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WSBK Ducati.

6K views 55 replies 14 participants last post by  Full_Spectrum 
#1 ·
Not much talk here about Bautista’s devastating and brutal dominance in WSBK. He’s like mm and just playing with everyone. Arguably would have been better to have given him the second Ducati motogp seat. If Our Jack doesn’t get it next year I can see him going to WSBK. Him or Petrucci.
 
#2 ·
Assen was supposed to be the track that bought Alvaro back to the pack and Rea thought to be an odds on winner.
Alvaro did have luck with the red flag in Superpole.
He just ground out two more wins, race 2 giving him some racing practice until he cleared out.

I think Ducati will want to keep him in SBK, the other three Ducatis are not doing much.
Does he have a 1 or 2 year contract?
If its a 2 year contract he'll be free when a lot of riders in Motogp are off contract.
Aprilia and KTM will be looking and if Lorenzo doesn't improve I'm tipping Bautista for Repsol Honda 2021-22.
You heard it here first:grin2:
 
#6 · (Edited)
I'd bet money (not a lot) that Alvaro will stay in WSBK until he retires. He had plenty of chances in MotoGP, including with Ducati last year. For whatever reason, he was never able to come to terms with being fast over the course of a season- or, even over the course of a race. He spent his entire MotoGP career without a win, and only 3 podiums. And, he did have plenty of chances with a few different factories, having ridden for Suzuki, Honda, Aprilia, and Ducati.

I'd also guess that he is finally getting a real paycheck, as opposed to whatever else he had going on in prior years. He also just had a child last year, and will likely try to make good money while he is able. I think it would be a good thing for everyone if he stays in WSBK.

1. He makes good money
2. He has a competitive ride for the rest of his career
3. He elevates the game of the rest of the WSBK riders
4. He becomes a SBK legend- assuming he continues to beat up the field
5. He isnt getting any younger

The MotoGP stovepipe is very full with new riders, waiting their chance at the big leagues. I'd be surprised if they went back to Alvaro for anything other than a one-off ride from here on.
 
#5 ·
Ducati has been dying to be on top in WSBK ever since the 1198 went out and the stiff “framed” Panigale came in which never saw a championship in its 2-cyl configuration. If the V4 continues to work in the hands of AB it will continue to drive the demand for the new Panigale like it is now. It’s not only winning comparison tests in the moto rags but it’s winning on track.


2004 Ducati ST4s ABS “Senna”
2002 Yamaha FZ1
1998 Ducati ST2 apocalypse edition
 
#8 ·
Gigi really likes Bautista, and there was a point last season where a lot of people had him as the 2nd best Ducati rider in the GP paddock (right behind Dovi). Ducati has 6 bikes, but only Dovi, Bagnaia, and Abraham have contracts for 2020, so there could be an opening, maybe even on a GP20.
 
#9 · (Edited)
There was no one in the GP paddock last year who felt that Alvaro was the best candidate for a works Ducati, nor did any of those people think that Alvaro was the 2nd best Ducati rider in the paddock.

Really. Most of the paddock were stunned that he was able to finish 4th at PI, but as most will say, PI is rather peculiar and often times gives us interesting and unexpected results.

Also, Alvaro will be 35 next year. It would be quite odd for a 35 year old guy, who over an 8 year career never managed a win and only 3 podiums, to get a factory Ducati GP20, instead of Jack Miller, or any of the other young guys.
It might be plausible that Alvaro goes back to paying for rides with whomever has the GP19's, but it's unlikely in the extreme.
 
#44 ·
What is the thumb operated lever on the right handlebar for?

Thanks!


Member *looney888 .. I can barely understand what you write. Use of periods to punctuate your thoughts would help, rather than statement after statement divided up with nothing but commas which makes reading your posts a lot of work. Too much work. Sorry man, it just is what it is.

:wink2:
 

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#16 ·
So far this season Miller has had two fourth places and one third place with two dnf's

Petrucci has three sixth places, one fifth and one third.

One of Millers dnf's was when his seat pad detached from the seat.

So Millers average placing in races finished is 3.66
Petrucci's is 5.2
 
#17 ·
If Bautista delivers the WSBK title his clout with the Ducati will be huge. He will be the first choice over Pirro for any factory wild card/substitute rides and they will probably pay him extra to stay in WSBK and keep winning. I would not be surprised to see Petrucci get pushed towards WSBK if Davies can't start winning in WSBK and they need to make room on the factory MotoGP team for a "hot prospect" to be named later. Also of note, Scott Redding (Be wiser Ducati) dominated the BSB races at Donnington this weekend and has the points lead in that series. He might fancy a try in WSBK if things keep going well for him. Bottom line: The V4 Superbike has been a huge step in the right direction.
 
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#27 ·
A few additional points.

BSB is almost totally unique. Its a great series, but it bares little resemblance to WSBK. No rider aids. Short, technical tracks. Very little travel.

So the bikes, tracks, and lifestyle is very different from WSBK or GP. Thus, the demands and required skills are different. Not better or worse, just different.

I am also not so sure that Ducati would be interested in having Scott ride on the factory team. Traditionally, they have been very protective of their brand, and their rider choice reflects that. It is a rare thing to see public criticism of their bikes (Rossi aside) in the way that Redding did with Aprilia.

Just a hunch, but I think that there are going to be plenty of guys lining up to take the 2nd seat on the Aruba squad that dont come with the baggage that Redding has.

It's one thing to ride in a domestic championship on a top team that purchases bikes...and another thing to be on the world stage in a factory team. I dont really have a dog in the hunt here, and I dont really care who rides what bike, for which team, these are just my observations.
 
#29 ·
If you have money, there are plenty of teams that will be happy to take it from you in exchange for a ride. Some of them may even allow someone to ride for free on occasion.

That is a far cry from actually getting paid to race.

Scott Redding is not likely to get paid by a factory any time soon, in exchange for racing their bikes. Again, just my opinion.

I'd bet that Bridewell will get results as good or better than Redding would have, and he'll do so without the risk of throwing the team and all of ites technical partners under the bus.

For GoEleven, there would be zero upside to having Redding this weekend.

1. Redding kicks ass. Everyone says, "well he was a MotoGP rider- what do you expect?"
2. Redding gets smoked. He then lays blame on Showa, Nissan, and whomever else he feels didnt give him the tools to win.
3. The risk of #2 is very high.
 
#39 · (Edited)
I don't need to read the FIM rule book to look at a WSB spec bike and a road bike side by side to see they're not _really_ anything alike.....

OK the frame, and engine cases are the same, as is the crank/rods, gearbox internals.the injection system and airbox are too. oh and the sprocket carrier....

what else?
Not much really, so what's different?
They can spend 10,000 euro on the swingarm for fucks sake, are you sure i'm the delusional one?
Brakes, rotors, m/cyls, lines, hoses, calipers, all of it. ABS removed too.
Suspension Rear shock, forks, triple clamps, linkage, yep, all of it..
Wheels, both of em... and tyres
Fairings, tank size (bigger) and construction (no carbon fibre tank though, but Al is allowed
switchgear, ECU, wiring loom, they have a rain light.
Engine construction, all hand built, clearanced balanced, lighter pistons, low friction rings etc
Ti hardware almost everywhere,

Fuck, i'll go out on a limb here and say that a set of forks off any WSB spec bike cost more than almost any standard bike they're based on!

More road bike than i think? no, there's road bike in there, for sure, but they're seriously trick in their own right and ANY form of racing let alone at the world championship level means that teams will do whatever they can to gain an edge, they spend money wherever they can within the rules to go faster, it's the nature of the sport, cost cutting has made them less so but they're still bristling with exotic materials, super expensive parts and technology, stuff that will never find it's way onto a showroom stock bike, ever.
 
#38 ·
What can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.....

It's pretty obvious that there are rules that prohibit plenty of the technology that is used in Moto GP in superbikes, it's also pretty obvious that frames, cases etc are obviously going to be different and seriously exotic one offs in GP, of course the electronics are different as well, considering that Moto GP have their own control unit.

My broad statement was that the V4 panigale is based on the 2016 GP bike, and from what i've been told it is, your literal reading of that and your subsequent sarcastic reply is a little OTT and frankly, not really necessary. You must be some kind of moron to read into my post that SUPERBIKE have allowed a GP bike to have a new fairing and compete in their class.

But seeing as that's what you assume let me say that i was not saying that, not in the slightest, and for those who read into comments what they like for the opportunity to correct and belittle others i'll clarify, basically, my understanding is that the V4 engine developed for GP has been adapted into a road bike friendly format for use on their superbike, and that engine/transmission unit has been arranged in a chassis to mimic that of the 2016 bike giving it a feel of familiarity to a rider with a LOT of experience on it.

Now, with you spruking all that waffle if you can't back it up with cold and facts your posts are nothing more than your opinion, just like mine, so the condescending and sarcastic tone isn't really necessary, you just pad your opinion with more self serving waffle than most. And no one cares about your CV, it's probably made up anyway.....
 
#56 ·
They have also tested full rear wheel covers on the SBK project for sure. Not sure about the MGP stuff.

Related- FIM, Dorna, and the teams are not altering regulations for aero development and approval. I dont think you can put this genie back in the bottle, but they are certainly trying.

It'll take the next round of 'cost reduction' measures to scale this back, imo.
 
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