Ducati 1200cc will be in WSBK

[MIGHTY MAX]

Rumours said that Ducati will be doin 1200cc for WSBK..either V twin as the new WSBK rules have stated that V twin can be increase to 1200cc..

[MIGHTY MAX]

Quote Alan Cathcart:

 

Ducati is fighting back. Faced with the performance gulf thats opened

this season between its 1200cc V-twins and the 1000cc four cylinder

opposition in World Superbike competition, the Italian company is now

at work on a radically redesigned engine intended to return the brand

to the top of the timing charts. Code named Superquadrata (meaning

"oversquare"). this super-short-stroke motor will be all-new and

completely different from the current Testastretta Evoluzione that

traces its roots to the 1970s. In addition to the new engine, this

next-generation superbike will also feature the same "frameless"

chassis design as the current Desrnosedici GP10 MotoGP racer.

 

The new engine will still be a V-twin, with its cylinders oriented at

90 degrees to avoid the need for a power-sapping balance shaft. But

instead of the traditional "L-twin" layout with the front cylinder set

almost horizontally like all Ducati V-twins since '72, the new engine

will be rotated rearward. This change will permit it to be placed

further forward for improved front-end grip, without the front wheel

contacting the cylinder under heavy braking a perennial problem with

the current design. Relocating the engine will also allow a longer

swingarm, to improve rear grip. The new crankcases will split

horizontally, making possible the use of a cassette-type gearbox for

quicker, simpler gear changes the lack of which is a major handicap

with the present engine.

 

 

The new engine will retain dual overhead cams, four valves per

cylinder and Ducati's hallowed desmodromic valve actuation with

F1-style finger followers. Further boosting power is the 1194cc mill's

super-oversquare cylinder dimensions of 112.0 x 60.6mm-a significant

advance from the 106.0 x 67.9mm 1198R. A forged one-piece crankshaft

will increase stiffness, while the cam belts will be replaced with a

modular gear-drive system terminating in two small chains that operate

the rocker arms for more accurate valve timing and improved high-rpm

reliability. As a result of these changes, revs could climb as high as

14,000 rpm-stratospheric by twin cylinder standards.

 

 

Those massive bores will allow the use of bigger valves, but it"s not

clear how much Ducati's engineers will increase those beyond the

present 43.5mm intakes/35.5mm exhausts, given the 50mm restrictor rule

that remains in effect in SBK racing. The wide bore will facilitate

use of a dual-plug ignition, likely operated sequentially with one

spark plug firing an instant after the other to enhance both racetrack

performance and emissions control on the street.

 

Significantly, this revised engine architecture will allow Ducati to

adopt the same "frameless" chassis design as on the current MotoGP

racer, with the engine serving as a stressed member. Just like the

racer, the new superbike's front suspension will bolt directly to a

structural airbox attached to the top of the motor (likely

carbon-fiber on the R-model and metal on the lower-priced production

models). while the swingarm and subframe . will attach directly to the

crankcases and rear cylinder. The main benefits of this layout are

lower weight (saving more than 10 Ibs. over the current steel

trellis), improved rigidity and greater spatial design freedom. Ducati

filed another patent application in February (see Drawing the Line,

Me, May 2010) that describes a V-twin version of this design in

detail, and makes several references to "volume production."

 

 

Many of the features on this new superbike are rooted in a design

study made by Ducati Corse in 2001 for a twin-cylinder, 990cc MotoGP

racer, before the decision was made to develop the current V4. By

dusting off that abortive study and transferring the relevant

technology to a 1200cc twin, Ducati has made sure to incorporate the

benefits of racing the Desmosedici so successfully against the

Japanese factories while remaining true to its heritage-a vital

ingredient in its ongoing commercial success. This will be a major

turning point for the Italian company, and it's going to happen sooner

rather than later, because more than any other manufacturer, Ducati

relies on racetrack success to sell its motorcycles. Spokesmen

naturally decline to confirm the existence of any such project, but

these rumors have been substantiated by none other than Motosprint's

Massimo Clarke Italy's most respected and well-connected technical

journalist. No release date for the Superquadrata has yet been

announced.

[GuiNNeSS]

Rumours said that Ducati will be doin 1200cc for WSBK..either V twin as the new WSBK rules have stated that V twin can be increase to 1200cc..

 

I'm not sure what you are getting at. Ducati has been campaigning its 1098R (1198cc) at the world Superbike level since 2008:

 

"The FIM eventually included the 1200 cc displacement limit for twins in the 2008 superbike rules. According to the new rules, twin-cylinder motorcycles would be 6 kg heavier than four-cylinder machines (168 kg to 162 kg) and would also have a 50 mm air restrictor fitted. The weight limit and the intake-restrictor size of twin machines would be updated, if needed, during the Championship, by a system analysing the race points obtained."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superbike_World_Championship#cite_note-tech-15

[1098R]

I highly doubt another WSBK replica as exotic as the 1098R has been would be on the cards given the current state the world economy is in. Bearing in mind that from 2010 onwards, minimum homologation requirements have increased from 1,000 to 3,000 bikes. No manufacturer would mass produce such exotic machinery just to compete in WSBK and risk going bankrupt and into oblivion!

 

Just the same...I'll be looking out for the comeback of a certain "green" meanie

[colacin]

That depends... one could argue without WSBK success Ducati *would* go into bankruptcy and oblivion, so they have little choice.

 

Aprilia made a bet with the RSV4 and is succeeding so far.

 

BMW came to the table and raised the stakes so the rest have to respond - Kawa seems to be the first to do so and it will be interesting to see what they bring.

[fubby]

no wonder the current 1198 have no updates for 2011...even the 848 just have minor updates... hmm.. a new model for ducati production bikes ? guess i ll have to hold off buying the 1198 for now ...

[MIGHTY MAX]

YES...new model will be realeasing soon...

[geekster]

Ducati just announced they will withdraw their factory team in WSBK. Think they spent a considerable amount of money in signing Rossi for their Motogp factory team. Not much resources left for their superbike team.

[MIGHTY MAX]

DUCATI WITHDRAWS FROM WORLD SUPERBIKE

Friday, August 27, 2010

This just in:

 

DUCATI WILL FOCUS ITS TECHNICAL RESOURCES ON PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE 2011 WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A FACTORY TEAM

 

Borgo Panigale (Bologna - Italy), 27 August 2010 - Ducati, having participated with a factory team in every edition of the World Superbike Championship since it began in 1988, winning 16 Manufacturers' world titles and 13 Riders' world titles along the way, has decided to limit its participation to the supply of machines and support to private teams.

 

"This decision is part of a specific strategy made by Ducati, the aim being to further increase technological content in production models that will arrive on the market in the coming years. In order to achieve this objective, the company's technical resources, until now engaged with the management of the factory Superbike team, will instead be dedicated to the development of the new generation of hypersport bikes, in both their homologated and Superbike race versions," declared Gabriele Del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati. "I would like to thank Nori and Michel, and all of the riders that have contributed to the great history of Ducati in Superbike, but above all the Ducati employees; it is their hard work and professionalism that has allowed us to achieve such important results. A big thank you also to all of the partners that have supported us, first and foremost Xerox of course. I would also like to acknowledge the Flammini brothers who have managed the championship for so long, and the FIM, the organization with which we have continuous, constructive relations."

 

By making this important decision Ducati aims to increase the speed and efficiency with which it transfers advanced technological solutions, currently tested in the prototype championship, to the production series.

 

The task of testing innovative technical solutions in Superbike racing will therefore be entrusted to external teams in the coming years, teams that will have the chance to receive technical support from Ducati personnel. This choice will allow the teams to benefit from even more competitive machines and parts.

 

Despite the decision to interrupt its official participation in the World Superbike Championship, Ducati will continue to work, in collaboration with the championship organizers, other manufacturers and the FIM, to define a technical regulation aimed at containing costs. Strong in the sporting spirit that has always allowed this manufacturer to compete, line-up against its rivals, and win, it is fundamental for Ducati to identify, together with the other interested parties, solutions that can guarantee the future of the championship in the medium-long term.

 

Recently the Superbike World Championship, according to the current regulations, has been interpreted as moving more towards competition between prototypes rather than for bikes derived from production machines. This has led to an increase in costs, both for the manufacturers and the teams participating in the championship. This picture does not correlate with the current worldwide economic situation, which has made the securing of sponsorship even more difficult. Ducati trusts that the work carried out by all parties will lead to improvement also in this area.

 

ENDS