I see Sykes is testing a Ducati at misano. Strange choice that, he’ll be nice and ready for Cadwell then https://www.bikesportnews.com/news/...47y54qtWYG_TpBpA-CzCXMglWgHOeeTBhZAEXXMDzUpC0 i know it’s the official Ducati test, but I think I’d be more concerned about getting some laps on U.K. circuits if I was TS
All I know is it’s a Ducati bud. You’d think a v4R? I guess it’s unlikely to be a scrambler or a multistrada
It's all a bit strange, Sykes waiting until March to test a Ducati, and part of me thinks if he was motivated to ride in BSB why would he test it prior to signing, he knows it's a good package, and he knows it's a good team. It just feels a bit like maybe he wants to ride to work out if he can even be arsed now. Ref the not testing in the UK, In fairness if he wants to test in the UK at the moment, he would have to do it on a trackday, which is very public and rather high risk.
All fair points mate who knows. It could be that birdy wants to see him on the bike first. Or indeed it could be the other way round or both ?
Probably a different thread but I am seriously skeptical about sykes in BSB, I don't even rate him as a WSBK rider tbf, put him near the railings at cadwell and I have zero confidence that he will win. He's just a different character to scott. Anyway, dunlop, one things for sure, that V4R will be an absolute weapon at the TT, remember it revs to 16k revs, geared for the TT I think it will be over 200mph. I believe one of the challenges with Ducati's previously around the TT was terminal top speed, as it wasn't really ever their strong point relative to a 4cyl
I had heard a rumour that PBM were leaving BSB...... Given the lack of team updates, maybe there's something in it?
Would make some sense. Maybe they’re going to wsbk and that’s why they want Sykes… and that’s why they’re on the Ducati test at misano
I do hope the V4R is dunked in Locktite(other brands available). TT course isn’t kind to fragile bikes
Just a reminder - here is Michael Rutter taking the Panigale V4 Speciale round the TT course - I think it was practice week. The vid is in two parts. Interesting how many times he has the thing flat out in 6th gear - tacho flashing red and the speedo run out of numbers reading - - - !! By the way a reminder - the speedo is reading in miles per hour (mph) and not kilometres Take it away....
The Rutter TT video though, it's a standard V4S roadbike with indicators and mirrors, so not geared for TT, and obviously very different engine and tune. The speedo goes blank at 184mph so I guess he was doing 170MPH GPS?
Fully capable of 200mph +. The ECU mapping restricts the revs in the first 5 gears, you only get the full 14500rpm in 6th. Andy
I can’t see a stock v4 hitting 200mph. Maybe with a superstock+ kit on it? From what I’ve ever seen, depending on conditions and surface and the bikes aero, you’ll need a genuine 200+ bhp at the back wheel to get close to 200mph. 210bhp seems to be a safer bet. Most v4s I’ve seen are sat in the 180bhp area on sensible dynos. I’m no expert on the matter but I have been flat on numerous bikes and realistically even my tuned bikes wouldn’t do it. S1000rr gen 3, 1299, gsxr1000r which in its current state is putting out more power than a v4. I’ve ran a few of them on downhill sections of autobahn running in to the limiter in 5th and 6th gear runs. Miles off 200mph realistically. You need a shit load of power to get from say 190mph to 200. having said that, these aren’t v4’s, maybe with long gearing on and a tail wind. Who knows ? Sport bikes in general are hideously un aerodynamic. Didn’t someone say they had a similar efficiency to a hummer I trust dyno figures as much as I trust the uks mainstream media. I was in estoril last year with a few guys on Cresent Yamaha’s with 220bhp, yet my Suzuki was out dragging them out of the slip stream up the Heathrow spec front straight. My bike was one of the fastest bikes through the speed trap with its on paper average 193bhp. - it’s all bollocks
i think for his 123 lap all that was changed was the settings, they tweaked it until he found what worked, as far as I’m aware it’s just the bog standard electronic suspension that comes as standard on the V4 Speciale. Whilst doing his one lap stuff for the magazine he went faster on the standard V4 than the V4S, can’t remember what track that was at.
