Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > What is it about Ducati's motoGP bike that makes it Stoner's own?

[Ray]

Just why is it that only Casey Stoner can get the current motoGP Ducati up the Sharp end.

Electronics - some say only he can take full advantage of the electronics on the bike, others reckon makes little use of the electronics, he has as much as he can switched off or on the minimum settings?

Chassis - The Chassis is designed around his particular needs, no one else can get on with the chassis and the specific fundamentals he needs are a world away from what anyone else needs so can't really be changed.

Ducati know best - The team/engineers etc call all the shots on set up etc and only Stoner can make the thing go once the team have decided what the bike needs to go fast? I heard a story some time ago that this was why Bayliss struggled with the MotoGP ducati until the on off ride when he got his way on the Front forks, they worked for him and he blitzed everyone.

Stoner Himself - The bike is a donkey but Stoner is some sort of magician who can make the thing go fast and no one else can, end of.

Ayone else got any bright ideas as to why the Current moto GP only goes at a decent speed with Stoner on board or is Nicky H finally unlocking the secrets and will soon be up there in the top three?

Ray

[antonye]

Riding style is another possibility. Stoner spent his youth (not that long ago then!) riding small bikes very fast. If you look at some of the lines he takes they are very different to a lot of the other riders. He likes big lean angles and can get the bike upright a lot quicker to make use of the power on the straights.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by antonye

Riding style is another possibility. Stoner spent his youth (not that long ago then!) riding small bikes very fast.

But did n't Melandri, Kallio and others whose name escape me right now also come through the 250/125 classes? - Although I would agree Nicky H's style is very different liking that lose setup, - but then Troy Bayliss (who rides lose) got a victory out of the bike- or was it a very different bike back then?

My theory, - racing any of the MotoGP bikes has a lot to do with mental strength, confidence whatever you want to call it...Stoner has it on the Duc, others just don't becuse it is a bit of a beast. I would like to see a smooth rider like Edwards on it.

[deej]

in my eyes its from his smaller racing classes background,hes had a similair path to rossi,lorenzo,dovizisio,pedrosa,etc so is used to adjusting a bikes chassis and carrying the corner speed. its probably the opposite to hayden and his superbike background and is a similair issue that i feel toseland has. could also be the reason why kallio was so quick on the factory bike straight away. hayden is getting there but will be given the time to develop the bike the way he wants especially with the lorenzo rumours doing the rounds