The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad presented their 2020 WorldSBK set-up earlier this week in Imola, Italy together with their star riders, Scott Redding and Chaz Davies. Riding the powerful 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 R, some would say that this might the year that Ducati takes over the World Superbikes series away from the dominating Kawasaki and their champion, Jonathan Rea. (more…)
Here’s some bike porn courtesy of the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade WorldSBK bike. Pictures are courtesy of WorldSBK.com.
The CBR1000RR-R signals Honda’s determination in recapturing the WorldSBK Championship title, after winning it only 6 times in 30 years. The previous CBR1000RR may be an easy bike to ride but it’s outgunned on the tracks.
Here we go.
The first picture here is Alvaro Bautista’s bike. The Spanish rider will ride the bike after severing ties with Ducati. His teammate is Leon Haslam who was dropped by the Kawasaki works team. Both riders are astride the factory CBR1000RR-RW while Takumi Takahasi rides the semi-factory CBR1000RR-R.
From this angle, you could see how the bodywork was formed to channel air to give it a small frontal area. The air intake now resides front and centre in the top fairing for a straight Ram Air shot into the airbox.
WorldSBK rules allow aerobodies as long as 1) They are present on the road bike; and 2) They are not active aerodynamics (non-movable). Notice how the “lip” just in front of the intake blends into the lower bodywork.
Honda didn’t publish data on how much downforce the spoilers will provide.
The tailsection of the bike is also made from carbon fibre. You can see here that it follows the shape of the item on the roadgoing 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade as stipulated by WorldSBK rules. Anyway, the tail terminates at a sharp point to reduce wake (turbulence) behind the bike. A large wake (like behind a boat or ship) means the bike isn’t aerodynamically efficient and causes drag. The airflow must not only move efficiently around the bike and rider but needs to be so when it leaves the bike, too.
Check out the spindly brake caliper mounts on the fork legs – these are obviously machined from billet. The calipers are Brembo GP4-RX, also CNC-milled. The wheel is an OZ Racing magnesium item.
Besides those, notice the “radiator.” All these racebikes have extended radiators plus an oil cooler to deal with the extra heat. The top radiator (hidden by the fairing) is the same as the road bikes, the centre portion is the oil cooler, while the bottommost is the extra radiator.
Here’s a better view of the titanium exhaust system. Notice that the header for cylinders 1 (at the far side) and 4 (closest to us) is bent further in as opposed to the other Numbers 2 and 3 in the interest of equal pipe length leading to the collector.
Also note the oxygen sensors on all headers. The sensors detect the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gas. Too little oxygen means the engine is burning rich (too much fuel, too little air); too much oxygen means the engine is burning lean (too much air, too little fuel). Data from the sensors will be referred to the engine’s mapping in the ECU, which will then determine the right amount of fuel and injection timing. The system works in tandem with the power settings chosen by the rider (more power, fuel conservation, etc.).
Look at the rear shock, especially those sensors and cables. Electronic suspension isn’t allowed in WorldSBK (and MotoGP) so those sensors and cables monitor the shock’s performance in terms of its movements and damping characteristics. The data can then be used for setting up the bike together with the rider’s input.
There’s almost nothing to look at here but this picture does tell a big story. Notice how thin is that top triple clamp and that’s just the edge! No, it’s not so for saving weight. Honda had recently done this to the 2019 RC213 MotoGP bike too. A thinner triple clamps allows more “play” and provides better front-end feedback to the rider.
The forks are also moved up the triple clamps since Jerez is a circuit which has plenty of corners that need late turn-ins, thus putting more emphasis on front tyre grip. Moving the forks up shifts more weight to the front tyre.
When this went to print, Leon Haslam put the 2020 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade in the top spot during the pre-season tests at Jerez. The session was held on a wet track and the rain is an equalizer, so we shall see if the bike continues to perform well.
Source: WorldSBK.com
Shell and Ducati are two brands symbiotic with each other.
Time flies and it’s been 21 years of collaboration between the petroleum giant and maker of exotic motorcycles. To celebrate that union, Shell and Ducati announced the renewal of their technical partnership, on the eve of the 2019 Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The partnership began in 1999 during Ducati’s age of dominance in the World Superbike Championship. Since then, they have celebrated championship titles together. Shell followed Ducati when the manufacturer ventured into MotoGP in 2003.
The technical partnership extends beyond the racetrack. Each motorcycle that leaves the Ducati factory at Borgo Panigale in Bologna, Italy is filled with Shell V-Power petrol and Shell Advance engine oil. As such, Ducati recommends Shell fuels and Shell Advance engine oils to Ducati owners.
Back on the track, the awesomely powerful (the most powerful MotoGP bike, in fact) Desmosedici GP uses Shell Advance engine oil. Shell then introduced the new Shell Advance with PurePlus Technology to the bikes four years ago.
MotoGP organisers limit fewer and fewer engines year after year, in an effort to cut down on spending to encourage more teams to join. The effect of this ruling is that manufacturers must make their engines more reliable. Using more engines than the allocated units will result in penalties, which no team regardless of position needs.
Releasing the full potential of the fierce Desmosedici GP’s engine is one thing, but the engine oil must also play an essential and critical role of ensuring reliability. How many times have we seen Ducati MotoGP bikes break down due to engine trouble? Virtually none.
The partnership has secured more than 200 wins in both WorldSBK and MotoGP and they will continue to win more.
Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki has won the 2019 WorldSBK title – their fifth in a row.
Rea won Race Two at Magny-Cours, France, enabling him to pull clear of closest challenger Alvaro Bautista on the Ducati V4 R. Rea had entered Race Two with a 100-point lead over Bautista and needed a victory and a hope that the latter does not score to put the title chase beyond contention.
Somehow and true enough, Bautista crashed after tangling with Toprak Razgatlioglu. Toprak had overtaken Bautista but the rear tyre of his bike lost traction and slowed, causing the Spaniard to ram his bike. Both riders went down and out of the race.
But it wasn’t an easy win for Rea as he had to battle Michael van der Mark for the win. Rea fought hard and his determination netted him the win that he needed.
It was his 12th win of the 2019 season. But winning the title fives times in a row set the record as the first rider to do so, besides being the first rider to win the title five times. Carl Fogarty held the previous record of four titles, albeit separated by a seasons in between.
The victory will also become one of the most famous comebacks in racing history. Bautista had destroyed the entire field with 11 consecutive wins when the season began and held a 64-point lead.
But Rea kept up with a metronome-like consistency, finishing second in ten of those races and another in third behind Bautista. Then Rea fought back to post wins in Imola and Jerez. Bautista crashed in Race 2 at Jerez and that was when everything started to unravel.
The Spanish would eventually crash six times in total, first blaming the bike but went quiet about what was actually the problem. Then he inked a deal with Honda, and is now embroiled in a war of words with Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali.
Rea kept up the pressure by winning races and finishing on the podium when he couldn’t, and look at where he is now.
Makes for a great movie, don’t you think?
Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista is rumored to return to MotoGP to ride with KTM.
Bautista was earlier rumoured to be moving to the Honda’s HRC factory team and remain in WorldSBK 2020. It was also heavily speculated that he will be riding a new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. Honda is expected to unveil the all-new bike at the Tokyo Motor Show this October, and the team will be based in Barcelona.
He had migrated to the WorldSBK for the 2019 season, riding the new Ducati Panigale V4 R for Ducati Corse. However, his form fell by the wayside despite having dominated the field earlier in the season by winning 12 races in a row.
His relationship with the Italian team soured since then. Alvaro then revealed that he would be leaving the team at the end of the season but did not mention where he was going to. His boss, the Ducati Corse Sporting Director, Paolo Ciabatti confirmed that the rider has signed a two-year deal with a “rival manufacturer.”
But now as KTM is searching for a rider to fill the vacancy left by Johann Zarco in the factory Red Bull KTM Racing Team, Bautista’s name came to the fore.
The question was brought up during the Tank Slappers podcast. Motorsport.com Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont and Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan discussed the compelling possibilities.
Please click on the link below to listen to the podcast.
Listen to “Shock MotoGP return for World Superbike sensation?: Episode #3” on Spreaker.
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and rider Tom Sykes will continue their cooperation into 2020 WorldSBK Championship (FIM World Superbike Championship).
While the tie-up has yet to yield a win this season, Sykes had done well to put it on the podium at Misano, Italy; Donington Park (UK); and Laguna Seca (USA).
Those results were truly impressive, considering that BMW Motorrad announced their intention to join the championship with the new BMW S 1000 RR in November 2018. That left the factory, Shaun Muir team, and riders only a few months to prepare.
2013 WorldSBK Champion Sykes will be joined by Eugene Laverty next year, replacing Markus Reiterberger.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers welcomed Sykes’s continuation with the team as it provides stability. “Continuity and stability are critical factors for the success of the project,” he said. “Tom Sykes has consistently moved in a forward direction with the new S 1000 RR.”
Continuity would mean that the bike will follow a steady and somewhat predictable development path as opposed to swapping riders all the time. As different riders have different riding styles, there will be too many variables to consider. There is no luxury of time for such ventures in world championship racing.
Four-time and reigning WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki team ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s winning streak in Race 1 at Imola, Italy.
Bautista and Ducati have scored a perfect ten out of ten races in five rounds prior. However, Rea proved the spoiler when Bautista tried to adapt to the tricky Imola circuit. It was the latter’s first race there. Rea had been strong throughout the practice sessions only to be pipped by Bautista’s teammate Chaz Davies in Superpole for pole position.
Come race day, Rea took the lead as soon as the lights went out, but passed by Davies soon after. It looked like the pair was going to resume their hard battles and rivalry through the last few seasons. Unfortunately, Davies’s bike encountered a problem and forced the Welshman to retire. In so doing, he handed second place to Bautista.
A battle soon erupted behind them.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) sat in third, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) fought up to 4thfrom 8thon the grid. Van der Mark’s teammate Alex Lowes followed in 5th, ahead of Rea’s teammate Leon Haslam. Independent rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Purcetti Racing) moved in 7th.
At the front, Bautista had no answer to Rea’s pace. The Kawasaki man began to pull away at 0.7s per lap.
On a day of seeing front runners suffering bike problems, Tom Sykes’s BMW started to slow and eventually retired. At the same time, Lowes started to slip backwards.
With the final position suddenly available, van der Mark and Razgatlioglu battled tooth and nail. The pair swapped paint and traded blows on the penultimate lap to the stage of colliding twice. But it was the Turkish rider Razgatlioglu who presevered to cross the line in 3rd.
There was no problem for Rea, conversely. It was his eighth win at the track and 72ndin WorldSBK. It was Kawsaki’s 128thwin in the series.
Race 2 continues today at 8pm Malaysian local time.
It’s bound to happen as per Dorna and FIM’s rules. The Ducati Panigale V4 R is set to lose 250 RPM off its peak from the next round in Assen.
The decision was made after Alvaro Bautista won the first six races and three Superpoles of the season on the Panigale V4 R. Besides docking its peak RPM (to reduce peak horsepower), Ducati will also lose their concession to bring further engine upgrades for the rest of the year. Consequently, Bautista and teammate Chaz Davies, as well as Eugene Laverty will have to compete on a bike with the same specs as it started the season.
A reduction of 250 RPM will not make a difference to Bautista. In fact, his Aruba.it Ducati team had tested a bike with 250 RPM less in Aragon earlier.
On the other hand, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR will not have its revs cut but they are also not allowed the concession to upgrade their engine, since the gap between Ducati and Kawasaki are only 7 points (below the 9-point threshold).
Other manufacturers are allowed concessions, including BMW and Yamaha (who are racing), as well as Aprilia, Suzuki and MV Agusta (who are not racing).
As for Honda, the CBR1000RR will receive a 500 RPM upgrade. The increase will take effect over two rounds i.e. 250 RPM at Assen and another 250 RPM at Imola, Italy.
Such “revisions” is not new. Kawasaki had their ZX-10RR’s rev limit cut last year after Jonathan Rea’s dominance. The idea is to keep the field competitive for close-in racing.
You can view the FIM ruling here.
The rev limits for different manufacturers are in the table below (Credit: WorldSBK/FIM).
Alvaro Bautista and Ducati maintained their 100% win record by destroying the field in Race 1 at Aragon. The Aragon track in Spain hosts Round 3 of the WorldSBK 2019 championship.
Not wanting to be bogged down in a bruising battle like in Race 1 at Buriram, Thailand, Bautista blasted into the lead as soon as the lights went out. He never looked back and was almost a second faster per lap. He would eventually cross the line 15 seconds clear of the second-placed man.
As with the previous MotoGP race in Argentina, Bautista left the rest to battle for second and third places in his wake.
Reigning WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea on the Kawasaki fought his way up from 10thon the grid, only to find himself fighting hard against another two Ducatis for the runner-up position.
Bautista’s teammate Chaz Davies appeared to have finally come to grips with the new Panigale V4 R. He had been battling with Eugene Laverty on the satellite Team Go Eleven Ducati Panigale V4 R during the earlier part of the race, when Rea joined the party.
The trio swapped positions on and on until the final lap, when Laverty ran into the back of Davies. The come-together sent Laverty off the track and caused Davies to lose touch to Rea. Rea escaped to take 2ndplace while Davies brought his bike home in 3rd.
Behind them, Alex Lowes took his Pata Yamaha to 4thwhile Tom Sykes took the new BMW S 1000 RR to 5th.
It’s understandable that some are charging that Ducati brought a MotoGP bike to WorldSBK and voiced concerns over Bautista’s domination. But look at where the other Ducatis are. Bautista’s teammate Davies was in 3rdand Laverty almost took 4th. It’s more of how Bautista is able to interpret and unlock the bike’s full potential compared to everyone else. Plus, he’s probably so used to riding those beasts in MotoGP, so the Panigale V4 R is comparatively easy. We’re not saying that the Panigale V4 R isn’t fast, but every bike needs the rider to unlock its capabilities.
There’s talk of Dorna looking at curtailing the Panigale V4 R’s maximum revs in order to lower its maximum power. The WorldSBK rules provide for this, in order to keep the field close and exciting for fans. However, doing so would handicap not Bautista but the other Ducatis, too.
Tom Sykes did very well on the BMW S 1000 RR. The bike has a stock engine compared to the rest of the field’s. The exhaust, cams, ECU and suspension are standard like a SuperStock bike’s. It ought to go much faster with the race kit.
Race 2 for WorldSBK starts at 8.00pm tonight.
Dorna and the FIM recently confirmed that Indonesia will hold a MotoGP and WorldSBK round beginning 2021. The site chosen is in Lombok.
However, when the announcement said that it’ll be the first MotoGP “street circuit,” the news attracted the same kind of negativity in social media as everything else. There were comments such as, “If it’s going to get riders killed then they shouldn’t ride there.”
Hey, guess what? Dorna and the FIM have better brains than armchair engineers.
The skepticisms were addressed directly by Mark Huges of MRK1 Consulting along with RoadGrip Motorsport. The two international companies were appointed by the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation (IDTC) to plan, build and run the circuit.
“We are very conscious that when we announced this project there was a reasonable amount of scepticism about the concept of a street circuit,” Hughes said, during a presentation of the project at the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix.
“We have to make very clear that the track has been designed and will be built to the appropriate FIM safety standards for MotoGP.”
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta also said that they will not compromise with safety.
“We’ve always said that we don’t race in a street circuit, but this has all the facilities of a street circuit – in a middle of a ‘city’, all the hotels will be there – but with full security (safety) for the riders,” declared Ezpeleta.
The Lombok circuit isn’t like other “street circuits” that we know of, for example Monaco and Macao. Instead, it is purpose-built for racing but opened to the public after the race. That means it is opposite of Monaco and Macao where public roads are cordoned off for racing.
“The master plan for the resort [layout] was actually finished before we got involved. And then between Roadgrip, MRK1 and ITDC we’ve tweaked that track design,” Hughes said.
“We knew we couldn’t go in and entirely change it, there had already been too much invested in that, and with the support of Dorna and also the FIM we then made some small changes to accommodate the safety requirements for a Grade A license.”
“When you arrive for the race event it will be like arriving at any other MotoGP track. It will have all the infrastructure there,” Hughes added. “But a large percentage of that infrastructure would then come out in order to turn the track back into a road network for the resort for the rest of the year.”
Infrastructure at the track will also be turned over for public use when there are no races. For example, the pit building will be used as a conference centre.
So, this is why the track is called “something special.”
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