A week or so ! Where have you been, suspended in time ? That test was at Jerez in January ..... nearly 2 months ago. Andy
What is already known is that the nominal 1000cc capacity will be achieved using the same bore as the 1103cc road engine but with a new crank with reduced stroke. The engine is limited to 16,000rpm so the con rods and at least the inlet valves will be titanium for weight saving (physics/moving mass, blah, blah, blah) and additional strength to cope with the higher stresses. The bike is still very much in development but I’d expect to see official stats emerging late summer. Andy
Thought it was a while ago - but @Cream_Revenge and his count down to spring has messed with my body clock
Marco Sairu has stated that as well as bore/stroke it will also have the same combustion chambers/heads as the GP bike which might also suggest cams. Also rumored to have an official unveil around June/July time.....
The £35000 price limit makes things interesting. Meaning it will kind of sit along side the Speciale, rather than simply above it. I guess with the Speciale being a limited run, The R will technically be the top of the model lineup when released. To speculate, I'm thinking it will get the exotic engine internals but maybe lighter, manually adjustable suspension (More manly track machine) and a WSB replica Akra system will be an option, along with the mag wheels. Possibly a 'race kit' RC213V-S style, with racier cams/upped RPM limit. I can't see the Italians being ok with the R being advertised with lower power than the S and a revvier 1000cc engine is going to have a hard time with emissions, that's why the 1100 exists after all. So a pricey race kit seems a good work around, keeps the base price low and they can advertise the peak power as *with optional race kit* in the smallest font possible.
Mugello sounds right to me. Been searching for the article where I read it but to no avail otherwise I'd put the link up......
Yeah, they've clearly shown themselves capable of pricing a bike at £35k then, oooops, wheels optional at £3500! It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they did, but how much can they actually bend the WSBK rules to get around it. Again, another rumor, WSBK will be upping the price cap for 2019. Perhaps Ducati are hedging their bets on it even? It would stand to reason though as bikes are pretty much at the top of that evolution ladder given that budget. A little extra room to grow would benefit all of the manufacturers. After my initial meh! at the V4 I must admit I think the R is going to be amazing. The technology in the V4 is already pushing boundaries, but I think this will be stunning. It's the one I'm waiting for but I can't help but feel that I will be priced out of it sadly
I’m no expert but I’m not sure the others would agree, no one else gets close to that 35k.. Kawasaki have been winning based on what’s essentially a 7 year old platform
Its the engine that makes the R models which many road riders never really exploit as they are either too well behaved or just dont want to top out the revs which is usually required to feel the benefit. The 1199R leans over at 100+mph like the 1299S does at 50mph, it's very noticeable when you are thrashing them and an amazing thing to experience. The speed that the bike revs up at is crazy. I'd happily dump all the carbon and shiny bodywork just to get the engine.
...although I should add as I've said many times before here that I think the 1299 is the much better all rounder bike and I'm sure it will be the same with the V4S / R. The extra capacity is definitely the right move from Ducati but it's frustrating if you want it for a track bike where the smaller capacity is better.
I don’t doubt the performance advantages of the current model, the pricing reflects that, but the new R is going to be the same price as the Speciale. I’m struggling to see how they incorporate all the homologation benefits at that price point. Either way, I’m sure they will make a stunner of a bike, in the right hands.
