Stoner hoping to try 2009 Ducati.

Let's hope its better than what u've got at the moment..

Interesting. Filippo Preziosi has revealed that Ducati is currently using 2007 parts on the bike (both mechanical and electronics) to cure the bikes inconsistent and unpredictable behaviour, stating that the situation should be resolved come Donington.
Now they roll out the GP9. Seems like they want to skip this years bike.

lol

ducati need something to kick start there season even after mugello's result they still dont seem to have faith in the 08 bike the problem they face is the tried and failed theory of rushing to use parts off next years bike.all teams in the past who have gone down this route seem to have fallen behind more until the last few races of the season. it seems that reading between the lines ducati could have conceded this season's championship.and are looking to next season already

Let' s see the lap times?

they can but try maybe a multi world champion could develop this years lol oh they dont have one

> they can but try maybe a multi world champion could develop this
> years lol oh they dont have one

Ducati is a very good manufacturer, I agree with that. I always dreamed of buying one since the 1995 launch of Ducati - Senna edition. After 10 years I've brought a 999R. So, personally I know how a Ducati performs!

Actually I wished Rossi to join Ducati. Terms failed I guess! Rest is all the history. What I understand is developing a race bike is not an easy thing compared to a production bike. Plus, Ducati lacks a Rossi - to give the right developmental feedback on the technical data to the minutest detail

Will Ducati move away from a steel frame in favor of possible alloy mono that may give a softer and more predictable ride over the bumps.
The CS Ducati performance given predictable weather is still relatively good on smooth circuits but the bike must be a real handful judgeing by the non performance of other Ducati riders.

Says a lot that Ducati will be testing the 2009 bike while Honda is still working on the engine of the 2008 bike.

..back to the Future

early start to a 2009 campaign for Ducati

CA -> Possibly a Carbon Fiber frame. It is possible carbon fiber frame's Longitudinal stiffness to be 100% improved over the steel trellis frame and torsional stiffness 50% over the steel frame.


h††p://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2008/june/2-8/june0508-casey-stoner-tests-2009-ducati-motogp-motorcycle/?R=EPI-100903

I think it is excess stiffness that is the problem, not a lack of it. If I remember well you need good longitudinal stiffness and only moderate torsional so as to retain the feel for the rider. Maybe the trellis makes it difficult to balance those two.

Intresting development, if this proceed you see the flexabilaty of a relative small company, they are able to produce a solution in quite a short period.. They have already tested it at Mugello and they are confident enough to give it a go at catalunya with the motogp riders.. Hope it will give them what they want.

(the results of Marco can't go worse anyway)

Unfortunately I don't remember who the rider and which the bike but there was one season in which the frame of some particular bike (500cc 2strike) was so stiff that in order to create some feel for the rider the team came to the solution of removing two bolts from the engine mounts thus largely increasin the part of the frame that is not supported by the engine's stiffness. They went on to win the championship...

Jack Mordino -> IIRC that would have been Mick Doohan.

Using a CF frame the designers have the ability to vary stiffness coefficients by placing the CF weaved matting in different directions and also applying different amounts of resin to strengthen different segments of the frame where desired. We also should take into account that the GP bike's now may very well be governed by a new set of engineering dynamics since they no longer share many characteristics of the 500CC 2 stoke bike of the past.

I have the confidence to leave the engineering to the Ducati guys. Im sure they know what they need to achieve and are prototyping various methods in order to accomplish their goals.

Thanks xvx..I did not mention CF because we know it is usually stiffer depending on the way the the matting is laid. The problems Ducati have had with the bumps indicates to me that the steel frame is too stiff,stiff in the wrong places,does not absorb shocks enough,or reacts badly to shocks.
No doubt a CF mono could be build that provides the right level of torsional rigidity and could tend to absorb unwanted vibrations. The main thing I would see against a CF mono would be the time needed to bake one especially if you are making changes. Then again a good old fashioned hole saw could become a frame tuning tool in early development if Ducati go down that path.

This is not unusual for Ducati. The 2007 bike was already tested in may 2006, the 2008 bike in may or june 2007. They are on schedule, nothing more, nothing less.

It is unusual for the GP riders to next year's ducati so soon. Think about it, if Stoner rides it on monday it'll be at the expense of developing this year's bike (which let's face it needs it) so this is a surprising development.

It is also possible that Stoner wants to try the 2009 bike now, to give directions for development, to avoid what happened with the 2008 bike. It seems that they are on top of the 2008 problems now, at least for Stoner. Maybe let Melandri try the 2009 too, if it doesn't suit him, Ducati and Melandri can part ways for the better of Melandri.