[Ducati] Demo Ride experience of 848 (1098?)

[Rardin & Carroll Architects]

Well I am really surprised the comments and advise that has been generated from this topic.  I must admit that my 1999 Ducati 748 is my first bike ever.  After doing my first track day back in 1999 at Little Talladega,  I knew I wanted to learn more about this sport.  I started doing more and more track days and reading more books and talking with people to help improve on my riding.  As my love affair with the bike, the brand and the sport,  I was like a little kid.  While watching the AMA, WSK and MotoGP guys race and studying them as riders and their approach I began to implement some techniques at track days.  My true desire is do a Kevin Schwantz or Keith Code school.  But last year after helping a local kid who was racing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup raise money and get exposure in the local area,  I began to look at the 125 and 250 bikes differently.  Watching him race at last years Road Atlanta race my interest was peaked about riding 125 or 250.  Then I heard about the 450 track bike series that was being created and the bikes that they are building for this series.  I began to learn it was about the corner speed.  The new MotoGP bikes are smaller cc but are just as fast as the 990cc bikes.  Watching those guys race side by side in a corner and then being in the right position for the next corner got my wheels turning about how to approach my corners at track days.  I usually just follow the line around tracks til I get in a position to pass someone.   But since we can only pass on the outside,  if I position my self on the outside of the rider and hold that line,  that will set me up nicely for the next corner.  I am to old and have to many responsibilities at home to even think about a real racing career.  But I would like to one day graduate to the advance class.  Some people say go in the advance class and you will learn so much more.  I do not want a baptism by fire or sink or swim situation.  So when the time is right maybe one day I will step up.  But for now I just want to learn, learn as much as I can.  Even though I started late in my life to riding bikes I am like a sponge.  Remaining coach able and a student of this sport.  Pending on plans on weather to go to Las Vegas and then go see WSK in Utah (see Troy Bayliss before he retires),  I plan to attend the track day at my favorite track Roebling Road for the 2008 US DESMO event.  My last track day there in 2007,  I received a rare comment from one of the instructors on how well I was riding.  That day I was feeling pretty good and everything was working right.  But I still want to learn and improve.  I want to get to the level where I can notice the difference in what the tires are doing and suspension adjustments.  The difference in brand of tires other than the profile of the tire, but compounds and tire pressures.  I want to become a student of the sport.  I read how the MotoGP guys communicate with their engineers and how they make adjustments to get the bike working right.  I hope and pray that what I learn I can pass down to my son,  who maybe one day might be the next American MotoGP champion?

 Willie F. Spight Jr.
 Voice: 423-894-3242
 Fax: 423-894-2839
 bill at churchdesigners.com on 2/7/2008
 http://www.churchdesigners.com