Ducati tweaks rules to help them?

ccwilli3 · 05-10-2003, 11:35 PM

Okay, forever and a day now, people have complained that the WSBK rulebooks were written for ducati to make them the best, win everything, blah blah blah...

Enter MotoGP.

Rules written fairly I think, several design methodologies from the lightweight almost 500cc like triples to the heavy but torquey as hell 6 cyclinders that are allowed. *Its basically which design methodology do you want to use and run with it. *Its a blank sheet of engineering paper.

So ducati rolls in with a BRAND NEW bike/chasis, never before have they designed a V4 bike and they led the first lap of the 2003 season (capirossi, suzuka), lead the first several laps of the next race and give the GP prodigy hell all day (bayliss, welkom) to qualifying 1-2 at Jerez this weekend. *Well, as a honda fan, WTF????????

I am not starting to believe that ducati just really knows how to build a chasis... *HOnda does too, but damn, the duc comes from out of no where and is a contender!? *The priller wasn't, the yamaha wasn't, the suzuki wasn't, the kwak isn't... *Yes, Ducati has good riders, but so does honda, so does Yamaha (remember barros kicking rossi's ass some last year?)... *In a recent amasuperbike.com article, B. Bostrom is quoted as saying the chasis on the ducati (the 998 superbike he rode) was so soft that he could feel everything! *But complains that the chasis on the RC51 is so stiff, he can feel nothing, he doesn't know what the tire is doing... *Does ducati know how to build chasis?? *Are they the ferrari of the two wheeled world? *Build a chasis that kicks ass and build an engine that'll last just over race distance and kick Japanese designers' and engineers' asses with 1/10th the budget??

So my rant goes to next year when WSBK allows 4 cylinder bikes (as they do this year) and hopefully honda returns to resteal the ducati dominance in WSBK... *What happens in 2005 when ducati brings an equally impressive V4 homologated bike to WSBK to match what honda did? *There are rumors everywhere on ducati boards, etc of a V4 for the street coming. *That can mean only one thing, 1000cc V4 for the street, a V4 for WSBK... *Its gonna happen!

So I ask, when Ducati brings their V4 to WSBK, what then? *Everyone says this year is a fluke, 'Wait till next year when honda has a CBR1000RR or the RC 56' or whatever... *'Wait till Yamaha comes back to WSBK with the new R1!' *

Well screw that! *My money is on if/when ducati brings a V4 to WSBK, it'll take the competition by surprise, just like they have in MotoGP...

Comments? * :stick:

deez · 05-11-2003, 4:50 PM

Comments?

Yeah a couple. First, about Ducati, big deal. Don't get ahead of yourself there hyping that company up. Today, what bike was at the front? Actually what 2 bikes were at the front I'll say a little something about Honda. They didn't develop racing twins for years like Ducati. And they stuffed Ducati the first year out on the RC51. Actually 2 out of 3 years, they got beat at their own game, twins. Next up is GP, did u see last season? And this season, LOL. Boy that RC211V was sure ready to go right outta the box and started winning as soon as it started racing. So good in fact, that it has blown away the competition and is still the best bike in the paddock.

The Ferrari of the 2wheeled world is Honda buddy, remember that.

tigerblade · 05-12-2003, 12:32 AM

Personally, I am VERY impressed by the Ducs. They haven't put up the big results yet, but they are competetive and we're only 3 races into the season. Where are the Kawis? Usually running around 19th, 20th, and 21st. And they started racing last year! The Desmosedici is better than the M1 Yamaha. I sure wouldn't have predicted that.

Zeeman · 05-12-2003, 1:33 AM

I, too, think Ducati has done pretty well. When compared to Kwaka in particular - they have a front runner straight from the word go, and it's not like Kwaka have bad riders - McCoy has won the odd GP, and was often in the hunt while with yamaha. I, personally, am happy to see Ducati do well, if someone starts to press Rossi and the Hondas, Honda will be forced to do more development to get a better bike which may see more bits filter down to the real world (like the rear suspension on the 600RR that everyone seems to love)

Z...

luvtolean · 05-12-2003, 8:15 PM

Put Rossi on that Duc, and he'd still be winning.

I think Ducati are arrogant pricks, but it's hard to argue, they know how to build racebikes.

ccwilli3 · 05-12-2003, 8:53 PM

Mate rossi on the aprilia with edwards, then we'll see how good he is. *I think they'd be a dynamite team! *They are michelins #1 and #2 tire guys for sure. *I have seen interviews with him, he wants to ride on an italian bike again... *Me thinks ducati wouldn't let him get away (or honda for that matter), but being he won 125 and 250GP titles with them (aprilia), who knows... *