Abraham's satellite bike will different to the works Desmosedici GP12s of Rossi and Hayden
THE internet has been awash with supposed details of the Ducati Desmosedici GP12 revealed by Karel Abraham's Cardion AB team – but most sites reporting this 'news' have failed to spot that this bike isn't the same as the new Ducati that Rossi and Hayden will be campaigning this year.
While Cardion will be using a beam-framed, 1000cc Desmosedici, it's going to be the intermediate-specification 'GP0' test bike tested by Rossi, Hayden and Abraham last year. With Ducati claiming it's works 2012 Desmosedici is 90 percent new, and yet to reveal any details or pictures, it's unlikely to share more than a few general similarities with Abraham's satellite bike.
If rumours are correct, the biggest change will be the adoption of a narrower V angle for the engine of the works bikes - a change that would also require another chassis design. By moving away from the 90-degree V of the previous Desmosedici, Ducati will gain more flexibility with engine positioning, giving greater scope for moving the centre of gravity and hopefully eliminating the front end feedback problems that have dogged the Ducati for years.
Abraham's team, running the intermediate bike, have confirmed the specification of their own 'GP12' – even if it's nothing like the works version. Sticking with a 90 degree V4 but with 999cc instead of 800, it makes a claimed 250bhp (up from 235) for a top speed of 'more than 360km/h'. That's 224mph, up from a claimed 211mph top speed for last year's satellite bike.
Presumably Rossi's works machine, when it's revealed, will be faster still.
