After testing for three days at Jerez with Carlos Checa and Franco Battaini, Ducati Corse may not be saying much about the new Ducati Desmosedici GP12, but that hasn’t stop Karel Abraham from releasing some details about the new Italian steed today. The “official” technical specifications of MotoGP race bikes are always a bit vague, and Ducati Corse has unsurprisingly stuck to that trend with the GP12. Stating horsepower in the 250hp range, 15hp more than what was quoted for the GP11, Ducati also lists a top speed of over 360 km/h, up from the GP11′s 340+ km/h quoted figure.
Perhaps more interesting than the power and top speed figures is the quoted displacement for Abraham’s GP12. With fuel restrictions not increasing with the maximum displacement allotment for 2012, and the maximum bore size set at 81mm for the new MotoGP era, Ducati in particular was rumored to be exploring a displacement figure in the 900cc range, but interestingly enough appears to be taking the GP12 up to the maximum cylinder volume. There is also of course some speculation that Ducati Corse could use a narrower V° angle, a change from the standard 90° V4 we’ve seen from the Italian brand.
Fortunately for Abraham, the return of the 1,000cc format means that his satellite team will start 2012 with more up-to-date equipment. Using the winged-Desmo last season, it was rumored that aside from Ducati’s persistence that all the bikes on the 2011 grid were designated as GP11 machines, the young Czech rider was in fact racing on a leftover GP10 (the GP10 had winglets attached to the fairings that most members in the paddock agree were used for aiding engine cooling, and not for extra downforce to prevent wheelies).
With MotoGP changing its format this season, most of the satellite teams will start the Championship with bikes that are closer in spec to the factory units, though factory teams will surely be updating their designs throughout the season, while the satellite teams will not. However, there is reason to believe that the satellite Ducatis will run bikes similar in spec to the GP0 that was ridden in the post-season test at Valencia. If this is the case, the information we’re seeing here from Abraham could very well apply only to the satellite Ducati teams, while the factory GP12 could be an entirely new creature.
“I tried the new bike during the post-season test in Valencia, but the first real test will be held at Sepang in Malaysia at the end of January,” Karel Abraham. ”We need to be well prepared for the first test because we want to try a lot of things. We also must work on the set-up of the bike because the 2012 MotoGP season kicks off in Qatar on April 8th.”
Photos of Karel Abraham Testing the Ducati Desmosedici GP0 at the Valencia Test:
Comparison of Ducati Desmosedici GP12 and GP11:
| Ducati Desmosedici GP12 | Ducati Desmosedici GP11 |
| Weight: dry 155 kg | Weight: dry 150 kg |
| Max. speed: >360 km/h | Max. speed: >340 km/h |
| From 0 to 100 km/h: 2,6 s | From 0 to 100 km/h: 2,7 s |
| Power: 250 HP | Power: 235 HP |
Technical data of Ducati Desmosedici GP12
| Engine | |
| Water-cooled four-stroke engine with four cylinders and four valves per cylinder which are controlled by desmodromic valve system. The cylinders are formed in an angle of 90 degrees. | |
| Capacity: | 999 ccm |
| Electronics: | Magneti Marelli |
| Gearbox | |
| Six-speed, with the possibility to adjust the ratio of degrees. | |
| Clutch: | Dry, multi-plate |
| Chain: | Regina |
| Chassis | |
| Ducati aluminium frame | |
| Fronf fork: | Öhlins with a diameter of 48 mm |
| Rear suspension: | Öhlins |
| Brakes: | front four-piston Brembo calipers, 2x disc Brembo with a diameter of 320 mm, rear two-piston Brembo caliper, Brembo steel disc |
| Discs: | 16,5″ magnesium Marchesini |
| Tyres: | Bridgestone |
| Fuel tank: | 21 litres |
| Fuel: | Eni |
Source: Cardion AB
Sweet Baby Jebus…+360kph…+250hp…and im sure they are playing stupid SAFE with those numbers…im sure they are squeezing more than that.
Kudos to Duc for going the FULL LITRE WAY…screw 900cc something.
Now let’s see how it all WORKS togheter…if it does.
Why in the World is Karel Abraham’s team saying all of this when the factory team is being very quiet? The Cardion AB team is one of the back of the pack teams and will probably be one of the first to be beaten by one of the faster CRT’s by the end of the season. An increase of 15 hp just means that Karel will crash that much more.
Lets see if Karel can keep this one on track and out of the kitty litter. Last years Rookie show was kind of lame.
Karel Abraham Releases Ducati Desmosedici GP12 Details: 250hp & 360 km/h Top Speed – http://t.co/bfptbzaY #motorcycle
?? Abraham did a pretty dam good job for his rookie year in MotoGP, he held his own and beat Cap, Elias & De Puniet. Was within 10pts of Crutchlow and 3 of Bautista, and all of it on a fickle Duc. Lame? I honestly think he did a fine job with his experience and machine.
@76:
Thanks for saving me typing something alike at the above. I think the kid did good. Not GREAT…but still good.
Beating cap, Elias, and Randy, you call that a good job, hahaha
beary
You obviously have a distorted understanding of the level of riders in Motogp. It takes champions from across the world and spits them out without batting an eye, anyone who can handle that level of riding deserves quite a bit more respect than you seem to give.
@76: +1
@Beary: let us know when you get your CRT or satellite time ride and then, perhaps, your comments won’t seem quite so trite.
Bollocks….There’s 100 other riders much more harder working and more deserving th6an Karel, so Dad bought him a ride in the show and he battles the much more worthy but injury plagued Cal for rookie of the year, so sorry, but it’s hardly stirring stuff. Get over yourselves, not everyone who rides in motogp deserves to be there. Some get lucky, some work hard for many years, and some get an easy in.
6 years, 109 races, 2 podiums and one win. Oh yeh, he deserves to be in Motogp.
Yeh Beary Boo, as the other guys say let us know when you get your ride and how well you do…. oh yeah there it just went, big mouth WTF do you know???
I think your missing the point, he is in motogp, and has proven he can hold his own among the best in the world. You just have a problem with how he got there it seems. If you say hes not worthy somehow well then I guess half the field should leave the series according to you. Crutchlow was on a bike that Spies took to 6th in points in 2010? You have to go back to 2007 until you find a Ducati Sat team cracking the top 10 (Barros in 10th). The Ducati has been a tall order for any rider let alone a rookie, Abraham had just as many finished races as Crutchlow with just as many bins and finished 6 points behind him? Crutchlow should leave too? No you say cause he doesnt have a rich dad? Abraham finished 10th his rookie year in Moto2, 1 pt behind 9th Bradl the 2011 Moto2 Champ.
I love how you make riding in moto2 staying in the top10 8 times, the box twice, and winning 1 is some sort of cakewalk let alone his accomplishments his first year in GP on the Duc. Did he take the world by storm, no, who did on the Duc? Stoner on a factory in 2007? So hes not Stoner, point taken.
Nice bike and I wish them well. Except for the Norton, my other 3 are Italian and we know how I feel about Asian bikes in general. One thing that has always bothered me is how all manufacturers quote horsepower numbers when engines DO NOT make it. The only power produced is torque with HP being the “rate at which work is performed”. 50lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm is less work than 50 at 10000 but the two engines produce the same amount of torque or power. Of course we all know why HP is used- It is a bigger number and sounds better on the sales floor. (Mine is Bigger Than Yours mentality) Perhaps HD is the only one being truthfull when they do not publish HP info. (Oops- ours is smaller) A 1.5 litre V2 with 95 lb-ft and only 65 hp because the redline is a lowly 5000 rpm. The HD will launch easier and harder than a litrebike but runs out of puff early. Given enough gears, a washing machine motor could pull a train because of torque, not horsepower. Cheers.
“bollocks” + Kare Bashing = Crutchlow fanboy.
Dont put the kid down just because his old man worked his ass off, made good business decisions, uses his resources to further his kid’s career, and England cant seem to catch a break in MotoGP.
Any rider that is even somewhat competitive in MotoGP is a world class rider, one of the best in the world, period. Not everyone can be Stoner or Rossi, and while Abraham is not as good as those guys are he is still a world class rider.
You notice what anyone who isnt riding MotoGP says when they do get a chance? Hayes, Checa, Bostrom, etc, etc. All are world class riders, some are champions in their current series. And yet the shift to GP is just such a huge one, that they cant keep pace. The tyres, arm pump, blah blah.
He has proven himself to the naysayers. Good on him and hope he keeps going
@Spamtasticus
I was seriously about to type the same exact thing. We all know Karel is a rich boy, but he did nothing but impress me last season.
Oh well, haters gonna hate.
Has anyone else heard “the other guy’s rumors” of Karel’s bike not being the SAME end product that Rossi and Hayden will be riding ? What do u think ? Could it possibly be true ?
It’s an almost certainty that the satellite Ducatis will be a GP0 chassis, while Ducati Corse will run its GP90% version that will debut in Sepang.
@Mustang…take your text speak back to kindergarten.
Karel hasn’t proven himself at all. He’s never threatened a podium and his record speaks for itself. Highly amusing though when an opinion backed up by years of stats is debunked by Karel fanboys who think youth and ambition and giving it a red hot go is enough. Sorry, but it isn’t.
@spamtasticus england can’t catch a break in motogp – hilarious! england can’t catch a break in most sports on the world stage. I mean seriously…is there anything England is good at any more ? Darts, anyone ?
If any of you naysayers have actually seen in person not on the tube a MotoGP race, stood in a corner and watched these guys ride these beasts your opinion would be very different, these guys are aliens and Karel is one of them!