Finally,...

[MOKE1K]

THE LIGHTS HAVE FINALLY COME ON AT DUCATI!


Ever since Valentino Rossi ended the first Valencia MotoGP test in lowly 15th place on the Ducati Desmosedici, one-and-three-quarter seconds behind fastest man and former teammate Jorge Lorenzo, there have been calls for radical changes to Ducati's MotoGP machine. Those calls have only intensified as the season has progressed, the switch from the GP11 to the GP11.1, the destroked version of Ducati's 2012 MotoGP machine, having brought little improvement until a few key parts were introduced at Brno.

The focus of much of the fans' anger and the paddock's scepticism has been Ducati's monocoque carbon fiber chassis. Ducati's radically different design has been pinpointed as the obvious culprit for the problems with the Desmosedici, with critics pointing to the success the Japanese factories have had with an aluminium twin spar chassis, as exemplified by Yamaha's Deltabox concept. If Ducati had an aluminium twin spar frame, the argument goes, they would at least be confronting the Japanese on equal footing.

Crucially, the criticism has come not just from outside of Ducati, but both Valentino Rossi and his long-time crew chief Jeremy Burgess as well. Both Rossi and his crew chief have called for Ducati to run a parallel project to design an aluminium chassis to test whether such a chassis would bring an improvement. By running two different projects in parallel, the argument runs, the pace of development of the Desmosedici could greatly increased as the data from the two projects is analyzed.

It appears that Rossi and Burgess are to get their wish. French journalist Thomas Baujard of the magazine Moto Journal has uncovered that Ducati are currently building an aluminium chassis for the Ducati Desmosedici. Construction of the chassis has been farmed out to a third-party chassis builder with many years' experience of fabricating aluminium parts. By contracting the building of the chassis out, Ducati are avoiding the pitfalls that prevented them from embarking on such a project earlier, and which team boss Vito Guareschi continually raised when confronted by Italian journalists: Ducati has never built an aluminium twin spar chassis and has no experience in manufacturing them, and so would be starting with a huge deficit to the Japanese factories.

Ducati Corse General Director Filippo Preziosi remained coy on Monday when he was quizzed about it by reporters. "We are exploring different solutions, though I don't think material is the key point," Preziosi said. He reiterated that the CF chassis was not a point of dogma for Ducati. "We are open-minded. We are ready to use what we believe is better." Preziosi pointed to the fact that Ducati abandoned their iconic V twin configuration for a four-cylinder when they entered MotoGP, explaining that the rules both at the time and currently push motorcycle designers towards the use of a four, whatever their natural preference for engine configuration. "Sometimes you use a solution, the right solution, depending what is writtten in the rules. So for me, we are are open to use what we believe is better."

The move comes after Ducati made a big step forward with the carbon fiber chassis at Brno. Ducati Corse brought a number of new parts to help improve the front end feel of the bike, which also allowed Valentino Rossi to move his position on the bike. The list of revised parts included fork bottoms and steering head bearings, Nicky Hayden told reporters on Saturday night, but they also included the inserts used in the carbon fiber steering head, a fact also uncovered by Moto Journal's Baujard. The aim of the revised inserts was to modify the contact between the steering head stem and the CF frame, altering the feel of the front end by changing the way that information was transmitted from forks through to the chassis.

The parts had given Rossi more confidence in the front end, he said on Saturday. The changes helped especially under braking, Rossi said: "When I brake, I feel more what happens on the front tire and I can force more the entry. So I can brake on the edge of the tire, which allows me to enter the corner a lot faster and make a better line." The modifications were a definite change for the better. "I think we improve some of our problems," Rossi said, "This is a small but clear step. We are still not competitive for the win, but we are more close."

[MOKE1K]

Rossi To Test Aluminum-Frame Ducati?
by staff
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Ducati executives may be considering seppuku in Bologna, but reports are swirling in Europe that Valentino Rossi will test an aluminum-framed Ducati MotoGP bike this week at Mugello.

Testing aluminum betrays Ducati's commitment to a carbon-fiber frame since the Desmosedici GP9 was unveiled for the 2009 MotoGP season. But it appears Ducati Corse's MotoGP team - even with wizard Jerry Burgess in Rossi's garage - is running out of ideas to tame the black-magic ***** under the red fairing.

So as Yamaha and Honda continue to refine their 1000cc bikes for 2012, it appears Ducati is is considering ditching its iconoclastic chassis ways in an attempt to solve its performance Rubik's Cube.

Hopefully this will really help Hayden!!!

[The_AirHawk]

"I drank three six-packs just so I could look at your Face....."

[MOKE1K]

Ryder Notes: Alloy Dukes
by julian ryder, on the ground in spain
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sounds like the factory Ducati will look a little different this weekend. Valentino Rossi confirmed that his bike will have some aluminum in 'the front part' this weekend.

It doesn't sound like a full twin beam chassis because 'Ducati's concept stays.' Mind you, I also saw a mechanic sawing about nine inches off a fairing panel, so something's a bit different. We'll know a bit more when the garage door goes up tomorrow morning.

What we do know is that Valentino and Jorge Lorenzo will be going to Motegi. Casey Stoner, the last big name holdout, all but said he'll go.

We'll know a bit more when the garage door goes up tomorrow morning.
Anyone offended by Casey's comments about Indianapolis should be glad they don't have an affinity with Motorland Aragon. Casey said "It's not one of my top three circuits." According to Jorge, "It's not one of my favorites," and even Alvaro Bautista said "It's not my favorite track."

Rossi doesn't like it either, but thinks that may be because he was so slow here last year. I wonder how he'll feel tomorrow.

[MOKE1K]

Pictures of the new frame...
Soup :: Ducati MotoGP GP11.1a (For Aluminum)

These pictures were shot in Aragon today which makes believe Rossi will be riding this frame this weekend. Is that fair? Boy sure seems like this whole Motogp budget and limited engine rule really doesnt matter anymore.

[MOKE1K]

Airhawk I under estimated you!

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by MOKE1K

Airhawk I under estimated you!

....FINALE....

[MOKE1K]

LOL, I used to listen to Anthrax. Great band!