Some new GP makes

[KC]

Ducati

I think we have all heard that Ducati will be entering the 2003 GP season with a 990cc V-Twin bike expected to rev to 18,000 rpm. Additional info to this is that Ferrari are using their wind tunnel to assist Ducati in seeking an aerodynamic advantage. However, instead of using pneumatically actuated valves to achieve this lofty rev limit, the V-Twin will be built seriously oversquare and use desmodromic valvetrain. How oversquare do you ask, well how does a 114.00 mm (4.48 inch)bore to a 48.40 mm (1.90 inch) stroke sound? The engine is expected to produce 210hp at 17,000 rpm. The pistons are expected to sport almost no skirt to reduce mass and slap at this speed. I have no idea how they plan to pull this off with any reliability. That is mighty big piston to be moving up an down that fast. As usual, Ducati is looking to exploit the lighter weight limit imposed for V-twins at 297 pounds, a 48 pound weight advantage over four cylinder machines.

KTM

The other manufacturer making a push for GP glory is Austrian offroad bike maker KTM. Managing Director Stefan Pierer has stated that KTM is building a 990cc V-Four powered bike for inclusion in the 2004 championship. Pierer was also asked why not a V-Twin. "To get the right results, you need an engine capable of producing more than enough power, which you can then detune to make it ridable and match it with tire capability. With more than 200 horsepower, a motocycle becomes unridable, so choosing an engine format that allows us to reduce stresses on the chassis is the right direction."

Aprilia

Aprilia has gone the super high tech route choosing F1 & CART engine builder Cosworth Engineering to produce their 990cc inline 3 cylinder rocket that reaches out to 17,000 rpm and uses pneumatically operated valves. It is expected to churn out 220 hp and also exploits the lesser weight limit of 361 pounds.

All news tidbits gleaned from Alan Cathcart's "Euro Notes" and a sidebar by Roland Brown in Motorcyclist magazine.

Interesting the separate directions being taken from all of these race bike builders who also build bikes for the street. Also, Pierer expects MotoGP and World Superbike to be one entity by 2005. Also another interesting idea, but one I personally hope does not come to pass. There is always room for a series of racing prototypes and a series of racing production bikes.

[Dave Brand]

You're out of date on Ducati - they recently announced that their GP engine will be a V4, which should develop 220bhp @ 16,000 rev/min, with max. torque of 100Nm @ 14,000 rev/min. It will still use desmodromic valvegear, with four valves/cylinder, which is why they call it the Desmosedici (Desmosixteen).

[KC]

Ahh, Motorcyclist lets me down again. Oh well, I guess Ducati could not get the engine sorted out.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by KC
Ahh, Motorcyclist lets me down again. Oh well, I guess Ducati could not get the engine sorted out.

Probably more a case of missing a deadline than missing a story - Cathcart's pretty much on the ball when it comes to knowing what the Europeans are doing. Ducati only announced the four a couple of weeks ago.

It will be interesting to see which engine configuration comes out on top - my money's on the fours!

Pierer's commnent that he expects MotoGP & WSB to be one entity by 2005 is interesting. Like you, I hope he's wrong.

[chunder]

Ducati's 4 is basically a twin on the same crank anyway, if you read the engine guy's comments, they ust realised that they just couldn't get the power from a twin. the four gives them the extra cubes to get powre and revs which is what it's all about.