Interesting conversation this. I may have a schoolboy error here. Just checked tire pressures cold and I am 2psi light on both front and rear versus the handbook recommended settings. Oh by the way I have 2 rings showing above the yoke.
As above, tyre pressure is for the OEM tyre which I'm fairly sure wouldn't have been a BT016. Go to the Bridgestone website, but your well low.
Jasper try 34F 36R to start with, you need to be at the top end of the recommended range for someone your size on the road. Also don't overdo the front preload as many do - it slows it all down as well as making the front end overly reactive. When I bought mine it too was running well down on the pressures and it too was slow and resistant. Ducatis tend to have a narrow sweet spot +/- 1 psi on the pressures and precise suspension set up brings it all into focus and control, it needs to be done by a Ducati specialist to get it spot on
After 2 years of 999 ownership i had my suspension set up by top BSB guy and it was a different bike. Much more enjoyable to ride and goes where it should when cornering.
Ive booked it into reactive suspension in York for early August to get it set properly for my build and weight as well as putting some bloody air in the tyres!
Well.... Been out this morning and having taken the pressures up to 34F 36R I can report that its much sharper. What a knobhead! Proves the point about how critical tyre pressures are on a bike eh? I think its all starting to make sense to me. Still needs a good shove to get her in to the corners but I think Ive been spoilt with modern bikes. I think the 999 is clearly a machine that needs to be "ridden". It felt much better when I dug deep and found an extra dose of good old fashioned balls as well. I think Im going to love owning a 999....
You shouldn't have to throw it into a corner. My 749s out handles every modern bike I have owned (ZX10r, GSXR). Alter the height of the forks matey. The 10r was a dog around corners compared to the 749s. Set it how YOU like it though, if you like to throw it in then it is perfect for YOU. But if you want it quicker the adjustment is there
Once you've got the setup done and wound the rear ride height adjuster up, it'll transform the turnin.
Will be interesting to see how it gets set up on the 5th Aug when I've got it at reactive suspension. Definitely a different bike with air in the tyres though. Doh :smile::smile:
Lets us know how they set it. I've just set my mates Aprillia, he had the opposite problem. Dropped in way too fast, so much so that it was unstable in a straight line!
Just remember it's the bike/tyre combination that sets base pressure setting. If you change to Pirelli or Metz etc the pressure will change again. And you can play with pressure, you may just prefer more pressure. How old are the tyres and how much tread?
The tyres are literally brand new. Bridgestone BT16. Strange choice I thought but I may as well get some use from them?
I'm no expert on this but my understanding is that higher pressures will make the handling lighter but too much will make the ride harsh and skittish. Lower pressure in the front will promote under-steer. A little under-steer makes for stability, so that's why lower pressure in the front is always recommended. Playing with tyre pressures can therefore affect handling quite markedly. However for more fundamental changes you need to play with suspension settings and geometry. Track tyre pressures are presumably lower because so much extra heat is generated, which then raises the pressure while on track.
Well.... I visited reactive suspension in York this morning and spent an hour and a half there. My bike has been transformed! My feeling of slow turn in was remedied by sorting out the sag at the rear which meant the bike was sitting to low at the back. Gareth also attended to the front end as well and has really made the front feel vastly more positive. Even riding 100 metres in a straight line it felt like a different bike instantly. He seems to know his onions and can definitely feel the difference. I actually asked him to wind it back a bit as it was dropping in to corners so quick compared to its original settings. Certainly gets a thumbs up from me.
just reading this thread with interest as the 749 feels long and slow so I dropped forks through to four rings and intend to raise ride height to 285mm on adjuster . I like the head down arse up stance. I checked on the Bridgestone website for the manufacturers tyre pressures as it is running Bridgestone S20's fitted by last owner and very new still not scrubbed yet but Lo and Behold when entering details of the bike to Bridgestone it says S20's are not available for the 749 ????? Must be too tame as they say S20 Evo's are ! 2.5 bar frt ( 36psi) 2.9 (42 psi )rear pressures according to Bridgestone.
