Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Regaining confidence - HELP!

[HW]

Have you done some basic checks on the suspension and bearings at the rear end? Bounce the back end and see if the compression and rebound damping is still there - easier to see the rebound damping than compression, and make sure you cannot move the wheel in directions it is not meant to move in. I had an ST2 with 16k miles on it and the rear wheel bearings were shot - I could hold the trye and move the wheel from side to side. The problem was the bearing was exposed to the elements so it suffered. Is the 749/999 like that too? Reckon it might be.

Oh, and one other thing. You haven't got an Ohlins with the remote preload adjsuter like on the ST4s have you? One of my "mates" thought it funny to twiddle with that and screwd it up tight. That turned the rear suspension into a solid bar. I didn't see the funny side, funnily enough

[Steve M]

I can't see it being anything more than cold tyres on a cold road, it's not going to be a bike set problem up at that speed. Plus even if the road was dry, chances are that it was still covered in tiny grit particles etc.
This time tomorrow you'll be flying up Clay hill, tyres lovely and hot, throttle on the stop and a mile wide grin

[HW]

SteveM has got a good point. I was reading something about the salt they are using on the roads this year. It is formulated to stay on the road longer, and also to be less corosive. However, the council (around here in Lincolnshire anyway) is still tipping as much on the road as before so you end up with a build up. People have come off bikes and then found the road to be "slippery", even though it is dry. Roads are still white around here.

[JPM]

Originally posted by HW
Have you done some basic checks on the suspension and bearings at the rear end? Bounce the back end and see if the compression and rebound damping is still there - easier to see the rebound damping than compression, and make sure you cannot move the wheel in directions it is not meant to move in. I had an ST2 with 16k miles on it and the rear wheel bearings were shot - I could hold the trye and move the wheel from side to side. The problem was the bearing was exposed to the elements so it suffered. Is the 749/999 like that too? Reckon it might be.


Oh, and one other thing. You haven't got an Ohlins with the remote preload adjsuter like on the ST4s have you? One of my "mates" thought it funny to twiddle with that and screwd it up tight. That turned the rear suspension into a solid bar. I didn't see the funny side, funnily enough

Henry, I've done pretty much all of this last night when I got back, suspension feels quite soft compared to the Bostrom as I had tinkered with that and was set-up pretty good for the track, nothing is loose, no play in the rear wheel, the bike isn't a year old yet, and spent most of it's life in a nice warm study being looked at, so wear/corrosion/elements would be zero in all honesty.

Problem is I am going to have to tinker with the suspension anyway, and to be honest I understand what each adjustment does, I just cannot relate the information I feel into what I should do with the suspension.

Originally posted by Steve M
I can't see it being anything more than cold tyres on a cold road, it's not going to be a bike set problem up at that speed. Plus even if the road was dry, chances are that it was still covered in tiny grit particles etc.
This time tomorrow you'll be flying up Clay hill, tyres lovely and hot, throttle on the stop and a mile wide grin

Steve I certainly hope so, it's a damn quick bike, scarily fast, but that could be down to being a fair weather jessie and not riding for 6 months

[revdecal]

its the usual story when someone has an off that cant be explained.
Ive had some terrible crashes racing but it never slowed me down because there was an explanation or someone to blame.
What i found worked for me was to talk to myself when circulating the track, telling myself to breath...relax and do the 'chicken wing flap' before going into corners (forcing your shoulders and arms to relax.
Its amazing how tight you realise you are!!
Takes time but you'll get there in the end! At least its going to be warm so you wont have to factor in track conditions too

[Edited on 18-3-2005 by revdecal]

[Michael J]

Originally posted by HW
SteveM has got a good point. I was reading something about the salt they are using on the roads this year. It is formulated to stay on the road longer, and also to be less corosive. However, the council (around here in Lincolnshire anyway) is still tipping as much on the road as before so you end up with a build up. People have come off bikes and then found the road to be "slippery", even though it is dry. Roads are still white around here.

I saw a TV report on a news programme during the winter where they said that they are now using molasses (spelling?) mixed in with the salt to keep the roads salted for longer.

[Monty]

Henry has a very good point about the salt John-my Passat with it's mighty 130bhp diesel engine was spinning the wheels up all over the place when the roads were salted-zero grip-not like Oulton at all.

Just take it steady mate, couple of sessions to get your confidence back, then build it up, you'll be fine.

Forcast is Sunny, 16c with 5mph SE winds-basically bloody lovely-enjoy!

John

[Jools]

Originally posted by jpmercer
Steve I certainly hope so, it's a damn quick bike, scarily fast, but that could be down to being a fair weather jessie and not riding for 6 months

I think that not riding for 6 months is probably half of your lack of confidence.

I usually ride throughout the year and find that the practise I get in winter, when you have to be real smooth and feel for grip everywhere stands me in good stead for when it's dry, warm and sticky tyred. When you ride all year round, you do get both ends of the bike getting a little squirmy now and then but the advantage is that you get to know what the bike feels like when it does that and you can cope with it if it does it in the dry - albeit at higher speeds.

This isn't an IAM Sam Browne lecture that I'm trying to give you here, because this year I have had no money to put new tyres on after the summer and haven't ridden since October. Today, I went to get a new Diablo, and it was my first time out on the bike for a good few months.

I felt exactly like you. I didn't feel nervous when I set off but when I saw that the first serious bend was still damp from overnight rain I felt really wobbly. Daren't tip it in and tiptoed round with my heart in my mouth. It didn't help that just a few corners later the police were waving traffic down and the Ambulances had just arrived at a very nasty RTA. After that I rode like a kitten to get a new rear tyre fitted.

I was even worse on the way back, knowing that I had got a new tyre that needed scrubbing in, and knowing that the tyre fitter had left a smear of grease on the right hand side of the tyre where grease from the spindle had got on his glove. I really did have a nervous few miles and only started to relax a bit when I found the main road home had now been closed as a result of the RTA. This diverted me onto one of my favourite roads - my local test loop. Because all the traffic was being diverted I couldn't have attacked it even if my confidence was up, and I spent a few miles just following the traffic through the twisties at about 40-50mph.

This gave me chance to practise slowly and by the time I got to the end of that road I was having fun by riding slow but testing myself to be inch perfect on my lines.

That's what I intend to do now. Start slow, remember that I'm going to be nowhere near as quick as I was last year (or anywhere near as quick as the BHC crew on the next rideout) ride my own pace, not put any pressure on myself to 'perform' and build it up gradually.

[HW]

Originally posted by Michael J

I saw a TV report on a news programme during the winter where they said that they are now using molasses (spelling?) mixed in with the salt to keep the roads salted for longer.

Molasses?

Do you think they meant, "it feels like molasses when you ride on it"?

Henry

[Lily]

OK Mister!!!

I have been mrs bloody supportive this week and i know how hard it has been but I am gonna act like you did with me when i came off and tell you

GET A GRIP!!!

the bike is fine, you are fine it was cold tyres and crap on the road, i know that, you know that and you are just playing on your normal negativity and making yourself feel worse!!

Tomorrow on track will be a controlled environment and the safest place to go out and have a gentle test ride to regain your confidence.

You can have a tinker with the settings on the bike if you want to and have info, but stop stressing about it!

You made me go out on track as the firt ride after my accidet and everything was fine so you will be fine and you know it so get a grip of yourself and be positive!!!!

Stop reading this thread and think about how much fun we are gonna have!

:P