There was the magic of 1978, then nothing. Sorry if this topic is akin to tax disc location, but just how long is the list of deficiencies that keeps Ducati out of the running for 34 years. They have competed well (up until recently) against these bikes in track series racing, is the Isle that different? Was Hailwood just on fire that day? Is it the smooth delivery of the I-L4? Sorry if this is old news but, the power is there and the handling is there, whats missing?
Valid point, a few years ago Rossi was there as a spectator and told the commentator he would never race the TT. Hailwood still alive?
I was talking to the owner of Ducati Berlin who said they had entered an 848 in 2010 but was unfortunately a DNF. He did say they were the only one there though
Lack of backing and a fast rider methinks? McGuiness on a prepped Pani / 1198 would get a good couple of laps in! Its more gargantuan bollock-size around the Isle that gets quick laps than the bike itself? Hailwood? Did incredibly well on what was even then an outdated bike... Maybe a lucky finish! If he hadnt had got that first place Ducati would have folded (again) and we would now be riding around on Yamakakonda IL4's. :frown:
I remember Hailwoods bike blowing up just before the finish anyways & him coasting over the finish line... another 1/2 mile and....
Yer tis: "During pre-race testing and TT practice our Sports-tuned engine proved fast and reliable - Mike topped the TT F1 leader board with a new lap record at 111 mph, yet was convinced he'd only done 105 mph or so because the Ducati felt so easy and relaxing to ride. Two race engineers had turned up from the Ducati factory to observe and help out, Franco Farne and Giuliano Pedretti. Farne became concerned over the high mileage this engine had done in practice, so persuaded me to fit a new one they had brought over with them, which Mike did a solitary lap with on Friday night, the day before the race. In the event, though good enough to win the race, this proved much slower than our motor, and blew up when the bottom bevel gear on the rear cylinder disintegrated just as Mike shut off to cross the finish line and win! I didn't even know this till I got the bike home, because under FIM pressure there was a strict noise control at the TT that year, and all the finishers were supposed to be tested at the end of the race. There was some doubt whether the Ducati would pass, even with the Triumph silencers we'd grafted on to the Lafranconi exhaust meggas, but the noise meter man didn't fancy being lynched for being the one to disqualify Hailwood after his famous TT comeback win, so as I pushed the bike back to the parc ferme I was greeted with the rhetorical question that "the engine won't start, will it?!" to which I was happy to agree - except that, had I but known it then, it was quite true!" Mike Hailwood
There seem to be a few Ducati's in the Irish road races but there were none at the Gold Cup event at Olivers Mount recently. Maybe a bit of Panigale driven success and some Audi billions/results in MotoGP could make a difference. Adam Child seemed to enjoy himself on the Pani S on the Island. Who knows?
Knowing the course has to be a huge part of the battle, similar to woods riding fast on "your" trails and having a total disaster on someone else's trails. So having a local guy like say, Guy Martin in the seat would be an advantage. At least then Ducati would be able to See the podium from where they finished. Don't see why this is not important to a race oriented company like Duc.
Race Results - The official Isle of Man TT website, sorry, but I only found a 3rd in 1984 for him on this site. May have missed another, but it's been 34 years, so even these accomplishments are in the noise. No disrespect intended. But really, as I had asked in the original post, "whats keeping Ducs off the Isle?" I realize there may be no clear answer to this question, but to a newbie like me it is quite baffling. Incidently, John McGuinness took a 3rd in the 2003 race on a Duc, go figure....
I would say it is because many see Ducatis as toys for rich that need service every few miles. As such no rider that wants to win, has other ride that is capable of doing so, will risk it. For Ducati to show up there they would have to sponsor a team with rider that is fast, that has chance of winning and do it with such rider few times to get good results in position and show fact they did not blow up. It is not a racing season where you have time to develop. It is a one off event with most off the prep happening off the island.
Tony Rutter won 4 out of 5 TT Formula Two races in 1981-85 period on Ducatis, and went on to win the world championships as well. Yes, it is nearly forty years ago, but it's not 1978. Is the point you're making that during all the many years when Ducati has dominated WSB, with more wins than any other make in that class, there were none at all in the Island? I think it is up to the factory and their sponsors. Sending a works team to the Island for a fortnight would be a big and expensive slice of the season, and the payback from winning is not sufficient (as well as too uncertain). The surprising thing is that Honda stuck with the TT all those years.
Pete. Ah, I was only looking at formula 1. Yes thats the point exactly, all those years dominating WSB, gaining a huge rep, certainly a great bike, but on the Isle practicly nothing. And yes, it's not 1978, when Ducs would fall apart on a trip to the store. My 750ss has been stone ax reliable for 14k miles. Really, after all these years developing the same engine layout even complete burkes would end up with good mill. Luca, your probably right about the money, really, what else could it be?
