Ducatis Make Me Do Stupid Things...

[desmoquattro]

What is it about riding that damn Supersport that turns me into a raving lunatic idiot?

Coming home from Motojava today, I was cruising down Mission. About 11th St, I was rolling about 30mph and had a green light. A guy with a cane started jaywalking, against the light, and right into my path. He kept looking at me with contempt, as if he was daring me to keep going. And all I could think of was some advice Spidey had given on the board a while back...so I kicked it down a gear, lofted the front wheel, and wheelied past the douchebag...one hand on the bars, the other one flipping him the bird for acting like such a dick. He started laughing, and gave me a thumbs-up.

As I rolled away, I wondered what would make me act like that. Then I realized that I hadn't been on a Ducati in over two weeks. That explains it...

[Michael Moore]

I thought doing stupid things was the reason we bought these machines in the first place?

[desmoquattro]

I thought doing stupid things was the reason we bought these machines in the first place?

Yeah. It really is. But I kind of figured I'd need a supermoto to get to this level of idiocy.

[Spidey]

Man, I'm having soo much trouble consitently wheelie-ing the M1000SS.  Part of it is the ridiculous front end bias and the really high pegs, part of it is that when it actually comes up in 1st, it comes up sooo f'n fast its terrifying and hard to control, and part of it is that I'm psychologically scarred by how it become the M1000SS in the first place.  I was much better at wheelies ('cept for the looping it part) when it was just an M1000.  I suppose it requires more 2d gear wheelies, just to get the front end up a bit slower.  I wish I knew how to clutch wheelie, but that isn't the bike on which to practice.  And it doesn't help that the clutch is fried right now. 

All that aside, I'm still a big advocate of wheelie-ing at jaywalkers.  

[desmoquattro]

Man, I'm having soo much trouble consitently wheelie-ing the M1000SS.  Part of it is the ridiculous front end bias and the really high pegs, part of it is that when it actually comes up in 1st, it comes up sooo f'n fast its terrifying and hard to control, and part of it is that I'm psychologically scarred by how it become the M1000SS in the first place.  I was much better at wheelies ('cept for the looping it part) when it was just an M1000.  I suppose it requires more 2d gear wheelies, just to get the front end up a bit slower.  I wish I knew how to clutch wheelie, but that isn't the bike on which to practice.  And it doesn't help that the clutch is fried right now. 

All that aside, I'm still a big advocate of wheelie-ing at jaywalkers.  

Do you have a 14 tooth front sprocket on that thing? Believe me...it makes it easier. And a lightened flywheel does too.

[Spidey]

Do you have a 14 tooth front sprocket on that thing? Believe me...it makes it easier. And a lightened flywheel does too.

That's actually part of the problem.  While it's not a 14T, I think I'm either +2 or +3 in the rear.  With the lightened flywheel, an SBK throttle tube and the engine work, it spins up really fast.  It's actually a pretty hard bike to ride smoothly because of how f'n twitchy the throttle is.   (Wonder if a custom map will help?  It should.)

So here's what happens.  The rearsets are really far up and I'm waaaaay over the front end.  As a result, it takes a lot of throttle to get it over that initial bit where it only comes up a foot or so.  But then, once it's at that point, I've got so much throttle into it and it spins up so fast and it just wants to flip right up.  It's hard to modulate the throttel because of the twitchiness of the throttle and the speed that it comes up.  Additionally, because of my foot position, I have less control over the bike.  I'm basically sitting on the tank with my feet way up high.  

I think I have to start experimenting with stand-ups.  I think that'll make it easier to control when it comes up.  Right now, it's downright scary when it comes up too fast.  

[tigre]

Could be gearing might help you.  Possibly in either direction...   

That's actually part of the problem.  While it's not a 14T, I think I'm either +2 or +3 in the rear.  With the lightened flywheel, an SBK throttle tube and the engine work, it spins up really fast.  It's actually a pretty hard bike to ride smoothly because of how f'n twitchy the throttle is.   (Wonder if a custom map will help?  It should.)

So here's what happens.  The rearsets are really far up and I'm waaaaay over the front end.  As a result, it takes a lot of throttle to get it over that initial bit where it only comes up a foot or so.  But then, once it's at that point, I've got so much throttle into it and it spins up so fast and it just wants to flip right up.  It's hard to modulate the throttel because of the twitchiness of the throttle and the speed that it comes up.  Additionally, because of my foot position, I have less control over the bike.  I'm basically sitting on the tank with my feet way up high.  

I think I have to start experimenting with stand-ups.  I think that'll make it easier to control when it comes up.  Right now, it's downright scary when it comes up too fast.  

[mostrobelle]

There was a group of stunters in a random parking lot around my neighborhood this afternoon.  I'm not sure what they were doing there, but they seemed to be on top of things and not your normal group of squids.  This one guy was a bit older and he was stunting a Harley.  Alas...I did not see anyone doing anything "stupid" on a Ducati.

[Spidey]

Could be gearing might help you.  Possibly in either direction...   

Closer to stock would definitely help with wheelies.  It'd come up slower and more comfortablu.  But then it would suck more to ride when I'm not on one wheel. 

Man, a throw-away stunt bike would be fun.   [moto]

[desmoquattro]

Closer to stock would definitely help with wheelies.  It'd come up slower and more comfortablu.  But then it would suck more to ride when I'm not on one wheel. 

Man, a throw-away stunt bike would be fun.   [moto]

I know of an R6 in a garage in Noe Valley that could be used for one. Come to think of it, I know of a perfectly good Husky supermoto in that same garage...not a bad stunt bike either

[jimboecv]

give me a budget and I'll keep an eye out.  I look at CL and every moto-board you can imagine daily looking for people who are selling or looking for something.
i just found a SWEET R1200C Phoenix for a guy!

[Spidey]

Thanks, but no thanks, Jim.  I've gotta clear the garage of all the junked bikes before I start making any new purchases.  My next bike is either an SV, a 916 or a dirtbike.

[desmoquattro]

Thanks, but no thanks, Jim.  I've gotta clear the garage of all the junked bikes before I start making any new purchases.  My next bike is either an SV, a 916 or a dirtbike.

I, on the other hand, will be in the market for a new ride in the next 4-6 months

[Spidey]

I, on the other hand, will be in the market for a new ride in the next 4-6 months

What kinda bike?  Currently, you've got the SS, the S4r and the commuting slut, right?

[desmoquattro]

What kinda bike?  Currently, you've got the SS, the S4r and the commuting slut, right?

That's the current lineup...DESMOQ, the bumblebee, and the blue cockroach. But I gotta get back down to 2 bikes...for the garage space, maintenance, and my sanity. So, if things go well this winter, the two ducs will be gone, replaced by a bike with four digits and a letter in its name