I finally got around to switching my 999s to the steeper steering head angle yesterday and took the bike out for a test-ride: what an improvement! The bars now respond to much lighter inputs and the bike feels generally much more nimble. Allegedly you trade that responsiveness for some stability, but I chucked it around some of my favourite corners and didn't really notice any difference. Even a stretch of very bumpy surface didn't particularly upset the bike, so I can't really see why this setting is supposedly not suitable for the road riding...? Currently I have a 190 rear tyre and it's a bit squared off and about to be replaced by a 180. Guess that might change the handling balance still further so I should probably suspend judgement until then, but generally very pleased. Anybody else using the steeper angle on the road? cheers, Dom
Dom, what's your ring status? What I mean is, how many rings are your forks showing? Also, ride height adjuster - what's that set at? I'll be following this thread with interest as the steeper steering angle is something I have pondered for a while. The 180 profile rear will mean even more flickability - you'll end up running into your own reg plate* :biggrin: *I was originally going to type "ramming your own exhaust" but that would be inappropriate.
If you ride in a 'spirited' manner on track you'll notice a compromise on stability when barreling out of a corner. You'll turn in quicker but beware of highside city coming out. Build the throttle inputs til it goes all wobbly and makes you say 'fuck' out loud to yourself. At this point you'll know you're getting close.
Might try that myself then. I dropped my yokes to 4 lines showing a few years back and am thinking of removing the steering damper, has anyone done that? I tried a 180 and liked it but am running a 190 PR2 that's lasting forever Will fit a 180 next time. I read that with the sharper steering angle you shouldn't drop the yokes below 3 lines or wheel/cyl.head contact is possible. Please keep us posted on your thoughts on your bike. Cheers, Keith.
Easy boys with old fork and rake angle and fork/yoke adjustments. I farted about with this and was flying round Cadwell thinking I was ace. The next thing I knew me and my lovely 999R were sliding accross the Lincolnshire countryside. It deffo feels more flicky/agile turning in but you do trade this against stability.
Ring status is two rings showing - ie: about 8mm of the gold stuff between fork cap and yoke. I did have three rings showing but Rich Llewellyn from LouigiMoto dropped it back a ring when I had it serviced this spring as he reckoned it would be pushing the front too hard (possible low-side). At the rear I have 5 threads showing at each end of the adjuster (pretty much maxed out I think).
Cheers, er, Hairy :smile:. That advice is clearly hard-earned and not to be sniffed at! This is my first summer of regular trackdays, and currently I'd describe my riding-style as cautious rather than spirited so I don't think I am pushing the bike's limits at the moment, but I will proceed with care... I like the stability of the 999, I feel I could take my hands off the bars mid-corner sometimes, so not wanting to turn it into a twitchy beast, just looking to get the best out of it. I've picked up some 30mm offset yokes (from a group-buy on Ducati.ms earlier in the year) and as I understand it these will give me back some stability when running the steeper head angle, so I was planning to make both these adjustments next spring. I'm tempted now to fit the yokes before I go to Anglesey in September... Is it worth making both changes now, or should I hold off and see how I go with the current setup? cheers, Dom
Mine's at the steeper angle with a 180 rear tyre. Rear ride height is recommended max (285mm? between tie rod centres) and showing 3 rings on the forks. I haven't noticed any real stability problems but the agility, turn in and holding a line are much better. I ride in a 'spirited' way and being an ex racer prefer this type of set up. Get the suspension set up if you can't do it yourself. This makes more difference to stability than changing the head angle. OGR
im on a 190 55 rear but on a 6 inch rim with the steep angle rear ride height adjusted only ride it on the road and not tracked it but it feels good. nimble and precise
I used to run 180's on my 916 and it would drop into a corner perfectly. More so than the 190 that was on it previously. However I now run 190's again as I have a set of 5 spoke magnesium maresechini's and its a 6" instead of a 5.5" standard wheel. This kinda gave me the same thing as the steering felt so light afterwards. Ive considered changing the steering angle on my 916 but the stability reports put me off as I am more road orientated, although i do do some trackies. The wheels are so light by comparison and is money well spent. I will view this thread with interest. Now I just need light wheels for the 1198...light wheels and sorted suspension is a recipe for fun.
Took me about half an hour. The only real pain is the fiddly little circlips that hold washers in place over the steering head tube bolts, which is an odd arrangement in itself - not sure why that is particularly necessary! Oh, and I had to grind down a c-spanner to get the hook to fit the slot in the steering head tube itself. The slots are 5mm wide.
I've now fitted a pair of fresh Conti Sport Attacks, with a 180/55 rear in place of the 190 and I have to say it feels generally more nimble, more responsive to steering inputs, especially mid-turn where it used to feel remarkably rock-solid but hard to adjust a line once peeled in. Guess I should just get my lines right in the first place but hey-ho... :wink: Probably also helps that the rear is now actually round rather than squared off in the middle, but that aside it feels really good...
when you change the steering head angle to 23.5 you give up 6mm of trail 97 to 91mm..........trail is front end feel...you need offset yokes -ie from std 36 down to 30 (gets you the 6mm back) or even more 27 or 25 but then you are close to the radiator..... 100mm of trail is the target really............or even more, toseland ran in wsb with around 107mm......but its all a compromise just not as low as 91mm!!!
I have a standard-angle 999S trackbike with lightened flywheel and 180 rear tire and it turns completely neutral and pretty fast. I tried a 190 rear tire and didn't really like it because it needed just a little push more to change direction. When that is said I have to mention that the GSX-R 750 K7 I bought as 'spare' track bike after the Duc broke the main bearings mid-season handles just as well and maybe even a little faster. It feels lower and smaller too but has the same amount of power, the only thing missing is the "Ducati-Factor" whatever that is! Next spring I will have to choose weapon and sell one of them! I have heard from seriously fast 916 riders that you only change the angle if you really mean it!! It can get very wobbly under heavy breaking and you will increase the risk of crashing. I'm happy that the adjustment bolt on my 999 is broken like on most Ducs I have seen br Jim
Hi Andy - that sounds like it would make a low-side is more likely...? I'm not pushing it that hard at the moment, but maybe I should fit those triples. I read somewhere that the 30mm triples would be a pain on the road (turning circle?) so I've not fitted them yet as I do ride road as well as track. cheers, Dom
turning circle is effected, ive got them on mine and it can be fun just getting in and out of a pit garage......
Thanks for that Jim. Can safely say I'm not yet fast enough to have to brake that heavily, but I'll bear in mind that if I start loading up the front then it might be time for a re-think. cheers, Dom
