Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 999 / 749 > 749 Handling

[webbyc]

Following my recent highside at Rockingham I've been giving a lot of thought as to what actually happened ad why.

From what I've been told the back end stepped out and then dug in with the inevitable outcome. Well this is not the first time, it also happened at Mallory in the wet. The back end stepped out and gripped but this time I managed to save it - don't ask me how. I have also experienced some movement from the back, but only slight, when on the road.

I'm running Dragon Evos at 32 rear pressure and both times the tyres had plenty left on them.

Any ideas anyone? Or am I just trying to go too quick!!!!

[Andyl]

I highsided my 999s at Rockingham in July. The circumstances are explained in previous posts but I was running Pilot Sport Cups at 30/30. I now distrust the tyres but I think there are two other things I can say.

Firstly there were conditions, be they track or my own, that lead to the back end stepping out in the first place. I should have seen them, I didn't. Fact.

Secondly after all the analysis I have done I have come to the conclusion that I was just not skilled or practiced enough to stay on or increase the gas when I realised the back had broken free. If I had maybe, just maybe, I could have ridden the slide and kept it upright. However much I look for reasons I think my survival reaction (close the gas) conspired to make a highside inevitable rather than likely.

For what it is worth I am considering doing some off road stuff to get used to sliding and I'll getting myself on levels 3 and 4 of the CSS next year to get on their slide bike.

I know that you were more seriously injured than me during your crash and I hope you are recovering well. Take your time but if you intend to I would recommend getting back on the bike and track as soon as you are fit enough.

[Edited on 17-9-2003 by Andyl]

[Jools]

Too many variables to guess at really Webby.

Not suprised that the back stepped out on you at Mallory, that happened to me with every hamfisted twist of the throttle or clumsy gear change, the conditions really went from greasy to ice rink didn't they?

I wasn't at Rockingham, but it could've been cold tyres, or a bit of slippery track on the line you were on, could've been that you started to spin the back wheel and snapped the throttle shut when it started to step out, causing it to dig in and ping you off, could've been a fuelling glitch giving you a sudden unwanted burst of power that did the same thing as above.

Or it could've been a combination of all the above or something that I haven't even thought of.

I don't like highsides. I've had loads, though thankfully they've all been on dirt bikes where the landing has been softer and the worst I've done is dislocated a shoulder.

When the back steps out on me now I try and use a bit of this offroading experience to fight my 'snap the throttle shut' survival instints. My thinking is that if the back steps out and you do back off quick it's highside city, if you keep the throttle where it is you still have fighting chance that it'll sort itself out, but at worst it'll lowside which might (though not guaranteed) be less painful.

Hark at me, sound like a patronising prat don't I. That's the theory anyway. I managed to put it into practise a few times at Mallory, albeit at lowish speeds, But I really hope the day never comes when I find myself low flying at 80mph, 6 ft in the air, going "Ohhhhhh shhhhheeeeeiiiiiit"

[webbyc]

It definitely wasn't cold tyres at Rockingham because it happened near the end of the session and I had been going quite quickly. I think that I must have followed instincts and shut the throttle once it stepped out.

Good idea about the off-road stuff as I've been thinking about that for a while now.