How long before Ducati brass hits the panic button??

How long before Ducati brass hits the panic button??
I say three years. It's an all new bike, it takes time.

Ducati doesn't like to look stupid?
Have you watched MotoGP?

AntiHero said:

What happens in WSB has zero impact on the love I have for my bike. Short of World Superbikes being sold for $30k, I can't think of anything that would change how friggin' brilliant the 1199 is for what I bought it for.

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my sentiments as well....

Given the amount of new tech / design on the bike I don't think anyone is expecting instant success. Hoping for it, but not expecting it. Maybe if the 2014 season goes badly but not this year.

AntiHero said:

What happens in WSB has zero impact on the love I have for my bike. Short of World Superbikes being sold for $30k, I can't think of anything that would change how friggin' brilliant the 1199 is for what I bought it for.

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This is basically what I was saying in the "bolts" thread, funny how when you say it there's a big round of applause.

Frosty...AntiHero....

How much would you speculate Ducati spends on racing every year??

gman74 said:

Oh how quickly people's memories fade. Things will look up once Ducati finds the right rider. Checa was, but now is not.

I echo...patients my friends.



Now if you want to change the topic to MotoGP. That bike and team needs help. Nicky is king of position 7! Not even Val could do anything good with the Desmo. I have zero faith in Ducati within MotoGP.

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not even val did you expect him to do any good on the ducati? really? guy has been a has been for 3 years now. do you see him doing anything on the M1? same bike as JLO and nothing. I see Dovi doing better then Val ever did on the ducati. come on and stop with the Val cool aide already.

FrostyFire said:

This is basically what I was saying in the "bolts" thread, funny how when you say it there's a big round of applause.

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While I feel the same way, that wasn't the question posted. "How long before Ducati brass hits the panic button??" This really should have been posted in the Racing area. Unless i'm all wet, this isn't about Ducati performing well in order to sell bikes but rather Ducati somewhat shitting the bed in WSBK with an all new bike. Until the new rules are finalized there will be no panic and with two injured riders 2013 pretty much amounts to 15 test sessions.

Somewhat off topic, I read an article recently on Superbikeplanet.com and found a bit of info that I wasn't aware of. WSBK 4 cylinder bikes are allowed to change engine internals where twins are not! Below is an excerpt from that article. Talk about an uphill battle for twins lol. No wonder Honda and Suzuki abandoned the RC51 and the TL1000R programs lol.

"The creation of Ducati's fastest new Panigale, an "R"-spec version for this year, was driven in part by the FIM's current WSBK racing homologation requirements, namely that a twin-cylinder motorcycle destined for competition must retain identical engine components with those fit on their street-going counterpart, at least as current rules pertain to "twin-cylinder" motorcycles. Yes, it would seem a penalty of sorts, as this same set of rules still permit all four-cylinder production machines to substitute key parts like connecting rods with exotic materials like titanium, whereas this same allowance is not permitted with twins unless the like components arrive as "stock" equipment in production trim on, or within, the machine. As a result, Ducati enthusiasts will now be purchasing the same base Panigale R motorcycle that the factory fields in the WSBK championship.

Some other related facts, with additional weight penalties and intake restrictions also imposed on the current Ducati in WSBK competition, Ducati revealed that last year's 1199S had two significant deficits when compared to their top competition; one being the absence of 20 horsepower, the other being down in top speed, some cases as much as 9 miles per hour (14 km/h) below the factory Aprilia four. This year, at the opening WSBK round in Australia, the newest 1199 Panigale R did show more promise, as the factory Panigale closed the RSV speed gap to 5 miles per hour (8.3 km/h), while Mr. Checa still displayed the Ducati's prowess by earning his 10th career WSBK pole position. In reviewing what, on the outside, appear to be sanctions against the formidable twins, perhaps the FIM should instead be targeting Bologna's selected riders past and present, as riders like Fogarty, Bayliss, Checa, and others made, and continue to make, the red twin-cylinder motorcycles shine above their competition."

i don't think they will pull the plug.

racing is in the brand's heritage. big time with no compromises.

the difference right now in WSBK the bike is a revolution, compared to the evolution since the 888s.

and the aluminum frame in GP is also something new to ducati. just because they listened to #46. now they have to deal with it. the experts from the wsbk team have been drawn to moto gp, to fix the bike. guess what's missing in wsbk now.

things will level out. racing is a business and every business has a long term strategy. now with audi/vw and a very enthusiastic Piech behind it, it will come along!

some gossip alongside:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/817/16135/Motorcycle-Article/Single-Track-Mind--Where-to-Ducati-.aspx

rm4two said:

While I feel the same way, that wasn't the question posted. "How long before Ducati brass hits the panic button??" This really should have been posted in the Racing area. Unless i'm all wet, this isn't about Ducati performing well in order to sell bikes but rather Ducati somewhat shitting the bed in WSBK with an all new bike. Until the new rules are finalized there will be no panic and with two injured riders 2013 pretty much amounts to 15 test sessions.

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agreed.

PANIC?...

Not really, is just part of the process for any new machine from ground-up
...panigale sensors and tehcnicians are just gathering data for every track (different location,air temp/density...etc...etc) with "carlo's riding style"...

...optimization and perforamce will come once the data are obtained and understood...
..which means we may have "future updates of maps" for the termigs?....

One big issue is they have had virtually no real testing and input from their racers.

Round 1 Checa was sick up unitil the day of qualifying, then put it on on pole, then bins it, doesn't race in each round. Badovini had a major off in practice, and d
Also did not race.

For the rest both Checa and Badovini have been injured, pulled out or not raced at all.

Last round, desperately needing feedback Ducati put Canepa in. His first ever WSBK race and finished a credible 8 th. Checa was again injured and did not race round 2.

So be patient, at this level the riders are important to the success of the project.

I heard it on good authority that Bayliss is heading over to Europe to do testing and give them some feedback.

AntiHero said:

What happens in WSB has zero impact on the love I have for my bike. Short of World Superbikes being sold for $30k, I can't think of anything that would change how friggin' brilliant the 1199 is for what I bought it for.

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Exactamente! Feel the same!!!!

their best people are working on GP, not wsbk... they'll get there in the end, but it will take effort and commitment..