Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

lnre IEW Claudio Domencali and Paolo Ciabatti llucati wanls 1200cc lot Surcrbilc tacing. llere'$ why. By ALAN Crrxcmr Pxoro sv KyorcHl NaKArluRA ket, the 999 suffers from a lack of horsepower compared to the l000cc fours it competes against in the showrooms - and in multibike comparison tests, like I'4aster Bike. Our top street model is the 999R' which produces 150 hp aSainst more than 170 hp from four-cylinder bikes costing a lot less. But, we wanted to resolve that perform- ance gap without losing the bike's strong identity coming from being aV-twin. So we decided that, in the long term, Ducati must have in its range a larSer-capacity twin-cy'in- der sports model than the existing 999cc bike. So are you sayint you decided to do this for com- mercial reasons to do with keeping your street- bike range competitive in the marketplace atainst the current generation of l000cc four-cy'inder sportbikes, and tfie fact these also form the basis of World Superbike racing was secondary? Domencoli: That's exactly the point- Whatever hap- pens with our application for a bi88er twin-cy'inder capacity limit for racinS, we will - we must - make a big- ger-engined streetbike. We strongly believe that, in street terms, the larSer capacity V-twin will offer a com- petitive platform against four-cy'inder bikes of equiva- lent performance in terms of top speed and horsepow- er, while keeping the advantage of being rideable and torquey in tight, twisty roads, like up in the mountains. Cdbdttir I wouH add another thing. When World Superbike racinS oriSinally started almost 20 years ago, twin-cy'inder bikes were given a l000cc capacity limit, to compete against 750cc fours. At the streetbike level, this tradeoff in capacity already worked just fine, and it also did so when forming the basis of the Superbike class, even once the weights were equalized. But eventualh the Japanese companies did what we are doing now, so that 750cc four-cylinder sporting streetbikes mostly disaP- peared, and were replaced by l000cc fours - while the twins remained at l000cc, and are now at a disadvantqge in performance terms on the street. This has not yet been addressed either in the showroom or in World Superbike regulations - but Ducati has already taken the decision to respond to this situation in developing new larSer-caPac- ity, twin-cylinder models, and we are now askin8 for the Superbike rules to follow this trend upward. Okay - we've established that sooner or later' Ducati will build a bg twin. rJvlat's your proposal for chang- ing the cur€nt Superbike rules to rellect this? Domencoli: We're holding discussions with the gov- erninS body of World Superbike, which comprises the FIM and the series promoter FGSport, and in this, case also the MSMA, to find a correct way of balancing the different types of engine in the category, so as to allow the current bikes in the street marketplace to compete in a fair and proper way. Wlrat's Ducati's specific proposal? The ligure of I 200cc has been mentioned. Dornencoli: We are looking {or a rule that will allow a capacit, higher than l000cc for twins. Well, obyiourly - but other manufacturers have either already produced or are specilically devel- oping l200cc twins. So will Ducati be happy with a twin-cylinder l200cc rule tor Superbike racing? Domercd/ir Yes. ls this the only change you're looking for, or besides giving twins an extra 200cc oyer l000cc fourr, are you also proposing other changes to the current rules, for example, mandatinS stock crankshafts as already required for the fours, but not twins, under the existing l000cc regulations? -L ll t, I l .l )l I LI I rr L l.- i- \-- l-- Iur T 't Lr L,.- G t- L I t's hard to ask for more pasta when you've already I 8ot a full plate - but that s what Ducatr seems to be ! doing in asking the FIM and World Superbike pro- ! -o.".. FGSport to raise the twin-cylinder Super- I bike capacity limit to l200cc from 2008 onward. while fours stay at the present l000cc, After all, if your existing one-liter desmo V-twin is Eood enough to be leading the 2005 World Superbike, then it's hard to see why you should be given an extra 200cc of enSine size against bikes you're already beating. But, as the only European manufacturer capable of confronting the mighty legions ofJapan lnc. on the race- track, the fact that the ltalian company feels it needs to ask for this capacity break deserves a hearing - if only for its apparent improbability- And with persistent, if uncon- firmed, rumors rife that Ducati is set to launch an ll88cc version of its trademark desmo V-twin Superbike motor in an all-new streetbike that would replace its existing controveGially styled 999 sports model, a visit to the Ducati factory in Bologna provided the chance to quiz the men behind this move. Since January of last year, Claudio Domenicali has been in charge of product development for Ducati's street range - a role which, by way of underlininS the company's reliance on racinS as a means of improving the breed, he's undenaking while still retaining overall control of Ducati Corse (the company's race division he's headed up since 1999). During that time, Domenicali has not only overseen the race-winninS development of the Desmosedici MotoGP bike, as well as its recently inftoduced street spinoff, but also Ducati's ongoing efforts to retain its coveted World SuPerbike supremacy. But with Ducati sales slumping in 2005, Domenicali has been charged with refreshing the com- pany's range of products, while ltill overseeing its march to victory on the iacetrack. ln that role, he's assisted by Paolo Ciabafti, director of Ducati's World Superbike opeBtion for the past eight years, durinS which the flrm 54 JUNE 14,2N6 . CYCLE NEWS Vyty is Ducati seekint to alter the current World Superbike technical rules? Domencoli: Let's start from our strategic view of Ducati's customer sportsbike range, and the relationship between this and World Superbike. We decided a while ago that the best commercial platform for us to use in planning the company's future is to keep developing the V-twin desmo engine. So let's make this clear - contrary to misinformed press reports, there willrot be a volume production four-cylinder Ducati engine in the future. lt is true that we're developing the Desmosedici RR road model based on our existing V-four MotoGP bike, but this is a very exclusive. limited-edition, high-end product with a sandcast engine, selling for an extremely hiSh price when it becomes available in 2007. We think that the V-twin on the other hand is the best platform to sup- port a volume production ranSe of motorcycles, includ- ing sportbikes, which follow our established traditions as a manufacturer, have a unique identity, and are eniofable to ride with a distinctive character. We want to remain true to Ducati's history and keep selling the bikes cus- tomers around the world have come to expect from us. Starting from that decision, we analfzed the pros and cons of our current product, to decide which direction we should follow for the future in developing a replacement for the 999. Because, of course, the 999 will be, in due course, be replaced with something new, iust as it itself replaced the 996. That's natural evolution. The main point after deciding that it would be a V-twin, was to address the issue that, in the current high-performance sportbike mar- has strengthened its grasp on the streetbike-derived cat- egory with five world titles. Previously the company's export manager, Ciabatti combines a keen understanding of what Ducati's cus- tomers around the world are lookinS for, with plofting the stream of race victories that enhance the appeal of those products. a d AI l ., ) rfl I \ ) 't ! ffi h ",sd 4 t I \l

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