Ducati didn’t present their ‘90% new’ 2012 MotoGP machine at last week’s Wrooom to the disappointment of everyone, but the GP12 is currently at Jerez de la Frontera circuit for a very private and behind closed doors three day test.

Test rider Franco Battaini and reigning World Superbike champion Carlos Checa have the onerous task of giving the the GP12 a shakedown test and testing set-ups before sending the hopefully competitive Desmosedici to Sepang where Ducati riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will ride the almost completely new bikes for the first time.

As Filippo Preziosi has already stated the bike was designed and developed in less than six months and while he was reticent on revealing any aspect of the engine angle (rumors in Italy say it’s no longer 90°, but 75°) he did state that the bike has retained the twin-spar aluminium chassis and a carbon fiber swingarm and that they have modified the weight distribution and size of bike in order to allow a larger range of adjustments.

Troy Bayliss also tweeted that he too may get a chance to test the GP12 later this season.

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If you’ve been following Grand Prix racing for a number of years, many of you may remember Franco Battaini. The Italian rider who presently races in the Italian Supersport series, may become Ducati’s new test rider, replacing the recently promoted Vitto Guareschi.

Battaini used to race in the 250cc GP Championship and in 2005 was in MotoGP with the doomed Blata-WCM team and then did a few races in WSBK’s

The Italian rider has already ‘secretly’ tested Casey Stoner’s Ducati at the Mugello racetrack last October doing 18 laps and Battiani describes the peformance of Desmosedici in that occasion as ‘impressive’ despite the bad weather that limited his testing will now get a second opportunity to try the bike at Jerez next month.

“Guareschi is my friend and I’ve known him for years and he’s the one that talked to Ducati about me and they gave me the opportunity to test Stoner’s bike at the Mugello. It was an incredible experience, even for an expert rider like myself, but the test hasn’t sealed any deal.”

Continue reading: Franco Battaini to become Ducati's new Test Rider?

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