Dovi spits it out: Corse has no clue where to go next... Dovizioso speaks on Ducati "the problem is not fixing the bike. The problem is not having anyone to fix it... " oh dear oh dear...
And as I understand it rather than try and fix/tweek one thing at a time they tend to do three or four things together so they never really know what was wrong nor what was right. Schoolboy error!
Its not just Corse. I'm afraid their road bikes arent too great either. When compared to rivals bikes they cost more and perform less. They cannot continue like this. They have gone in the wrong direction and instead of turning round and finding their way again. Theyve decided to see if they can find the road again after taking directions from a blind man and theyre in denial that this is stupid thing to do.
they should just knock it on the head like kawasaki and suzuki did. the bike's never been much cop since the trellis frame days 2006/7 - going to carbon frame was brave move to compete from different angle, but going to ally frame they're never going to be competitive unless they build virtually same bike as honda or yamaha. save the cash and make the effing pancake work so as not to marr Ducati's v-twin superbike heritage...
Ze Germans are not going to like zis. Zey vill step in and sort zings out, off zis I hev no doubt. Ducati have a load of fine engineers. What they probably need is more organisation. It was ever thus. Who remembers the very fast Bol d'Or Ducati bikes which had to be retired because their headlights didn't work properly? I am sure that Ducati will have a race-winning bike one day, but when I have no clue. It would appear that some of the directions they have adopted of late are somewhat flawed however. Things that are meant to be better than the competition, a step forward, a "vorsprung durch Teknik" indeed, don't appear to be. So either they need tweaking, or they just took the wrong route. Frankly, it looks as if they can tweak the Moto GP bike all they want (they've been tweaking it for years) - it looks like a better idea to stick it in the bin and try something entirely new.
i think a lot of it comes down to the size of Corse. Honda etc will throw 15 frames at a bike to solve a handling issue over a season. Ducati will struggle to have 2 or 3. Having said that, if you have run out of ideas there is little point in building the same again in the hope of getting somewhere new. There are so many variables. Does the motor design mean they can't build the frame they need for handling or is the motor ruining what might otherwise be a sweet handling bike. They need to head hunt a top man from Honda or Yamaha but then the Japanese engineers are extremely loyal. Tough one but at least Cal can suffer it with money in the bank. Given the late arrival of the 2014 bike they clearly have not got a direction for it yet which means it will be under developed at best come next season.
in this game, taken to this level from all sides ( MM making JL into the best he's ever been) and with H&Y having such a ultradeveloped and effective base to work from so they can focus on seamless gearchange to find the last 10ths here we have a company a tenth the size and having to learn everything form scratch... the worst place to come up with miracle solutions to make that Moby Dick sing is in the limelight under huge stress of having to race every week... with the sattelite bikes coming up next year, they 'll be fighting to get into QP2.. the only course to go - sorry to be repeating myself - is to withdraw from GP and focus on WSBK. This level they can afford to play on in their current state.. and should allow to gain the unvaluable insight they haven't found yet on the course they chose : the monoframe.. if they put their mind to it, they will develop it and it will work eventually. and once they have this fully worked out, they then can integrate it in a GP bike should they still find the need to have one. because , let's be honest : it's pritty megalomanic for such a small company to play on that field...
The other way to look at it is to look at what the CRT bikes are achieving with far less and wonder what the Factory Ducati is really bringing to the party. As for the Panigale, usually Ducati superbikes are better out of the crate. What are the areas in which the Panigale excels vs the competition, either on road or track? There must be some, or their design is flawed.
If BMW start making their bikes pretty then Ducati's dominance on premier bikes is over. My next bike is an S1000rr unless they scrap the pani and make it a decent bike again. Its ugly and doesnt perform. The BMW is ugly but it goes and handles better than the pani. Plus its cheaper and imo better built. (ive ridden both, the bmw is the better bike) Ducati have forgotten the mantra - if it looks right, it is right.
that GP bike does not fit in anywhere in the company profile... not in size, not in product, not in engine, not in frame... that's why it is megalomanic.. as to the pani discussion : we tend to forget that for WSBK , the 1198 was a top contender. But for the road, the last three years of it's existance , it came 2 second last between a GXXR and a badly fuled MV ... and we tend to forget that competition brred progress .. and never has the comp upped its level. On the road and on the track
I'm really not sure where Ducati are going to go from here, they are too late to roll out a new bike for next year, especially seeing as Honda and Yamaha are already testing one, So Cal's first year is going to be a very frustrating one, and if it's anything like the last few races, he will be spitting his dummy.
I doubt BMW will ever do pretty by Ducati standards. Whilst the Pani is not to everyones taste it's still a looker compared to the squinty s1000r. I don't doubt BMW's build quality but it ain't a twin and it's somewhat bland to look at. The problem with the Pani is i think it was behind the pack by the time it came to WSB. The competition had moved on and it is being over ridden in an attempt to run with the pack. It may not be the flawed bike it is muted at being, simply it's behind the game now in terms of development. A few laps of watching Canepa at Luguna showed he was a crash looking for a gravel trap to lie in. If that is how you have to ride to even run with the rest, something ain't right.
The used S1000's i have seen don't seem to be great build quality. Rusting fasteners etc and i know a couple of mates who own them and they are far from reliable.
For me, its the only way. Ive been saying it for a while now. Take a break and develop the bike OUTSIDE of motogp parameters. Think of the money, hassle and embarrassment theyd save themselves. Re the panigale, who knows.....But they cant or probably wont back pedal on that desing now, they cant. Turning their back on the Panigale could have serious implications for them with regards to new buyers and current Ducati owners and current Ducatisti around the globe. It would be 100 times worse than quitting motgp imo. ...Who knows.....but they shouldnt keep barging into motogp, its getting rediculous.
Ive mates whos BMW bikes are still impeccable. Plus if you can find that knob at ducati who designed how my 1198 fairing screws together, let me know as the bastard costs me a fortune as they rattle loose no matter how much you tighten the bastards. Oh and dont loctite em as then the rubber top hats just spin. Plus why does it take hours to swap panels and fairings on the 1198 when I can strip, swap my 916 ones in 20mins. Front rear, side tank the lot. And dont get me started on those stupid plastic tangs on the rear seat and fairing. Plus the s1000's i know off have been more reliable than my 1198 unfortunately. My 1198 is still a great bike with a great engine and looks much better than the beemer. But I am not going to deny that the beemer has not only caught up but overtaken ducati. Except on looks. Oh and the sound. Plus i do love twins....But my 916 turns much better than the beemer and my 1198. Its all a bit emotive, i know. However I stand by the screws. They aint cheap
just look at the different sizes od screws on the pani fairing.... it's ridiculous.... last thing to rattle loose: the placqet on the engine that guides air into the exhaust to reduce emissions... .. and still, i love her to bits...
