Ducati Desmosedici
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ducati Desmosedici | |
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| Manufacturer: | Ducati |
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| Related: | Ducatti Desmosedici RR |
| Similar: | Aprilia RS3 Cube Honda RC211V Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR Suzuki GSV-R Team Roberts KR211V Yamaha YZR-M1 |
Contents |
[edit] Background
Ducati abandoned the Grand Prix racing scene at the start of the 1970s. For many years the 500 class was essentially a class for two-stroke bikes, an engineering technology that was far removed from the four-stroke road-going machines sold by Ducati. Technical rules changed in 2002, giving priority to four-stroke machinery and turning the 500 class of World Road Racing into the MotoGP Championship. This convinced Ducati to make a much-awaited return to the track in the new MotoGP class.
Ducati history is classically based on V-Twin engines, using desmodromic valve technology. Initially, Ducati considered the possibility of creating a MotoGP ‘super-twin’, taking advantage of the MotoGP regulations that give twin-cylinder machines a considerable weight reduction over four, five or six-cylinder bikes. However, analysis indicated that a twin-cylinder engine would not have been able to produce the required amount of power (more than 230 HP), without excessively increasing the number of revs. A Twin would have had to rev at over 17,000 rpm, but this would require a very short stroke and a very large bore, as a result producing possible combustion problems.
The basis of the design of the Desmosedici engine therefore is two classical Ducati V-Twins next to each other, making a V-Four. With four valves per cylinder, the total number of valves is sixteen - Desmosedici means desmo sixteen in Italian
Design had started in 2001 with Alan Jenkins, the bike was unveiled at the 2002 Italian GP at Mugello, for use in the following seasons MotoGP series. Vittoriano Guareschi, the Ducati Corse test-rider, followed every phase of the Desmosedici’s development process from early testing to track debut and the project’s evolution
[edit] Season 2003 - GP3
While still fully committed to Superbike racing, the Ducati Marlboro Team of Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss would compete in all rounds of the 2003 MotoGP championship. The Desmosedici GP3 quickly scored a series of results with Loris Capirossi, who stepped onto the podium in the opening round of the championship in Japan and won the GP Catalunya in Barcelona. The Italian finished fourth in the final championship standings, the Bayliss sixth, while Ducati finished second overall in the Manufacturers’ standings
[edit] Season 2004 - GP4
In 2004 the Desmosedici GP4, again in the hands of Capirossi and Bayliss, underwent a series of major modifications. A large part of the season went by before the bike became competitive, but the season concluded with both riders on the podium.
989cc, has highest top speed record 347.4 km/h (215.864mph) was set by Loris Capirossi on at IRTA Tests in Catalunya, Spain.
[edit] Season 2005 - GP5
The GP5 version lined up for Ducati’s third season in MotoGP, with Bayliss replaced by the Spanish rider Carlos Checa. Thanks to a collaboration agreement with Bridgestone, Ducati could finally contribute to the development of new tires and by the end of the season the Desmosedici become a competitive machine. Bridgstone found that, hard tires suited the bike more than softer tires to create grip - simply put, allowing it to spin the rear wheel gave better control. Capirossi took two wins in the Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi and in the Malaysian GP at Sepang, while Checa scored a brace of podium finishes
[edit] Season 2006 - GP6
Launched at the Italian skiing resort of Madonna di Campiglio, the GP6 is a lighter and more powerful version of the GP5. Involving better aerodynamics and a better fuel tank position, most importantly, although more powerful, the engine delivery was smoothed to make the bike more ridable. This made the bike slower on top speed, but quicker in to, round and out of corners [1]
The new rider with Capirossi was Spanish rider Sete Gibernau. After encouraging winter tests, the Desmosedici GP6 took its first win of 2006 in the opening GP at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, followed by a podium in Qatar. Capirossi led the championship for a short while, but at the start of the Grand prix de Catalunya at Barcelona, Capirossi's bike collided with Gibernau's. Both riders ended up injured and in hospital, with Gibernau sustaining a broken collar bone, and both missed the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen. Capirossi returned at the British Grand Prix, while Gibernau was replaced by German Alex Hoffman for the Dutch Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix, and also the Czech Grand Prix after undergoing additional surgery. With Gibernau still sidelined for the final round of the season at Valencia Ducati recalled Bayliss, who was recently crowned World Superbike champion. The race was won by Bayliss, his first MotoGP victory, with Capirossi taking second place for the first Ducati 1-2 finish.
[edit] Season 2007 - GP7
800cc bike, four cylinders. (Compared to the 989cc engines of past MotoGP engines.)
About 225 bhp. 18200 rpm.
Began testing at the Brno Track where Loris Capirossi won the day before riding the GP6, on the 21st of August. Lap times were only 1.4 seconds off his track record time.
Further testing of the GP7 in Motegi, Japan, revealed that the 800cc machine could run faster laps than higher-end 990cc bikes, and held nearly a second advantage over the next fastest 800cc (Pedrosa's Honda)
[edit] Desmosedici RR
In 2004, Ducati announced that they would be producing a low volume bespoke replica of the Desmosedici, available from 2006.
Termed the Desmosedici RR (Racing Replica), it was claimed to be the first true road replica of a MotoGP racing bike. Priority for ordering was given to Ducati 999R owners, with production projected at one bike per day at a retail cost of $65,000. The price includes a three year warranty and servicing, cover plus a racing kit including an exhaust and an improved electronic control chip. Production is limited to 400 motorcycles per year.
This does make it the most powerful stock (and theoretically street legal) motorcycle sold in the world today.
The bike was eventually launched at the 2006 Italian MotoGP event at Mugello, with delivery from Spring 2007. The entire allocation for the United States of America sold out in 5 hours. [2]
[edit] Technical Specifications: Ducati Desmosedici RR
[edit] Engine
- Type: L-4 cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, Desmodromic, 4 valves per cylinder, gear driven camshafts
- Displacement: 989 cc
- Power: More than 205 HP @ 13,500 rpm*
- Torque: n/a
- Fuel injection: Four 50 mm Magneti Marelli throttle bodies, 12-hole "microjet" with injectors over throttle, manual idle control
- Exhaust: '4-into-2-into-1' vertical exit exhaust/silencer
- Emissions: Euro 3
[edit] Transmission
- Gearbox: 6-speed; Cassette type
- Clutch: Dry multi-plate slipper clutch, hydraulically actuated
[edit] Vehicle
- Body: Full carbon fiber bodywork
- Frame: Tubular steel trellis hybrid, carbon fiber seat support, aluminum swingarm
- Front Suspension: Ohlins 'FG353' PFF forks USD 43 mm pressurized, with preload, rebound and compression adjustment, TiN coated sliders
- Front Wheel: Marchesini forged and machined magnesium alloy wheels, with 7 spoke design as GP6
- Rear Suspension: Ohlins rear shock, with rebound, low/high speed compression adjustment, and hydraulic preload adjustment
- Rear Wheel: Marchesini forged and machined magnesium alloy wheels, with 7 spoke design as GP6
- Tires: Bridgestone
- Front Brake: Two Brembo radial "monoblock" calipers with four 34 mm pistons; two semi-floating 320 mm x 6 mm discs, with machined flange: the same as GP6 wet race set-up
- Rear Brake: 240 mm fixed disc, fixed caliper with two 34 mm pistons
- Fuel tank: aluminum alloy
- Dry Weight: n/a
- Instruments: New lightweight Corse electronic multifunction dashboard with LCD 'bar' graph tachometer, trip/odometer, anti-theft immobilizer, lap time measurement, oil pressure, fuel reserve, EOBD, clock, air temperature, rev counter
[edit] Version
- Colors: Two versions - 1) Desmosedici RR: Rosso GP with a white number plate on the tail section; 2) Desmosedici RR "Team Version": Rosso GP with broad white fairing stripe.
- Versions: Single-seat with racing exhaust (102 dB) - without catalytic converter. A team sponsor decal kit will be provided with each bike
[edit] External links
- Ducati.com - The official manufacturer's website. Current model info, including online information, history, manuals and race team info (Italian/English)
- Ducati GP6 Racing - official site for the Desmosedici GP6 race bike with team info
- Ducati Desmosedici RR - official site for the Ducati Desmosedici RR (Italian/English)
- Desmosedici FAQ
| Grand Prix Motorcycles, 2000-2009 - | |||||||||||
| Series | Manufacturer | 2000s | |||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| MotoGP 500 cc 990 cc 800 cc |
Aprilia | RS3 Cube | |||||||||
| Ducati | Desmosedici GP3/GP4/GP5/GP6 | GP7 | |||||||||
| Honda | NSR500 | RC211V | RC212V | ||||||||
| Ilmor | X3 | ||||||||||
| Kawasaki | ZX-RR | ZX-RR | |||||||||
| Suzuki | RGV500 | GSV-R | GSV-R800 | ||||||||
| Team Roberts | Proton KR3 | Proton V5 | KR211V | KR212V | |||||||
| Yamaha | YZR500 | YZR-M1 | YZR-M2 | ||||||||
| 250 cc | Aprilia | RSW 250 GP | |||||||||
| Gilera | |||||||||||
| Honda | RS250RW | ||||||||||
| KTM | 250 FRR | ||||||||||
| Yamaha | |||||||||||
| 125 cc | |||||||||||
