Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > DD 2011 (Brands Hatch).. Sorted #21

[Otei]

The bike is the same. The improvements have been made mainly between the ears. You know that's the important bit and the one that takes the most doing!! Top stuff.

[Sorted]

Originally Posted by Otei

Don't take this the wrong way, Al...but I simply can't believe how good your results were.

Huge improvement over last year mate...keep up the great work!!!!

Thanks Tim... Kinda thought last year that DD was a little less serious and just a TD with mates that you'd quite like to beat (but with very little aggression/determination), especially when qualifying.

I also let the bike probs get to me (you know.. Pleeez start... Pleeeez keep going, was that a misfire I just felt? etc).

Now it is still about having fun for me and I am not likely to win a race but by god I AM GONNA TRY and was only about 0.25sec/lap off getting a podium on Saturday (in fact 2 secs behind Kev P for 3rd after 17laps with a PB of 58.673

[Sorted]

Originally Posted by skidlids

I thought Alan's 6th and 5th at Mallory last year wasn't to shabby.
Hopefully Alan can put the bike problems that plauged him through the second half of last year and on last Fridays practice day behind him and build both his confidence in his bike and his speed.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Kev and this year I have a different mindset (hope the bike has too)

I am running wide out of sweepers (well most bends actually) and lost a good 0.25/0.50sec a lap through Clearways every time, as Neal Catling will testify

I'm determined not to throw money at the bike (although I could) because that is not what DD is about. So I'm looking for a decent 2nd hand ride height adjustable rear shock.
MCT have done all they can with the existing one but as Phil (Ghostie) said "the bike does look low at the back".
I like them up and quick turning and whilst these tyres are VERY grippy they have a more rounded profile (even the fastest lads don't run to the edge of the tyre). This makes them slower to turn and in my case emphasised the problem.
But hey........ Had a blast!! (I like Mallory but can't afford to run wide around Gerrards, that's almost 1/2 the lap

[bradders]

Originally Posted by Sorted

I am running wide out of sweepers (well most bends actually) and lost a good 0.25/0.50sec a lap through Clearways every time, as Neal Catling will testify

mine is doing the same, less so since the chnage in preload on the front but still tough to turn. I lowered the rear about 3mm and raised the front the same for cadwell and never really used it, and havent chnaged back, so think I'll go back to the initial settings now the tyre doesnt feel like its falling over!!

[Sorted]

Could try raising the rear a tad Paul.
This problem is more often than not the rear squatting under power and the bike handling like a boat. (Could be handy for Gerrards around the lake)

Also, with these more rounded tyres it feels lazier to turn, but I think a couple of clicks harder on the compression and 2 softer on the rebound (rear shock) may have sorted it at Brands.
Remember all circuits are different!

Generally I like a quick turning bike and can't afford to drop the forks through the yokes any more, as ground clearance is already less than I want so would prefer ride height adjustment.

[bradders]

Chris said I should have added 2 clicks compression on the rear, I forgot. Think I'll reset the rear, add 2 clicks and see how that feels on test day

its all an art I am not familiar with!

[Sorted]

It's not too much of a dark art Lol
I am pretty familiar and used to suspension adjustments etc but in my case can't really resolve the problem without raising the ride height.

Static sag.. Compression and Rebound, Valving and spring rates are all just about spot on.

[bradders]

sy static and rider sag are spot on, and the bike compresses and returns at a very simialr (identical to me) rate so its nicely balanced, but thinking about the rear squatting when I got on the gas early form druids and clearways hard I would drag my boots, I figured it was because I was going quicker/leaning more but guess it could have been a slight loss of ride height...dont want that happending at gerrards....2 clicks it is then !!

[Jolley]

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't have thought that alterations to the damping would affect the ride height coming out of a long bend. I could see how preload or springrate could, but I am not sure damping would?....

[bradders]

if it squates, doesnt that affect the ride height at that point? So if compression was firmer, would that hold it up a little longer and squat less? That was my thinking on the comment...but I going to change it anyway and try