Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Just for discussion (rain riders ?).

[PDL]

Wets only make laps quicker for those who are used to using them, confident in them and with experience of when to use them. Last season I finished ahead of 100 bhp bikes in a rookie race in the wet on my 600 ss. Using wets is a right old faff if you don't have a third set of wheels with inters that would mean six sets of tyres to cover punctures making it very expensive. DD already has a level playing field with a control bike and a road tyre. You don't need wets, don't brake something that doesn't need fixing. You don't need warmers on wets but this then relies on you getting a good warm up lap and if you cant see due to rain you can't get the heat into wets which then adds no value. There is an theory that says slicks are the best wet tyre if you can keep the heat in and don't gas it leant over. Introducing wets would be a bad decision, I run em in club racing because I have to but I've been out in the damp this season and matched my wet time on power one race tyres. Now that doesn't add up does it.

[Jolley]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Racing in the wet is ok, but its the amount of standing water. If rain is too bad in F1 & Motogp the start is delayed. Those conditions for the last race in my opinion warranted an official to intervene and say lets give it a period of time to ease.

Standing water can be a problem, but whenever I have encountered it in a race I have backed off (Snett in 2011 for example). A Hottrax decision about how much is too much standing water is the only way forward. I think they have to make this call on their own.

Originally Posted by milesaway

With the tyres we run that may not be that much, but they seem fairly predictable and the speed we can reach is considerably less. Therefore when we find that limit we will be going much slower, have more chance of catching it and hopefully hurt less if we loose it.

This was exactly my point when this was discussed last year. Less grip = less speed = more time to react = better to build the skills to learn to ride in the wet (plus, any accident is at a much lower speed). Depending on how much standing water Matt hit, it could still have happened on wets, but his injuries could have been even worse

Dave, back on the original point, I don't think riders reps would help. I would certainly have volunteered myself, and I can't think of many conditions (other than snow and ice) that I wouldn't go and race in. In my eyes it was always an opportunity to level the field to my slower bike.

As for the "only another set of wheels/tyres" comments: I raced from an estate car with a trailer (it was the cheapest option for me, and if I had had to buy a van I may not have raced). Anyway, my point being that I already took bike, tools, Gazeebo, spares (including a set of wheels/tyres so I could practice on an old set and put new ones on for qually/race), food, riding gear, fuel and other bits and pieces. I (by that I mean my suspension and space!) simply couldn't have coped with "just another" set of wheels/tyres..... as it was, I didn't take spare fairings because of space.

As a novice I struggled enough with learning how my bike behaved, and with the rules as they are I could just go out in the wet and expect the same, but less... it is simple as it should be. We are all capable of getting our bikes around a race distance in one piece (wet or dry), it just comes down to how comfortable you are to push. Generally people are less comfortable in the wet, so they push less, and there are generally about the same number of finishers wet or dry. It is a choice to go out, and it is a choice to push. I don't think we can blame Hottrax for how much we want to push. However, I personally don't think Hottrax should allow you out if there is a lot of standing water, because this is particularly difficult to deal with.

In short - No wets, but maybe raise the issue with standing water with hottrax.

[ells]

Originally Posted by Jolley

In short - No wets, but maybe raise the issue with standing water with hottrax.

+1 on what Ron said. There are going to be at some point conditions where the majority of riders consider it dangerous. This is when we need a way to nudge the organisers and say - this aint right.

Mark.

[brummydave]

yaay,another one that has been there and can see through the fuzz of a conveluted argument,i suppose if we focus in the general direction of no wets but maybe call or void the race race in exceptional circumstances then we are going in the right direction.However the track did seem to flood in rather a short period at anglsey,maybe this is due to the coastal location.

[dunlop0_1]

Another thing to take in consideration which is new to me after DD is this.

When you are looking at the sky 10 minutes before your race starts deciding which tyres to go with your stress level goes throught the roof just thinking about changing the wheels.

Was bit wet though.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by dunlop0_1

Another thing to take in consideration which is new to me after DD is this.

When you are looking at the sky 10 minutes before your race starts deciding which tyres to go with your stress level goes throught the roof just thinking about changing the wheels.

Was bit wet though.

Is that you in a Duvet you fat git.

[dunlop0_1]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Is that you in a Duvet you fat git.

No just big boned.......

Actually due to Welsh air pressure and fluctuations in the Yen things may appear larger than real.

[Senna3]

we had two bad crashes on saturday in hot and dry conditions , because people push harder and ride ubove limits so perhaps we shouldent race when its hot and dry . ffs wot are we a knitting club or race club

[skidlids]

Originally Posted by dunlop0_1

Another thing to take in consideration which is new to me after DD is this.

When you are looking at the sky 10 minutes before your race starts deciding which tyres to go with your stress level goes throught the roof just thinking about changing the wheels.

Was bit wet though.

Get a Wet bike then all you need to decide is which one to put the transponder on, a lot quicker than changing wheels. It reduces the Stress Levels
Been there Done it

[bradders]

I sense some manipulation in the numbers Kev; race 3 wet are you considering Andy C as a finisher? Is so that's manipulation of data. If not I apologise.

Otherwise good work....clearly as bored as I am right now