Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ducati officials revealed today that the company is building a batch of homologation specials to make its World Superbike cylinder heads legal for AMA Superbike competition.

Next season’s AMA Superbike rules require machines to run the same valve angle as production bikes, and Ducati’s World Superbike machines used cylinder heads with a narrower-than-stock valve angle. When AMA officials announced the 2004 rules, they said that the standard valve angle requirement would prevent the V-twins from having a competitive advantage over 4-cylinder competition, even though V-twins are allowed to run larger-than-stock throttle bodies.

By building a batch of homologation machines, Ducati will side-step valve angle restrictions and will be able to run a machine that differs from World Superbike spec only in crankshaft material.

Ducati is testing at Daytona with Michelin and new rider Eric Bostrom. Bostrom’s Ducati reached 184 mph on radar on the tri-oval at Daytona today, and Bostrom has been turning lap times in the 1:48s despite a relatively green race track with only three motorcycles on it at any given time.