Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Anyone think we should be using wets?

[Monty]

My 2p's worth-when Johnny B was racing my TZ we had 3 sets of wheels, wets, inters, and full slicks-caused amazing problems when the weather was variable. The track is drying out so I think we should be on slicks-no no, leave it on inters. Hells teeth, it's starting to drizzle again-lets put the wets on. So you go out on wets, most of the rest are still on slicks, the track is drying-and you come last-and trash a perfectly good pair of wets...........
Sometimes having too many options is a bad thing.

John

[steve41]

Originally Posted by Monty

My 2p's worth-when Johnny B was racing my TZ we had 3 sets of wheels, wets, inters, and full slicks-caused amazing problems when the weather was variable. The track is drying out so I think we should be on slicks-no no, leave it on inters. Hells teeth, it's starting to drizzle again-lets put the wets on. So you go out on wets, most of the rest are still on slicks, the track is drying-and you come last-and trash a perfectly good pair of wets...........
Sometimes having too many options is a bad thing.

John

John,

This is my experiance also. It worked for us when we did endurance racing, and worked for me at Knockhill when I rode the 400, but then I usually left the house with them on for the weekend!!!
But for most it causes stress at the last minute due to having to make the choice, and then effects you during the race if you feel you are on the wrong tyre, this is worse for the more novice rider/racer.

Steve

[chris.p]

And my 2p's.
The main Ethos of DD was to get people from doing trackdays to get into racing as cheaply as possible with rules that did not allow the person with deeper pockets to buy go faster tuned engines etc.

To add full wets, spare wheels will etc, cost is a minimum of £300-400 plus, how many times would you use them?? once, twice, maybe three times.

Some riders would put wets on when they are not needed, some would go all out in the wet and still end up in the kitty litter.

Some riders say that it is a safety issue??? sorry I for one do not buy that, I have raced with wets & with out wets, and belive me it is down to how you ride, I have beaten riders on bigger bikes who went out on wets while I went out on my standard race tyres (207gp's) at the time, a lot of it is all in the mind. The reason some one ends up falling is one of three things, too hard on the brakes, to ham fisted on the throttle, and leaning the bike to far over rather than hanging off the bike.


You are all on the same tyres, the smoother you ride the faster you go, the faster you go the hotter the tyres get, the hotter the tyres get, the faster you can go.

One fact regarding road tyres, they are made to be ridden in the wet, if they were not capable they would be illegal.

My own toughts would be that class "B" would dwindle if you allowed wets to be added, my self and others spoke to three people wanting to join DD next season, or later this season if they can be ready, and the reason they wanted to join, "Because it is a cheap, friendly race series".


Like I said, just my 2p's worth.


Chris

[PDL]

Originally Posted by chris.p

...The main Ethos of DD was to get people from doing trackdays to get into racing as cheaply as possible...

Most people who are regular TD goers have a set of wets and know when to use them but I see you point.

The problem isn't having wets or knowing when to use them but when the scenario happens were you are 20 minutes from a race being called and it starts shower, do you choose wets or not! and if you do then will you get all the bolts tightend correctly in the panic to get the wets on and certainly at a place like Anglesey where it dries very very quickly you can trash a set of wets in one race. Fair enough if someone can afford wets and the bloke next to him can't then they may have an unfair advantage but I've said it before, for a novice trying to get into racing your aren't the cheapest club. It's cheaper for me to race with W100 and also PDMCC. So if someone can afford to race at every one of the DD rounds they can certainly afford a set of wets.

Paul

[chris.p]

Originally Posted by PDL

Most people who are regular TD goers have a set of wets and know when to use them but I see you point.

The problem isn't having wets or knowing when to use them but when the scenario happens were you are 20 minutes from a race being called and it starts shower, do you choose wets or not! and if you do then will you get all the bolts tightend correctly in the panic to get the wets on and certainly at a place like Anglesey where it dries very very quickly you can trash a set of wets in one race. Fair enough if someone can afford wets and the bloke next to him can't then they may have an unfair advantage but I've said it before, for a novice trying to get into racing your aren't the cheapest club. It's cheaper for me to race with W100 and also PDMCC. So if someone can afford to race at every one of the DD rounds they can certainly afford a set of wets.

Paul

It may be cheaper for you to race with your local club(s), but what you are forgetting is that the DD series covers and caters for riders from all over the UK as best it can, ie Brands, Snet, Pembrey, Castle Coombe, Cadwell, Angelsey to name but as few, and to that extent it is cheap.

One thing a lot of people are missing is that nearly all of the great one make series with control tyres only ran with one not two types of tyre.


Chris

[Lily]

it's always a fun debate on here when it comes to it. yes it makes it slightly cheaper, but in reality how much as above many will have spare wheels and have enough sense to be able to make a decision on what tyres to use.

Those saying that novice could get it wrong are not giving people much credit. yes, we all make incorrect tyre choice when given options, but equally we all make incorrect decisions on how hard to push in wet weather, especially novices?? DD is not the only place novices start and yet they manage to make decisions in all these other classes without too much issue. its all part of the learning curve and fun of racing!

I have now raced in 3 low powered twin races series and would pick the series with wets every time. CB500 is cheaper and more constraimed than DD but they can run controlled wets as well. at 145 set it's not breaking the bank and they last and they are Flippin AWESOME!!!

I love ducatis and would race back in DD if they had wets, simple fact, I also reckon that for every person who says they are joining DD because its cheap they would probably still join if wets were an option but I bet there are more people wont join because they are not!!

[andys 900ss]

I had a set of wets on wheels for my R1 for two years, and you know, I never used them!

I cant comment on wets as I've never used them. My 848 was fine on those NCT2's at Silverstone last year when I was mixing it with guys on full wets. If it rained today I'd have sat out the wet sessions having the Supercorsa's fitted or even tried wets if it was a washout.

Andy

[dunlop0_1]

Originally Posted by Lily

it's always a fun debate on here when it comes to it. yes it makes it slightly cheaper, but in reality how much as above many will have spare wheels and have enough sense to be able to make a decision on what tyres to use.

Those saying that novice could get it wrong are not giving people much credit. yes, we all make incorrect tyre choice when given options, but equally we all make incorrect decisions on how hard to push in wet weather, especially novices?? DD is not the only place novices start and yet they manage to make decisions in all these other classes without too much issue. its all part of the learning curve and fun of racing!

I have now raced in 3 low powered twin races series and would pick the series with wets every time. CB500 is cheaper and more constraimed than DD but they can run controlled wets as well. at 145 set it's not breaking the bank and they last and they are Flippin AWESOME!!!

I love ducatis and would race back in DD if they had wets, simple fact, I also reckon that for every person who says they are joining DD because its cheap they would probably still join if wets were an option but I bet there are more people wont join because they are not!!

I agree completely with you Claire.
Alas it seems that the decisions in DD are made by the select few and not by the actual riders.
Not really a club that is it?

[Cranker V2]

Wets would be a Bully Bonus in my little world. Not a huge outlay and the increase in grip should be considered a positive safety factor.

[Bionicle]

Originally Posted by dunlop0_1

I agree completely with you Claire.
Alas it seems that the decisions in DD are made by the select few and not by the actual riders.
Not really a club that is it?

Not strictly true, i was helping out at the tyre testing session taking temp readings when the bikes were going out and coming in at variouse times over the day, everyone there as far as i am aware are riding in DD they were the riders who gave their thoughts and opinions about the choice of tyre for this year. so it was in fact the riders who made the choice, and as yet i personaly have not heard any complaints about this years tyre choice.

As far as the wets goes, the riders should have the final call on if they use them or not after all its their neck out on the line if they think its too risky to race without them, but it should still be left to the rider to make the call on the day if they are going out on wets or not. its the riders that make DD not a select few, if the riders want wets then it should be put to the vote. we all know threads can go on and on with this opinion and that opinion but very little gets resolved because its all bits and pieces and very difficult to form an accurate opinion,

Its the riders race series so its up to the riders to get together with the race comittie and be heard. i think most riders are looking at wets as a safety issue and not an advantage making issue so from that point its a valid request to have wets allowed, should it be compulsary or optional to use wets when a wet race is declared is another issue that would also need deciding on.

Riders and commitie at at every/most meetings its just a case of getting together and sorting it out. we all get together for trophy presentation so why not a riders meeting with commitie.

Again as i have already posted early in this thread, i dont think the cost of wheels and wets are warrented, when they might only be used for one race in the whole season.