No not doing options,just genuinely interested in the 899 and trying to improve the bike with the addition of slipper clutch and trying to cut down on the weight,seems the wheels,battery and subframe are big weight saving items,throttle free play is another issue that i need sorting but this is being done by adjusting the parameters of the rbw,i also struggle with the gearing with most of the power in such a small rev range i find it difficult to keep the bike in the sweet spot either hitting the limiter or being inbetween gears on corner exit. Unfortunately i am not a naturally gifted rider and have to work hard in every area of my track riding but i do want to improve,deffo a case of ambition out weighing the talent.
If you got the dosh, do the big stuff I say! If the wheels really are that different its a no brainer. Have yiu had a look at what one which has been custom mapped with race can is like for power and torque range? May be they torque can be made a little dlatter and earlier, help drive, and drop the front a tooth helps every bike ever made!! Sponser Nicky and maybe he'll give you a session or two showing you how to ride one at a trackday/test day
Wheels are ordered oz piega,offset the sale of my standard wheels and the price was pretty good,the pierobon seat frame is only available in race form no provision for rear lights but should be available in road trim soon and is not to expensive,you can use the 1199 one but you need to change the tank to 1199 so makes it a way to expensive option and the battery can be added at any time when funds allow,suspension wise i have changed the rear shock to ttx gp mainly because the standard shock could not be sprung for my weight,front forks remain standard as generally they are regarded as pretty good also steering damper changed to ohlins and the suspension has been set up.A few early 899's suffered with oil leak issues resulting in a new engine or a rebuild,mine was suffering with a oil leak and i thought it would be a good opportunity to upgrade the engine with Ducati picking up the labour charges,rods,blueprinting were all discussed and agreed in theory,turned out to be a loose bolt so that plan was scrapped,i was genuinely pissed off.Gearing is a issue i have gone 2 up on the rear and not totally happy with it just unsure what direction to go with it and need to take advise on that one.Pretty sure in a year or so it will become used purely as a track bike but i am finding time on the road is helping me understand the bike a bit more.
Saddle time is crucial, if the only time you ride is on track, unless you are doing one every couple of weeks (or more often) it can take a session to get back into it, more if you have less experience. Plus you can test stuff on the road: really hard braking, trail braking, fast roundabouts are chicanes, what happnes if you brake real hard, drop 4 gears and dump the clutch etc to do it so often track becomes a breeze Tbh I'm gutted I havent got a k5 for the road, have even considered chopping my multi in for a new gixer, so I can just ride the same type of bike (albeit no where near as good set up as my race bike) all the time One of Nicky's biggest expenses, which are often missed when club racer budgeting, is the extra track days, time off, tyres etc for those not race weekend tests
@Nicky Wilson did you decide where you are going for the winter set up test? Chatting to Dave at Waterlooville yesterday, they are off to Cartagena earlier in Feb, cant remember who he said it was with (professional services??? He mentioned pacedays but wast this one) but its all racers from all over the place incl europe. And cheap enough
It will be Almeria or Cartagena but nothing confirmed yet! I went with Pacedays to Alcarras in 2012 and that was alright..
@simmytt RE gearing - there isn't one gearing that will work at all tracks. What tracks do you mainly ride at? I can tell you what I use.
Donnington and Silverstone,like Donnington best but i think the gearing for Silverstone would be more road based , i am running 15/46(standard is 15/44) ,open to suggestions.
Whatever Nicky recommends I'd start one or two larger rear as he will be carrying more speed and means you may be mor likely to bog down and not get max revs on the fast bits.
I used a 16/45 at Donington but I can't say I was that happy with it. We didn't get much dry running. Remember you need to rev the panigale - ride it like a 600.
Hi All, hope you have a good Christmas! Santa got me a DPP race seat for my bike and a pair of Harris centre stands! What did everyone else get? I've also secured two more technical partners for 2015, more info here.
