It would be very interesting indeed if Ducati have abandoned the standard practice of pressurising the cooling system, which allows the boiling point of the coolant to be raised significantly.
But the main cooling system is under pressure.... it's just the overflow that is caught. Water and antifreeze is super slippy when mixed with hot tyres.... as I know from last time I was out at Rockingham.... thought I had a slipping clutch until the end of the straight....
Wow, I am amazed. So, pressurising the system is rather less universal than I thought. Will have to take a look at my daughter's Hornet...
They are not testing the temperatures on the road and it would frankly provide some entertainment to the thermodynamicists at Ducati's engine department. Starting off by incorrectly identifying a piece of wood and then showing a lack of any full understanding of the systems does not help. For your bike put the water wetter in and see what happens, without the heat shielding you will still have the same problem of cooking your thighs but at least the engine will be able to improve some of its heat dissipation issues
Don't forget the issues of coolant compatibility and the difficulties of proper flushing when the bike next gets a coolant change or service. One of those issues that can be easy to manage for track bikes, not so easy on road bikes. Is it worth the hassle with the marginal (at best) results for road use?
