Ducati factory team withdraws from WSBK '11

[Wolfhound]

I just saw this news story on superbikeplanet.com. They will provide customer machines but have no factory involvement.

http://superbikeplanet.com/2010/Aug/100827a.htm

[wannaklr]

All their money went to sign Rossi?

[Jinx]

"...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...."

Translation 1: "We do not need to run two GP Programs concurrently. Call us when it becomes a production class again"

Translation 2: "We need a bigger engine. Call us when you agree"

[skwidd]

Sanctioning body said no to a 1400cc motor?

[Jim Moore]

Man, that's a terrible idea. I'll bet a quarter of people who own Ducatis first saw them on WSB and said, "damn, that thing is cool! I wonder if there is a Ducati dealer in town?"

[jktpa]

They are not paying Rossi Marlboro is. When the US dealers asked Ducati to give more money to Pegram in 09 the company said it only pays riders in both SBK and MotoGP money from sponsors the riders do not cost the company anything.

[Kamala]

Originally Posted by Jim Moore

Man, that's a terrible idea. I'll bet a quarter of people who own Ducatis first saw them on WSB and said, "damn, that thing is cool! I wonder if there is a Ducati dealer in town?"

I bought my 1st Ducati in 1971 and was asking that same question then . I'm still asking it now!

[flars]

Translation 3: Our factory bikes are slower than the customer bikes.

It sorta supports what everyone has been saying - Ducati thinks they can no longer compete with the Hondas and Suzukis and Yamahas under the current rules. Their motor has reached its max performance, and TC and engine management has tilted the playing field towards max power. Without all the electronics, I think the Duk is a winner. With all the electronics, their bikes torque and their handling can't overcome the big power delivery of the inline fours. The Honyamuki rider used to have to be extremely cautious coming off the corners if they didn't want to take the sky-ground-sky-ground-ambulance tour. Not any longer.

[craigincali]

Originally Posted by flars

Translation 3: Our factory bikes are slower than the customer bikes.

It sorta supports what everyone has been saying - Ducati thinks they can no longer compete with the Hondas and Suzukis and Yamahas under the current rules. Their motor has reached its max performance, and TC and engine management has tilted the playing field towards max power. Without all the electronics, I think the Duk is a winner. With all the electronics, their bikes torque and their handling can't overcome the big power delivery of the inline fours. The Honyamuki rider used to have to be extremely cautious coming off the corners if they didn't want to take the sky-ground-sky-ground-ambulance tour. Not any longer.

+1 exactly what I was gonna say

[El Guero]

Originally Posted by flars

Translation 3: Our factory bikes are slower than the customer bikes.

It sorta supports what everyone has been saying - Ducati thinks they can no longer compete with the Hondas and Suzukis and Yamahas under the current rules. Their motor has reached its max performance, and TC and engine management has tilted the playing field towards max power. Without all the electronics, I think the Duk is a winner. With all the electronics, their bikes torque and their handling can't overcome the big power delivery of the inline fours. The Honyamuki rider used to have to be extremely cautious coming off the corners if they didn't want to take the sky-ground-sky-ground-ambulance tour. Not any longer.

I'd wondered about this... What good is the "tractable" power of a v-twin when you have a computer that decides what is tractable?

[dontlr]

When you change the rules so that we dominate we'll be back, otherwise we're taling our ball and going home

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by craigincali

+1 exactly what I was gonna say

+2 I was thinking Ducati might be taking a step back to evaluate their current machines for ways to improve and make them more competitive with the Honda and Suzuki. It will be interesting to see when and if they return.

[dontlr]

Oh and so much for those Colin Edwrds to WSBK Ducati talks..

[UngaWunga]

Originally Posted by El Guero

I'd wondered about this... What good is the "tractable" power of a v-twin when you have a computer that decides what is tractable?

Bingo. I don't see the relation to traction control on a racebike and traction control on the street. Teams use a completely different aftermarket system for traction control on the track.

[shrineclown]

Originally Posted by Wolfhound

I just saw this news story on superbikeplanet.com. They will provide customer machines but have no factory involvement.

http://superbikeplanet.com/2010/Aug/100827a.htm

I can't breathe.............