Is It the BIKE or the RIDER? Ducati Electronics Explained.
Visiting the Ducati factory and the grand prix of Mugello to understand Ducati’s innovation in the field of electronics.
Check out the full story here: https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/ducati-factory-visit-technology-overview/
Check out the full story here: https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/ducati-factory-visit-technology-overview/
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SportsTranscript
00:00 This is the famous road between Bologna and Florence, where Ducati tests and develops its production motorcycles.
00:06 A modern Ducati is defined as much by its electronics as it is its V-twin and V-4 engines.
00:13 We spent the day in Borgo Panigale talking to engineers to find out more.
00:25 Andrea, so when we talk about electronics in motorcycles, what are we talking about?
00:30 Well, electronics is quite wide in motorcycles because electronics is something which helps you in many areas.
00:40 First of all, in terms of safety.
00:42 So, electronics is intended for safety, so to improve the safety of your ride.
00:47 Another area of improvement is for your pleasure, to improve your comfort.
00:54 So, we can think that electronics is a mix between safety and comfort, I think.
01:02 Okay, and what are those systems precisely?
01:05 We talk about rider aids, we talk about various things like that.
01:09 We have a lot of systems with the bike, talking about our flagship Multistrada V4, where we put our cutting-edge electronics.
01:17 We have a lot of electronic systems and functions, comfort-oriented and safety-oriented.
01:23 We range from ride-by-wire with power mode, traction control with multi-level, wheelie control.
01:32 We have semi-active suspension, front radar with adaptive cruise control, rear radar with blind spot detector.
01:42 Connected cluster with the possibility to mirror your smartphone, both Android and iOS system,
01:49 in order to mirror a navigation map, I mean a cartographic navigation map, so it's not a turn-by-turn basic system.
01:57 And then we have a full LED lighting.
02:00 We have functions like minimum preload, which means that the system, when you ask the function and you are approaching the traffic light,
02:09 so you have to stop the bike, the bike can lower and then you can reach the ground easily.
02:16 And when you start, the system moves up again the bike autonomously.
02:21 We have full LED cornering light, which improves your safety while riding during the night.
02:29 We have so many electronics, which follow a strict process of development in order to assure the quality of our customers.
02:39 And essentially what we're talking about is any area that the rider is interacting with the motorcycle.
02:44 At this point, a lot of those are covered by electronics, so ride by wire throttle, brakes, shifting, of course the way the engine is controlled.
02:55 All of that is really, electronics are in essence the brains behind the motor, the brakes, maybe the rider to some degree too, as they intervene.
03:06 Well, the rider is still the rider. The rider has the pleasure of riding in, let me say, in an environment or in a way to have, let me say, a more comfort experience.
03:23 A more protected experience, protected by electronic systems.
03:30 You are, let me say, in a public road. You are in a public road, you are not in a closed environment.
03:37 So, I think that electronics enhance this kind of, let me say, experience, because it leaves you the possibility to have this experience in a more comfort and safe way.
03:50 So, how has technology transferred from the racing world, MotoGP and World Superbike, to production motorcycles?
03:57 Thank you for the question. So, we have a strict relation between racing and production motorcycles.
04:05 Our journey regarding transformation in terms of electronics on production motorcycles started in 2008 with the 1090 AR.
04:17 That was the first motorcycle equipped with production motorcycles, equipped with traction control.
04:24 So, at that time, we understood in production the need of starting to develop our own software.
04:33 That software of this bike came exactly from racing. Obviously, adapted for a production motorcycle, because between racing and production there are some differences.
04:46 Firstly, you don't have a professional rider. Secondly, you are not in a closed environment, like in a circuit. You are in a public road.
04:57 And third, you need to have a bike homologated. So, there are some differences, but it's relevant to get the competencies and the experience from the racing
05:12 to get some hints and to get some, let's say, faster deploy on production motorcycles.
05:19 And this is what we do since 2008. Since 2008, we deployed software control strategy in our production motorcycle.
05:30 We developed our own software, both for what we call vertical dynamics, which is suspension, semi-active suspension.
05:37 The software is our own software. And even for what we call lateral dynamics, like traction control, wheel control, launch control and slide control.
05:51 So, the history and the story started in 2008.
05:56 Ok, and since then, how much more sophisticated have they become?
06:00 A lot, really a lot. You have a lot of freedom. And it's just the process of never giving up and finding really new improvements.
06:13 And this is like we do. Year by year, we release new improvements and we do, step by step, new additional functions.
06:23 Doing this and following this methodology, when you look behind, you say, "Oh, how far we were".
06:31 I think that technology and refinement on the software is like when you are looking for weight.
06:41 To make 1 kilo, you need 1000 grams. But the software is the same. Add step by step and insist on it.
06:51 In terms of sophistication, how does a production Panigale V4, how does its electronic system compare with the sophistication of a MotoGP bike?
07:02 Well, both are two sophisticated bikes. Each on their area of use, in each field, I think that they are at a very high level.
07:22 Since years, we are recognized as a kind of reference for production motorcycles in terms of vehicle dynamics, software controls.
07:32 So, this is due to the strict contact between racing and production motorcycles.
07:40 So, the deploy of this experience from racing to production showed that in both, let me say, areas of racing,
07:48 because we won the championship last year, and even in production, because we get the feedback from the press,
07:54 I guess that we are at the cutting-edge level.
07:59 Right. So, what is the relationship between Ducati Corsa and the production side? Is there a lot of transfer from Ducati Corsa?
08:07 We have a strict relation. In particular, our vehicle testing department, there is a group of people which are in charge of the performances of the bike.
08:21 So, in order to transfer the know-how from racing to production, so that people have a racing experience plus a production experience,
08:34 because in production, there are some constraints, as I've explained, which you don't have in racing.
08:42 So, having this knowledge allows you the possibility to understand what can be transferred from racing to production,
08:49 and if what you have in racing can be adapted to production. And this is what we do.
08:56 It's a continuous refinement, because I think that we are in a good level.
09:04 And when you are in a good level, to make a small step behind, there is a huge effort.
09:12 Some riders complain that motorcycles have gotten too complicated, there's too much technology,
09:18 and we've lost some of the purity of being out on a motorcycle. How do you respond to that?
09:24 Once you have improved your safety, which is the most important, think the advantage of cornering ABS in terms of safety.
09:31 Think the advantage of full LED lighting in terms of illumination. This is safety.
09:38 Safety, because an actual headlamp allows you the possibility to see where 20 years ago headlamps didn't allow.
09:49 Because the performances of the headlamp. And what about the comfort?
09:54 Riding extended activation, but having anyway a very powerful engine. It's comfort.
10:01 So, I think that the experience has changed, not the pleasure of riding.
10:10 I guess that the experience has improved. This is the main difference.
10:15 So, I do not agree regarding the... not because I am an electronics guy,
10:21 but because I can provide you many situations where electronics make your experience better.
10:29 This is the reason. This is the reality.
10:33 We've come a long way. What trends do you see in the future of electronics? Where do we go from here?
10:40 Looking about technology and electronics in the automotive area, as you can see,
10:46 the two-wheel for some topics is a kind of follower of the four-wheel of the automotive industry.
10:53 So, I think that as the automotive industry is doing since a few years,
11:00 probably one of the trends would be software development and connectivity for the future.
11:07 Regarding new systems, new technologies that we are developing now, I prefer not to reply.
11:17 We are doing a lot of stuff, but I prefer to keep it a secret. You will see the next year.
11:24 Considering the technology at that time, I started immediately in the racing department.
11:30 Considering the technology at that time and where we are today and what we've passed in terms of development, research,
11:41 it's amazing. It's really amazing.
11:44 It was what you were doing in 2002, right? And now we couldn't imagine.
11:50 It's really amazing. And behind there is a huge know-how, really huge.
11:59 Because I had the luck to see from the first fuel injection to the radar.
12:07 So, I really had the opportunity and the luck, because sometimes you must be lucky.
12:13 Like being in a racing department, it's the meaning of luck.
12:16 You must be obviously the right guys, but you must be the right guys at the right moment.
12:21 And being the right moment means being lucky.
12:24 Thank you.
12:25 You're welcome.
12:26 Cool. Well, this has been a great day. It's been fun to learn.
12:29 Really? I'm happy for that.
12:31 Yeah, really interesting.
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