Stoner praises radical changes to Ducati GP10
New geometry and new seating position, modified with a bread knife
CASEY STONER'S first pole position since the opening round at Qatar and ensuing victory at Aragon MotoGP came after radical geometry changes, the rider has revealed.
“We have completely changed the geometry – shortened the swingarm, lengthened the front, changed the riding position, said Stoner, who dominated qualifying and wiped the floor with the opposition in the 23-lap race.
“I’ve been thinking for the last couple of races I want to get my weight forward, but I just don’t have the movement in my wrist to do that. So we’ve moved the riding position so the natural position puts more weight on the front," said Stoner, who's suffered a blight of front-end wash-outs throughout the 2010 season.
“It’s a much more stable bike in the rear, a little bit better under braking, though turning wise we’re not sure yet ... it’s a strange kind of track for that.”
However, not all the team's modifications were quite so well executed: Visordown's MotoGP man saw the Ducati mechanics taking a slice off the rear seat pad with what looked like a breadknife.
When questioned about the mod, Stoner roared with laughter. “That’s their style, you know,” he said, going on to explain. “Because I’ve moved myself further forward we put an oversize butt pad on. It was two centimetres bigger and we had to go halfway. So they cut a slice off. It seems to be working.”
It certainly does.
