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

[Barry]

Hey Willie

Its good to hear your enthusiasm. Like you I started in track and racing at
a later time in my life. I bought my first Ducati Monster 1000 in 2005 and I
couldn't believe what a beautiful smooth bike it was, I was hooked. All of a
sudden I started watching super bike racing and became very interested in
how Ducati was doing and started learning about there racing history.

That fall of 2005 I sold some of my previous business assets and purchased a
track ready 748 mono. I bought the haynes manual and got on this site and
tried to learn as much as possible about my track bike. I decided to take a
race school up here in Canada in May of 2006. I loved it, I had my bike
painted Ducati red she looked great.I had one of the pro racers come up to
me who was teaching and he said I was doing fine but I was painfully slow.
Anyways I raced in Novice, 1st practice session I had a low side crash, but
we both came out of it O.K. I was pushing too hard for my experience level.
So any ways that race weekend end I ended up in last place both races but I
survived and was learning. I practiced a lot at track days and listened to
all advise I was getting. By the next race week end I ended up placing 10
out of 15, I felt like I one the race.

The track I race at is quite short but very technical, its 1.8 kilometers
long or about 1.3 miles. Like I have heard from other Ducatiists we do well
in corners but get taken on the straights, dido for me. I did some mods like
different sprockets just to improve my drive out of the corner for the one
straight. I moved up to Intermediate classes and always finished in the
middle of the pack. The last race of the year was a cold September here, I
had trouble with my rear stand stuck in my back axle and ended up starting
from pit lane. I was half a lap down but caught 2 guy's in a short 10 lap
race before it was done.

Next season I was lucky to have help installing a 916 motor for 2007. My
goal was top 5 in Supertwins class. I ended up taking 3rd in the
championship. That 916 motor gave me just enough grunt to patch up my
straight problems, my corner speed has been developed from the 748 and still
with the 916 which is only producing 10 more horses. So Willie try racing
you'll love it, just make sure you take care of yourself first with the best
protection possible, and never ride over your limits. I am very lucky to
only have had the one crash in 2 years. I have been very close many times to
having other crashes but it was because of brakes locking up, or hitting a
false neutral, also one guy hit my back end, but I stayed with it and saved
her, I have been cut off into the grass as well but just kept riding her and
stayed off the brakes. I find track days to be less predictable than racing,
take the extra step and see what you can do. I'm 46 now, just take it a step
at a time. I have dreams of racing with Troy Bayliss as well, who knows
everything can be possible its us who stop ourselves from chasing far out
dreams( and money )

Barry


On 2/7/08 12:28 PM, "Rardin & Carroll Architects" <bill at churchdesigners.com>
wrote:

> 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
> 
> *****
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