Ducati out of MotoGP? Interesting speculative article

[Drunken Monkey]

I doubt the race motors have guide wear issues.

Which does bring up a question I've been dying to know the answer to: What constitutes a "new" motor per GP rules?

Cases? Top end? Crank?

Or is like the "unlimited modification" rule that allowed folks to melt down a Harley motor and build a different motor out of that motor's metal and still call it a Harley motor?

[Speeddog]

Which does bring up a question I've been dying to know the answer to: What constitutes a "new" motor per GP rules?

~~~SNIP~~~

During the racing season?

Any motor that's presented to Tech Inspection, passes, and is sealed.

AFAIK, they're allowed to service the clutch and swap trans ratios/parts.
But other than that, hands off.

Derby or another rules boffin may have a more correct definition.....

[OT]

I'm pretty sure the engineers understand the materials...

just as the bean counters know the costs of those materials.

I doubt the race motors have guide wear issues.

Hard to believe that valve-guide prices on a production MC make much difference in the manufacturing cost - besides, it cost them more in the long run to honor the warranties (in some cases) than it would have if they had done it right in the first place.  If cost were the key consideration, then all the UJMs that don't have valve-guide issues should cost more than they (and a Duc) do.

[ducatiz]

Hard to believe that valve-guide prices on a production MC make much difference in the manufacturing cost - besides, it cost them more in the long run to honor the warranties (in some cases) than it would have if they had done it right in the first place.  If cost were the key consideration, then all the UJMs that don't have valve-guide issues should cost more than they (and a Duc) do.

re: warranty.  They only have to last 2 years. 

if the difference in cost between a 10 yr and a 2yr +1 day guide is 20% you can bet they will go for the cheaper one.