Tx guys ! even though not having ridden the race, one thing has become absolutely clear in my mind. Trackdays and racing are 2 completely different things. This became even clearer to me after talking to Stef who had done a 3:03 qualifier in the driving rain and had a 100% 2:40 session on his second stint.. Stef has like 20 years of Ducati tracking experience , can physically morphe with the Pani and i know of no-one who sits as naturally on that machine as him. He's above all the shortest and lightest of us all... and even Stef doing 2:40's - which is like top 8 times on a track day - had to stand up his bike for faster guys diving in at 5 seconds faster times in places where he really didn't like it. Now Stef has 20 years of exp , is a truly natural rider , goes fast as hell and then even he get s scared... A good buddy Patrick crashed heavily when not being able to avoid a bike that went down just in front of him. when stef said he had had to use his knee twice to keep upright when his front left him, that is when I have to be honest with myself : if that had happened to me, i woul have gone down. Just because i have no 20years experience and i am no Stef. Nor Luc. Nor Carl... I am 55, i ride bikes on tracks for my second year, i've never seen a gym from the inside, i take the car to go to the toilet and avoid evertything on two wheels that has no engine. so i'm happy with the conclusion that racing is where i should not go. I can ride tracks and ride them fast ( so happy with the 2:43 miracle ) , but racing is something i should not do. I seem to have a nack for learning a brandnew track in 2 sessions, I can keep my own in Fastest group with not much effort but going racing is that bridge too far. And it will hurt me big time if i just do it long enough. I m totally at peace with that as the plan of the project was to do the bike justice and see how far i could take it, Well Racing is where that limit lays. Furthermore i m not willing to risk having a ball on trackdays by wrecking her or myself for this. So the plan is: rebuild the bike in this colours but not into fancy dress. i'll try to repair the tank , put on the same racefairings , go for a alu head frame as hope to get the short throttle fixed... then it is up to Assen i hope. and if not Definetly Mugello the 19th And next year, i ll continue to take tracks off my bucket list . And will definatly attend a bit of UK events. Especially the Ducati oriented ones. and : i'll be taking the Desmo to Mugello for a planned 3 desmo Pani Team video... ) just ordered a new racing livery .... and will start studying the ( 2001? ) silver TB21 996 infostrada sticker set soon.. stay put as the story continues.
Sorry to hear about your bike, it is an inspiration for my future build plans, hope you have it repaired soon
Was Freak out with you? That's always the problem on trackdays, riders chasing times, trying to get lower figures than their ability can provide. If you want to aim for ever lower times, take up racing and let those who don't want to mix it with axe murderers do trackdays.
You're made of sterner stuff than most Kope. Not sure if I could face up to this sort of destruction (not to mention the physical injuries) after so much time and effort has been poured into your bike. Then again I admire you for putting it on the track and in the firing line in the first place, which in reality is where it belongs. Not sure I am brave enough to risk the same fate for mine, well at least not until I have actually ridden it for a while.
Tx Topo, i guess i m just lucky the bank wants to keep playing along... .. but then when i heard myself saying ' fuck it' when on the desmo and pinned it, i m so glad i can still feel so alive... Full report coming soon...
Good, we haven't had a report for ages. What I want to know (get on the case!) is what the Desmo is like compared to the 1199, and what you feel about riding both, and indeed what you feel about these whole projects. How do the lap-times compare for you? Having created a thing of beauty, how do you feel about trashing it, or is it just a means to an end (fast Ducati-based lap times)? And if the money is there to put it all right (like a race team) do you really care, just so long as you are not in hospital? Pipe up, man!
Ok, Well, where to begin… I must honestly admit that the latest crash at Spa sort of broke the back of the quest for better times… not being able to compete the 6 hours may have been a good thing for health , but not good for concentration or drive to improve.. the bruised shoulder and knuckles have now just come back to being fully operational. So the whole idea of the trip to Mugello had changed from a festive seasons closing to a ‘ get comfy riding again’ stance.. in the meantime taking the Desmo for a spin which I knew would require some grit and confidence as well.. all the horried stories of GP – like pull and kick at 8K and then again at 11K and heavier but rail like handling and no TC would not add to peace of mind .. Let alone the 5K price tags per most truly unobtanium bits. I also knew that as the last two dips were traffic/other rider related.. ( guy stopping mid chicane at Zolder / the cutting in incident at Spa ) i would have to regain the confidence level I had before the last slide… And Mugello from experience is a track that draws really fast riders. Some dipping below the 2:00 barrier.. which is Italian 1000SSTK/600 SSP territory. So needless to say that there was some nervousness around… the general situation with having to get used to a new life didn’t help either .. perhaps enjoying freedom too much to keep focused on shifting gears… J Also technically some stuff had changed . The new 9.5 front but higher PL had to be tested and Pro-shifts stronger push/pull device would have to be tried. Then the bike had been put back together again as the damage from landing on its head was more extensive at a first glance. The ignition cable from the rear cylinder had been cut, as was the short throttle s wiring ( damn…) then whole new fairing, bubble, clip ons, foot pegs… tank needed repairing … and the suit took some weeks to get restiched .. fortunately the new helmet I had to get after Zolder was not used so that one was still new… The opportunity was there to go for Livery V 4.0 with a TB 21 996F0 Imola Paul Msart anniversary special and sticker set… not bad but I still prefer the Roche one by a long time.. J So of we went… Getting there we easy enough but true to it’s rep , Mugello was wildly wet when we got there. So the first day, I hardly got any track time as it was wet/dry – dry/wet all day long. Luc and Stef were changing tyres like mad but I saw no point in podding around risking it all for little progress.. still , as usual, I put in a 13,7 in the first session which was 3 seconds better than last year.. And, much to their credit, the work Roy form Pro Shift did on their PS3 system really nailed it. The system didn’t miss a beat even when coming down from that looong straight to take the short uphill 180. When it was dry, I used the slot to get the Desmo going for the first time. The most enthralling aspect must be igniting it and hearing that raspy throaty mettaly rattly sound. And then that viscious growl when just blipping it.. getting on it really wakes you up… J as the bike is a project/show bike with engine just being run in , it never had been run as it sat there… so we took it very easy the first laps. Which was a good thing as the throttle proved to be a bit harsh , making blipping it quit hard. The gearing was way too tall also so coming from the much shorter Pani, I had to look for the right gears.. I guess the tall gearing also calmed the bike down as I was looking for a kick that did not come.. the engine was rather slow to pick up and a buddy with his Desmo did come flying bye on the straight. No speed and no QS made getting used to foot shifting that bit touchier But what stood out was a sort of track like steadiness when you lay her over.. and that Mugello, for all its nice bends didn’t really have the Spa like high speed benders to do the frame justice… the heaviest crash of the 3 days just happened 300 meters in front of us with a guy blowing up his engine end leaving an oil trail … my heart skipped a beat when I saw the red/yellow through the blue smoke and the skid marks across the track… pfff… red flagged in after 2 laps.. a session later, we got of with the first drops of rain coming down . did another lap and then pulled her in … so all in all 5 laps in 2 sessions.. the afternoon we did do a racelike event that got cut in half as well… so I did get a boost of confidence when in group SBK , I could sort of keep pace with the front runners in the first half.. having only the last 5 laps of the second half count and with two slow last laps ( 2:16/17) I ended up around the lower middle of SBK group ( second fastest) I was happy however and felt confidence growing as it had been a not too fast but still quick and uneventful stint.. And I had done a Race in some sort of way… J it all started coming back. The lighting of the front springs to 9,5 kg was a def improvement , even when the bike still had the tendency to run wide with the higher PL pushing the head higher.. 3 click more rebound damping improved that but still not optimal.. The lighter springs allowing the front to go deeper did take away the stuttering thought.. The last day was dry and not to hot .. so we finally got the Desmo out to ride it as it well deserves. With especially in the second and last Desmo session a hint of what the machine can do.. getting on the gass earlier ( even felt it step out on 1 occasion) and just upping the pace everywhere.. and It must be said : the harder you rode it the better it get s . Being ultra stable under lean. For sure, I will ride the desmo again.. Once she has gotten a work over to iron out all small things… so likely I’ll be taking 2 bikes to Winchester this winter… J I am already selecting the bank to rob… J How exquisite this bike is, it is also obvious that it shows its age. The Pani , as it is now, it a much easier, handlier, more powerful and punchier bike to ride. For all the discussion : the SL will wipe the floor with any Desmo now. But one should look back to when it came out and the bikes to compete where the 999R or 1098R. And in those days , that was something. I must admit we had a bit of a wild garage, totalling Pani RR x 3 , 1xR , 3 x S and no less than 4 DR16 ! .. and never have so many people gazed on them with so much reverence.. J for that , the DR16 will be unique forever.. Very happy I stood my ground on the Desmo so with 3 Sessions remaining , it was time to really put the grit between my teeth and see how far I could improve on the Pani. It showed that I was able to drop from 2:13.8 to 2.11.6.. and that a 2:10 was in the cards… it was good enough though . Despite a 25kph top-speed deficit, I was running with Luc . The 300MM pipe and intense 6H riding had given Stef wings who put in a dazzling 2:05… and Carl, my 6H replacement , did a 2:07/8 on a stock R… great job… So now the 2014 season is done and confidence is back with a bike that , even not looking at its best is probably as good as it has ever been… J .. and, with a engine redo this winter, will be more than fast enough for next year. 1299 or no 1299… J it has been a one hell of a special year with many up s and downs on all aspects of my life.. but one thing remains: I thoroughly enjoy being here and meeting members in real life. So I met Matt and friends in Mugello. Matt, I hope you make it to Spa where we’ll be glad to take you guys around… and point to all the places where not to crash… I must know most of them by now… J .. ( btw : you rode some really good lines ! )
Guys that is when you crash week after week ... you don't ride so just wait till you can ride again so have something to say... =To answer your questions.. i'll never be able to ride the desmo as fast as the Pani.. first of fear... even though if i could get over the like 5K per part issue - which i can't - the parts are just not available... so the desmo will get ridden but never in a 'go for it ' mode... it s also much more physical.. and setup will even be more crucial ... so i regard them as complementary.. thrashing the Pani was calculated from the start... this said i wasn't too pleased with the last 3 crashes as they were so unnecessary... never in those occasions was it because of overstretching myself ( which is not like not being my mistake) but some sheer bad luck made it really bad moneywise... At 4 gbp / yard, that hobby is getting ludicrous... i did get Lucky physically... which in the end will account for much more.... I should have been clever and put the race fairing ons directly , but then i wouldn't have had the pics of the carbon stuff ... As to racing : i ll never put money in there... it s just a black hole to sink money into and there is never enough...and it s sooo italian... A lot of competence but an impossible group to get into and read their minds.. I wouldn't mind getting involved with running or co running a team... and am looking to give a young belgian rider and his potential sponsors a hand to see that they get the most money for the buck... might be 600 WSST .. just skimming the surface of that though... Perhaps this is what i'll take away from this in the end : that in so short a period, coming out of nowhere i learned so damn much. All thanks to so many people willing to share all there immense vault of in depth knowledge and wisdom... and that, for at least one year, i was able to skim the top of the development of this wonderful yet so atypical Ducati. And that i saw some structure and clarity in these many aspects of technology, systems and setup so we would go forward in a structured and thought out manner and do much better than i ever hoped for. How small and futile it is , it has given me great pleasure... So on to 2015, on which much more UK visits are planned.. As will BRNO, Nurburgring and other tracks i haven't done.. tx for the interest guys !
Well glad to hear that you decided to get back on it and had fun at Mugello with both bikes. Very envious Kope and hope to catch up 1 of these days again when your back in the UK in 2015.
You not going to give racing a small go next year then? Lots of effort, you're so close...get some winter tuition and do some slow, who cares about times, laps and plan a couple next year g'wan you know you want to
Brads, thanks for the inspiration but no thanks.. no amount of tuition will get my mind around the hustle and bustle that is close racing. Or protect me from the red mist make or break decisions some are willing and capable of taking to get from 18th to 17th. I see a lot of healthy years ahead of me if i can call it quits when quits are due. I ve achieved much more than i ever hoped for. The bike is still on of the best around as to looks and tech . It s truly unique in many aspects. And i think i ve done it justice by outdoing myself at Spa and keeping pace with the likes of the buddies i ride with. I ve rebuilt the bike 4 times now so should not question my resolve.. I ve also seen how much narrower a season get s when you have to focus on a race or a season. I had to say no to 2 Ducati days with you guys on tracks i love. Missed out on Hockenheim, Nurburgring, Dijon DRE. And would get Zolder and Mettet ( Mickey mouse track) in return... again: thanks but no thanks. the bike will get an engine refresh , relocation of the evo 4 and installation of the Aim Dig Cam to get me through 2015.. And Steve is now dangling this Magnetti Marelli Desmo project in front me. So , apart from starting racing, how much more can i be totally f.ck.d ....
Jeez the difference in your speed on the Desmo and the 1199R is monumental, but that is totally understandable given the value of the D16 if you were to end up shiny side down. I'd be wearing a mask and sporting a small firearm to fund this sort of level of indulgence. Keep the info coming and looking forward to the next instalment.
Tye close stuff only comes with time, as do the instant decisions. Maybe not aiming to race will allow you to concentrate on just riding it and having fun rather than chasing time
