Troy Bayliss testing the Ducati MotoGP bike
It was my pleasure to sit down shortly after dinner last evening with Chief Testing Engineer for Ducati, Andrea Forni. It was the evening before MD’s resident fast guy, Willy Ivins, would test the 2003 999 at Willow Springs here in Southern California.
Although the 999 was the purpose for the visit, I sat alone with Forni after other journalists had left the dinner table, and discussed the MotoGP effort in 2003. One of the interesting things I learned is that the Desmosedici v-4 engine (a 90 degree configuration, like Ducati’s v-twins) is now unlikely to be a “twin pulse” design, as Ducati had initially envisioned.
Take a look at our earlier article on the twin pulse concept here. Basically, Ducati sought a four cylinder that behaved like a twin. Each bank of cylinders would simultaneously fire, creating two power pulses (like a v-twin), rather than four. Now, the v-four Desmosedici, for reliability reasons, is more likely to fire like a conventional four-cylinder (four, separately-timed combustion intervals).
Forni indicated that the engine is already very good, and that Bayliss is happy with it. They are fine-tuning the handling of the Desmosedici to satisfy Bayliss’ desires, however. Ducati is also very excited about Loris Capirossi joining the MotoGP team with Bayliss in 2003. Forni personally believes Capirossi’s talent is on a par with that of Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi, although Capirossi has not had the best factory equipment (unlike Rossi and Biaggi) with which to display that talent; a circumstance Ducati understandably intends to change.
According to Forni, the 2003 Ducati MotoGP effort will use Michelin tires (no surprise there).
Stay tuned for Mr. Ivins’ very thorough analysis of the Ducati 999, which will be posted shortly here on MD.
