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Julian Bond - 2014-02-28 11:29:19+0000 - Updated: 2014-02-28 11:29:19+0000

http://motomatters.com/news/2014/02/28/ducati_announce_they_will_be_racing_as_o.html

Ducati go Open. So will Honda complain that this is against the spirit of the rules? ;)

Meanwhile there's a story doing the rounds that the production Honda RCV with it's steel valve springs has a lower rev limit. It might well do. A bit. But I'd guess it also has less aggressive cam profiles. However, knowing Honda I can't see them moving quick enough to give the Open teams a full fat RCV with gas valves before mid season at the very earliest. More likely is 2015 but they'll still want to do something to keep them behind Bradl and Bautista, never mind Marquez and whoever is along side him in the Repsol team.

Ducati Announce They Will Be Racing As Open Class Entries In MotoGP In 2014 | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Paolo Marc - 2014-02-28 12:15:53+0000

Good! that means cal can fettle his bike;)

H.T.V. Blu - 2014-02-28 22:28:29+0000

I don't think they ever really had a choice- unless the bike they bought to the Sepang tests had been a front runner they had to go this route, I think.

Julian Bond - 2014-03-01 07:10:02+0000

The story about the big update to the software still containing the Ducati corporate copyright notice is hilarious.

Paolo Marc - 2014-03-01 09:53:07+0000

Ducati can now learn to polish a turd properly;)

Julian Bond - 2014-03-01 11:34:19+0000

They can't. But they can roll it in glitter.

H.T.V. Blu - 2014-03-01 12:47:40+0000

I don't know. Given how little time has past since the bike was barely capable of competing with CRTs, the 'new' GP14 is looking remarkably capable. If Gigi and the team can find this much pace in a couple of months, it fills me with hope they can find a way back to the front. Although only testing, Dovi's long runs were pretty good and to finish 3rd fastest is probably more than many thought possible.