Submitted by David Emmett on
It is difficult to overstate just how different the GP15 is from its predecessors. Some details are already clear from the press shots, but more will come tomorrow. For the moment, here is a selection of the press shots.
It's all new
Different exhaust routing, to one side of the fuel tank
Top yoke looks broadly similar to the GP14.
Lower exhaust is shorter, but will have to be extended again, as it's overheating the swingarm
Chassis is curved underneath and at the top. Much narrower and tighter, more compact
The tail is smaller, and a thing of beauty
Note the rear cambox, the engine has been tipped back much further
There's a special air intake on the left of the bike. Where it leads is a mystery for the moment
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Comments
Notes: Has the engine v been
Notes:
Has the engine v been rotated backwards and crankshaft moved forward?
Exhaust is similar to Honda routing. Why no mesh debris covers? Maybe equal length 2-1 all around for more power?
Rear subframe looks massive. Must contain majority of fuel tank.
Left side aux air inlet maybe feeds cooling of rear cylinders?
Swingarm
I /think/ that swingarm is no longer carbon fibre, but could someone clarify please?
Looks full carbon to me. My
Looks full carbon to me.
My question: what's with the chain side cover near the rearset? For sure too thin to be structural. Maybe aero?
Hi-res pics on A&R show
that the swing arm is alloy with a carbon cover - a thing of beauty it is too. The high res pics are quite fascinating ; never noticed the McLaren branded sensors and similar details before.
Fantastic :)
Thanks
Appreciate the clarification man, thanks
Dunno much
But it looks great.
Tail Section
The tail section reminds of an RSV4. Gigi taking his old ideas and bringing it to Ducati. Hope the bike handles as well as it looks.
I thought
The same exact thing. Also, if that swinger is CF then I wonder what it'll take for it to go... everything else is new after all...
RSV...er...Desmo
I agree, it looks a bit Ape-ish in frame and tail. Love it! I really hope it is easily ridden. It would be great to see Ducs battling and winning all through the field.
Exhaust
David,
I've been meaning to ask for some time now, is anyone able to elighten me on the purpose of the tube within the exhaust pipe outlet? i noticed this on some of the Ducatis last year, and also the KTM's in MOTO3, is it for silencing?
Looks like the tube of the
Looks like the tube of the silencer to me. The silencing material will extend from the tube to the outer wall of the silencer.
Whilst I'm not sure there are any silencing regulations for MotoGP bikes, the only one confirmed to run with no silencing was the Aprilia RS3 Cube - which was something like an earsplitting 140dB! Even with earplugs there's a Health and Safety issue for riders and mechanics at those noise levels...
Hideous
It just gets uglier and more cobbled together looking every year.
Beautifully Functional
In my opinion it looks right, hopefully that means it is right?
As pointed out, the rear cam cover being visible under the seat gives the impression that the V90 is more like the Honda layout?
I like how the chainguard is sculptured around the swinging arm too along with various other details.
I'm not so sure the GP15 is a
I'm not so sure the GP15 is a 90ºL layout (see below, red L). I think it's 60º or less (yellow V). Canting a 90ºL to rearward wouldn't fit.
Was the RC213V confirmed to have a 90ºL layout? The 211 and 212 were supposedly 76ºV.
Confirmed
https://m.motomatters.com/analysis/2013/02/18/honda_rc213v_revealed_to_u...
crank
the position of your crank is wrong, definitly much too low.
Even if it were higher, the
Even if it were higher, the cyl heads wouldn't fit into the package or fit the angles. The front cyl head is prob close to being parallel to the radiator. If the angle is a 90 deg, wouldn't the rear cyl head protrude into the rear subassembly?
Agreed. The hole in the A of
Agreed. The hole in the A of Ducati is, I believe where they engage their starter. Probably a more accurate position for the crank. And from there, 90° looks about right.
Ducati Engine
Most definitely an L4
Ducati Desmosedici GP15 Technical Specifications
Engine: Liquid cooled, 90° V4, four stroke, evo desmodromic DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Capacity: 1,000cc
Maximum power: Over 240hp
Maximum speed: Over 340 km/h (211 mph)
Transmission: Ducati Seamless Transmission (DST). Chain final drive
Carburation: Indirect electronic injection, four throttle bodies with injectors above and below the butterfly valves. Throttles operated by the new EVO 2 TCF (Throttle Control & Feedback) system
V layout
Your placing of the crank is wrong and the front cylinders' line is not lined up with the cylinder edge you can just see. There is without doubt room in there for a 90 degree V. That is what it will be - indeed Ducati have said repeatedly that was their intent.
Big Porn
Nuff said
New Ducati
Well, I wont be driving 1,800km to see it in October :-)
Too much white
Why not make the whole bike red!?
Sponsorship.
You have to remember that the title sponsor is Phillip Morris International and the red and white is to reflect the Marlboro brand.
Regulations
The front fairings keeps getting shorter and more upright. The regulations are likely responsible for the hideous new shapes. Maybe a half-assed attempt to contain top speeds.
I didn't think there were any
I didn't think there were any aero regulations in MotoGP, apart from banning dustbin fairings?
Regulations
The homologation schematics were once posted on the FIM website. It listed the minimum and maximum dimensions for certain parts of the fairings. There are also rules for how the leading edge of the front fairing relates to the front axle, IIRC. We don't see the homologation rules so we don't know the details of enforcement, but the general guidelines were once public.
Some of the rules are still in the technical regulations. For instance, any wings on the fairing cannot be wider than the handlebars. Moveable aerodynamic appendages are banned.
It is possible that the teams are simply raising and shortening the leading edge of the fairing to improve handling and cooling, but the changes have been too uniform. If they changed the angle and distance regulations from the front axle, it would explain why all of the bikes are pug-faced for 2015.
Aesthetics
Regarding the exhaust routing, the GP14 looked much neater with a pipe following each edge of the rear subframe and meeting in the middle for the end can. Here it looks more like they struggled with packaging, on this point at least.
Still, the overall looks good, I think and if it works, then who cares?