[Ducati] Street legal Desmosedici to be announced at Mugello on June 2nd

[mitch velickovich]

Copied from the Ducati Blog.

Today I had the chance to stop by Luciano Negroni' s department, the part of
the R&D area responsible for prototypes, to check out the progress of the
new Desmosedici RR. As I promised at WDW2004, the worldwide preview of the
definitive D16RR will be this year; the bike will be presented this June at
the Mugello MotoGP. It will be a beautiful bike, both esoteric and costly,
with a very limited production; the D16RR is the completion of our
technological challenge to put our racing motorcycles on the road. 

Therefore, the article on the front page of MCN from April 5, 2006 is
mistaken in saying that we will produce "an economic" version for mass
production. This counts as a real "bufala" (bufala in Italian literally
means buffalo but it is used colloquially to mean a mistake) and does not
correspond to our actual plans for the bike. This is not the first time that
the news on the cover of MCN is lacking in a factual basis. For example,
just take a look at the MCN article that supposedly anticipates a new
version of the 999 - this is just a cut and paste combining the 999, 916 and
Desmosedici and absolutely was not designed by us. I would like to use this
opportunity to set things straight giving you the real facts about the bike.


As we faced the D16RR, the discussion of 2 cylinders vs. 4 cylinders came up
frequently and I think this is a very fascinating topic. Personally, I have
always believed that Ducati must remain faithful to its traditions, not to
renounce its character and the unique excitement that only a twin can
provide. Since the discussion exists, I have decided to find out if my
assumptions as a "Ducatista" can be supported on a technical basis. There is
no one better than Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse Director, to ask the
question of why motorcycles with 2 vs. 4 cylinders give riders such
different sensations. Here is his answer: 

"Both twin and 4 cylinders have the same amount of maximum engine torque and
the torque depends mainly on engine displacement. The biggest advantage of
the twin cylinder is the character of the engine torque during acceleration:
two cylinders produce maximum torque at lower engine revs than 4 cylinders.

Maximum torque at lower revs represents a big advantage for a motorcycle;
the engine response is more reactive. As soon as a rider opens the throttle
coming out of a turn, the engine is already there, ready to push!

These characteristics of the engine also make riding on the street easier
and more fun. If you accidentally approach a corner in a higher gear the
engine is still reactive and the rider can still easily finish their turn. 

Obviously on the track, the technical choices are driven by technical rules.
For the MotoGP prototypes, the level of tuning permitted by the rules makes
it impossible for a twin to be as powerful as a 4 cylinder engine. 

The Superbike Championship allows for a different level of engine tuning
and, as a result, it is still possible to be competitive with a twin. This
gives us the advantages of the character of this type of engine." 

Our choices are clear. For our production bikes we are absolutely loyal to
the "pompone" and the "Testastretta" in their different forms, varieties,
possible improvements and continuous study. For the races, the most suitable
choice is to make the most of the rules and to WIN. The Desmosedici replica
was a challenge we took and the fulfilment of a technological dream. It will
be produced in very limited numbers so as too keep our focus and
concentration on our motorcycle family par excellence: the Superbike.


Mitch V