The wife's been complaining about her bike being a bit, well scary to corner at low to really low speeds. She's got a 2002 900 SS i.e which when turning -and leaning- at low to really low speeds makes you feel as if you and the bike is going fall over over and drop into the turn. I tried the wife's bike yesterday. I've negotiated the very same stretch of track -with a couple of really low speed 180 turns- on an 848, a 748 and a BMW k1300s before. It was well, scary is probably the best word for it. A bit of throttle and throttle control alleviates the issue a bit but it wont really go away...you get this ominous feel you'll fall over and into the centre of the turn. Apart from this low speed cornering issue it [the bike] is just as I believe it ought to be. It's also possible at speed, to to let go of the handle bars and sit straight up and steer it using body mass only, a bit slow but doable, but most importantly it's rock steady as it should be. I've done a quick manual check for steering bearing play/freedom of movement/non stick etc...and there's nothing obvious. Additionally the swinging arm bearings and wheel bearings are not obviously loose/having any excess play. So what gives? Is this is a known "It's supposed to be like that" thing or have anyone encountered this and found a remedy? Or, besides what I've checked, have I missed something? Any help and or pointers in relevant directions would be really appreciated.
1) What is the profile of the front tyre? 2) How far are the forks through the top yoke? 3) Has the rear end been raised? AL
I suspect you are in "They're all do that, Sir" territory. I certainly don't have confidence with mine (2000 SSie) for low-speed manouevering although I put that down partly to my own incompetence (I know how it's probably well worthwhile to take training and practise doing low speed slalom work..) and to the painful riding position of the SSie (can be rectified at considerable expense with adjustable bars etc). I did some time ago ride, just around the block, both a 749 and an old carbed 900SS Superlite, in quick succession. I found both of them more comfortable and easy to ride then the SSie. I don't know whether the steering geometry changed with SSie models, but the seat seemed lower and the bars higher on the old Superliite. All in all I have concluded that the bike is in its element at relatively high speed on sweeping bends and smooth roads - around town it is really not nice.
Another member on the SS section dropped his 600 recently at slow speed so I don't there's anything wrong with the bike, they are a bit if a handful at walking pace, in the early days I nearly dropped mine a couple of times. I sometimes ride mine into Oxford City centre in heavy traffic and it's not a very pleasant experience.
My 750 which was fitted with the 60 profile (stock size) front tyre used to do the same....... ..........admittedly it was a bit worn; but it would 'double drop' when in a roundabout; the second drop being very disconcerting....... ........when I fitted the 70 profile (the 900 stock size) it was transformed..........
I have SSie, no problems with cornering, it is quick steering for a ducati of that era and I have higher bars, the rake is a degree steeper than the carb version I believe. Presume you've checked tyre pressures. 33/36 recommended but I run about +2 F+R. +1 on the 60 profile, had one on my 907 for a while and took a bit of getting used to.
Front tyre profile is...well, I've have to check as I don't remember... The forks are in std position as far as I can tell. There's this spacer between the clipon and the yoke but it's in the spare parts list so I do believe it should be there. If removed it would be possible? to raise the front a bit and improve low speed stability a bit. Has anyone tried that? As far as the rear end goes I've got that one on my menthal todo list but I'll have to check/measure to see if anyone has touched the rear shock. Thanks a bunch!
Tyre wear and pressure is the first thing I'd be looking at. I'd also look at your gearing in so far as you've mentioned throttle control helps, all the Ducati's I've ridden dont feel good when not on positive drive so coasting or clutch slipping while maneouvering can be a nervous affair sometimes. The common mod of a smaller front sprocket does actually help here as well as at higher speeds where it's always suggested to make sense of using sixth gear, at lower speeds it will need to rev a little higher which usually makes it smoother around low speed turns.
The spacer should be there, but if you remove it you can obviously push the forks down a bit....... ........however, as that is the stock position, I would look at the tyre profile (and pressure) first; plus the rear shock (type; preload setting, height adjustment etc......the owners handbook covers the shock variations and settings). The front tyre should be a 70 profile.
If the tyres are worn square then it will feel like you're falling off a cliff as you corner and roll over the worn part! It's a very scary feeling if you're not used to it and does feel like the bike is falling/sliding as you lean it over. It feels like it suddenly drops into the corner all of a sudden. Have a look across the profile of both front and rear tyres and see what they look like. Any noticeable wear across the centre section only (compare depth of tread at the edge to that in the centre) and you may want to think about changing tyres.
Found my 900 carb needs a positive input at low speeds and does not like closed throttle round a slow speed bend, you need to positively power it through
Sounds to me like the tyre has gone out of shape, happened on my daytona and had like a 'band' just off centre which made it really scary on low speed roundabouts, I'm obsessive with the tyre pressures so it bugs me that it happened, not to mention the £650 I had spent on getting the forks revalved and set up for my weight.
I should also say.... Try changing the front fork oil before putting a new tyre on, I was told that old crappy oil can cause a loss of compression damping causing the tyre to skip and wear badly
Front and well both tyres have appr. 3500 km on them i.e appr. 2200 miles. They were changed late june last year. Oh, and by the way now that we're on the subject of tyres, they're both Michelin Pilot Road 3. I seem to recall having read that some combinations of bikes and tyres doesn't agree...might this be on of those occasions?
+1 on the fork oil. Got my 748R Ohlins serviced at the end of last year, probably for the first time in its life, and the mechanic said he found some treacle mascarading as oil. There was a huge difference afterwards. Andy
The set that were on it when picked up had a rear tyre worn flat/square. Cornering at any more than a very small angle ment passing a very noticable "threshold" before a short fall....then sort of settling onto the more or less unused side of the tyre after which the bike behaved perfectly normal. Going back upright was like "getting back into the groove"... The square rear is sort of a spiritual relative of what we're experiencing but with the obvious exception that if you know what to look for it's easily identified.
Best thing you do with an old SS is to stick a pair of new good quality tyres on. Best £200 I've ever spent on mine
I have had a couple of 900ssie s over the years and as mentioned above, they do need some input, do you or your Mrs countersteer ? From memory that helped a lot. The other thing I found was that it was worth spending some time on the suspension. My bikes both rode better with a small pillion so pop to midgets r us and borrow one to slip on the back and see if that helps. No offence to the vertically challenged amongst us intended, other heights are available. If that does help then maybe try to set the bike up to replicate the extra weight being carried.
Looks like me and Mrs. have a bit of homework to do. Thanks a lot for suggestions! Well, both of us do put counter steering to good use. Both of us have had "formal training" on the subject and of course other related issues. And we've both done several track and on-track training days between us. Being pro-active and really riding the bike does help but unfortunately doesn't totally get rid of the unnerving feeling of "I'm falling over" at low speeds.
Best thing (if the profile is a 70) is to do what the rest of your countrymen do and have a load of nails sticking out the tyres (Note! 'Out', not 'In').........
