Ducati Monster Forum

Vince and I did Circuit Breakers today, it's kind of a mix between CSS and a Track Day.
You get a timing transponder for the day which is pretty cool and coaching if you go looking for it, can't say it was as forth coming as CSS.
I asked a couple of Q's of one of our instructors current 2008 Superbike Champion Glenn Allerton.
My question was how can I get anymore out of my bike, am I needing to improve posture/technique and got told I need to buy a faster bike!
Not really an answer to my question, I know I am pushing it pretty far but I was looking for some encouragement not a quip.

Anyway I did a fastest time of 2:06 with a fairly constant 2:07/08 each session.
My views of the day, I know Vince had a cracker of a day running in the new slicks. 

Vince through turn 3 at Eastern Creek.

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/3057308062_2447159fbc.jpg?v=0)

Yes it is one and yes it sounds  [thumbsup] enough to make you  :'(

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/3056472481_92a1e7042d.jpg?v=0)

Yeah, a lot of fast riders can't actually tell you how they can go fast. They just do it. It takes a different sort of mind to break it down so they can explain things.

Looks like a lot of fun!!

Cheers
Palooka

Yeh Matty had  a cracker,Things happens so much faster on slicks  ;D

dock what were the slicks like to ride on compared to road tyres and do they give you better lean angles

I'd rather be consistent and shiny side up :).

To my mind, being able to consistently lap at around he same times would indicate that you really are just giving the poor old 620 pretty much everything it's got. I image if you shortened the main straight (and the straightish bit after turn 9) that the laptime delta would decrease. When I was at Eastern with circuit breakers I was constantly getting owned down the straight by litre I4s.

I'd use any advice recommending I get a faster bike as justification to ermm, get a faster bike  :)

As a matter of interest, what was the guy with the 'sedici lapping at?

2:10   [cheeky]


Please be advised that I have absolutley no idea

Nice disclaimer Betty.
Don't really know as he was taking it pretty easy and had only done 100k's on it.
He also spend most of the day riding his 1098s doing 1:45's

The slicks give you much more confidence from the get go,saying this i needed to make some suspension adjustments to compensate the extra pace you automatically put on.as for lean angle,i think have been riding the monster to pritty close to its max lean on standard tyres.The only difference is that you can carry a shit load more speed at the same angle,so what i noticed i wasnt leaning as much on slicks as on standards,When i say standard Im talking Diablo super corsers SP compound.
for example last time on the track on the standards  my best time was 1:54 constant 1:55 .this time around i did a 1:53 on my first lap of the warm up lap thinking I was cruising.
They do take some getting use to as the extra grip can put you in to some situations that you may have not experianced before,such as the extra G's around corners, the extra grip that wants to lift the tyre mid corner under power [thumbsup]

He was doing 1:54 flat on the desmo first 2 laps with a brand new slick on the front and a OEM street tyre on the rear ,He ran out of fule by the end of the second  [thumbsup]

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=XoBxaUtwlWU (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=XoBxaUtwlWU)


Like Matty said he was lapping 1"45 all day but i have seen him do 1:43 on other days .

So 3 Ltr's 2 laps aprox 8 km  :o

thanks dock ,high jack MATTY whats the canon 40d like as a camera  [thumbsup]

There's a _lot_ of learning you can still do on that bike - you're pushing yourself, but not the bike. There's a guy who does 1:52's on a Spada (no, not me, I'm a lot slower than that), and there are a bunch of guys who can get into the high 1:40s (1:48 and 1:47) on Babyblades. A good rider on your bike should be faster than that. If I were you I wouldn't even consider upgrading until you're into the mid or even low 1:50's (well, not upgrading purely on the basis of "needing a faster bike to do better laptimes" anyway...)

big

holy crap! i retract all my previous comments on pushing the old 620 as hard as she can go.

A few more snaps up on my Flickr in the Circuit Breakers set.

Bazz couldn't really say what that Canon is like, but I will say that I am a Canon fan in general and you can't go wrong with one.

And Big, yes I agree my bike could go faster around the track, but if Vince is doing 1:54/55 on an S4Rs I can't see where I'd get the same times out of my 620.
I know skill is 80% of what you're doing out there, but I am not prepared to get it to the point of damage to find out.
I'd rather find out on something prepared for and more at home on the track. Be that a Spada 250 or a killer Litre bike (not for me really) or more so a 600 or 675
sports bike.
My remark about the "instructor" saying well you just need a faster bike was more so me saying that it was really the answer I was looking for.
I know my bike is not the fastest thing out there and I am asking a lot of it and yes put a gun rider on it and it will go through turn 1 flat out.
I'd rather not try that thank you, I'd rather have something that can compliment me in other areas run the track not balls out on turn 1.  

A short vid from the track day,

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=jlgQbQv_d0I (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=jlgQbQv_d0I)

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Alr505ZLk (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Alr505ZLk)

That vid is pretty frikkin awesome! I shat when the 1098 went past.

BTW How'd you get youtube to widescreen the vid Dock?

Sorry my off bike video work wasn't better, but I'm sure there is a steadier one than that. I hope!
Shame the other one when I got to spend a full lap in front of you, at more gentle pace for you I know.
 

If you shit, Put you self in my pants  ??? ??? Nah maybe not just yet still trying to get them cleaned.
He was close ,dam good rider but i was sorta expecting it  [thumbsup]

Dont know about the widescreen just gifted i guess ;D

Yeh im realy cut about that one it was a top vid i had you on screen the full lap [thumbsup]

Oh well might have just showed everyone my bad habits!!!
Was just looking through some JPM photos and gee I seem to sit far forward in the seat?
Maybe that is why I'm twisting of the bike instead of dropping off the bike.
See this is things an instructor can pick up on as opposed to a SBK Champion.
Anyways, next time with that other camera system perhaps.

 ???

If that's all that Glen Allerton said to you, I'd say he is a bit of a wanker.  ;)

Seems there is a whole lotta cash burning in your pocket Matty, what with all these track days, I suppose you're not buying bling anymore, which is a good thing.

So what I'm saying is, I think you've already made a decision, just go out and get the bloody thing!

BUT, this is my point of view, don't get a Trumpet. A little R6,CBR600 or GSXR750 would do (both of) you fine. Parts are probably (I might be talking out of my arse here) cheaper than the British bike.  ???

And you could probably pick one up already track ready.

Or there is the Aprilia RS125.  [bacon]  [bow_down]

It's not that I've got cash falling out of my pockets.
I have been enjoying the track riding but mentally I don't think I can get more out of my bike.
With all the gear on it the cost of a fix compared to a prepared fairing bike would be great.
The comment made by Allerton was a little nicer than get a faster bike. It was more so that he didn't know what to tell me.
And yes the more I'm thinking about it the more I'm leaning toward a jap 600.
For the amount of times I'll get to use it in a year that is.