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Ducati Desmosedici. MotoGP on the motorway.

Discussion in 'D16 Desmosedici RR' started by Rob, Mar 28, 2014.

  1. The Ducati Desmosedici is one of the iconic bikes to come out of the Italian company. It began with the technical changes in the rules in 2002 for the World Road Racing which effectively turned it into the MotoGP as we know it today that convinced Ducati to make its return to track racing and, with it, came the road-legal MotoGP Desmosedici. The MotoGP version started its design in 2001 and was released for use in 2002 however it wasn’t until 2007 that Ducati won their first MotoGP World Championship with the Desmosedici with hero Casey Stoner.

    Indeed, there have been no fewer than 9 incarnations of the Desmosedici bike throughout the past 11 years for Ducati with the most recent being the GP12 with its 1000cc and was ridden, albeit fairly unsuccessfully, by Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden at the 2010 MotoGP circuit. Although, Rossi, in 2007 when he was still with Yamaha, admitted that his bike could never compete with the Desmosedici on the straight and nor could any other one in the same class.

    The RR was also, as Ducati claimed, the first MotoGP to be made road worthy and put into ‘mass production’ and we emphasis ‘mass production’ here because very little were made (under 2000). Indeed, those who already owned the Ducati 999R got first preference on these bikes and only one per day were made. Combine this with the fact that they are certainly not cheap by any means then you have a bit of a conundrum.

    What made this bike so successful however and why has a road version appeared?

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    Legalising the Desmosedici

    Due to the large popularity and appeal that the Desmosedici had among fans of the MotoGP circuit then Ducati came up with the idea of creating a road legal version. Indeed, there is little way to describe the RR other than to say that it is almost a carbon copy of the Desmosedici but tailored so that it can be legally driven by anyone on the road.

    Let’s not make any mistake about it, the RR is a very powerful bike indeed. Considering that it is designed for racing then this is perhaps stating the obvious however the road version is just as rapid and quick as anything else you will find on the market at the minute. That being said, the Ducati Desmosedici’s V4 motor is not as fierce and aggressive as you may actually think even if it does have a mightily impressive 200bhp with a top speed almost hitting 200mph (it can get up to just over 190mph if you really want it to).

    This is not a bike for a faint hearted, clearly; however it is not the aggressive monster that it is often made out to be. You can get right up to 13,800rpm although after 10,000rpm it starts to get a bit frantic and the intensity of the ride will probably be too much for some, less experienced riders. Because of its dry weight of 171kg then it has a very impressive weight to power ratio as well.

    “Bikes shouldn’t make you nervous. Injections, job interviews, brown envelopes on the door mat and flashing blues in your peripheral are familiar triggers, but not motorbikes. They should make you smile and laugh out loud, so why do I feel the way I do? Why do I feel like I’ve had my collar felt, landed three parking tickets and been told to report to the boss all in the same day? Simple; Desmosedici, The Kaiser Sose of the two-wheeled world”. - Visor Down
    The fact is that unless you are really hell bent on riding the Desmosedici RR like a MotoGP rider which, in all honesty, the vast majority of owners will not then you will never be able to get it to reach its full potential. Many testers and owners have commented that the stiffness of the chassis means that there is not much ‘feel’ from the Desmosedici RR even at break neck speeds around the track – good or bad this is up to you but the fast you go then obviously the more feel you will get even if most will not even dare to test their limits to this degree.

    That being said, the stiffness also means that you can push the RR to a massive degree and even then it feels like you can go even further even if your better instincts tell you not to. It also benefits greatly from good wind protection – not something Ducati are exactly well known for on other production bikes – as the riders position means that you will be shielded somewhat at high speeds.

    “On the road the Desmosedici is going to be a waste. Where a 1098 or R1 will flatter you with its user-friendly nature the Ducati is quick to tell you that you’re not good enough to ride it. It is the best handling road motorcycle ever built; you just need to be Casey Stoner to appreciate it”. - MCN

    The Equipment


    As the Desmosedici RR is essentially a MotoGP bike then it comes with a vast amount of equipment and features that are not usually found on many road bikes. The specially coated alloys of aluminium and magnesium are a luxury addition as is the carbon fibre parts such as fairing, fairing bracket and heel guards. As with most road bikes these days there is an impressive LCD dash that is a replica of the one found on the GP7 MotoGP bike that was used by Casey Stoner to great effect at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar in 2007. Stoner benefited from having a clear speed advantage with the Desmosedici at the event and left the rest in his wake as he set a new track record in the process.

    Most new Ducati models now have the data logging facility on board and the RR was no different although when it was released in 2007 it was somewhat of a new concept. Not only were you getting a race ready bike but you could also track your riding and analyse your results well after the event and it allowed up to some 4 hours of feedback and recordings. This meant that you can monitor how your riding changed over time, what you need to improve on and what is lacking in your game; not to have this on a bike this the RR would be criminal. Forged magnesium makes up the Marchesini wheels and special 16-inch Bridgestone BT-01R tyres also contribute to making the RR an all ready beast in many regards.

    There is no mistake about it, the Desmosedici RR came loaded with a sheer massive volume of equipment and ad-dons that made the bike that it is. For sure, some of these features can be found on other Ducati models but not to the same extent and not all at once. If a feature loaded bike is what you are after then there is little else out there that could compete with the RR in this department.

    [​IMG]

    Riding The Desmo


    Bikes can have all the equipment in the world and all the add-ons and features to make it look flashy but if it is not a good ride then what is the point? The key issue with the RR was that it is a MotoGP bike essentially so if you are not Casey Stoner then getting the full potential from it is going to be difficult however that is not to say that it is not a good ride or you will not enjoy yourself while you are on it.
    When you do let leash on the RR then you quickly notice that all the criticism that you give riders on the MotoGP circuit for ‘not doing this and that’ and ‘I could do that better’ quickly goes out the window.

    However, if ridden properly, then it is a good bike to drive. Somehow, and we are not entirely sure why, you just feel special and appreciated on the Desmosedici RR. Do you always feel like you are in complete control? Well, not exactly however you never feel as though you lose control either. These bikes have a way of ensuring that the tight corner you are fretting about turning is as easy as going 200 yards in a straight line; the RR doesn’t even just mimic the sound of a MotoGP it is as MotoGP bike and if you want a ride that sounds exactly like one then the Desmosedici RR is your answer.

    The Desmosedici RR In Perspective


    ” … it all starts to come together and the machine scribes inch-perfect arcs, driving the specially made Bridgestone rubber – the stickiest road tyres the company has ever made – with arm-wrenching force while your whole riding world shifts onto a different plane. And when you do get it right, the Desmosedici turns into a glorious, beautiful extension of your senses that justifies every last penny. Forty-two thousand pounds? Is that all?”. - The Telegraph
    So, what do we actually think of the RR? Only 1500 were built and only 170 of those were shipped to the UK so to say that the Desmosedici RR is a bit of a limited edition is an understatement and, if you are lucky enough to own one or get the chance to ride on, then you are part of an exclusive club so to speak. The price does, admittedly, put many off. You can pretty much buy a Porsche car for the same price as the RR – around £40,000. A cheap, entry Ducati bike this is most definitely not.

    The price comes with the quality however. In all honesty we believe that Ducati could sell this model for a hell of a lot more than the £40,000 that is quoted and still it would be popular amongst those who can firstly afford one and secondly get a hold of a model. Are there any downsides to the bike? Well, no, not really. The basic fact is that it is a professional MotoGP bike with a few tweaks to ensure that you can legally drive it on the road.

    For sure you could downgrade yourself significantly and go after the 1098S, the Honda FireBlade or the Suzuki GSX-R1000 if you wanted to save yourself 30 grand or so but you are only going to be disappointed if you can actually afford a Desmosedici RR. Probably a good description is to imagine getting hold on a Formula ! car and then driving it down an ordinary street – this is pretty much what you get with a RR.

    “Riding a Ducati Desmosedici RR is an opportunity that is met once in a lifetime by us mortals and, in the end, the bike leaves us with a sweet taste. It will always stand out as the ride that we weren’t suppose to get and yet we did, just as it will do with owners after they buy one of the few models available”. - Top Speed

    It is not for everyone by any means and unless you are highly experienced in riding high performance bikes then it is probably not recommended that you even give one a go around a quiet track. Its performance, ridiculous amount of onboard and high quality equipment coupled with its superior build and sheer rapidness and power make it one of the most sought after bikes that Ducati has ever made.

    Read the original post here.
     
    #1 Rob, Mar 28, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2014
  2. Having used mine in anger for almost four years now, on road and track, I can honestly say that it is the best bike I have ever ridden bar nothing. Even the latest bikes don't come close. The sheer feedback from the bike is unbelievable, you can feel every inch of tarmac (good and bad), the chassis is astonishing, the engine is extremely flexible, the throttle connection is Honda-level perfect, and it is a complete missile on track.

    Hard to setup, very sensitive to geometry, suspension and tyres, due to the incredibly stiff chassis, but phenomenal when right. Hard to ride anything else subsequent to this and feel it is even in the same ball park. What do you ride after a Desmosedici?! We can only hope they make another at some point……

    The downsides are simply that most tracks have noise limits and so you will rarely be able to use it on track in the UK, as it blows through 105dB levels at idle, let alone at 5-7k revs. And parts are far from readily available from Ducati, so it can take some time to get hold of them at times. Plus, they cost an absolute arm and a leg so dropping it doesn't bear thinking about.

    But when it's working, and you are thrashing it, knee down through a 3rd gear corner on track, or riding European roads in the sunshine, inch perfect, listening to the GP-exhaust howling, driving hard at 10k revs, nothing else comes close to that.

    A total bargain for what it is.
     
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  3. ;)
     
    #3 Hyperextended, May 16, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 15, 2016
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  4. I'm now going to have a lay down....
     
  5. You mean you were stood up? At your age with all your body rebuilding going on? :smiley:
     
  6. Very envious, only time I have seen one I was working on a gas pipeline near harrogate, the noise was something else, very special bike definitely I would have one above anything else if money no object.
     
  7. An average of 1 reply a year to this post (I've just spoilt that) :)
     
  8. Bike probably gets more special every year, probably nearest a road bike will get to moto gp in many moons.
     
  9. Oi, stop bumping the average ppy (post per year) count up. :mad:

    Oh s**t, what have I done? :worried:
     
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