He's still replying here: Superleggera race build - Page 6 - ducati.org forum | the home for ducati owners and enthusiasts
Maybe all the piss taking and going on about it blowing up on him. OR, FB = FastBike Magazine me wonders??
Gents, Piano piano as the romans say... Carl is away to his not so happy work place. So doesn't have access to the bike and might not return to UK soon so the bike is/will be on its way to the Middle East. Neither has the enginge gone pop as the centreweight of the project laid not in putting BHP numbers that have not seen before on a dyno I speaks by itself that i have been pondering the wisdom/validity/quality of Carls project as i have gone quit a way down the same road and we have discussed it extensively amongst ourselves. I rejoiced when Carl finally decided to have the project build by MR as then, and even more today, there is absolutely no dealer/tuner/Corse outlet that comes close to MR with perhaps the exeception of Barni in Italy and Corse itself. As it is now finished, and out of an enormous amount of respect for the project I d like to shed my light on how I perceive it and what the points are that make it truly stand out above any Ducati project we have seen for a very long time if ever. As the discussion has been raging whether the SL outshines the Desmo – which is all about the never to be seen again GP engine and frame setup – one cannot over estimate the incredible amount of engineering that has gone into that bike as stock. With some outerwordly numbers as to weight/power ratios out of the crate.. Then for someone to come along and simply replacing everything that could be improved – even if only by 2 % with brand new parts by itself has another dimension when it comes to projects and builds. And it was . Putting a 2014 wsbk superbike head in it is just as horny as it gets. And then the engine. Why it won’t go pop on a dyno : simply because it’s a 2013/14 spec RS engine MR build squeeking it to the tilt. It will go pop if carl rides it like Kuba and then just changes the oil at 1500km. And while adding weight ( front / radiator ) still finding places to reduce weight. To come up with a bike that – and here I am guessing as to BHP – must measure 200+ ( 202? 204?) RWBHP on Steves conservative dyno for a weight that is 8 to 10KG less than a WSBK bike can minimally carry. 200/150 has never been seen anywhere in the entire history of 4 stroke sportbike development and is in close to GP spec bikes. And still, this was the easy part. Why? because to master the 205/160kgs bikes they carry 30K gbp electronics packages that need 2 top engineers to put up and maintain. Carls bike true miracle is that Steve must have spent days and weeks to tweak not only the engine to come up with the power numbers, but more importantly to adapt the ‘stock’ Mitsubishi ecu software and values , now including DTC, EBC and AWC to the new astronomical specs of power and weight. To program EBC, DTC and AWC on a per gear level is the level of tuning and setup that only the corse factory crew handle. And for which they use not the stock MM system but the latest motogp MM kit for. One of the main reasons why the gap with the front runners in WSBK has decreased this year. Anyone with the right money can do the outside. But what will set this project apart from all others is the depth of wich the inside – electronics – have been dealt with. And , frankly, I challenge anyone to point me to someone who would have shown that much commitment to realise a client’s dream to that level. Carl, from the bottom of my ducati bevel driven heart: my greatest respect for the project you put up. And Steve, there’s no-one out there like you. J love ya bro ! see you in Magny Cours..
