In 1973, we got a lot of adverse press for the problems the H2R's had with handling. We even told reporters that the chassis had "a hinge in the middle, causing the wobbles in every corner, and on the straight aways". You could just about pick any place, on any race track, and see one of our bikes wobble its way down the track.
That said, NO amount of bracing and geometry change will cure the Ducati handling issues with the carbon fibre "chassis". The main issue is, all the other MotoGP bikes have cradles for their engines, and aluminum frames that directly link the engine, front end and rear end together, as our bikes do. The Ducati uses the engine as the main stressed member, with both ends bolted to it, with the carbon parts as "strengtheners".
This might work for Formula 1 cars and Indy car garbage, but NOT for a motorcycle that has to change direction, and/or stop/accelerate all in unison. We have a unique situation in motorcycle design, we don't have a two plane vehicle, with 4 wheels to stabilize, and the flat plane operation, we have multiple plane operation, and many more factors in play at the same time.
Formula and Indy cars don't also use the driver as a changeable factor in balance, and direction change that we do. Our dynamic is completely different than a car, and the stressed member fiasco just doesn't work for a motorcycle, OK for a car, but, no cigar for our vehicles.
As far as Stoner riding the Ducati, he had his share of get offs, and wins, simply because he had the insanity to "ride it past the problems. instead of actually fixing them, because he hasn't got the saavy to set things up correctly that a rider with more years of experience has. I had a kid that raced some years ago, almost won the AMA 250 championship, and he was one of those that didn't have a clue as to set up, all he told me was :I can ride it through that problem". Well, I didn't want him to do that, I wanted to FIX the issues, so he, and the bike could bet even better. He had that same attitude for both the bikes we ran, a Yamaha TZ250, and an Aprilia AR250 mid level factory racer. Al Salaverria had the raw riding ability that most others don't have, but, he was useless about set up, especially chassis/suspension set up. Al was a lot like the late Cal Rayborn, he would just ride the bike faster than it would go, through chassis issues and all other problems.
I am sure if you could look further into Stoner, it really isn't his input that makes the Honda run and handle well, it is the HRC personnel that have the previous data from previous Honda riders like Rossi, and others, to fix the issues after Stoner says "I can ride through them".
Congratulations to Casey, but, defending this championship will be the harder thing to do, as Rossi, Lorenzo, Hayden, Stoner himself, and others have found to be truth.
|
