As I'm between projects at the moment I went out for a ride yesterday with 'Jorg the laughing German'. The weather had improved and it was a clear crisp sunny day. We went carefully off down the hill and 5 minutes in as I went into a bend just before a village whoop, a half meter rear wheel slide. This surprised me as I wasn't going fast at all. Everything to that point had felt sure footed. It didn't feel like half a metre but Jorg was following me and assured me that it was. Further down the road I went over a seam in the tarmac and the bike gave a surprising little wriggle. I didn't really think anything of it, but it was a sign. When we stopped for gas we agreed that my little slide was cold tires and shiny tarmac. Off we went and as we cleared the trucks and cars and got onto an open section of road I began to open it up. I took a right-hander and there is the faintest little wriggle in the bike. I wondered if I needed a few more pounds in the rear tyre again, unlikely. Or I really would like to get this suspension properly set up. When I push it, it's been weaving a tiny bit in the faster bends. I took a couple of long sweeping lefts, fine, then a right sweeper and damn me the tarmac had those lines in it that run parallel with the direction of the road, the bike didn't really like them. I thought, that's funny I don't remember them being a problem when I've done this right before. Yeah, I better stop at the next gas station and check the pressure in the back tyre maybe I've got some kind of a slow puncture, I only checked a day or two before. I was heading to one of my favourite stretches of road where I can really give it some. Lots of high speed bends and hanging off. Playtime. Only I wasn't confident in the bike, funny how a as liitle as 3 pounds of pressure can really effect things. Left hander, cool, straight cool. Then I eased it into a fast sweeping right hander and bloody hell, I went into a proper tank slapper. This rear definitely is all wrong. I didn't accelerate out of the tank slapper I backed it right off. I didn't brake either. I got it upright straightened it out and eased over to the side of the road. Maybe I do need a steering damper too. Jorg got off and came and had a look. The rear pressure didn't seem too bad, so we got hold of the wheel and shit the whole back wheel was loose. Can't believe it. The pin was rotating with the 55mm nut. It was very loose but driving on the spikes that slot into the wheel. You'd think maybe left handers would be worse but it was the right handers. Jeeze! That tyre's been on there a little while but maybe they didn't torque it up enough. Maybe it should be torqued again after a short while. How come the pin was out of the hole? The whole lot was rotating. I wasn't far from a trip to hospital. Was the pin installed properly? It must have been? I would have checked it. It couldn't have been, how was it out of the hole. What the hell is going on here. Not having a 55 mm socket with me, we resorted to tightening the nut by hand and making sure the pin was in through the hole. The pin only just goes though the hole, I would like to see a few more mm of pin. We nursed it back to a local town, stopping to check things a few times on the way and got it sorted. So, my question to you gentlemen, without being too personal is: How long is your pin? Because mine looks too short. The moral of this story. Your confidence is vastly improved when you've got a decent length pin and tight nuts!
Was this actually you? Which pin do you mean? The circlip around the nut that engages with the axle? Luckily no one hurt.
I have to be careful when replacing the retaining pin to make sure it sits correctly, once I'm happy it gets a small zip tie fitted to hold it in place. It can just be seen in the picture. Steve
The moral of the story is that if it doesn't feel right it probably isn't, stop and give it a thorough inspection. A lucky escape.
Woah this could have ended a lot worse. I dont torque my rear nut up as high as Ducati recommend and I've never had an issue with it coming loose; I am mostly on track where I'm changing tyres every day though. The pins go right into the axle and I can't see anyway they could get broken??
Same, nice strong cable tie for added peace of mind. I use the ones which are plastic with a wire core so almost as good as wire-locking but without the need for the tools!
There is that I suppose cos if I bought the special pliers I probably go a bit overboard and lockwire the living daylights out of everything, just for the 'racer' cred of it!
If the pin is in properly you can feel the tip on the inside of the hollow spindle. It is possible to fit the pin when the two holes are not quite lined up, but in that case the rest of the clip does not sit nicely in the slot and you cannot feel the pin tip on the inside. I too use a tie-wrap to secure the clip.
This is the circlip with the pin that locates through the hole. I tried posting this pic this morning but for some reason it didn't upload. I normally check and make sure it's through properly but I'd like it if the pin was a few mm longer. Are yours longer? From what RoyalWithCream was saying it sounds like this is the norm.
