Ducati Blog » Ducati Desmosedici GP9

New handlebars for Hayden’s Ducati Desmosedici GP9

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:48:17 +0000

Nicky Hayden 8th in Free Practice 1 in Germany; continues upward trend

“It is nice to be able to come to a track and not have to be trying something radical with the set-up on the first day and today we started out with pretty much the settings from Laguna, making a few changes as the session went on. Having said that we are trying a new handlebar here, which isn’t normally the kind of thing you do at this stage of the season, but we have changed a lot on the back of the bike so we just needed to compensate a little at the front. Up to now we’ve been using data from Casey or previous riders to find a base set-up on a Friday but now hopefully we can work from my own data on a consistent basis. My final position today isn’t too great but early in the session we were going really well, especially in the wet. We were on top for a long time and in this paddock if you’re P1 in the wet, dry or intermediate you have to be riding well and be comfortable with the bike. I think I was third up until the last lap, and it is a thing we need to improve – when I try to really dig in we don’t seem able to go faster and it’s an area we still need to address in order to improve qualifying in particular. Anyway, here we’ve started very well so we’ll see where we go from here.”

Nicky Hayden’s Ducati Desmosedici GP9 in Laguna

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:33:01 +0000

Nicky had a special color scheme on his Ducati Desmosedici GP9 in Laguna, commemorating the 4th of July, and celebrating the launch of the Nicky Hayden Edition Ducati 848. Below are the best photos we’ve found showing the design so far.

Credits

Photo 1 MotoGP.com, photo 2 Scott Jones & MotoGPMatters.com, photos 3-9 Ducati.com.

Nicky Hayden aims to build on first top 5 result with Ducati

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:23:41 +0000

Nicky Hayden took a big step forward in Laguna with his strongest finish yet in 2009—5th place. Nicky has been improving steadily in recent weeks with his first top ten result in Catalunya followed by a massive step up in the U.S. with a top five finish. Nicky aims to build on with these results on his Ducati Desmosedici GP9 and look forward to the next race in Germany in two weeks time.

“It was certainly a lot better than my other races so far this year. I have some great memories from here so it’s hard to get too excited by fifth place but I’m happy.”

“I’ve had a tough season, on Friday I was at the bottom and feeling miserable, just thinking it would break my heart to ride like that all weekend. We changed some stuff on the bike and just kept working our way forward, and in the end we got into the top five. Now we need to try and build on this.”

“We have to enjoy this moment and then see what Sachsenring brings. We’ve made a lot of changes on the bike so this has been a big adjustment for me. The team is just working as hard as ever and I am happy with my guys and the support they give me so if we can get some momentum that is all I can ask for.”

Testing Concludes Positively For Troy Bayliss & Vittoriano Guareschi At Mugello

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:06:20 +0000

The test session that saw Troy Bayliss ride the Desmosedici GP9 together with official test rider Vittoriano Guareschi has today concluded at the Italian track of Mugello. Bayliss enjoyed his time on track and has got back into the riding, six months after his retirement from Superbike racing and having not ridden a bike since then.
On leaving the Tuscan track this afternoon he declared he was satisfied with his pace after having had only three days to ride. 1m51.2, the best time registered by the Australian this week, is a very respectable time, also considering the fact that the MotoGP 800cc machine was totally new to him. Official GP test rider Vittoriano Guareschi also recorded a similar fastest time of 1m51.4 during the three useful track days.

Troy Bayliss

“I’ve had three good days during which I’ve felt like a rider again”, said a smiling Bayliss. “It didn’t take long to get back into it but, before anyone gets any ideas, I will also say that I’m happy to be heading back to the airport and towards Australia and home this evening: I have no intention of returning to racing! Having said that, I have had fun and I hope at the same time that I’ve been of use to Filippo (Preziosi). We worked each day on the bike and each day I was able to push harder, until I started to record some respectable times. Now I’ll stay home for a while but later in June or July I’ll be back in Europe for a few weeks. I will probably test the bike again during that time, I don’t know exactly when, but I am very happy to play a part in this project!”

Filippo Preziosi

“Working with Troy has been useful because he has a very different riding style to Vittoriano, and so it’s been interesting and beneficial to hear his impressions of the GP9 also. We worked on chassis set-ups that are pretty different from those which we usually use and the results were promising although we need to look at this further. Congratulations to Vittoriano who is in great shape right now! After his excellent results in the Jerez Time Attack, he has also recorded his best ever time at Mugello this week with a 1m51.4s. We are proud to have such a diligent and fast test rider and that we can count on Troy’s great experience to continue to improve our bike”.

Ducati Press

Bayliss begins GP9 testing at Mugello

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:31:30 +0000

Troy Bayliss completed his first day of testing on board the Desmosedici GP9 at Mugello today alongside regular factory test rider Vittoriano Guareschi.

It was a first outing for the Australian on a MotoGP bike since the final round of 2006, when he followed up his second World Superbike title by competing in the final Grand Prix of the season at Valencia, scoring a sensational one-two for Ducati with victory ahead of his team-mate Loris Capirossi.

Today was also Bayliss’ first taste of an 800cc MotoGP machine and his first track action of any sort since ending the 2008 WSBK title-winning season, and his legendary racing career, with a double race victory at Portimao.

Troy Bayliss

“This is literally the first time I’ve ridden a motorcycle since we unveiled the 1198 after the end of last season at Portimao”, said the Australian rider. “It was nice to shake off a bit of rust and with Mugello being such a physical circuit it was a good workout!”

“The last time I rode a GP machine was at Valencia, which was the 990cc, but the 800cc isn’t exactly lacking power and I just spent today getting a feel for it. I can’t wait to get back out there tomorrow and on Thursday and hopefully by the end of the session I’ll be able to give some useful feedback to Filippo (Preziosi).”

MotoGP.com

Troy Bayliss to test the GP9 next week

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:11:33 +0000

Troy Bayliss returns to the track on a Ducati race bike

The Australian rider, who will follow this weekend’s Superbike action at Monza from the Ducati garage, will test the Desmosedici GP9 from May 12th to 14th at the Italian circuit of Mugello, alongside the team’s official MotoGP test rider Vittoriano Guareschi.

The test has been planned for a while and will be repeated during the year at future official sessions of the Test Team. Ducati can thus count on the feedback of a three times world champion, whose talent and experience will contribute to the continuous development work carried out on the Desmosedici GP9 and GP10.

Via MotoGP.com

Sete Gibernau’s Desmosedici GP9

admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:26:31 +0000

Below is a nice and clear view of Sete Gibernau’s Italian flag-themed Desmosedici GP9. Click to enlarge.

Via MotoGP.com

Ducati Desmosedici GP9’s carbon fiber frame

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:10:26 +0000

The photos below will give you a clear view and understanding of how Ducati implemented the carbon fiber frame for the Desmosedici GP9. Click to enlarge.

Read what Ducati has to say about their monocoque marvel:

The concept of the engine casing has been the guideline of the Desmosedici project. The objective is to create a chassis set-up in which each element carries out a specific function, to obtain the desired rigidity with as little weight as possible, thus attaining maximum efficiency.

The basic idea is to abandon the classic concept of the chassis as the element that connects all other elements, in favour of a design in which the engine is the central element to which the main frame, rear sub-frame and rear suspension system are individually connected.

On the GP9, the main frame is formed to connect the engine to the steering head. The main frame now also incorporates the air-box in one single construction. This monocoque construction allows the air-box to function efficiently within the main frame.

Via the Ducati Press

Ducati Desmosedici GP9′s carbon fiber swing arm

admin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:47:54 +0000

Damn that thing’s sweet. Now that we all know that the Desmosedici GP9′s carbon fiber swing arm works, here are some close-up photos of the swing arm – so you won’t have trouble conceptualizing it in your head. Can’t wait to see these on the production bikes.

All photos courtesy of MotoGP.com. Just click to enlarge.

A Nicky Hayden Interview

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:49:48 +0000

Last January 23, Ducati in SoCal held a party with Nicky Hayden as guest of honor. Motorcycle.com sat down with the 2006 world champion and asked him about the upcoming season and riding the Desmosedici GP9 for Ducati instead of a Honda.

Hayden was greeted by an affectionate crowd numbering in the hundreds at Southern California Ducati, a top-ranked Ducati dealership in Brea, California, that recently was revamped into a shrine for fans of the Italian brand.

Nicky will get his first ’09 test on February 5-7 at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit. The Desmosedici GP9 is a significant departure for Ducati, as it abandons Ducati’s traditional steel trellis frame, swapped out for one built from carbon fiber. Below is an excerpt of the interview.

Motorcycle.com: How come nobody else but Casey can make the Ducati go fast, and doesn’t that put a lot of pressure on you?

Nicky Hayden: I gotta believe it’s not a bike only for Casey. Sure, he’s got special talent and I think his determination to get it around the track is the difference. Before I signed on the dotted line, I was nervous because a lot of good riders have almost ended their career on that bike (trying to match Stoner’s pace). So I knew it was risky, but I just like felt it was a risk worth taking. If it works for me and I could get it, then we’re gonna be cooking with grease. And if not, it’s going to be a nightmare (laughs).

Motorcycle.com: Some so-called smart people say that riding the Ducati fast is all about trusting the traction control. Is that your impression?

Nicky Hayden: Certainly the traction control is a big part of it, but it’s not as big as people think it is.

There’s a bit of misconception there – like it’s magic. It’s not like you just hit the switch and go wide open on the exit of the corner. But, sure, the way the electronics work, you definitely have to be able to understand with your engineer and know what works and when it works. More than anything with the bike, there is no half stepping – you have to commit and twist that throttle. And I think I can do it. So, I could sit here in January and tell you this and that, but until we get on the track we’re not going to know.

Motorcycle.com: How about the difference in corporate philosophies. We have Honda, which is fairly rigid. And then you have Ducati which is a bit more Italian loose.

Nicky Hayden: Yeah, there’s certainly a lot of things different in the culture – one’s Japanese and one’s Italian. Honda gave me a great career and a great life, so I don’t want to knock it. But certainly the passion the Italians have for racing is something pretty cool, and so far everybody there is treating me great and have been a lot of fun to work with. I do need to understand a bit more the language and the culture of how they go about doing work, but we’ve got a little bit of time (smiles).

Motorcycle.com: It seems like there might be a little more fun with this team. Would you say that?

Nicky Hayden: If you get the results, yeah, every day is a holiday! If you’re getting results, you’re having fun. And if not, it’s a disaster – and I probably won’t be a very happy guy.

Motorcycle.com: What is the difference in feeling from the Ducati as opposed to the Honda?

Nicky Hayden: It’s actually a lot different – it’s probably more different that I realized. I’ve ridden only Japanese bikes, and they all feel about the same. But this thing is a completely different feel – the way you ride it out of the pits, the way the traction control works, the carbon chassis, and the clutch is probably the biggest difference. And also the (Bridgestone) tires – I love the tires, and I think it’s really made things easier for me.

Motorcycle.com: What is the difference in the clutch?

Nicky Hayden: Well, just the way it works and what you don’t do. You don’t use the clutch – it’s definitely one step ahead of the bike.

Motorcycle.com: So you just use it for launching and then you’re done with it?

Nicky Hayden: Yeah, basically. I mean, a little bit into the corners, but not nearly as much as with the Honda. And there’s things the Honda did better. With the Ducati, the engine is certainly the strong point – it pulls for days, and it’s stable in the fast corners. But I don’t want to give Honda a list of where they could improve, so I’ll keep that to myself (laughs)!

Motorcycle.com: Maybe you could say what the Honda did better?

Nicky Hayden: The Honda was obviously a good bike. I mean, the 990 certainly suited my style better (than the current 800cc bikes). But Honda makes nice bikes – things work, they’re easy to work on, and there’s a lot of things nice about them.

Read the complete article @ http://www.motorcycle.com/events/nicky-hayden-interview-87872.html

Photo courtesy of NickyHayden.com