Technical Italian documents do not translate well on Google - this is a loose hand translation of Giorgio Manziana's technical musings on the test so far, apologies to the author in advance if we have lost anything in translation:

Yesterday at Mugello private testing was held and Ducati finally saw both riders on the track. Evidence indicates it was mostly dedicated to testing new parts for the engine, designed to soften the power delivery of the monster Bolognese.

There is no firm information, but those in the know talk of different diagrams for the distribution and a weighted crankshaft in order to make the response to the re-opening a little 'less abrupt. Preziosi also spoke of a new traction control. Burgess, long ago, called it "a new concept." Nothing takes away something that they have tried to remedy the problems that I had already explained in the article immediately preceding this one ( la vie en Ross' ), or a TC predictive focus more strongly on the fuel njection, as is the case with Japanese rivals.

Obviously we do not know anything official about it. But in some photos on the site Motogp.com which were not present among those disseminated through official channels, one in particular caught my attention. A photo of Hayden with a new aluminum swingarm. But are we sure that it is really new? Ducati has abandoned for sometime, (at least in part) the use of carbon in the construction of the swing arms, in the sense that the swing arm itself is made of aluminum, and carbon fiber is used as a cover which serves to modify its rigidity. One can clearly see from these pictures taken during testing of Barbera in Jerez where we see a part of aluminum, and also in these shots taken during the first test session in Sepang, which is the final detail of revealing the nature of the swingarm in aluminum covered in carbon. In the last picture on Motogp.com, all in bare aluminum, it looks like they are definitely trying to find a less rigid solution. Such attempts have already been made by other competitors, such as the HRC on the frame of Pedrosa 2010, on which the inserts were added carbon in strategic areas to search for additional rigidity. To understand, look at this photo of De Puniet (ex Pedrosa frame) of a specimen with carbon inserts in the bottom and along the main beam of the frame.

Here's a video (taken from BBC website) that speaks directly to this argument , in order to better understand the concept of rigidity searched for, by the addition of carbon.

An examination of the pictures circulating on the Mugello test new techniques do not appear more visible. Just the swingarm, but we cannot exclude that they also worked on the link of the shock as they did on the bike of Team Pramac when Elias took two podium finishes with the Ducati satellite. Obviously we are talking about different motorcycles, but the change of length or position of the swing arm rods for reference served to improve the feeling, the goal they are trying to achieve on the new GP12.

I hope that this small step is accompanied by more substantial ones hidden under the fairing of GP12 at Mugello. In reality there were six bikes, two primary bikes probably are more the models with the new changes, and some which serves as a test mule, the old ( so to speak) to get feedback to compare with the new.

Waiting for further news that I may be able to discover from the analysis of the photos, I greet you - At the next

In Malaga it is hot and also at Mugello

http://manziana.motocorse.com/blog/32431_Particolari_3_parte_test_Mugello.php