Pirelli Masters of Morgan Park Race Report

[Mike_SS]

The Good -
Slashed my PB on the Yamaha and ran some consistently fast times in early sessions
Greatly exceeded my expectations on the Ducati
Had a lot of laughs

The Bad -
Crashed the Ducati
Had a run in with officialdom about my race licence (my fault)

The Ugly
Waking up this morning feeling like I have been hit by a truck
Just remembering I haven't unloaded the trailer yet


Friday Practice Day

Headed out in the first session with newly tuned suspension and a change to Pirelli tyres. The sessions for race bikes were divided into up to 750cc and over 750cc. I went out in the up to 750cc group and basically just rode around scrubbing in tyres and practicing overtaking with lots of 250s and 400s running around. I ended up in some clear track so I pushed on a bit but not too hard. I only got one clear lap in and the session was over. I was absolutely amazed that that one clear lap was a full second faster than my previous PB!!

Did another couple of sessions on the YZF and ran consistently below the old PB and reduced it another 3/10 tenths. Feeling quite happy with that I took the Ducati out after lunch and surprisingly was only 2 seconds slower on it. I was quite happy with that as well as this is my road bike and the only 'race prep' I had done was race glass,lock wiring and a set of Pirelli Supercorsa tyres (road).

Back to the Yamaha for the last sessions and ran consistent times all around my new PB

Saturday Qualifying

I had two qualifying sessions on each bike on Saturday morning and ran around about the same times as Friday. This put me 7th (out of 12) in Pre Modern on the Yamaha and 8th (out of 20 something) for BEARs Formula 3/4/5. The 7th in Pre Modern doesn't sound that great but I was still happy as I was much closer to the guys in front that I have been. I was very Happy with the 8th in BEARs because I only took the Ducati out for some more track time and a 'bit of fun'.

Saturday Racing

First up was BEARs. After making a meal of my first ever race start on the Ducati I made up some ground and tagged on to the back of two of the regular BEARs runners from down south. They were going pretty hard at each other and I was happy to sit behind them and be entertained. They gapped me a bit at one stage when I hesitated overtaking someone but I caught them up again and we all crossed the line close together. I finished 7th and had a grin from ear to ear after that race as it was a whole lot of fun. Even a bigger grin when I saw i had a done a time within 1/10th of my previous PB on the 'race' bike!!

Halfway through the first Pre Modern race on the Yamaha I got the first indication that I had been a bit ambitious entering two classes. The next BEARs race was a back to back so I had to pull in on the Yamaha jump on the Ducati and go straight out again. I was tiring already but held on to finish 8th (I think). Hmmm, I thought, it is only Saturday and I am tiring already! HTFU and get on with it was the only answer I could come up with

Did the swap over in the pits and went out and gridded up for BEARs. With the progressive grids I was up one spot but I made an even worse job of the start and headed into turn 1 amongst an enormous pack that had caught me. Surrounded by bikes of all types and hearing the sound of locked up wheels I did my best to avoid everyone and surrendered a bunch of positions. At Morgan Park you come out of Turn 3 flat out in 3rd or 4th (depending on what you are riding) and it is downhill to Turn 4 which is a very tight right hander. I have seen 2 bikes go through there side by side but as we hit the braking area I realised there were 3 of us all looking at the same line and I was on the inside. I had already decided that I wasn't going to risk having my front chopped off and to let the 2 wider guys go through when a motard came down the inside of me at a great rate of knots. (I think he may have thought I was going to go for it but then had to adjust when I pulled up more than he had allowed for). He then grabbed a big hand full and stoppied straight into the side of one of the wider guys who by now had come around in front of me. Somehow I avoided the carnage and pressed on. I had no idea where I was in the scheme of things so I just tried to push hard and see what happened. What happened was that I ran out of ability and folded the front end trying to out brake a motard into Turn 4 on the next lap. Me and the Ducati Went for a bit of a slide down the road. Surprisingly I was able to get up and pick the bike up and get it started so I rode back to the pits to survey the damage. A bit of bark off my hand, a bent rear brake lever and some scratches was the only damage.

Due to some stoppages earlier in the day the last Pre Modern race was run at about at 4:45 in the afternoon. At that time of the day in Autumn in Queensland the sun is very low in the sky. As well as being tired and having a bit of a dent in my confidence from the crash I also really struggled with seeing the track. Half the corners you had the sun in your eyes and the other half were in deep shadow. Everyone had to deal with it but it showed in the lap times that it wasn't just me struggling with it. On about the second lap I 'took a guess' at where the apex for Turn 1 was and got it wrong. I hit the ripple strip on the inside of the turn and that pretty much ended any interest I had in the race. With thoughts of not wanting to crash two bikes on the same day I just rode around slowly for the remaining laps.

Saturday Night Strategy Meeting

We have a fairly tight group in Pre Modern so on Saturday night over a dodgy vindaloo and generous amounts of rum and beer we discussed some options. Graham who was cross entered in Pre Modern and BEARs Formula 2 on his 916 had some major issues with his clutch in his last race. He was winning Formula 2 and running 3rd in Pre Modern so we all agreed that if required he would take the clutch out of my 748 to get him through Sunday. That done I stopped thinking about what I was going to do on Sunday and poured more rum over my aches and pains

Sunday Racing

By the time I got to the track Graham had already pulled his clutch apart and found his problem. The clutch hub nut had come off!! He had it back on in no time and didn't require any parts from my bike. Decision time! I was feeling pretty good (apart from the effects of the vindaloo and rum) so I decided to go out on the Ducati for the morning warm up. It all felt good so I was up for both classes again. Due to the DNF I was back to 23rd on the grid for the first BEARs race. Even though I had backed off the pace a fair bit I still had fun as the field was big enough that I found others to play with throughout the race. Finished 14th.

I did one more BEARs race started from 14th and finished 14th. I was running 2 to 3 seconds slower than the first race but had a ball playing with a couple of motard riders and finished with a grin on my face again.

In Pre Modern I did the warm up (but didn't get any times) and then did one race and was crap. Tired, trying too hard, all the normal excuses. Five riders had pulled out by now so we were down to only 7 on the grid. I was 7th (last).

There were 2 more Pre Modern races to go and I decided I would do 1 and that would be it. I went out and beat 1 into turn 1 and went as hard as I could in the first couple of laps. The guy behind went past on about the 3rd or 4th lap and rode off into the distance. I had got back down near to my faster times in those first few laps so I was OK with that.

At that point, after a practice day, 4 qualifying sessions, 2 warm up sessions,8 races (120 plus laps), 2 nights of rum drinking, lots of laughs, a crash and a bit of soul searching I decided that I would call it a day and skip the last two races. I packed up the trailer and happily went out and watched the last races from the top of the hill.

[JasonL]

Great report Mike, sounds like not getting too wound up beforehand has paid off. Lucky in some respects I suppose that the 748 was only mildly damaged.

Also sounds like a good incentive to stay off the fags and booze too for that extra energy!

I'm curious how the two bikes compare, I've never ridden any Ducatis let alone a 748 or 916; obviously they deliver their power in completely different ways, and I'm guessing the 748 feels lighter and more nimble? What else?

The Motard antics don't surprise me most of those guys are barking mad and I kinda question what half of them are doing out there, frustrated motocrossers or suchlike. And they're always so damn fast too which is offputting. Sticking your leg out on a road race track, come on!

[Mike_SS]

I'm curious how the two bikes compare, I've never ridden any Ducatis let alone a 748 or 916; obviously they deliver their power in completely different ways, and I'm guessing the 748 feels lighter and more nimble? What else?

You are right about the power. The 748 felt gutless when jumping straight off the YZF. It is no doubt slower but not as slow as it feels. As far as feel goes they are chalk and cheese and I am not sure which one I prefer. The 748 is very tall in comparison. I am not short but I can only just put both feet on the ground and struggle to swing a leg over it (old man's hips ) It also feels very short at the front. When you get on it's like you are sitting over the front wheel. I really struggled with gauging where the ground was because you can't scrape anything and I think the only time I touched a knee slider was on the top of a ripple strip. Once I stopped worrying about that it stopped being a problem

Thinking about it I guess it did feel a bit more nimble but there wasn't that much in it. I weighed the YZF at the track and it came in at 188kg with a splash of petrol. The 748 would be about 15kg heavier than that I think.

The other difference I noticed was really more about set up than anything else I think. The Ducati wasn't as planted as the Yamaha under heavy braking over bumps. It also felt like it wanted to tuck the front but I can put that down to the aggresive stance of it. (yes it did tuck the front but that was due to operator error ).

What I found interesting was that 4 or 5 random people, some riders, some spectators, came up to me over the weekend and said how smooth I looked riding the Ducati when compared to riding the Yamaha. This still has me a bit baffled because I don't think my effort was any different on either and while I was slower on the Ducati there was only 1.3 seconds difference between the best times!

Of course this all leads to thoughts such as.."if I am only 1.3s slower with no prep and road tyres how much better could it be..." But "NO" I am telling myself, my pockets are not deep enough to race Ducatis

sounds like not getting too wound up beforehand has paid off

Absolutley. First time I have not had butterflies and I don't miss them. It was interesting to watch our mutual acqaintance, PC, who was home to do the BEARs round. He should have had a clear advantage as he has done plenty of laps here but he had worked himself up so much that his lap times were all over the place on Friday. On Saturday he only out qualified me by 1/10 of a second where he should have been another one to one and a half seconds quicker. It was good to see that by Sunday he had calmed down and put in some good rides to bag some points for the National series.

[spook]

Enjoyable read Mike Glad you survived the weekend with out any 'major' carnage. I think I may fit air horns to my bikes once I get out there again... could always use a nitros bottle to power them...

[sbutler]

Holy crap what a report!!
I had in the back of my head you may be biting a little more than you can chew. Having that many race, & sorting riding styles for two bikes was a big ask.

I really though after your great results at Eastern cr you were over the whole falling off syndrom. You seemed to come to grips with the FZR very well. So things were looking rosie. What a bugger..
But you didnt get hurt & they seem easy fix's.

It might be time to stick to the 1000 to hone your skills on one bike, & settle down to some uneventfull weekends of racing. Besides that you can just hose everyone on the straights & cruise through the corners..

[Mike_SS]

you were over the whole falling off syndrom

Yeah it might sound a bit strange but I don't look at this one quite the same. I found the limit and didn't quite get away with it. Overall I am very happy with the weekend. I learnt some things and improved my times I also just found out that one of the guys I was keeping pace with on the Ducati is leading the National Series in Formula 3. I had a definite home track advantage as Morgan Park is quite technical and you can't just show up there and be really fast but I am still happy that I was even close

P.S. Your old mate Muzz came out again and kicked all of our arses

[JasonL]

Jittery front end, wants to tuck in, tall, feels gutless...sounds like my VFR!
Except you feel quite a long way from the front wheel not on top of it.

Mike, brilliant being that close to guys who in your own words are no slouches

Have you ridden Graham's 916, to see what a set up Duke would be like?? Food for thought maybe?

[duke22]

Sounds like it was a good weekend Mike.

I've ridden both my FZR and my 748 at trackdays and racedays. The 748 feels nervous and jittery by comparison, and is 15hp down on the FZR and 15kg heavier. The funny thing is, my lap times are the same on both bikes...

First time I rode the 748 it just felt weird, but after a few sessions on it I decided it was just the best thing on two wheels. Once I got the hang of the fairly extreme riding position I loved it. On the FZR you pick a line and stick to it, while the 748 goes just where you want, you can tighten your line or run it wide, power it on or off, and it just goes there. Brilliant.

I've actually gone to some trouble now to get that same high seat / low bar configuration on the FZR and find I ride it more aggressively as a result.

The problem I have with the Ducati though is the same one you mention. If you want to race them seriously, they get very expensive...

[Mike_SS]

I've ridden both my FZR and my 748 at trackdays and racedays. The 748 feels nervous and jittery by comparison, and is 15hp down on the FZR and 15kg heavier. The funny thing is, my lap times are the same on both bikes

Yeah it's a funny thing isn't it.

I've actually gone to some trouble now to get that same high seat / low bar configuration on the FZR and find I ride it more aggressively as a result.

Now that is an interesting thing. I was just sitting here having my morning coffee thinking "How can I make the YZF more Ducati like"

Have you ridden Graham's 916, to see what a set up Duke would be like?? Food for thought maybe?

Trip to the poorhouse more likely As nice as it would be to explore that path I am not in a position to be able to do that. I need to focus on the Yamahas for now.

[JasonL]

Mike, appreciate that, just wondered if you'd had a spin on the 916 for comparison's sake (or maybe wise not to, might set you off!) With pre-modern down here at a 10 year old cut-off I'm tempted to get an early SP1 or RSV1000 or even 916 but that's a whole new world of cost and commitment...I'll plug away with the old stuff. The most modern sportsbikes I've ridden are a ZX7 and the early Triumph Daytona 600 so riding an R1 or the like will probably blow my mind.

So the real question to you and Duke is, if the 748 is heavier and down on power, what is it about it that gives you the same lap times?? Corner entry speed? Getting off the corners?? Or put another way, why isn't the Yamaha appreciably quicker? Duke's comment is really interesting and I've heard it so many times about the 748/916, that they feel weird at first but then it clicks and feels like the best thing on two wheels. That common experience gives me a burning curiosity I can tell you! Pity Yamaha never went a V-twin route like so many others, huh?

Hope you can put some pics up when you get them Mike

[spook]

Jason you are forgetting the TLR... sweet engine, essentially a gsxr chassis...and that seat unit. Cheap as chips and all the woes are sorted with an after market shock

in relation to the 748 and even your VFR, underpowerd bikes are quite often relatively easy to get a good lap time out of, with out getting yourself into much trouble as everything remains balanced, and nothing stressed if you know what I mean?

[kiwi60]

Great write up Mike, sounds like you had a ball!!!!!

The problem I have with the Ducati though is the same one you mention. If you want to race them seriously, they get very expensive...

Much the same with any racing though - just think about how much we've sunk into the FZR's getting them to where they are now (and your still going...)

Go to a quiet corner and repeat 50 times - 'there is no such thing as cheap racing'

actually, there must be such a thing as cheap racing, cause I told my wife I was going racing and it wouldn't cost much, and I wouldn't lie to her - would I?

[JasonL]

Spook, quite agree, underpowered bikes are easy to ride to a certain point, I would not get away with some of the cack-handedness I manage on the VFR if I was on...an EXUP for example!

[Mike_SS]

Go to a quiet corner and repeat 50 times - 'there is no such thing as cheap racing'

actually, there must be such a thing as cheap racing, cause I told my wife I was going racing and it wouldn't cost much, and I wouldn't lie to her - would I?

I've spent the last two days telling myself.."You don't ride the Ducati on the road much anyway", "You've still got another road bike",etc,etc.

But no I won't. And if I ever did I wouldn't start with a pretty good condition SPS. If I stumbled across a wreck then maybe..

[duke22]

So the real question to you and Duke is, if the 748 is heavier and down on power, what is it about it that gives you the same lap times??

That's a very good question, and if I had thousands of dollars worth of telemetry gear I could answer it.

The bikes actually feel quite different on the track and its hard to say where one is faster than the other. My best guess is that its corner speed on slower corners - because the Ducati is so nimble you can just chuck it into a corner any old how, and because it has V twin traction and not too much power you can just pour on the throttle on the way out with complete confidence that it won't do anything wrong (and if it does, with complete confidence that you can save it). The 748 eats rear tyres and I'm sure that's because you can push them harder through and out of the corners.

The FZR by comparison doesn't turn in as enthusiastically and so has to be set up for the corner a bit in advance. I think the need to get the corner entry right slows you down (well slows me down anyway!) and stops you attacking corners like you do on the Ducati. I'm sure the FZR is capable of carrying as much corner speed as the Ducati, and on fast sweepers it probably does - but everywhere else it just feels a bit cumbersome, despite being lighter.

We're talking relative here of course! The FZR is still a damn good handling bike.

Like you Jason I'd love to ride 2010 R6 or something for the comparison - presumably they would make the Ducati look old and dated, and it would be great to see what the difference is...

[JasonL]

I know its fairly well reported that YZF750's in particular really come alive when the forks are raised through the clamps and the back is kicked up a bit. I think the V twin and V4 layouts all tend to carry more weight rearwards, plus their delivery characteristics tend to act on the rear end more, hence as you say more rear wear. I'd say my VFR as a very loose comparison is nimble in a way and turns in well, although I wouldn't say it steers well. V engines can be taller too and so the mass is less centralised than an in-line set up, so this all adds to the difference I guess. Plus the V's give that midrange oomph which corresponds to a different segment of the corner exit than otherwise. I'm keen to see how different my EXUP feels on the track, just wheeling it about the garage the weight distribution is vastly different. Another thing that affects turn-in more than we realise is engine braking. I didn't give it too much thought until Murray Clarke lost 2nd gear on his GSXR1100, so he was entering a lot of turns at Oran Park in 3rd and he remarked how much it affected turn-in. Try it - go into a corner a gear higher at race pace and it runs wide. This too is probably a factor in the way the 748 / YZF turn in feels so different.

[Big Jon]

Vindaloo and rum?!, makes for some nasty backfires if you ask me.

[Mike_SS]

Vindaloo and rum?!, makes for some nasty backfires if you ask me.

Sure does. I had them both battling for attention the next morning