Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Crashin....

[ali]

Here's a short tale of woe, written with just the left hand (and no, the right one isn't busy doing other things...):

Bought 620, added ohlins + air filter from old 600, had new exhaust headers made, fitted PCIII, downloaded map from PC site, stuck Diablos on.

Booked Sat at Cadders, got Sunday free as it was 10th td this year. Perfect weather, good crowd, no other DD'ers?

Engine fantastic, forks terrible (are there any springs in there?), discs warped (like Tonio/Ian). Got back end sorted, gearing close, slaying K5s.

Got on-bike vid, nearly binned it, came in muttering 'be more bloody careful'....

Last session, first out like rat from hole. Flat out through Coppice (well maybe a tiny lift... ), slung it right into Charlies and the front went elsewhere. Shoulder touched down first, then started cartwheeling over head, landed flat on my back, feet caught on kerb, slammed again. Bike doing somersaults.

Only know what happened because I re-lived it all in a dream on Sunday night. I woke up screaming as I threw myself across the bed. Painful.

While they put me on the stretcher I overhead a marshall on the track saying there was some liquid where I'd lost traction, but he didn't know if it was oil or coolant. I'll never know if it was cold tyres or something else.

One broken collarbone, bruised back. Bike rebuildable. Most importantly, bike fast. With good brakes and fork springs we'd have been down to the 1.46s. Next year then....

I'm not going to be able to make it this weekend, but if anyone gets reception trackside I'd love to hear whats going on as it happens. Drop me a line on 07748 687348.

Thanks,

Ali