Taking the 848 to the track...

So, ever since I picked up (or first thought about for that matter) the 848, the goal has always been to take her to the track, and my hope has always been that the new 848 would be a lighter, faster, better handling version of the 748, which I raced for 4 years and thoroughly enjoyed.

While I was up at the track last race weekend with Boston Moto slinging Pirelli tires (the best tires on the planet, mind you!)... Mr. Charles Sandoz from Seacoast Sport Cycles (where I bought my 848 from, and a fantastic dealer), mentioned they were having a Ducati trackday in conjunction with Dunbar Euro Sports (another fantastic local Ducati shop). This day happened to have a perfect forcast and was an oppourtunity I couldn't pass up!

So, I got ahead of myself here a bit... as over the past few weeks as I was getting to know my new 848... I had a list of "wants" and "must-haves" which I feneagled (meaning, well sold my kidney for). First things first was to drop a tooth on the front sprocket, which I had Seacoast do prior to my taking delivery of the bike. I highly recommend this to anyone with an 848, as even with a 14T front, the gearing is still somewhat tall (in my opinion). Next up after getting 600 miles on her (which took all of 2 weekends of riding!) were Termingoni slipons with a Ducati Performance ECU and air filter.

I had been contemplating suspension upgrades as I planned all along to do some serious track work with this bike, so after talking with Dan Kyle about my options, I decided to have the Seacoast boys install a 25mm Ohlins Cartridge Kit in the forks, as I really didn't have the time to drop my forks and send them out for service. Seacoast was kind enough to let me borrow a bike to ride in the meantime, and after a couple of days I was back to pick up my recently serviced and tweaked steed.

Key-in, thumb starter and.... ::smile:: that's what a Ducati should sound like :D Jesse grabs a ruler and we quickly set the sag and I'm on my way. Enjoying the mechanical symphony unleashed by the new exhaust, I can instantly feel two things: The front is planted, and the rear is all over the place (for more on the stock suspension and initial impressions, refer to my prior blog). Any thoughts being harbored about putting off a shock were quickly erased, but if the front was any indication I started to get my first glimpse of what the end result would be. Needless to say I was encouraged, even if my wallet was not.

It didn't take long for me to be on the phone again with Dan Kyle, of Kyle Racing. As we had discussed, a TTX out back would do quite nicely. Originally I had planned to get the Kyle Racing suspension link and the TTX modified to suit, but currently suffering sticker shock... I decided to hold off on the race link and modifying the TTX. For now, I had DK send me a TTX sprung for me, and I'd do the install myself. Next on the list would be triple clamps, which Kyle Racing was working on a non-adjustable set with 30mm of offset... and I decided to wait for those to become available as well.... I'm still waiting, eagerly! The TTX showed up a couple of days later (super fast shipping!) and I began to plan for the install.

I had also been talking with Ted Duncan, of Duncan Moto about some Woodcraft rearsets and frame sliders.. as we were talking about what I had planned for the 848, Ted offered up a Heindl Swingarm Pivot Stand I could borrow to make the job easier. I've come to call Mr. Duncan "The Man" to just about anyone I talk to lately, as he has been nothing but overly kind, generous and helpful the past couple of weeks. Duncan Moto is currently building a shop in Brighton, MA and I can't wait to check it out... anyone local to Boston should do themselves a favor and pay Ted a visit. Another great guy I had the pleasure of doing business with... in fact, I'm nearly as pleased with the experiences I've had with vendors while I've been putting this bike together, as I've had riding the bike itself! It's nice to have such positive experiences while getting a bike sorted out for track duty, anyone who'se done it can attest it is no easy task getting everything just right, and having helpful professionals along the way goes a long way toward making the whole experience easier. Here's how the TTX looked installed along with the SATO racing ride height adjuster...
So my roommate who works down the road from Ted's shop stopped by and picked up the stand, rearsets and framesliders for me and later that night I got down to business. My best friend Geoff stopped over to wash his car and help out with the install, along with a couple of local guys with 848's who would be joining in my fall trip to VIR. Overall, the install went pretty smoothly, or as smoothly as can be expected considering one has to remove the exhaust system entirely, swear a lot, and generally struggle with getting access to many nuts and bolts to complete the job. Fortunately I'd done a shock installation on my teammate's 1098S before, which had prepared me for what to expect. The Heindl stand made the job SO much easier, and I enjoyed the stand so much I plan to buy it from Ted in the near future. That may have been part of his generous offer to let me borrow it all along... hmmm.

After getting the shock and ride height adjuster in, I bolted up the rearsets and decided to call it enough wrenching for the night and go for a spin... I was pretty exicted to see what the bike felt like with it's new suspenders on....


I wasn't disappointed, as we rode down 93 into Boston to meet up with some local riders off the New England Street Riders forum, I was no longer getting tossed out of my seat over the expansion joints in the highway. The bike felt firm, but composed.. and my hesitations of getting the suspension done NOW quicky started to fade.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to being at the track and hearing of the trackday... I headed home after the race weekend and went back to settling into the new house (oh yeah, I had moved in the midst of all of this, and in the middle of a race weekend.... fun stuff.). I took some time to take off the wheels and head down to Jeff (from NESR)'s house and have some slicks mounted up. Jeff spoons on the sticky rubber and I'm back home in no time.... load up the trailer and gear and head to NH to spend the night at my mom's house, a mere 20 minutes from the track.

Falling asleep on Monday night, I could hardly control my excitement for the following day and my first chance to see the fruit of all of this labor.

Tuesday morning comes and I head out to the track, arriving about 7:45 am. I unload and start to prep the bike (I hadn't even had a chance to tape up lights, etc). I'm instructing in the morning's "follow-the-leader" sessions, and will have to wait a bit to get some fast laps in. This was likely a blessing in disguise, as I eased into the day. Starting with the beginner group at a very, very controlled pace... each successive group, and session saw the pace start to creep up. The 6th session of the day (2nd session for the Advanced riders) was the first open session, and I headed out eager to see what the bike could do. The motor was as intoxicating as I remembered, she steered ultra quick, and the suspension felt pretty much spot on. The quick steering is something that would have to be addressed, as the lean angle increased... my confidence in the front decreased proportionally. Something I expected from a bike with so little trail. I come back to the pits and take a full turn out of the ride height, grab some water, gas up the bike and head back out.

Much improved, but still quick and as I am attempting to get a knee down I am still without total confidence in the front end. Another turn of ride height comes out, and I decide to let Jesse from Seacoast burn a couple laps to see what he thinks. He comes to the hot pit where I'm standing (and looking on, anxiously...) and mentions the front feels fantastic, but the rear tire felt a bit greasy. I look at the tire and the wear looks great, so I head to the pits and check my presures while the tire is smokin hot (I had set cold pressures, but had not as of yet checked the hot pressures). Front is at 35, rear about 34... a weeeee on the high side. I drop things down to 31 front, 27 rear and head back out...

WOOOOOOOOW. THERE is the grip I've been looking for! The bike now almost feels truck-like dipping into the turns, and I fear I've taken out too much ride height while on incorrect pressures... and almost come in after a lap, but as I continue on my 2nd lap of the session.. the bike starts to turn in a bit easier. The tires have heat in them now, and this seems to make the difference. She feels like my old 748 racebike did, but lighter, easier to turn and a lot... a lot... faster.

Pretty soon I'm up to speed, and start to get a knee down... something that I haven't experienced in nearly 5 years. The grin on my face is so big, I would imagine one could see it through my dark-smoked visor! I start to enjoy turn 9 and getting my knee down regularly, which is soon followed by the same in turn 1... then turn 11.. then 2...

I'm having fun at this point, you could say.

I enjoy the next few sessions thoroughly, but at this point (3:30 pm) after instructing all morning and gradually pushing harder and harder in the afternoon... I start to get a bit tired. After all, it's been a few months since I've been on the track, and almost 5 years since I've been comfortable enough to start to push a bike while on track. I decide it's better to end the day early on my terms, than have my day ended early from a mistake.

I pack the bike up and can't stop smiling, and especially not when I think that in less than a month I'll be back out at Loudon and 2 weeks after that... will be heading back to VIR for two days on the North Course.

Sure there are some tweaks to be made, and some parts to be ordered (TRIPLES!!!), but the 848 is taking shape, and beating any expectations I had when I bought the bike.

I couldn't be happier.

Took the plunge and bought a new Ducati 848...

If you couldn't tell of my previous post about the newly announced 848, I have had one in the back of my mind for quite some time. It was perhaps the hardest decision I've had to make in motorcycling to sell my beloved 1992 Ducati 851, but I decided to sell her, and my 2003 Aprilia RSV-R in order to make room for a brand new 2008 Ducati 848. Here's my initial impressions...

So I could hardly sleep last night anticipating my first "real" (e.g.: not mostly highway or in the city) ride on my 848. Fired her up and took my time getting up to Southern NH where I met up with a couple of friends... we eased into the day, eventually finding the better, and faster roads. About an hour in, hit one of my favorite roads, and one I know very well... I couldn't resist, and let it rip... That has to be, by far, the fastest I have *ever* gone down that stretch of twisty tarmac..

Being able to compare the 848 directly to the 675 I had in '06, and the RSV Mille which I sold prior to getting my 848 provides an excellent contrasting reference to judge the 848's qualities against. From the ~250 miles we did today, most of it was in the... erm... decent pace range on nice back roads... She is every bit as light and agile as the 675, but that's where the comparisons end.

The engine is phenomenal and I'm confident she would pull a 675 easily. While the RSV (mine had a 1060 big bore kit) has one of the gruntiest, most addicting motors I've ever had, the 848 motor I would take in a heart beat. The Mille commands attention and respect, and is a complete bear to handle below 4k rpm... you have to pay 100% attention on that bike, where the 848's mill is so smooth and refined, you quickly forget about anything but the natural connection between your right wrist and the ground. And my oh my, does she love to rev!! I was, and am continually amazed at the 848's power up top and the sheer velocity with which the tach goes from 6k rpm to redline... it's so fast, you almost can't react to the shift lights... phenomenal.


One aside, for any of you who havn't changed your gearing... DO SO NOW. Drop 1 tooth on the front sprocket at a MINIMUM. She is STILL geared tall, and lugs on the highway in top gear... I'm debating going up 2 teeth in the rear, and will surely do so for the track (I race / ride at Loudon, which is very tight)... but we'll see how that gearing works for the street. But either way, stock would be simply ridiculous and unwarranted... do yourself a favor and spend the $50 for a 14T front if you buy one of these fantastic machines.

The brakes are just about zen for fast riding, perhaps a *scosh* soft for full on racing, but anything shy of that and I can't find one, single fault with them. 'Nuf said! The 675's binders were good, but did not offer nearly the same paradigm of feel, and the RSV's brakes were definitely grabby. The addition of radial masters is a huge improvement (vs. the Mille or older Ducs), and the fact that the 848/1098/1098R do NOT use 4 pad calipers is a sign that Brembo may have "admitted" getting something wrong with that caliper.... they are known for being excessively grabby and maintenance intensive. I see no such issues arising with the 4 piston, 2 pad setup on the 848, they are amazing!

The suspension was vastly improved with some fiddling... after riding her home from the shop, I took a solid 2 full turns out of the preload on the rear shock, and finally got my sag set at 32mm front / rear. Bounced the forks, and WAY too stiff, so the clicks come almost all the way out (I'm 225 lbs, mind), and the bike STILL feels stiff, but now in a good way. The more I rode today, the more I liked the way she's set up now...the bumps never upset the chassis and she drove hard out of corners. I would give the 848 a healthy advantage over the 675, but this is the one category where the Mille R simply outclasses the 848. As good as the 848 is, it's no match for Ohlins R&T forks and fully adjustable Ohlins Shock that was standard equipment on the Mille R models at the time. That said, after reading forum after forum, I was prepared for the worst with the 848's suspension, but after some fiddling I am quite happy with the stock setup... at least for the street. I will still be bringing the bike to GMD as soon as I can afford the visit for a Penske Triple Clicker and some SBK valving in the forks, but at least for now I won't be parking the bike anytime soon, that's for sure! But I also won't be pushing the bike at or near it's limits, but up to around 90% or basically for street riding... the stock stuff offers a firm but sure footed ride and at least the adjustments I made had a noticeable effect. I'm tempted to dial out some more preload and maybe she'll get even better!

However, if you're anywhere south of 180 lbs, the suspension is down right dangerously stiff.... get your shop or a local suspension guru to swap out the springs and get everything dialed in asap!!! I weigh 225 and had 20mm of sag when I first sat on the bike... that is way, way less than even a full on track setup, and not acceptable for street riding. So I guess this might be the ONLY occasion where being a bigger guy means good things on a Ducati superbike...

Other items like the dash are very trick and cool gadgetry, I've found the dash to be very easy to read and get used to, although the shift lights do NOT all come on as approaching the rev limiter, but I think this is something I need to program in. I was surprised to bounce off the limiter and only have the first shift light illuminated! The computer has all kinds of neat functions I haven't begun to figure out, and the warning lights / blinker lights / etc are all easily noticeable, I even noticed them in time to turn off my blinkers, something I am horribly notorious for forgetting to do whilst street riding.

Even the sound... stock, is addicting. Perhaps the best sounding stock Ducati I've ever heard. It's that happy medium between hearing the beautiful music and drawing too much attention to yourself. 'Course that said, I'll be getting the Termi slip-ons and ECU at the 600 mile service, which I kinda need after 1 weekend of riding!

Perhaps the ONE drawback is the seat after 200+ miles definitely gets a little hard. I've already planned for a Sargent seat and will look into bar-risers, just to get em up a touch... because this will be my only bike for a while she'll need to work at the track, and on 300+ mile trips to VT. I think it's off to a good start though

So.... to wrap things up, this was the most fun I've had on the street in as long as I can remember... I'd gotten into the habit of not looking forward to street rides lately, as there simply is nowhere suitable for the mother-of-an-engine the Mille has... it was no fun around town, and needed wide open spaces to romp. I was afraid the 848 would be similar, but the engine is so playful, just begging you to click through the gears... it was like my first trip to the track, or first ride on my very first street bike. I was giggling in my helmet anytime a small crest of a hill approached... one click into 2nd and the wheel lofts down in the air with ease, and very much composed. I even got the front to hover about 6-10" driving out of a corner from first through a change into 2nd (whilst fairly leaned over, mind!!), which I can't remember ever accomplishing on the street before... or at least without a serious lump in my throat appearing shortly there-after! No muss, no fuss, no drama.. just brake, turn, twist, grip and away she goes.. just, breathtaking really.

I had huge, HUGE reservations buying my first-ever brand new Ducati... some nagging voices in my head saying, "Will I regret not getting an 1098?" Or... man, that's a lot of $$ for what might be something I can only enjoy on the track.... Today put those nagging voices to bed, forever. The 848 is the perfect bike. At least for me... (for now)

Big thanks to Seacoast Sport Cycle Ducati in Derry, NH for providing the most satisfying purchasing experience I've ever had. Charles and his staff have earned my business for years to come!

I will be chronicling the track-setup progress as I upgrade the suspension and get her ready for her track debut October 13-14 at Virginia International Raceway.

Boston Moto, your source for Pirelli racing tires!

So it has been quite some time since my last post, and much news to discuss.... The biggest being the creation of Boston Moto, the exclusive track-side supplier of Pirelli racing tires in New England. We issued a press release in Road Racing World and had our first track session for Tony's Trackdays on July 15-16, followed closely by the Loudon Road Racing Series. All in all, the feedback from riders and racers was fantastic, and everyone seemed generally happy with the level of customer service they received, and just to have racers up there starting a business. Our single goal is to provide a higher level of service, and feedback than riders have grown accustomed to, and to help grow Pirelli tires to the point where riders on Pirellis are at the top step of the podium more often than not. It's a long, uphill battle.. but it will be worth it.

By just being at the track, I have also gotten bit by the bug very, very badly, and am contemplating a new track bike. As per my last posts regarding the 848, I will be test-riding one the first chance I get, and will keep you posted with a full review. Stay tuned.

2009 FIM World Superbike Championship Opening Round - Qatar

As the weekend draws near, the 2009 FIM World Superbike Championship is set to get under way.  The new rules pit 1200cc twins against 1000cc inline fours with similar modification restrictions, it should be an interesting year indeed.  The plethora of storylines entering this year should provide for some exciting racing throughout the season, perhaps most notable of the offseason developments (aside from the rule changes) is the departing of the current World Champion James Toesland who is off to bigger and better things in MotoGP alongside Colin Edwards.  All eyes are on Troy Bayliss to see if he can return to form aboard the new 1198cc 1098R, having the same rider who has won on the 996, 999 and is now aboard the 1098R should show some interesting comparisons.... and he's already been blazingly quick in pre-season testing.

Another team / riders to keep an eye on is the Yamaha squad of Troy Corser and "Nitro" Noriyuki Haga.  Haga has been in the top 3 in testing this year, and if he can jump to a fast start (unlike previous years) his penchant for finishing the season strong could take the championship down to the wire.  Corser will also benefit from a full years' development of the R1.

Of course, much of the media hype will surround Max Biaggi who for the first time in years poses a credible threat of an Italian rider on an Italian marque.  While the duo of Biaggi and Xaus is officially a "sattelite" effort, it will be interesting to see their speed as the season progresses.  At the opening this weekend, Ducatis across the grid should be in relatively equal trim.

While I couldn't be happier for Casy Stoner and the Ducati MotoGP success last year, I have been anticipating an "even" playing field in WSBK for years.  Some may argue that the displacement advantage is unfair, however it's far more even-keeled than the 1000cc vs. 750cc days and that's a debate for another time.  This year will be far more interesting than last year where the 999 was completely outclassed and a 2 year old bike, and it will be good to see all the major manufacturers together with a fighting chance, something not seen since 2000-2001 vintage.  

All is shaping up for a phenomenal year to be a race fan, and if this year doesn't do it... the confirmation of BMW entering the series in 2009, likely to be joined by KTM and Aprilia should only whet the pallet of WSBK fans everywhere.

Forza Ducati!

The Pilgrimage of the Worshipers of Speed by Jonathan Whitney

Maybe it's because it's winter time and we're all going through withdrawls, but here is yet another fantastic story told by Jonathan Whitney and submitted to superbikeplanet's "Face in the Crowd," a series of articles written and submitted by fans and readers of superbike planet.   I thoroughly enjoyed this read...

Birth of the 4 Valve Ducati by Alan Cathcart

This was so phenomenally good that I *had* to repost in my blog.  Alan Cathcart writes for Classic Racer about the brand new 4 Valve Ducati Desmo 851 Racer... which he was the only motojournalist to ride in an article entitled "Lucky Desmo."  Enjoy!

Positive Signs from AMA Racing, and a Bold 2008 Daytona 200 Predicition!

The AMA recently released it's Supplemental 2008 Rules package which specifies rule changes applying to twin cylinder motorcycles from 1000cc to 1200cc, this effectively allows 1200cc twins for AMA Superbike competition.  (Full details on this supplemental package can be found here and the full AMA Rulebook page is here).  This is the first time in recent memory where the AMA has followed rule changes adopted by the FIM (for World Superbike) in a timely manner, and hopefully shows that AMA Racing has indeed turned a new page.  Don't get your hopes up just yet, as there has been no supplemental rules issued pertaining to 1000cc four cylinders, and while allowing 1200cc twins is a step in the right direction to level the playing field, one section of the supplemental package stands out, section 3.15 regarding pistons.  This section simply states that piston "kits" must be homologated, or the pistons must remain unchanged from the original piston design.  While I fully agree with this stipulation for Superbike racing, due to it's close ties to production motorcycles, I am weary as to whether similar stipulations will be released governing the four cylinders... or if it will be "business as usual" with the factory bikes utilizing parts that even the top privateer teams can't dream of ever obtaining.  Hopefully the full 2008 rulebook will come out soon, or a supplement regarding the 4 cylinder bikes with similar stipulations.  Until that happens, I'm afraid I won't pay much attention to AMA Superbike this season, or any future season for that matter, until the gap between factory teams and privateer teams is made considerably smaller.

By all accounts, the AMA is serious about improving the sport, and will continue to focus on technical governance now that the rights to the Superbike are for sale (as mentioned here by AMA President Rob Dingman [am I the only one who finds it hilarious the AMA's new President is named... Dingman???]  in an interview with Superbikeplanet.com).  Hopefully this will work out to yield better marketing and control of the "product" and better technical oversight and rule making.   I'm certain I am not alone in hoping for this to prove true.

So 1200cc twins will be allowed in AMA Superbike this year, it remains to be seen how competitive they will be, or how competitive the series as a whole will be... lets hope it's not another Yoshimura parade... 

Oh and if you hadn't paid attention to Pegram Racing's efforts in Formula Extreme last year, it may be news that twins are allowed 850cc's in AMA Formula Extreme.  While Larry put on quite a show to finish 4th aboard his bored-out 749R last year, the 848 is being hailed by motorcycle.com saying,  "it might just be the bike to beat for the class title" and I can't wait to see how it stacks up in the upcoming Daytona 200, as I think it will turn more than a few heads... Remember, you heard it here first:  Pegram will take the 200 this year.

Tune in Sunday March 8th and you just may see some history...