Ducati Monster Forum

I'm preparing to do my first track day and getting gear and bike in order. What normally touches down first on a stock '01 M900s? Are high mount exhausts going to be a necessity if i start improving or rear sets? is stock suspension (I have s model with adj front shocks) OK if setup right (at 140lbs wet I'm not worried about spring rates so much).

The foot pegs usually touch first.  At least that's what happened with my 98 m900s.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3601514867_a0f01e23d5.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/32381491@N07/3601514867/)
boston moto 09 copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/32381491@N07/3601514867/#) by anzalone22 (http://www.flickr.com/people/32381491@N07/), on Flickr

This picture is with stock suspension.  Not only do the pegs touch but so does the shifter.  That can be fun. 

If you raise the rear ride height it helps but it does change the bikes turn-in characteristics (for the better.)  You may not like it on the highway. 

I don't think the exhaust will be a problem.

But for your first track day just ride the bike.  Make adjustments later as you need them.

+1

Thanks - sounds good!

Track day in December.  I'm a little envious.  Warmed up to 28 degrees so far and the flurries are on and off  :(. 

Enjoy your day! 

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=11443.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=11443.0)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/2863857352_94a1850a08.jpg?v=0)

You have to hang way off the bike to drag the knee before the footpeg. So you might want to remove it.

I won't get the track day (actually a track school event) done this year - last event is Dec. 10 and they haven't posted the calendar for next year yet, but hopefully early next year.  Here in Texas the winters are pretty variable - this past Saturday it was 80 degrees, but it may not make it above 60 today (I'm in Austin).  My wife is getting me my leathers for Xmas and I'm just itching to get everything else ready to go...at 46 yrs old, this is something I've wanted to do for a long time but finally getting the nerve up to do it.

Based on these pics, I don't think I need to worry about things scraping anything for a long time...I didn't think the stock monster was capable of lean angles like that!  Is that the kickstand and shifter in the "A" circle?  And when you say "...might want to remove it..." what do you mean - remove what, the knee puck?

The kickstand.

Sorry, my brain no work. I meant the kickstand, not the footpegs.

Here's another viewpoint of what a Monster can be capable of...( not me BTW, this was a guy in Europe on his 620)

(http://www.mad-ducati.com/Gallery/bsandusky/G592/low_19-4-06.jpg)

this is, of course, dependent on the length of your legs... shorty.  ;D

;D

man does he look like he's doing 140 around that corner or what!

^
hahahahahahaahhaaha

I dislike you, but I agree. I definitely have to be hanging of the bike ala Ben Spies to drag my knee.

 [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

That was my exact thought! 

If you get it over enough the headers drag where the slipons go.  rotate the clamps so they are on the back side.  If you have a belly pan it will drag too.  raising the rear helps but monsters will drag alot of parts on the way of figuring out how to ride them on the track.  I have cyclecat sets and still go through a set of toe sliders a weekend since they are my reference point of knowing when the headers are gonna drag and wear through my bellypan.  they are cheeper than a belly pan and easier to replace than f'n with glassin between weekends or tech gettin pissed because they see a hole in the pan.  If this is your 1st trackday on it don't worry about it yet it took me 1/2 of a season to get comfortable enough on the bike to get it over that far.  Just ride the bike and make adjustments as you go. At BIR there is a ? like turn thats new and fast alot of guys get the bikes over far enough to drag an elbow through it I have draged every part on the right side through it.  shifter, peg, boot, pipe, belly pan, and every thing from top of boot up to top side of knee.  pretty intence to be over that far going that fast. [bacon]

The first time I took my '09 M696 to the track the problem was front end dive and some hobby horsing.  The second time I dragged the kickstand.  I took the bike to a shop to check out what to do.  They raised the rear and the forks and put in heavier oil in the forks.  Now I scrape my toes; darn big feet  >:( .  I need to shift farther off the seat to get the knee down first.  Next year.

move your feet back to have the ball of your foot on the peg?

if you think about riding the bike the knee will touch eventually if you think about draggin the knee you will not ride as well and it wont happen.  draggin the knee doesnt mean your going fast.  check out most pro racers knee pucks after a race they rarely drag them but simply let them hit the ground so they know their posistion in the corner at a certain speed.  ride the bike bike it will come, or get bigger pucks. [bacon]

The only thing I really drag is the kickstand. If I still  have my monster at the next track day I'm going to remove it and just bring my rear stand with me. It gets a little hairy going around a left turn and dragging it.

I assume then you would have an assistant there to help you get the bike on/off the stand...or is there some trick I don't know about?

it takes getting used to, but you can balance a bike with your left hand on the pillion portion of the seat(or on top of the cowl) if you have a good sense of balance with the bike and move the stand into place with your right hand and prop it up....I would normally lean the bike on my leg and whip the stand around into rough position and place it as close to propping on the swingarm and then hold the bike with one hand while propping with the other...


of course, generally people are nice around the pits and if you need a hand and need someone to "stand" you, just call out and usually someone will...it is what I did when I didn't have my GF there to be my "umbrella girl/pit pregnant dog"...of course, I made things a whole lot easier when I got a Baxley Sport Chock....but that is a horse of a different color.

You can use an assistant, if you have one around and willing.  And appropriately dressed in hot pants and a boobie shirt.  Example from a local AFM rider at a Sears Point Weekend:  
http://www.seppes.com/People/Portraits/Katie-and-Siglin/13512854_UwjEV#956876315_DyvDq (http://www.seppes.com/People/Portraits/Katie-and-Siglin/13512854_UwjEV#956876315_DyvDq)     NOTE:  NSFW

I often ride my bike into a sport chock that holds the front wheel (http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html (http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html)), get off the bike and then throw it on a rearstand and use the rearstand to pull it out of the chock.

Alternatively, you stop the bike near your rear stand (make sure you leave your rear stand in an accessible place), hop off the bike while still holding it upright and put it on the rearstand.  It takes a bit of confidence to feel comfortable enough to do this, especially if you're a shorter person.  But if you're track riding, you should get to a point where you can do this by yourself.

Also, with my shitty 250 race bikes, sometimes I'd just put 'em in gear and lean 'em against a wall or a pole.  What, they gonna get scratched or sumptin?   [laugh]

you can also easily get your bike off a spooled stand  by "stopping" the stand with your right foot in front of the wheels and pushing the bike forward.

Why bother with a rearstand?  I just leave mine in the wheel chock.

OK, figured it out while I was typing--you use tire warmers?

Yup.  Otherwise I just leave it there. 

I need one of these at the track. I doubt I would be able to afford it.