"DUCATI UNVEILS THE EXOTIC - AND STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL - 1299 SUPERLEGGERA"

Love it!

 

I like it better without the faring...

 

A proper send off for the Ducati V-twin in its Superbikes. Bring on the V4 for 2018.

 

I'm thinking about starting a separate thread about this, but I guess I will just post here for now.

What exactly is the push for the carbon frame? BMW unveiled their HP4 Race, which also features a carbon frame. I understand the very minimal weight benefit, but are there benefits outside of that?

Ducati tried the carbon frame in their MotoGP bike (GP9 through 11) before switching back to metal. The riders said it was so stiff it no longer acted like a suspension piece to help dig into the corners and would just give out with no warning throwing the rider off.

The NRC M16 (based off the D16RR) also has a carbon frame (in addition to almost everything else on the bike), but I have read no reviews on how it rides. I guess the weight being 145kg is a selling point considering MotoGP regulations make the bike weigh 157kg.

Do people think this is the future or just something for marketing to sell bikes at a higher price? All the dominant bikes in MotoGP that could use carbon elect for aluminum...

 

In theory with a orthotropic composite material the layers could be applied in such a way to tailor stiffness in different directions of loading.

Unlike aluminum, which has the same properties in each direction, a layered composite might have unidirectional layers that add stiffness in one needed direction, while lacking those layers in other directions to aid in rider feel when leaned over in a turn.

Rider preference is so subjective it might be hard to develop a universally acceptable frame design that all MotoGP racers on the team would find ideal however. For Ducati only Stoner could get the best out of the bike and be anywhere near the front. Even Rossi could not come to grips with it.

I doubt Ducati and BMW would not just release these bikes as eye candy, when ride reports from journalists that can actually push the bikes (there are a few incredibly fast moto-journalists) come back I am sure there will be improvements in some areas over the standard models.