Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > No Modifications - what does it mean

[nogaromill998]

Originally Posted by skidlids

A, was the crank asembley was balanced by matching components

B, Was the crank machined in anyway to acheive balance in which case it will have been modified from how it was supplied from the Ducati Factory

If its answer A then no rules have been broken
If its answer B then under the rules that have been in place for 5 years a rule has been broken, and breaking rules for a race series as far as I know is cheating, even if no advantage is gained.

Some rules are there to reduce costs, some for safety and some to keep things simple.

I don't think you are being dishonest or trying to gain an advantage as you certainly weren't trying to hide the fact that you have had some balancing work done.
But just because you interpret the rule your way doesn't mean others do and could leave you open to protest.

To argue maching is not modifying is a poor defence but if allowed opens the flood gates along the lines I mentioned earlier this evening.

When you sign up to the series you agree to abide by the rules, if your not happy with the rules you can submit a proposal for change to the RC, I have lost count of the amount I have submitted over the years.

If nothing had been mentioned then nobody would be any the wiser and the chance of getting protested on a modified crank very slim, especially as it looks like there may be a few more out there.

As with Senna3 he had his engine rebuilt at Baines Racing last year as it never seemed to go as well after his crash at Mallory in 2007 and dispite having new pistons and rings he did not have the crankshaft balanced as that would have required modifying it to how it left the factory which would have broken the rules. Now if Balancing is going to be allowed then I feel he and others in the same boat as him are going to loose out for their honesty.

A couple of years back Minitwins rules required the running of a standard airbox and even though a DD bike with a open airbox was never going to get near the 72bhp limit, my request to the Minitwin organisers (Tim Jones and Mike Edwards) to be able to run a open airbox was turned down, even though it gave me no advantage over a 72bhp SV650. So I abided by the rules and rode with a standard airbox, at least nobody could protest me for cheating, which is what they told meit would be viewed as.

Not the one word answer you were asking for, maybe an RC member will answer that one for you

The answer is in one of my previous posts Kev. The crank was NOT pulled apart or machined in any way and the balancing was a matter of selecting the best matched components, nothing more. Balancing by machining is as likely to ADD weight as reduce it and neither have I fitted a lighter flywheel ! As for the regrinding matter, the thickness of the replacement shells is IRRELEVANT if we take your original argument....the crank will have been reground, metal will have been removed and therefore it would be ruled illegal.

[bradders]

Originally Posted by ChrisBushell

How about a combined rider and bike minimum weight limit of 250kgs?

now we're talking, means I can take the bike down to 110kg!!

[Senna3]

Originally Posted by MARTIN H

How do you think I feel? I weighed in at about 22 stone in my leathers!

i think you may have to cut off both legs and possibly an arm

[Senna3]

Originally Posted by bradders

now we're talking, means I can take the bike down to 110kg!!

dont know wot your going to do paul some ones allready cut your legs off well from the knees down

[Matt-T28]

Originally Posted by Senna3

i think you may have to cut off both legs and possibly an arm

I hope he sits on you now for that remark lol

[Senna3]

Originally Posted by Matt-T28

I hope he sits on you now for that remark lol

was that wot happend to you

[skidlids]

Originally Posted by nogaromill998

The answer is in one of my previous posts Kev. The crank was NOT pulled apart or machined in any way and the balancing was a matter of selecting the best matched components, nothing more.

In that case Dave there is no issue
As its the crankshaft assembley that has been balanced and not the crankshaft itself,

As your post on Ducatisti contained the following phrase

Engine is currently in a million bits and the crank is ready for collection, after balancing, tomorrow

It looks like the crank had been balanced by itself which would mean some sort of modification to either add or remove weight.

This I am told was reported to the RC by I know not whom and the RC asked me among others for my take on it. I also heard several grumblings in the paddock last year about bikes running balanced cranks or Blue Printed engines.

My view of Blue printing is on page 4 of this thread

Originally Posted by skidlids

As for blue printing there is the large factory way or the small team way.

Large factory, take 1000 of each component and find a pair that best meets the design spec and use them, no modification required

Small team way, take the pair of items that you have in your engine and modify one so that it matches the other.

Now if you go some where in between and start with several items and get them matched up as best as possible without modification then thats fine by DD rules but if modifications are carried out then rules are being broken.

Although I already had some thoughts on the matter I needed a bit more information so as well as starting the thread I also emailed some Ducati specialists to get their views

Hence my original question in the title of the post, as I have also said it was the catalyst for the thread but that does not mean it was the target, I have targeted/questioned many rules to do with DD to try and ensure they add value to the series.

As far as regrinding goes, if it happens to me and it turns out that regrinding the crankshaft is the most viable option, I would then email the RC to seek permission to have it done.

If they give their permission to get it done I would expect it to be incorporated into an updated appendix and sent to all entrants, with a view to it being adopted into the rules the following season.

[Scooter916]

Well I have watched this thread evolve and thus far restrained from commenting But I have to agree with Kev's Comments

Bradders may actually have to cut off both legs and an arm



If anyone is needing a crank re-grind Speak to me, I have a bottom end that I would loan them untill they get sorted with one or untill the point that I need it.
Hows that for a bit of DD spirit.

[Rattler]

Blimey - is that the end of the show, or just on a commercial break

[nogaromill998]

"It looks like the crank had been balanced by itself which would mean some sort of modification to either add or remove weight."

The phrase ' engine in a million bits ' merely indicates the engine is apart Kev....and doesnt even hint at the crank being balanced by itself, so thats a pretty big assumption imho, and would have been far better served by asking a question, rather than opening debate away from the original post without even so much as asking me direct. I only heard about it cos someone gave me the heads up....