Important News

Over the last couple of weeks we have noticed an issue with some of the older bearings fitted to the cambelt tensioners. Some of the bearings we have come across have seized (see pic below) causing the belt(s) to breakdown and with others we have noticed that they are beginning to break and have had them changed. In one instance the engine ended up with a bent valve as the belt had stripped itself off the cam/crank pulleys and on the others they were in for routine servicing when we noticed the issues with the bearing(s) becoming seized.

Ducati do supply an upgraded part which we now recommend be fitted to all customers engines.

The engine having the valve bent was not too expensive to repair but the owner was very lucky as in other instances the bill could be very high indeed. Please check these tensioners if you are not due for serivce soon as it could save you a potentially expensive bill.

The picture below shows the 'Old' tensioner and the 'New' one - plus the slightly bent valve and totally destroyed cambelt:

 

 

Ducati's in Racing

WSBK 2011 results: www.worldsbk.com

MotoGP 2011 results: www.motogp.com

BSB 2011 results: www.britishsuperbike.com

Ducati 848 Challenge results: www.ducati848challenge.co.uk

 

Ducati press release 15/08/2010:

The latest big news for Ducati fans around the globe is that the nine time world motorcycle champion Valentino Rossi will ride for Ducati Corse in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. It has been a long time coming but we always knew Valentino would have to ride for Ducati sometime in his career and this announcement marks an exciting time for not only the Ducati MotoGP Project but also for the millions of MotoGP fans around the world. Below you can read a quote from Gabriele Del Torchio and Valentino's hand written press release:

Ducati and Valentino Rossi have signed a two-year agreement for the nine-time World Champion to race with the "Rossa" of Borgo Panigale in the Ducati Team from 2011.

"We are delighted to announce that Valentino Rossi will be with us from 2011," commented Gabriele Del Torchio, President of Ducati Motor Holding. "He is a paragon of excellence in the world of motorcycling, coherent with our Italian company which is a standard-bearer for "made in Italy" excellence. These are key values for success in technology, design and sportsmanship. In addition to the strong and passionate intent of both parties, this agreement has been made possible by the committed support of our shareholder "Investindustrial" and all the sponsors associated with the Ducati Marlboro Team, sponsors which have believed in this opportunity and share and support our choices."

"Firstly, Valentino is a great fan of motorcycles and so it has always been a pleasure for me to listen his opinions," said Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse General Director. "Until the Valencia GP he will remain a competitor, one so great that he has always given a special value to our victories, but as soon as he rides the Ducati for the first time, we will work together on every single detail that will develop a bike capable of showing his huge talent. Working with Valentino is one of the most exciting things for every Engineer and it's good to know we will have this great opportunity next season."

The hand written letter from Valentino Rossi with English translation:

"It is very difficult to explain in just a few words what my relationship with Yamaha has been in these past seven years". "Many things have changed since that far-off time in 2004, but especially 'she', my M1, has changed. At that time she was a poor middle-grid position MotoGP bike, derided by most of the riders and the MotoGP workers. Now, after having helped her to grow and improve, you can see her smiling in her garage, courted and admired, treated as the 'top of the class'". "The list of the people that made this transformation possible is very long, but I would like to thank anyway Masao Furusawa, Masahiko Nakajima and 'my' Hiroya Atsumi, as representatives of all the engineers that worked hard to change the face of our M1. Then Jeremy Burgess and all my guys in the garage, who took care of her with love on all the tracks of the world and also all the men and women that have worked in the Yamaha team during these years. "Now the moment has come to look for new challenges; my work here at Yamaha is finished. Unfortunately even the most beautiful love stories finish, but they leave a lot of wonderful memories, like when my M1 and I kissed for the first time on the grass at Welkom, when she looked straight in my eyes and told me 'I love you!'"