Ducati Monster Forum

Hi everybody,
greetings from Belgium.
Since I have my Monster, I love doing trackdays...
(http://touchmybikeanddie.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=8101&g2_serialNumber=1)
this is my monster on the first day I got it, she is much more sexy on it than me...and when I saw them together I felt like a happy man!
I have had a supersport and a superbike before, but the monster seems to fit me better, even on track...I feel a lot more confident on it.
I am not a big talent, but I improve everytime I go on track.
This week, after 8 years of riding, I got my knee down...this is not a big deal for many, but to me it is the holy grail of motorcycling.
My Monster is bonestock, except for crash bobbins and uprated suspension (i'm +95kg) Aaah yes, I also run Pilot Power 2ct's...It's propably overkill for my pace, but it gives me peace of mind.
Peace of mind, trust, confidence...those are the right ingredients for a track day!
(http://touchmybikeanddie.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=8097&g2_serialNumber=1)
This picture was taken on a Ducati only trackday, on the track of Spa-Francorchamps. It's a Formula One racetrack (where the GP of Belgium is ridden) and it's very big and fast. It's 7 km long, with a lot of elevation changes. I got a top speed of +245 km/h on the longest straight with my bonestock S4RT. I love this track, and I'm going back on june 12.
(http://touchmybikeanddie.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=8092&g2_serialNumber=1)
This picture was taken last week May 16. It's on the track of Zolder. Zolder was a Formula One racetrack until the late 80's and it hosted races to legends like Jaques Villeneuve and Niki Lauda.
Today there is a lot of biking going on. It's 4.2km and has no very long straights. My topspeed here is only 215 km/h.
But it's a nice track, it's only 15 minutes from my house and it has a lot of grip. Here I put my knee down for the first time!
(http://touchmybikeanddie.net/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=8100&g2_serialNumber=2)
Sometimes we do trackdays a little further from home, and this is how I travel and sleep: I have a little LR Defender with a roof tent, and a cheap trailer.

I would like to know how it works in the US? Here in Belgium we pay between 65€ an 115€ for a trackday. And we gat 5 or 6 sessions of 20 minutes. Personaly I think this is cheap, because there are doctors, med's, officials, ambulances, tech support, instructors etc....
In Belgium we have to use our stock cans to track our bikes. We live in a very close populated country, and there is a 95dB limit on our racetracks. We have to put transponders on our bikes that measure the sound on a couple of places at the track. There is a gouvernment official present, and if you are over the sound limit you get a warning. Then you have to do something about it. The second time you violate the sound limit, they take away your numbers and your trackday is over. Even with a stock bike you have to worrie about this. My friends bonestock 848 can't go full throttle passed the measuring poles.
But I am willing to make this sacrifice in order to keep the tracks open!

Aah yes, and the monster S4RT?? It's limits are a lot beyond mine...so it will grow with me for a wile. I just LOVE IT ond the track.
thx,
Geoffrey

[thumbsup]

Awesome!

8)