Your desires for future roadgoing Ducatis

I also agree that we shouldn't have much to complain about with the current line up. I never thought I would be into the hypermotard, but after riding my buddy's SP it was a really fun bike. Granted I would never buy one but different strokes and all that.

I'm also a big +1 to the V4. The new Aprilia would've been my second choice for this reason.

I already know I'm going to have buyers remorse when they come out with their next superbike.

The Hypermotard is what brought me to Ducati. That and me growing quite tired of Honda just changing graphics and colors every year!

I also like to Lithium batteries being standard equipment. Welcome to the 21st century.

base model get aluminum rims, S gets magnesium

I have to agree with an earlier posting by Bullywyf regarding "more power isn't a need of mine". Having ridden since I was 16, and now 61, there are a lot of years there. Until my 2012 Tri, I always needed/wanted more power. I'm at that point in life where that is no longer a concern. Roughly 200 hp is sufficient (174+ on dyno), and I am far more concerned with engine mgmt., handling, good brakes, tire grip, and looks. Ducati sent me a $100 check through a survey company for answering a series of questions. A number of them dealt with my desires for a 300hp motorcycle. Maybe they have some wild V4 or turbo stuff in development, but my beautiful Tri adorned with OZ Wheels, and lots of DP carbon bits, will do just fine, thank you.

A higher spec mid capacity bike or two....my wife likes the 600-800cc engines but hates the fact they always have "basic" suspension etc, a 821 Multistrada S....

Bring back the SS line....Panigale S like fit out with a 1100-1200 air cooled torque monster of an engine, a superbike for the road...mainly from an engine pov....mid range to burn!

like a 450cc v-twin weighing in about 320 lbs with 41mm ohlins forks vs 43 or 45mm. TTX 32 instead of 36mm. some aluminum wheels and carbon tanks, lithium battery, single radiator vs dual. Sell it for $11k, I am all over it.

roadster said:

I'd love a streetable super mono that we could race in the same class as the SV650s--but I wouldn't want it to be supercharged. Something in the 899 price range.

I'd also love to see what a light sport bike built on the motor used in the Scrambler might be like.

Steve

Click to expand...

The motor in the Scrambler is the same 803cc in the Monster 796.

A decent cooling system on high HP superbikes .

Would love a bike solely for track, with the R being the base and just making it lighter with better suspension, race radiators, bigger tank, lighter wheels.

Price wise i guess it would fall into the $45k bracket like the old R models.

TJ99
I very much like the idea of a lightweight supermono, but most definitely not at a $65K pricetag. My wishlist may be at odds with the last statement, but I'll write it down nonetheless

I realize the TAM for such a thing is limited, and I certainly don't have a way to truly estimate the development cost for a new platform, but a track-only Supermono would be very interesting to me and might have fair adoption among existing superbike owners as an incremental sale (i.e. it won't necessarily cannibalize existing sales)

My primary focus would be on flexibility of the underlying platform... I can add my own bling as I see fit.

i.e. if the decision was between a well engineered $20K race/ track ready platform at 150KG and and $65K collectors item at 140Kg, I'd choose the former in a second.

limited (90 day?) warranty is fine... it is a track/ race bike after all
fully-faired ... race worth plastics incl. belly pan (carbon fiber not necessary)
limited electronic interventions (no need for TC, Wheelie control)
Kit ECU available at a reasonable cost (E.g. YEC ECUs) with easily used support SW
suspension setup for track use only (or keep it basic and upgrade-able after-market)
premium brakes, but no ABS or easily removed
forged Aluminum or Mag wheels
NO supercharger... keep it simple
adjustable chassis (swingarm pivot, rake, trail, rearsets)
double sided box section swingarm
Kit ECU available at a reasonable cost (E.g. YEC ECUs) with easily used support SW

b

I would really like to see Ducati's interpretation of what a track focused entry level sportbike should look like, similar to what KTM has done with the RC390. Make a 400cc entry level bike that offers Italian style (excellent aesthetics, SS swingarm, etc.), class-leading light weight, a competitive suspension setup (Ohlins preferred), and a price point that makes it both accessible to the beginner sportbike enthusiast, and feasible as a potential second or third bike for current sportbike owners. A mini L-twin would be neat in this application, but a single cylinder platform would certainly suffice.

I would also like to see Ducati delve into forced induction, but with a focus more on enhanced power delivery than overall output. I believe there is a tremendous amount of performance potential here that could be beautifully integrated with wheelie and traction control technology. Regarding cylinder counts: I certainly wouldn't be opposed to a V4 Ducati superbike, but I would much prefer to see a supercharged L-twin with VVT.

Good topic!

In the super/sport bike line, I'd like to see a 749 that wasn't just the reduced displacement, de-contented 1199 that the 899 is. Something smaller overall with a unique (to begin with) engine, its own styling, focused on light weight and handling above all. Tune it to around 135-140HP and bring the wet weight in at 160 kilos or thereabouts. Yes please... And a new Desmosedici-type GP derivative V4 would certainly be an attention getter, especially if it could be brought downmarket enough to be attainable.

A new sport tourer to put up against the new R1200RS would be nice. Could be a Panigale-derivative or use the MS motor and a trellis frame, but either way it would be a much more powerful alternative to the BMW for the guy who's looking for a place to land after his sportbike days are over but isn't looking for the full-on, sit up style experience of the MS.

The Scrambler's not exactly my cup of tea, but you could cobble together a nice cafe racer-style machine out of that for not a huge investment. Keep the style high and the ergos moderate and they should fly out the door. Small, light, simple, stylish, and attainable. Seems to me the monster has sort of lost the plot with the new, bigger, longer and heavier chassis.

Pani-based streetfighter, heck yeah. After all, what's more stripped down than a motor with wheels on it?

A 400SS

A follow up on the ST

A next Streetfighter with 200+ HP

Charliem90 said:

You say nothing I haven't heard the past 30 years. And at the moment they seem to be building a competitive superbike.

Add more cylinders and you make it a fundamentally different machine. Not one I'd be interested in. And (I suspect) the sentiment of a lot of long-time fans.

You 4-cyl guys are dreaming.

Click to expand...

A. I'm not a 4 cylinder guy.

B. They're competitive with 200cc more displacement. How long can they either squeeze more power out of a twin, or continue to bump the displacement so a twin remains competitive?

The main reason I'd like to see a V4 Duc is I think it would be awesome. I think it would be plenty powerful and the 4cyl guys could stop complaining about Ducati's displacement advantage.

I think it'd be great if there was an option to buy future superbikes in track trim.

No lights, no mirrors, basic hardening (case covers, maybe single seat rear subframe/minimalist/repairable fairing stay), adjustable rearsets, unpainted track plastic (no cutouts for lights), no emissions/noise compliance, electronics configured strictly for the track(so the fast guys can squeeze some more out of the aids vs needing to turn them off), and a factory warranty...it's a track bike not a race bike.

Oh, and the ability to pick valving/springs that are appropriate for your weight/pace.

That bike would easily be worth the delay of having to wait for it to be built instead of being able to walk into a dealership and walk out with a bike. No one is doing a basic turn-key solution...

The 4 cyl guys that complain about the Duc's displacement advantage are
CHUMPS. The Ducati's engine is still smaller and lighter than the 4 cylinder bikes engine. A 1000cc twin is a fair fight with a 750cc 4 cylinder.

Performance balancing rules have to be applied somewhere. And displacement is where that's at for the time being. If every engine had to be exactly 1000cc, no excuses. Then every single bike would be a 4cyl. Not a good thing for racing. Different bikes and cars, and unpredictable results is the greatest thing in racing. Lose that, and the whole series suffers.

If they allow turbo'd engines, then we'd have rules for boost and displacement. Then RPM limits, boost, and displacement. And on and on and on. What happens when bikes get KERS or ERS???

Good stuff so far you guys, really interesting to hear your thoughts. I'm quite busy this morning but will respond when I can give this the time it deserves.

+1 for V4. Big Bang.

TJ, how many more votes do you need before we can lock this in?

Buliwyf said:

If there really is more power to be had from the twin, then ignore everything I just mentioned. I think the Ducati's are doomed in SBK, it's only a matter of time.

And race replica's will keep Ducati alive in the future.

Click to expand...

Firstly, sorry, are you watching the same superbikes as the rest of the planet?

Current WSBK standings:

1. J. REA KAWASAKI 190
2. L. HASLAM APRILIA 140
3. C. DAVIES DUCATI 123
4. T. SYKES KAWASAKI 88
5. J. TORRES APRILIA 83
6. S. GUINTOLI HONDA 65
7. M. VD MARK HONDA 60
8. N. TEROL DUCATI 48
9. M. BAIOCCO DUCATI 48
10. L. MERCADO DUCATI 45

40% of the top 10 are Ducati's with one of them on a podium. I think they have got their act together and have more to give...........

Granted though, only time will tell............. £5 on it!

But secondly, you want shot of the R model only to have a race replica? The R is the race rep.