How long left for the V-Twins??

[pink69]

With Honda switching codes with the fireblade, Ducati are now the only team to build and race V-twins. Since the early 1990's they, along with Honda and Aprillia were the fore runners in superbikes, while the Kawasaki's, Suzuki's and Yamaha's fell away with their 750cc. But the rule change to allow the 4 cylinders to run 1000cc engines with restrictors has seen a 4-cylinder revival, now we have all bar Ducati running them and a host of new entries to the WSBK. The BSB alone has only 2 Ducati's this season where as in previous years the Ducati's made up most of the field. Is this the death on the V-Twin or will they start their own revival in a few years?? And will they stay competitive in the face of new challengers??

[BootsOntheSide]

Without the rule change helping v4 bikes, we wouldn't've seen the wave of imrpessive new entries into the WSBK this year, and entries in BSB and other domestic championships would probably have dropped. The change was pretty neccessary to save sueprbikes, especially with MotoGP's evolution to 990cc bikes.

To answer the question, I'm not sure Ducati have anything left, but it will be itneresting to see how GSE do in the BSB with a strong rider lineup. However, I don't think Toseland and Laconi are really among the best riders around, so maybe a works Ducati team with truly strong riders could be more competitive.

[bestfit]

Ducati are rumoured to be working on a street version of the Desmosedici V4 MotoGP bike. I would think that in the next couple of years the V twin will be replaced in superbike racing by the V4. As with the Foggy Petronas the bikes only need to be made to be homologated, not sold.

[racer69]

Either that, or how long before Ducati request a capacity increase for twin cylinder machines?

Weren't Petronas meant to be working on a 1000cc 4 cylinder?

[chunder]

Havent eard anythin aout Petronas working on a 4, think they will run away after the contract with Foggy finishes anyway, it was onl a PR exercise, like BTCC was!
They put the funding in place and unfortunately for the team the rules have meant the bike is a white elephant.
As for twins, ou just watch and see how they get blown awa this year, was watchin a video last night of BSB from Sneterton. Coming onto the back straight the Gixxers and Blade were eating into Emmet and Thomas off the bend, complete role reversal of a few years ago.
Anway, how can a twin of the same capacity ever compete, it will always inherently produce less power because of less piston burn area, cubes ean horses as tey say!

[Hazza]

A couple of questions:
1) Won't Ducati have to design a new bike in order to release the Desmocidi V4 road bike? MotoGp bikes have to be prototypes right?
2) Didn't Emmet have the race "sown up" not on agregate until his "slip up" over the line?

[asha]

Originally Posted by Hazza

A couple of questions:
1) Won't Ducati have to design a new bike in order to release the Desmocidi V4 road bike? MotoGp bikes have to be prototypes right?

thats actually a good question,

I think its a problem that you would seriously hope you never had.
. i mean seriously... do you want to be a backmarker?

[chunder]

I think Ducati are seeing the writing on the wall as Honda did with the VTR, they just stopped dead the development of that bike and started on the blade aswell as going GP racing with the V5.
Ducati are going to have to build a V4, well their V4 is really a big twin anyway to all intents and purposes isnt it!
They can still keep all the trademark touches like the resllis frame and pretty design, and anyway if you look at the sedici and the 999, they share a family resemblance dont they!
IS a little tough on them as the only factory reall supporting the WSB/Pirelli move and then finding out their bike that has been the bedrock of the series for years is gonna be obselete shortly!
Reminds me of GP racing when Honda built the twin, i think if Doohan had loved it and ridden it, the V twin might have been a lot better!
But you will NEVER get more power out of a v twin 1000 than a 4 coz of the rev potential and combustion area. Ducati have been very clever with the desmo system which allows them to run crazy cam profiles and control the bike with clever engine braking setups but you can only go so far with a twin, a V4 set up to run like a twin would give the the advantage back again i think.
Plus you have to rememebr they have always run with a weight advantage, even against the 750's in the latter years they had mretty much the same power with a huge advantage in weight in bike size.