Front end feels wrong
 

I'm hoping my new 999 (second hand) that I just rode home simply has the wrong pressure in the front tyre.
It felt completly wrong in the turns, feeling like the front was going to tuck in at any moment, I had to push the inside bar quite hard to make it feel better. Just rode 130 miles on it so isn't 'new bike new feel' syndrome. ( i test a new one last week and it felt superb straight off)
It all just feels 'wrong' and very off putting, if I had been on my old 900ss I would have tore it apart in the bends.
Tyre wear maybe?, head angle setting?
I'll check through things at the weekend but thought I'd sound off here first.
PS Boy it's fast, I was'cruising' home through thetford forest area and looked down to see I was doing 80+
God I fear for my licence

sound like tyre if it's that bad, How many miles has the front tyer done on it.

Check all the suspension settings and return them to the factory settings (rear ride heigth, fork tube heigth, steering head angle, sag, etc... )to rule out anthing. Take it from there. Tires also.

Yep,it does'nt take much fiddling to turn a bike into a ill handling tea trolley.Put her back to standard and see how she goes.
All the origional settings are in the handbook,...you can download one off the ducati website,if you dont have one.

it sounds like someones used the section 8 setup guide which drops forks through yokes and raises rear or has swapped to steeper head angle. Out of the crate the 999 is very stable, usually people complain they can't get it to turn, check how many lines are showing on the forks above the yoke, factory is 1 - 2 , S8 goes to 4 , rear ride height, max length of tie bar is 285mm, make sure its that or less. it could be the owner has had softer springs fitted to fork allowing front to sit lower, you may be heavier and front is now sagged more and thus steeper and sharper, tie wrap round fork, sag should be 30 -35mm static with you on bike. pull adjustors back to factory setings and get geometry back to normal then test. as has been said it could be tyre pressure or a worn tyre.

Good advice but you didn't say if you actually checked the tyre pressure? if its used think simple first check pressures and for signs of weeping fork seals, chain adjustment etc.

As suggested above return to factory settings and start again.

Regards

DaveO

Thanks guys
Tyre pressure was ok, so will check suspension setting next.
The guy who had it before was a an ex-racer, my clue about possible head angle change was when the guy told me how he had raised the back end of his s4rs to make it turn faster. (i have u2u'd him)
It does feel crazy, as soon as you turn into, lets say a 1st 2nd gear corner it tries to go to full lock.
Think I'll give tecmoto a ring and see if they can sort for me

feel free to pop round and try mine out for both settings and feel if you are happy taking it out with race shift pattern. (and a dodgy clutch, and dodgy tyres)

get Weeksy to test it for you, he's the suspension expert!:lol::D;)

Sounds like the suspension settings are all to cock, especially if it's ex-racer owned.

Get it back to standard and it should be a lot better.

Zipping down to see Mitch at tecmoto
Let you know later how it went
Thanks for the input

Looks like I'm just a **** rider then.
Mitch checked it over and gave it a spin and thought it was all fine.
Just felt very different to the 06 model I tested, I didn't even think about the steering on that one.
He did say that my bike was a good one though with a very fast engine and nice gearbox.
Need to learn how to ride it now.
Still may swap tyres though

Heh, just had an email from Mitch and he said it wheelies quite well ;)

It may be the profile of the tyre - I was exactly the same when I bought the 748 second hand, as the previous owner had squared off the tyre quite badly and because of the steep transition from upright to leaned, it really did feel like it was falling into the corners and would have me off.

Once I'd changed the tyres (from Pirellis to my favoured Bridgestones) it felt 100 times better and didn't feel like it was going to let go at any minute.

So yes, get some new tyres on it as, if anything, it will give you confidence in your head.

Glad he liked it
Do I detect a secret network at large?
BIG BROTHER indeed
;)

Get your son on there, sure he'll get it right;)

No secret network, I emailed him about my forks that are being sorted and mentioned you may be down to get it checked over, having read your comment here earlier.

Only joking mate, it's a small world innit?

Thanks Ant for dropping me in it!! To explain my comments:

It wasn't a huge "off the clutch wheelie", the front just came up on the power :lol:at a point on my test ride circuit where other bikes don't usually lift the front wheel... Which tends to suggest the engine is producing good, usable power!

I'm not in the habit of wheelying customers bikes.....I couldn't afford the repair bills when they go wrong.

I'm sure once you get used to it it'll make you grin even more, take it easy till you do though.....

Mitch

:lol:

Anyway, get back to work!

Thanks for checking over my bike Mitch, It was much appreciated.
Did'nt think for a minute you were abusing my bike
Have a nice weekend
Steve

Told you it was fast and sweet!!!!