My pit strolling and card distribution process paid off in the form of better handling bikes for two racers this weekend.
Dan became only the second person to have his set up measured by my new invention the EGS. EGS can determine swing arm angle and trail, the two geometry numbers that I’m most concerned with. With my suspisions about the geometry of Dan’s Ducati 900 SS confirmed Dan’s crew made big changes to the geometry and I moved the clickers around. Dan loved the changes so much that when he gets back to the shop he’ll make even bigger changes that we could not do at the track.
Pitted next to Dan was his friend Dave, riding another Ducati, this one a 1098. Dave had a fun weekend that included riding his Supermoto bike in a pit and getting a surprise bath from a lake of rain water that was laying in wait for him on top of his awning. As needed as the bath may have been, Dave’s best move was paying enough attention to the success that his friend was having with the crazy changes we made and deciding to try similar big changes to his set up. They worked.
Both bikes are now more stable, change direction better with less effort, hold the line better and have more feel. If this sounds like a contradiction to you, more stable but able to change direction easier, my answer is that your understanding of the dynamics of motorcycle racing is incomplete.
What I do is different from suspension guys because I change the geometry and the damping. But more importantly I help you understand how it works with you.