When Ducati released its Corse themed Superbikes at Milan last year, we knew the Italian company was onto something special. With ample carbon fiber, aluminum tanks, and a tasteful amount white and red paint, the Corse livery sets itself apart from the rest of the Ducati line as being the pinnacle of the Italian company’s offering. So when we saw the “Corse” Multistrada 1200S that took place in Pikes Peak, we were equally excited, and begged Ducati North America to make a race replica model (we’re still begging them by the way). While Ducati might take a little more convincing, some owners have taken things into their own hands. Enter into the picture Finishing Touch 4U’s Ducati Streetfighter Corse.
Kawasaki will be officially be “unveiling” its 2011 World Superbike-spec ZX-10R at Nurburgring this weekend, but has released photos of the bike, finally showing the ZX-10R in its green livery. Team Green has slowly been leaking photos and videos of the new 10R through a massive online social marketing campaign, which centered around the company’s Next_Ninga twitter account.
Kawasaki is putting a lot of weight on the superbike’s shoulders after being un-competitive in World Superbike racing, and withdrawing completely from MotoGP. Hoping the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-1oR will turn around Kawasaki’s racing fortunes, Kawasaki is also hopeful that the bike will help spur its fading sport bike sales.
Carmichael Lynch, the ad agency behind Harley-Davidson’s “Screw it, Let’s Ride” campaign, has just announced that it will be parting ways with the Milwaukee motorcycle manufacturer. In a pair of “it’s not you, it’s me” press releases, the two companies, which have partnered together for the past 31 years, cite different reasons for their mutual departures.
We just think that Harley-Davidson is on Step 1 of our three part strategy on How to Save Harley-Davidson.
After holding an online contest to name its 125cc four-stroke based learner street bike, KTM has shockingly come to the conclusion that it should stick to its Duke nomenclature. Schedule to be the 2011 KTM 125 Duke, KTM debuted the concepts at the 2009 EICMA show in Milan. KTM’s plan is to engage young riders with the “Ready to Race” mantra, making them lifetime Team Orange riders with this stepping-stone model
The Mountain at Cadwell Park, as it is known, is like the British version of the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca: another one of those special points on a race track, that would not exist on the computer-generated courses we see today. Famous for lofting bikes into the air, The Mountain makes for spectacular photographs, and should be on every rider’s track day bucket list. Finding the fastest racing line over The Mountain can be difficult though, as riders have to contend with keeping the front of their motorcycles down, but such is not the case for HM Plant Honda’s Josh Brookes…
Track conditions were the talk of the paddock this weekend at the Indianapolis GP, as riders battled the changing tarmac surfaces, and undulating bumps of the Indy infield. Perhaps most vocal of his displeasure with the course was Ducati rider Casey Stoner, who called the Indianapolis Motor Speedway not a world class track, and specifically complained about plastic drains that would catch riders as the ventured in towards the edge of the track (Rossi also complained of these drains). Teammate Nicky Hayden was less critical before Sunday’s race though, saying that Stoner’s comments could be applied to many of the courses on the MotoGP calendar. However after losing a knee puck to one of the drainage grates that Stoner criticized earlier, Hayden may be re-thinking his tune.
Talking after the Indianapolis GP, Valentino Rossi explained that he is waiting to hear from Jeremy Burgess as to whether the Australian Crew Chief will retire next season. Assured of the fact that Burgess would not stay behind at Yamaha, and would not work with another rider, Rossi stated the buzz around whether Burgess would move with the Italian to Ducati, hinges as to when Burgess plans on retiring from motorcycle racing.
Under the lights of the Indy Mile, where motorcycle racing began for the Kentucky-born MotoGP racer, Nicky Hayden has signed a two-year contract with Ducati Corse for the 2011 & 2012 seasons. Not the biggest surprise in the paddock, Hayden’s contract renewal has never really been questioned this season as the American started the season off with series of strong finishes and continues to be a strong brand ambassador for Ducati in the United States. Hayden will be joined the next two years by former teammate Valentino Rossi, the pair rode for Repsol Honda in 2003, with Hayden finishing the season 5th in his rookie GP season.
Infront Motor Sports, rights holder to the World Superbike Championship series, has responded to the news that Ducati Corse will be leaving the series in 2011. Responding with an official press release, IMS’s message essentially boils down to poking holes in Ducati’s statement about technical regulations. Stating that the 2009 season was dominated by the Ducati 1198 Superbike, sans one Ben Spies, the Italian firm has clearly been able to be competitive with the current formula. IMS goes on to basically say that WSBK is about more than one manufacturer, and can’t cater to Ducati’s whims even if they do have a lengthy history together.
As expected, Ben Spies and Yamaha have announced that the current World Superbike Champion and MotoGP rookie will move up to the factory Yamaha team (noticeably not called Fiat-Yamaha in the press release) for the 2011 season. Spies’ move to the factory squad has lovingly been referred to as the “second worst-kept secret in MotoGP,” right after Rossi’s departure from the Fiat-Yamaha team to Ducati Corse.
Sure as hell didn;t slow them down, or stop the wheelies! It was an amazing race to watch and the Red Flag came out on lap 9 for an RdP, Bautista and Espargaro crash. RdP broke his left Tib and Fib, and his bike lit up with flames.
Rossi and Casey rode like there was a demon chasing them the way they were over taking one another in the later stages of the restart and once Dani got past Lorenzo it was OVER!!!
Astonishing race, wonderful to watch, why can’t it be like that ALLL the time!
I didn’t think I was watching an F1 race; there was overtaking and excitement.
I wondered how long it would take before aerodynamic downforce starting playing a factor in GP
Aerodynamic downforce is not usefull on bikes because when you lean, the center of downforce would be next to the tyres adding even more pressure thus reducing grip.
Another issue would be: how to you “unstick” the bike from the downforce to straighten it out?
You would need movable aerodynamics to do that. And that’s against the rules.
G
While i agree on the excitement factor this week, it just sucks that it had to involve ppl breaking bones. i hate to see that but yeah, and awesome race over all
Wings only create noticeable downforce once you reach a fairly high speed. I would imagine wings of this size probably have little to no effect on the ride in curves because they’re not going fast enough for them to make a meaningful amount of downforce. Frankly, I can’t imagine those wings are anywhere near big enough to combat the wheelies created by the torque. Quieting the air going in/around the fairings though; that I can see.
I would have to argue, personally, that downforce is probably more or less worthless on a bike. First look at how big wings are on cars (like in F1). Then consider how far over a MotoGP rider leans going around a curve. Your wing then becomes very limited size wise on a bike; after all you can’t have that thing dragging the pavement. Where would even you put a wing on a bike to increase your speed around a curve if you were at full lean? Not to mention wings slow you down down the straight.
I like it!
Aerodynamic downforce is very useful on a bike, just like on a car. The trouble is keeping the downforce, DOWNforce because as noted the force vector changes with the bike’s lean angle.
I wonder if the racing regulations would allow for movable aerodynamic panels? If so, I think we will see before long deployable “wings” on the sides of the bikes that operate primarily when the bike is at a significant lean-angle.
As for the wings, they could easily generate a few lbs of downforce at speed and positioned out front like that even say 10lbs could make a significant difference in keeping the front end plated. At the speeds the bike will reach they may well generate quite a lot more force than that I’d guess.
The winglets on the Ducati are similar to what we’ve been using on the Fischer MRX
After looking a them and had a nice long coffee (black, strong, one sugar) this is my two cent worth:
It’s not a down force system… It’s a vortex splitter.
The air moving down with the wheel hits air going backwards on the lip of the mud guard, this creates a vortex that hits the bike where the wing is.
This vortex probably climbs into the low pressure zone behind the rider. This probably does no hinder the bike when going straight (even adds speed by lowering drag). But leaning over it probably has a moment of instability when compressed by the ground. The vortex probably switches going over then under the rider being first a “air cushion” then “ground effect” thus loading and unloading the front wheel = high speed unstability.
Actually, making a serrated edge on the front mud guard would be more effective…
In this age of super computers, modelling and calculated fluid dynamics, the punter sometimes forget that some aero problems cannot be modeled or the computer gets it plain wrong. Buffeting chief amongst them.
How do i post a 2 cent picture of what should be done to that mudguard?
G
It’s no good Jen… Jen talk to me.
haha
So much for Top Gun!
The Yamaha YZR 500cc bikes had wings too in ‘99.
Didn’t help Gary McCoy btw. or was he traveling to much sideways?
The authority on motorcycle downforce is Tony Foale As a lot of people sugggested you need movable aerodynamics please take a look at the second half of this article http://www.tonyfoale.com/Articles/Aerodynamics/AERO.htm
I picked up on these winglets too, Toby Moody told me they were not for downforce simply to reduce lift on the straights.
I drew a quick pic to highlight the detail…
http://scarbsf1.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/motogp_ducati.jpg
and these pics to highlight the different approaches teams take to their fairings
http://scarbsf1.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/motogp_array.jpg
Thank you for the interesting story, even though it did take quite a long time to understand. (English is not my first tongue) Can I ask where you got your sources from? Many thanks!