Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Rear Wheel / Exhaust clearance?

[Rattler]

....I'll check them out, I have spoken to KJP in the past and didn't get a good feel about them - they seemed a bit cocky? IMHO.

But if they can provide one at the right price!!!!

In addition to this, I'm thinking about steering head angles at the mo', as I just couldn't get the bike turning quick enough at Almeria. I haven't tried this before either - any thoughts?

The wheels are OZ, but are not mags, so I'm now off to try to find some mag wheels to swap again and quicken it that way. I like the Marchesini 10 spokes, but they are the price of a Corse swingingarm

Here's hoping for a Xmas bonus!!!!

Tim

[Rattler]

But Weeksy - you're right!

No need to apologise, the great thing about opinions is that everyones entitled to have a different one!!!

But to your point;
There will always be a difference in straight line speed as newer bikes get introduced, but its a matter of keeping the difference as low as possible.

I have got the brakes as reasonably setup as I can (reasonable in terms of performance/price) with Brembo race m/cyl, P4 (4 pad) calipers and wavey disks (nice aren't they!) so she'll stop better than most of the Jap stuff, its just that I'm need to come from a long way back to make these out-braking moves!!!

Fitting a 54mm system allows more breathing space at the top end hence better top speed and will narrow the gap.

As for best investment of money (and I know you'll enjoy this ), it's not just throwing hardware at the bike, its going to the CSS (or other race school) before I get a 54mm system or any other performance goodie (or RS!!).

I'm nowhere near good enough to get the best from my bike as it is and never will, but I hope to get closer to this goal with the CSS.

Any Muppet can go fast in a straight line as you can buy straight line speed, but you can't buy corner entry/exit speed, you can only learn this (and expedite this learning with the correct teaching).

Blimey - that's enough crap!!

Tim

yeee ha Rattler ... but its the learning of the zen art of cornering thats the most expensive bit .. by the time you've tweaked yer machine (mag wheels, 54mm zorsts, donut holder etc) been on yer race school (CSS, ESS etc ..) and then binned it pushing the limits of your new found but yet conquered craft .. it all adds up, no wonder Mr R1 just says sod that ... buys this years bike, does 160mph down the nearest dual carriageway then brags about it at his wednesday night meet ... leave him to it ...

And if you are getting the best lap times you can (stay out of this bit weeksy ) then why are you bothered about catching the R1's and Gixxer thous ..???

You going racing ..?? or learning to ride quickly .??

Dibble

PS to quote a famous cowboy "theres donuts in them there run off areas" .... yeee ha

[Rattler]

But Dibble - Your Mr R1 is wrong - its not about how others feel about him, its about how he feels about himself!!!

If he is reliant upon the temporary elation he gets from barside bragging then he'll forever need to prove himself worthy of these claims.

"Only you will truly know what you seek out of your bike"

Here endeth the lesson!!!

Tim

[skidlids]

Tim I have had very little dealings with KJP but ditto your comments.
As for quick steering, i'm not a fan of the steeper head angle route, only circuit I can see that may justify me using it is Mallory and I would have to be feeling rather suicidal to consider using it for somewhere like Castle Combe, Currently the new bike is sporting Mag yokes with different offset (I think these are also standard fitment on a RS) but thesee will end up on the second bike when I sort some Harris adjustable yokes to hold my Ohlins forks.
As usual I am just trying to build the best bike I can from the knowledge I've aquired either from my own or other more experienced people, based on Handling, with out right power and top speed being at the bottom of the list. And not because I will be able to exploit the bikes full potential but I do know a mate that can and as with most of my bikes he will get to ride it and tell me what he thinks, but unlike the R6 he will not be taking it to the TT. How do I know he could exploit it well, I think last 2 years TTs prove the point.
2003TT 3 races two Production R6s
21st in Junior TT
24th in Proody 600 dispite a 1st lap Pit stop and the race getting cut to 2 laps
25th in Production 1000cc but excluded for cheating (Not enough CCs)
2002 TT Proddy 1000 Race on Weeksys old 1998 Fireblade, started 89th on the road and finished 29th.
2002 Manx GP 115mph lap on Steel framed CBR600
Also his very first ride on my 1995 Ex V&M CBR600 he did a 1'05 around Pembrey taking it easy as I was going to be racing it myself later that day, then went out on his own CBR6 and did 1'04s

Some times you just know when a bike is right, but if someone else can prove to you just how good your bike is it doesn't half sort your head out.
Bit Like Felix buying a RS he just knows the bike is so capable and it will be he that has to raise his riding up to try and match those of the bike.
Bad workmen and tools spring to mind, but if its impossible to blame the tools you know where the improvements have to come from.
And with the best part of a Decade of racing in Superbikes with the 9** there is now a set formula of what makes the bike work on the race track.

[Old Yella]

TIm

To your original question.

When you tighten the chain where does the centre of the wheel end up?
Above or below the swingarm centre point.
I always have the wheel centre below hub centre so there is always plenty of room even with the 50's
Would also make the bike steer a touch quicker than the above option.

Just a thought???

[Jon]

I think what you should be asking hear is,
Does the 998 with 50mm system have less room than a 916/996 etc.


Jon

Don't you have to change the rear shock or have it modified if you go the mag swing arm route.

I suppose it would have to be an Ohlins replacement £££.

If so, how much extra cash are you going to have to shell out on top of the cost of magnesium swingarm.

Just asking as my 955 has a tendancy to wheelie quite rapidly now and may be looking for the longer swingarm in the neer future to try and calm it down a bit.

[skidlids]

With my extended by Spondon swingarm, the mounting points are in the same place for the rear suspension so to compensate for the extra 20 mm of length idealy the spring should be uprated by the same percentage which is around 5%, so for most riders this is hardly worth the trouble especially if been used in conjunction with mag wheels. Some Mag arms are designed to be used with different rockers (not sure if this applies to all) so it will depend on how these rockers affect the leverage on the shock to wether you have to change the shock unit or the spring. With my Mag arm I am using the Race spec Ohlins but I also have a alternative spring with it that allows me to use it with a standard length swingarm.
A lot of Ducati riders using there bikes on the track tend to run the eccentric adjuster as far rearwards as they can, but I bet very few of them alter the suspension settings by much let alone change the spring, just as very few people fit a different spring when fitting lighter wheels.
If a spring change is necessary it is usually a very small change and more often than not the range of the damping on the shock will be able to cope, but if it can't then a revalve may be in order, then again every so often a Ohlins should be sent for a service anyway, roughly at the same interval as a fork oil change.

Thanx for the info m8.