi told reporters. "The bike you will see tomorrow is an experimental bike, really a prototype bike, to give to our designer the targets to design bike of the future."

The goal of such a move is to create a baseline, a starting point for the work that is to come. The first task of the aluminium perimeter frame is to replicate the existing frameless design, to understand the changes as Ducati moves forward on this new path. "At this stage, we would like just to realize a bike with a different kind of chassis but with exactly the same geometry and weight distribution as the current bike uses," Preziosi explained.

Ducati was not expecting a step in performance, Ducati's MotoGP boss emphasized, as they knew that the existing geometry and weight distribution will need to be changed going into the future. But following good engineering practice, they were changing just one variable at a time, to eliminate any interfering factors from the data.


that said, nice one RdP!

[desmoquattro]

they aren't expecting it to be faster, yet.

But even as he made the announcement, Preziosi stressed that this frame - an aluminium twin spar design - was very much a starting point, rather than the finished product ready to race. "The bike you will see tomorrow with the perimeter frame will be not the bike for the first race," Preziosi told reporters. "The bike you will see tomorrow is an experimental bike, really a prototype bike, to give to our designer the targets to design bike of the future."

The goal of such a move is to create a baseline, a starting point for the work that is to come. The first task of the aluminium perimeter frame is to replicate the existing frameless design, to understand the changes as Ducati moves forward on this new path. "At this stage, we would like just to realize a bike with a different kind of chassis but with exactly the same geometry and weight distribution as the current bike uses," Preziosi explained.

Ducati was not expecting a step in performance, Ducati's MotoGP boss emphasized, as they knew that the existing geometry and weight distribution will need to be changed going into the future. But following good engineering practice, they were changing just one variable at a time, to eliminate any interfering factors from the data.


that said, nice one RdP!

you shouldn't be... the guy on the suzuki is "interviewing" and the guy on the ducati is going through a test program.

I know, I know, I know...but still...it still like that first time you found out that there was no Santa Claus...no matter how rational the explanation, you can't help but feel let down.

[gm2]

I know, I know, I know...but still...it still like that first time you found out that there was no Santa Claus...no matter how rational the explanation, you can't help but feel let down.

imagine how valentino felt all year