autoevolution
 

Smaller Ducati 90-Degree Engine Confirmed for MotoGP Bikes

Things seem to be on the move at Ducati, as the Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna has confirmed the generic layout of the new engine the Borgo Panigale group plans to use in the future championships. We kind of inferred that Ducati was planning to stick with the 90-degree (L4) engine, but Dall’Igna’s recent details have shattered any doubt.
Dovizioso (left) and Dall'Igna (right) 1 photo
Photo: Ducati
The Italian engineer says that the new Ducati engine will be smaller than the current one, even though the architecture will be rather similar. So far Ducati’s problems don’t lie with engine power, and the top speed Andrea Iannone reached at the Mugello tests (in excess of 360 km/h or just below 224 mph) have proven that the GP14 can be extremely fast on certain sectors. However, the understeering and poor tire management prevented the riders from benefiting from the bike’s power through the turns, being one of the reasons for the sizeable gap between the Ducati and the rest of the top machines on the grid.

Dall’Igna hopes that Ducati’s new MotoGP engine will be ready in time for the first official tests for the 2015 season, namely the post-race test in Valencia, on the 10th of November. As far as Dall’Igna is concerned, the engine is the first and the most important step in the creation of the new bike, as the smaller footprint will also provide the mechanics with better setup conditions and better use of the tires. For the future, all MotoGP motorcycles will return to the 17” wheels, and this will once more change the game, the Ducati Corse chief adds.

New things are incoming for Ducati machines as we speak and the next round will bring a new ECU software. Ducati has tested this software at Barcelona and is now ready to load it on its bikes under race conditions. Are we in for surprises at Sachsenring on the 13th of July? Not a long wait…

After the summer break, Ducati will introduce another new element: the updated fairings, whose maiden outing will be in the Czech Republic GP at Brno on the 17th of August. Gigi Dall’Igna says that the 2015 season kick-off should arrive with a completely transformed Ducati on the grid, with all the new technologies and parts fully implemented and ready for on-track development. “Honda and Yamaha are the bikes to beat, and we have to learn from these two,” Dall’Igna adds.

As for who will be riding the 4 Ducati machines in 2015 (and beyond), things are yet unclear, even though it looks like Andrea Dovizioso is rather happy with both his and his team’s progress halfway through the 2014 season. He currently sits in the 4th position, with 91 points, 37 adrift Rossi and Pedrosa, and with a 10-point lead over the 2013 runner-up Jorge Lorenzo.

Cal Cructhlow has openly discussed with Suzuki
, but a decision was not officially made. And with the new software to be tested under racing conditions at Sachsenring, we can safely presume he is waiting that race as well, to see if the bike behaves according to his expectations. And since we're in the new contract area, Rossi has just signed a 2-year deal with Yamaha.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories