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Ducati conducted a shakedown of its GP27 MotoGP bike at Misano, utilizing Pirelli tires. Test rider Michele Pirro was present for the initial testing ahead of the 2027 ruleset.
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ducati gp27 misano shakedown
I'm glued to MotoGP even more in 2026 than I was last season. So much so that, when we're in the midst of a two-week break in racing, as we are now, I get withdrawals. Thankfully, with an all-new ruleset coming into play next year, there's plenty of MotoGP news to keep fans occupied in the meantime, and right now it's coming courtesy of Ducati.
The GP27 Bologna Bullet was spotted testing earlier this month at Misano, and the brand's MotoGP test rider, Michele Pirro, was behind the bars at the Italian circuit for the bike's maiden shakedown test, in preparation for the 2027 ruleset.
We know there's an 850cc powerplant hidden under the fairings, but not much else regarding the powertrain or output. What's striking, however, is the upper winglet section at the front, which looks much smaller than what we currently see because of the regulations, but in the photos, it almost looks smaller than what we've seen from KTM and HONDA.
It's possible that Ducati has opted for less front-end downforce in the hopes of retaining a high top speed with less downforce. It's also possible that my eyes are deceiving me, and the front aero is as prominent as we've seen on the other '27 machinery, because it seems unlikely that the Italian manufacturer won't make the most of the new, shorter-width aero regulations.
The shakedown is crucial for Ducati to test its new GP27 bike in preparation for the upcoming 2027 MotoGP ruleset.
Michele Pirro served as the test rider for Ducati during the GP27 shakedown at Misano.
The 2027 MotoGP ruleset will introduce an all-new framework, including an 850cc engine specification aimed at altering bike performance.

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But we can see with certainty that the bike appears to have relaxed the rear aero. In the pictures from the shakedown, the GP27 has a single rear wing with end plates instead of the two-tiered box found on the current GP26. The aero on the rear tail section helps give the rear tire more grip, so could this be another possible instance of Ducati toning down the level of downforce to suit the reduced power output from the 850cc engine?
All of the aero can and probably will change between this shakedown and the first race of 2027. We have yet to officially see Yamaha test its next-generation bike, although we know the Japanese manufacturer has been testing behind closed doors. But what I'm most eager to see is what Aprilia's machine will look like, purely based on how well the team is performing so far this year.