Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Carl Fogarty's Ducati 996 In terms of chassis geometry rather than riding position, the Fogarty 996 feels pretty nimble and agile in slower turns - more so than Corser's more balanced setup delivers, if just a little bit twitchy around faster turns, like the one after the pits at Misano, or the first two left handers leading onto the main straight. It's better on the last, fastest one, but only if I hold the bike in fourth gear and drive hard through the turn, rather than shortshifting like you do there on some bikes with a road-pattern gearbox. Then it feels more stable and planted, and clicking into fifth soon after gives 11,500 rpm down to the brak- (but still c1utchlessly) by backing off the throttle. I have to say that the KLS on the Ducatis, irrespective of setting, doesn't feel nearly as slick as the same system on the works Kawasakis, and not in the same league as the HRC setup on the Castrol RC45. The very distinctive Fogarty riding position may be one reason for this, because Carl has the c1ip-ons tucked in and quite steeply dropped, compared to other Superbike riders, and uses quite a high rear ride height but low-set footrests that are also very short. In fact, he says he shortened them even more this year, so that as well as being 20mm low~r ing point for the left-hand horseshoe at the end of the straight, before I chicken out and think about braking. Ducati only gears the bike to use five speeds at Misano (and several other circuits: Donington, Albacete, etc.), in case you wondered. I can't say that at first I noticed any instability under braking of the kind Carl will tell me about later - but that is before my chum Dario Marchetti obligingly passes me on Carl's other bike, and I get the wake-up call to start trying harder. Then squeezing hard on the front Brembos brings my braking point down to the 150 mark at the end of the straight - there's lots of bite, and a good progressive feel to the lever, plus a fair bit of engine braking, thanks to the slipper clutch whose distinctive click can be felt every time you pull in the lever to change down. But now the Ducati does start to street-sweep the track more with the rear wheel, moving around quite a bit as the weight transfer makes itself felt on a bike than the ones on Troy Corser's bike, they're also 20mm shorter, and further forward. That's because of an old knee injury restricting the amount he can bend his leg, so to get his toes on the rests in order to get more lean angle, he has to hove this unusual stance, made even more unlikely by the low-cut screen he likes to peer around or look over, rather than see through, like on a normal bike. "It makes the bike feel lighter in turns, so I can chuck it about more easily," he says, "but I'd also like Ducati to make me a flat seat, to stop me sliding forward under heavy braking, which cramps up my knee." Is this the reason for the experimental twin exhausts on either side of the bike, rather than under the seat, that we've seen Ducati testing this winter? Could be - but worth noting also is the fact that the new fuel tank adopted for '99 allows you to tuck further down behind the vestigial screen than before, and stops you feeling quite so perched atop the bike as in previous years. 20 MARCH 15, 2000' eye I e n III 'IN' S (Right) Fogarty points to the single-sided swingann as the primary source of Ducati's tire problems in '99. This year the 996 gets a double-sided unit. (Below) A stripped-down view of the 996's trickery. In developing its race bike, Ducati emphasizes evolution over revolution. which must have quite a high center of gravity, as well as a fair bit of inertia in the engine. It's not as bad as the works Suzukis used to be (and still might be, if they didn't crank the idle speed up to 3000 rpm-plus on Frankie Chili's bike!), but it's not perfect either - the Castrol Honda is much more stable on the brakes, as well as being easier to lift up and over in a chicane: the Fogarty Ducati requires more physical effort to turn from side to side than you'd expect from a twin, perhaps because of the reduced leverage obta ined from Carl's close-coupled c1ip-ons. But it turns into the bend very well just a quick flick worthy of a 250cc GP bike will do the job. However, it's coming out of a turn that the Ducati's true soul comes to the fore - because that's when you truly appreciate the awesome engineering in that fabulous motor. The sound of thunder rumbling from the two Termignonis as the mechanics fire it up in pit lane, with the aid of their trademark trolley-motor, stirs the spirit with the promise of an alluring ride - and you're not disappointed. Hard work by Ducati engineers has brought added' refinement to the meaty, yet high-strung, motor, with such a light, yet precise, throttle action dialing up exactly the amount of power at the rear wheel that you Making the Best Better DlIcati's )'outhful-but-focuscd race engineer - ,) former journdli~t heads up the Bologna f<1ctory's nev.;ly formed separate race division. Ducati Corse. Here are the main differences between the two Fogarty title·",,·inners in '98 and '99, ,,(cording to Claudio Domenicali. * Evolution. not revolution: Ducati utilizes an excellent base product that is constantly refined . • Ducati fitted a new Ohlins shock for '99. along with a smaller 42mm fork (compared to the previous 460101 unit). The latter change reduces unsprung weight and makes for more flexibility under side loads. This in turn makes the front tire feel better. and better absorbs bumps when the bike is fully leaned. A new Brcmbo front brake caliper adds stiffness to the fork slider. keeping the caliper more in line with the discs. The result is more even wear on the pads. A smaller fuel tank was used, with more of it extending into the airbox. This made the tank 200101 lower, and increased aerodynamics. New camshafts gave an overall improvement in power * Detilil changes to the cylinder-head porting.

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