Archive for the 'World SBK' Category

Xerox Ducati Ready for Germany after Mugello Test

The factory Ducati World Superbike squad have concluded 2 days of testing at Mugello ahead of this weekend’s German Round of the series at Nurburgring. The test was mostly used to shake the cobwebs out after the month long summer break.

Will we see Rossi on a Ducati Superbike Next Year?

If it wasn’t exciting enough that Valentino Rossi will be racing in red next year on board the Ducati Desmosedici GP11, there is something even more tantalizing. World Superbikes. There are few fans who wouldn’t like to see Rossi on board a Superbike finally pitting the best MotoGP roadracer against the cut and thrust of [...]

Ducati Pull Out of World Superbikes

In a shock move, Ducati has announced today that it will withdraw the factory team in World Superbikes in 2011 and instead focus on developing the next generation of Superbike technology.

FIM Moves to Outlaw Aprilia’s RSV4 Cam Gear Kit for 2011

The FIM has released revised regulations for the 2011 World Superbike Championship which will effectively ban the cam gear drive kit that Aprilia is using to good effect this season. For 2011 the method of cam drive must remain as on the homologated motorcycle.

The Day King Carl’s Coronation Began

Carl Fogarty or King Carl to his adoring fans is a Ducati legend winning all his 4 World Superbike titles on a Ducati. He raced three quarters of a season in 1991 on a Honda Britain RC30 regularly finishing in the top 10 but couldn’t secure a good ride for 1992. Short of money and [...]

They Don’t Burn like they Used To – Mertens 1992 Ducati 888 Crash

Stephan Mertens had a disastrous year in 1992 on his factory Ducati 888, ultimately finishing 7th in the World Superbike title chase without winning a single race, his worse performance since the series began in 1988. Things were looking up in the penultimate round of the series though when he took 3rd in Race 1 [...]

Colin Edwards to Replace Haga?

With Nitro Noriyuki Haga running out of, well, nitro this season it seems increasingly clear that likeable as he is, he will not be factory Xerox Ducati mounted in 2010. Who to replace him with? Rumors coming out of the Brno World Superbike round were that the team were in talks with 2 time champion [...]

Ducati Lightens Up in World Superbikes

Following more lackluster performances of the Ducati 1198R in recent World Superbike competition, the FIM has called for a further weight reduction for the twins of 3kg to bring them into weight parity with the four cylinder competition led so far this year by Max Biaggi’s Aprilia RSV4.

Bayliss Denies Ducatisti a Fairytale Comeback

In what to us reeks a little of an orchestrated setup, the rhetoric concerning the possible return of 3 time World Superbike Champion, Troy Bayliss, to Ducati and competition has taken a 180ยบ turn. In a press conference held at Misano as part of World Ducati Week, Bayliss put the kibosh on any chance of [...]

Checa Fails (by wire) to Take Miller Double

After setting a blistering pace in qualifying that smashed the track record, Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa, looked set for double victories at the US round of the World Superbike Championship at Miller Motorsports Park at Salt Lake City, Utah. However his hopes were dashed as his bike failed him twice whilst comfortably in the lead. [...]