Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 748 Steering Head Angle Question

[skidlids]

If going to the steeper race head angle its worth possibly changing gearing to run the rear wheel as far back as you can, that way you will get the quicker turn in but retain more stability.
I prefer to raise the rear ride height but can understand why some don't.
At Castle Combe in 2006 the SoT Pole postition was set by my mate Simon Knowlson on a 748RS running the steeper head angle and a Corsa spec longer arm so its certainly a combo that works

[DC]

I have just changed back from the quicker steering head angle on my 996.

I like to run with a real quick/flickable bike but the trade off with it was that it had a twitchy front end when really ragging it. ( Not a problem as I like it like that!!!)

I used to run rennsports and found then to be really good and I think that as they are a very stable tyre, they allowed me to set up my bike to be like this. ( I wasnt using the different swing arm and yokes etc )

I changed to bridgestone 014 for the winter and found that the bike handled like a bag of pooh all of a sudden. Tried changing susp settings and tyre pressures, no joy.
I changed the head angle back to the slower setting and wallop, the bike now handles good again.

Thats the thing I love about my 996. They are really a race bike on the road.
They have so many ways of setting them up that you learn so much about the bike. Thing is that I fine tuned mine so much when it had the rennsports on that when I changed tyres, the bike changed as well. Perhaps not such a good idea on the road?

So its horses for courses really. And yes, you do loose a lot of turning circle.

Not knocking the 014 either. They are a good tyre. Just a lot different from the rennsports that I was used to. Perhaps riding at this time of year is a lot different from sunny afternoons in the summer????