I don't know much about dirt track racing, but it looks fun & dangerous.
http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/popular/kurt-marmors-ducati-749-flattrack-race-bike/ (http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/popular/kurt-marmors-ducati-749-flattrack-race-bike/)
(http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/wp-content/gallery/ducati-749-flat-tracker/ducati-749-dirt-flat-tracker-1.jpg)
(http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/wp-content/gallery/ducati-749-flat-tracker/ducati-749-dirt-flat-tracker-2.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/Ducati2-1.jpg)
I do, it is & it is.
That bike looks amazing! where do they keep it at night. [laugh]
That thing has to haul... [thumbsup]
Pegram tried a watercooled Duc before. It didn't fair well. This year he ran an aircooled one (above race pic). DNF at the Nationals.
A bit curious in that first pic, the feed to the water pump inlet is from the *top* of the radiator. ???
Quote from: Speeddog on August 18, 2009, 09:00:11 PM
A bit curious in that first pic, the feed to the water pump inlet is from the *top* of the radiator. ???
Whats he squirting on the radiator?
Desmo Quatro FT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R2685xI2AY#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)
I'd totally ride that if it had a front brake. :-\
p.s. what's his left hand doing in the first photo?
Quote from: Holden on August 18, 2009, 09:22:21 PM
p.s. what's his left hand doing in the first photo?
Flat Track racers hold onto the front fork or in this case the downtube on the handlebar, on the straightaways.
He's trying to tuck in for better aero.
It's a flattrack thing, grabbing the upper fork leg or the inside of the bar.
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/2009_Springfield.jpg)
Ah. kinda like wearing a swimming cap in a tractor race.
(they should just get clip-ons!) [evil]
Quote from: kopfjager on August 18, 2009, 09:06:03 PM
Whats he squirting on the radiator?
This is nothing more than a guess, but I don't think he's squirting anything.
It's probably an IR thermometer.
looks like hes shooting a laser temp gauge at the radiator.
Quote from: kopfjager on August 18, 2009, 09:06:03 PM
Whats he squirting on the radiator?
Quote from: Rameses on August 18, 2009, 09:47:35 PM
This is nothing more than a guess, but I don't think he's squirting anything.
It's probably an IR thermometer.
Ahhh, grasshopper.
Holden,
They run the big bars, because thats the ONLY way to keep that bike in line!
Imagine running into a corner, with no front brake, and NOT using the rear brake! You slide the FRONT TIRE FIRST, that scrubs off a lot of speed, and then get back in the gas to hang the rear out. Transfer weight to your left foot, and stand up on it, as it slides across the dirt, allowing you to slide bith tires with using a diabolical combination of under and over steet to keep the bike going the right direction, and not giving up too much speed.
Sick and twisted, and WAY cool!
Another Ducati Flat Tracker...
(http://www.bikeexif.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ducati_flat_track_racer.jpg)
"Believe it or not, this muscular-looking Ducati started life as a 2007 GT1000. Then it went into the workshop of Ohio-based Lloyd Brothers Motorsports. They gave the engine a big bore kit using Pistal pistons, taking the capacity from 992 to 1078cc. The ECU was swapped for a Nemesis unit and the stock airbox was binned in favor of K&N filters. The chassis is purely custom: it's a single top-tube, dual down-tube frame with a side-mounted single Penske shock. The forks are Yamaha YZF600 and wheels are seven-spoke PMs. The 'Red Menace' was ridden by Larry Pegram earlier this year in the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship, and the full story is in the latest Sideburn magazine."
http://www.bikeexif.com/ducati-flat-track-racer (http://www.bikeexif.com/ducati-flat-track-racer)
^^ Not to mention they put swapped a dry clutch in...
Look at the second post. [thumbsup]
Sounds like Larry Pegram did pretty well for a first effort by this team. Is there any talk of following it up?
Larry's done this before
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/bdfinally/pegram.jpg?t=1256841071)
I talked to his Dad at VIR and he said the factory wasn't very enthusastic about the idea.
Quote from: bdfinally on October 29, 2009, 10:38:26 AM
Larry's done this before
I talked to his Dad at VIR and he said the factory wasn't very enthusastic about the idea.
It doesn't suprise me. After the incident when Hayden missed a GP race after he broke his foot riding supermoto in the X-games I would be apprehensive as well.
I got the feeling from the conversation that Bologna's concern was that the bike wouldn't be competitive. Very kewl idea to me tho.
Quote from: Holden on August 18, 2009, 09:47:01 PM
Ah. kinda like wearing a swimming cap in a tractor race.
(they should just get clip-ons!) [evil]
Nah they don't need no stinkin clip-ons.
These guys all have Big Brass Balls
They are running into corners at 100mph+ with no front brake and then they toss it sideways in the dirt and power through the corner with the wheel hung out.
They wouldn't even know what swim caps or clip-ons were but they'd know they were for pansies.
Quote from: motolocopat on November 14, 2009, 06:35:25 PM
They are running into corners at 100mph+ with no front brake and then they toss it sideways in the dirt and power through the corner with the wheel hung out.
They wouldn't even know what swim caps or clip-ons were but they'd know they were for pansies.
Tell us more about flat track racing, Mr Wizard.