PROJECT 2024 New year, new goals, new projects, new thoughts for

Here we are, in 2024.

I hope this could be a more peaceful year for all the world and that we could enjoy our passions, instead of fighting each other for whatever reason.

Now going head-on on my subject.
I am getting ready for the next season with the GARAGE 51 EXPERIENCE, with Michele Pirro and friends (PECCO, BEZ, MORBIDELLI, BESTIA, MARTIN, RINALDI, BULEGA, PETRUCCI, IANNONE, A. MARQUEZ, perhaps M.MARQUEZ, all the VR46 riders and many NORMAL RIDER of the GARAGE 51 RACING TEAM ).


Unfortunately, I will not be able to ride with them, as none of the VR46’s riders ( they will race the 100 km at the ranch )……shame on us.

Since I have a little time while working abroad, I want to share with you the new project and how it evolved with time.

I left the ‘19 V4 base this year, after many joyful moments spent together.
I felt I could not improve much without changing the stock suspension ( never changed the oil in 4 years, what a bummer ), brake lines to elude the ABS, renew engine parts and twicking it a bit…..meaning to spend some money on it.
So I went for a ‘22 V4S that was an immediate love, easier to ride, faster, less needy to adjust…..a little more in everything and I improved my lap times( low 42 in Misano as pace)…….but, and that’s a BIG BUT,
if not BUTT ( butt=culo=fortuna= luck ), I had a chance to ride the ‘22 V4R WINNER of the SBK CIV with Pirro, thanks to him and the owner.
LOVE AT FIRST RIDE, I must say.
Seeing it as an impossible reach, I opted to go the “ normal “ ‘23 V4R and spec it up to race trim, but when I saw HER on the delivery day, I said to myself, how could one be able to “ mess “ with such a beauty!!!
In the meantime, Ducati won in sequence, CIV SBK, WSSP, MOTOGP, WSBK, started the MX project etc, and that lead me to put the new V4R on the stands and just admire it whenever I can and take the extra mile…….
I believe that this period of GRACE for Ducati will be difficult to sustain for many years ( world champion and local champion on basically everything ) and that the V4R is a milestone for Duc, as it is the 916 and the 888, because since its appearance, it was fast, VERY FAST! and beautiful, VERY BEAUTYFUL, and reliable ( a little less, but more than previous Ducati.
the last 2 years, it was UNBEATABLE, even after the 3 consecutive rpm cuts in 2023 season, that led to an astonishing 750 rpm reduction…but the superiority was such, that it didn’t prevent its success.
Now the double swingarm will come and this will probably be the last with the “ monobraccio “…..I still hope that the 7 kg penalty, will not compromise too much the competition……but let’s keep this subject for another thread.
So I decided to get into the 2024, with the PIRRO’s CIV winner V4R.
I am really looking forward to see how much I am a slow rider, compared to the CHAMP.
I am guessing around 8 sec slower from his lap times, but I need to work on myself alot ;-)

Here it is:

THE QUEEN

I will ride the 2022 Pirro’s in the racetrack ( with all the telemetry to tell me how much I'm screwing up ) and keep the ‘23 V4R to admire…..
I don’t know if it is good or bad, but that is the actual reality

last CIV winner with Pirro

KarlKani said:

Well I had the 19/20 V4R + now I have the 23 R - you will go faster on the 23R. You could put all of the parts from Pirros bike onto the new bike, except the electronics.

Click to expand...

I believe there will be enough to work with his bike already, knowing how fast it went with him.
I will try the real #51

I will tell you, if we meet in person ;-)

Anyway, my idea was to have the TOTAL FINAL MACHINE, that I can afford and be able to ride, because we had a chance to try some pretty racing bike and components, one above all, the Michelin tires, that are really hard for a " normal " rider to put in WORKING WINDOW.

So all the MOTEC and TELEMETRY stuff installed in the #51 CIV are the top of the top and still be usable, at least, by me.

About the km, I still have to check personally, but I was told around 1700.

JOS said:

Sounds very nice! Go hard!
What is it with the Michelins, I have some friends that have also had very hard times with them, as said it seems they have a very small window, one of my mates on a R1 siad he can only use the softest compound and not even then it is perfect. He gets them very discounted, that is the only reason to use them..
Strange I have been car racing with Michelins and they were excellent!

Click to expand...

Agree.
On my sportcar, I have Michelin Sport Cup semi-slick, some of the best I ever had.
But for bikes, they are very picky.
I tried Metzeler, Pirelli, Michelin, Dunlop.
Metz are cheap and similar to Pirelli, but wirh a little less performance.
Pirelli very wide choice, predictable, but very sensitive to heat cycles.
Michelin very expensive and difficult to heat up, so you have to always push, but last longer and feel less the heat cycles, compared to Pirelli.
There are some Mich that are used by PRO, similar to motogp stuff, but for normal bikes, almost impossible to heat, if you are not a PRO.
Dunlop expansive, very picky on pressures and a little to heat up, but once in range, very predictable and last foreverrrrrrrrrr

That my 1 and 1/2 cent

JOS said:

Very nice feedback!, thanks a lot. I will try some sets of Bridgestone the next season, heard a lot of good about them, also easy accessible for me. Lets see how they compare to Pirellis.

Click to expand...

Let us know, because in my circle, nobody use them.

panibadboy said:

CIV superbike rules are pretty strict so not sure why you so excited by his bike.

I know people who buy WSBK bikes for 100-120k euros (old Rinaldi bikes) and track them. They are interesting machines.

Click to expand...

Interesting machine that require an electronic engineer, pretty much, every time you want to ride them.
Anyway, I am happy and you can buy the wsbk, at your will.
Even

Hi everyone, I finally got a chance for a 2 days shakedown for the 2024 season, in Vallelunga circuit, with some of the CIV's riders, organized by Michele Pirro.
It was a wet start, but we had a chance to have 2 full half days of almost dry track, with temperatures ranging from 7 to 14 degrees celsius.
I was a virgin on the circuit, that is nice in the fast old part ( from the Roma turn till the Soratte ), but a little slow and narrow, in the last part.
I don't like the slow part and it is a reason why I was a little slow ( 8 seconds from the best time of the days, by Pirro, in the middle 1'36" ).

The #51 bike is AMAZING!
Easier to ride than my previous V4S, even if it seems more powerful, has a good mid-range, the suspension are like the extension of my arms ( never had this feeling before ). I was able to correct midway, while leaned into the apex, even brake during that, because of my mistakes, for my lack of experience on the track.
The tunability is very deep and responsive.
The throttle response, at maximum lean angle ( 57* from the telemetry), is smooth and precise.

If I want to find the biggest downside, I would say the inability to tune the wheeling control, turn by turn, but only by sectors, with the dedicated sw from DUCATI CORSE, that is not available for the normal people, like me.
But the strategy for the traction control, has +/- 5 trim settings and very sensitive to the change.

Another nice new entry, were the Dunlop KR109.
My last experience was in 2006-2008, and it was not the best.
Very sensitive and tricky tires, but if well set, with an impressive front.
This time, they were more similar to the Pirellis, but with less sensitivity to the heating cycles and better longevity.

SCORE
BIKE 10/10 cum laude
TIRES 9/10
TRACK 7/10
WEATHER 6/10
RIDERS 10/10
EXPERIENCE 10/10
PIRRO 11/10 giving advice to everyone

now some pictures

new future livery and the walkthrough of the track in the wet mornings