Checa: Ducati were victimised

there has always been an anti Japanese motives in the WSB series, had it been a levelled field Honda would have won more and would have seen greater participation by the Japanese, instead it has be a just Fuacti, WSB's lose

Posted: 19/12/2012 at 22:59

There is nothing to stop the japanese producing something other than a four cylinder if the formula is so good. Please get on with making interesting bikes because they are all revvy and similar to each other. No wonder the europeans are selling more and more product. Anyone fancy a hard revving big jap twin with 150bhp + and grunt? I would. Not all grown men have to thrash and annoy with 4 little pistons!

Posted: 19/12/2012 at 23:46

For YEARS in the 1990s we watched the Ducatis enjoy ever-increasing engine capacities (851, 888, 900, 999) and corresponding increasing torque figures while the Japanese 4 cyls were limited to trying to get more power out of the same 750cc. Even with the exotic RVF750 RC45, Honda could still not win the championship because they just could not compete with Ducati's extra engine capacity advantage. In the end Honda gave up, produced the VTR1000 and won it at their first attempt in 2000. Now THAT is victimisation.

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 05:54

D McRea, yes exactly, FIM is run by Japanese hating French

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 12:54

I think i'm right in saying that the Ducatis were all right up to the 1000cc limit, even in the days of the 851 & 888 in much the same way as the first 1098R race bikes were actually 1198cc.

Remember also that Kocinski did infact win the title in 1997 on the RC45. The last days of the 750, in the competitive sense, was Nori's R7.

There was of course no reason that the four Jap companies couldn't make a twin, just as here's no reason now that Ducati can't make a four cylinder. Honda eventually decided to play Ducati at there own game and beat them to two titles in three seasons worth of racing. If a four cyclinder is the best package at the moment the then they've only themselves to blame if they persist with a twin and get beat. It won't stop them moaning about it though.

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 15:18

Dead right it won't stop them moaning. Also there is no way on gods earth that Ducati would ever make a 4. Christ, they won't even change the angle of the "V" in their Moto GP bike.

"It's an L config and anyone that doesn't agree can fuck off" is about the size of it.

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 15:30

I can only guess that there's a Papal edict or something that prevents Ducati doing anything other than making a v-twin. They should take a look at Aprilia and ask why they didn't build a 1200cc Mille when they decided to return to competition. Or BMW for that matter.

Maybe after the Panigale has failed (as I think it will), they'll finally make good on their threat to leave the championship and let everybody else get on with things. Even if that does happen, all the Ducati faithfull who worship at the red church of Bologna will still be harping on about how their bikes are so much better than anything made in Japan.

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 17:22

"there is no way on gods earth that Ducati would ever make a 4"

Well, except for that time they did make a 4... Desmosedici RR?

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 17:22

A straight 4. Sorry, I should've clarified. And in all fairness, the Desmosedici RR wasn't exactly run of the mill production was it.

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 17:36

The only reason they designed a V4 for MotoGP was that a twin wouldn't have had a hope in hell of competing with a four or five cylinder as allowed by the rules at that time. Not without an advantage in displacement, like they need now in Supers. So, why didn't they homologate the road going RR version for use in SBK?

Posted: 20/12/2012 at 17:57

Maybe Ducati should have their capacity capped instead of playing with the rules at the margins.

Posted: 21/12/2012 at 05:25

"Ducati themselves have taken advantage of the rules to their own benefit in the past..."
Isn't that what a team is meant to do?

Posted: 21/12/2012 at 13:12

I get agitated with Ducati sometimes because of their displacement regulations they have for WSBK. I think it ruins the sport and it repels the Japanese manufacturers, which I would imagine could really improve the scope of things if you had the Big 4 committed to WSBK 100%. We also have a lot of talent coming out of BSB and AMA SBK, etc. that deserve the chance to compete in WSBK but probably won't because the Japanese factories are so gun-shy at the moment due to the favoritism owed to Ducati. Meanwhile, Aprilia has accomplished a lot in the past few years with their RSV4 and it seems to me they've played by the rules.

Suzuki is a mere shell of itself in WSBK, Kawasaki is testing the waters again with their competitive new Ninja, Honda has Rea but I honestly don't think they care that much when they have MotoGP to distract themselves, and Yamaha is nowhere to be found despite what Bens Pies accomplished in 2009 and had a competitive package up until their withdrawal.

Posted: 21/12/2012 at 20:13

Wait a minute.
Apart from the fact that all four Japanese companies are in motorcycle manufacturing terms much bigger than Ducati and also in corporate terms massive - All the Japanese companies make all sorts of other things than bikes.
So if they were really interested then they have the financial muscle to do anything. The fact that Suzuki pulled out of motogp, that Kawasaki have not been in motogp for a while is much more to do with corporate interest than anything else. If Honda can, so can the others.
Same goes for WSB. If BMW and Aprilia can come to the party and win then so could Suzuki and Yamahaha if they could get off their arses and innovate but of the 3 Honda is the only one that can.
Ducati was a tiny company for most of the 80's and 90's. For them to tool up to make an inline four would have been much too expensive. It would also have meant changing the entire range in order to sell it. Hardly realistic.
They found the original rule, exploited it and did well. Honda won 2 championships with their v4 RC30 and then the RC45 (it would have won more if they had had consistent riders). Honda make a twin which did well. I recall Suzuki did as well but it was the size of a ship's diesel.
The Japanese (except Honda) do not like to innovate and Ducati until now were not big enough to do anything other than make a twin. To build a completely new format of engine and then overhaul their entire range to use it outside of racing is hugely expensive.
Checa I think is taking the piss though.
And please don't tell me that if Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda has all thretened to pull from WSB if the 750cc limit was not changed that the WSB bods would have said no. At that time a 750 was the capacity for all Jap sportsbikes. Suzuki could have raced the GSXR 1100 but couldn't because it handled like a US muscle car.

Posted: 26/12/2012 at 10:13

I would swap a 6kg penalty for 200cc advantage.The fim should state the limit is 1000cc whatever engine you run,as has been stated on here ducati could homologate the desmosedici rr .if they dont want to do that tough.its not just ducati cheating either aprillia got away with gear driven cams on the racer when the bike that was homologated had chain driven cans,italy is a mecca for corruption,do you think any jap or british company would get the rules bent in their favour ?

Posted: 30/12/2012 at 21:37

This works 2 ways, If Ducati feel victimized why don't they build a 4 cylinder if it's easy for the Japs to do it then they can too.

Posted: 10/01/2013 at 10:12

I have what shat more than 6 kg. This is bullshit, if you will excuse the very poor pun. Ducati and Ferrari always blame everyone else when they don't win. It is standard Italian practice. I know - i lived there for 6 years. The big surprise is that Mr Checca is the spokesman here. I thought that he would have had more integrity.

Posted: 14/02/2013 at 14:14