hi chaps, i remember my old 748r just after we rebuilt it, the ohlins forks were quite high though the yokes think there was 7 rings thought the top and i remember it handled like it was on rails then a mate of mine said it was wrong to have that many rings at the top and the standard was 3ish so we changed it it didnt feel anywhere as good, any one know why it felt so much better when the forks were higher though the yokes?? can i change my track bike forks to make it handle like my old 748r by dropping the front or is there any reason why i cant?? cheers guys.
When I first put my 748R into track trim with 30mm offset yokes, several forum members remarked how far through the top yoke the forks looked. It was measured at the correct position and I rode it without problem. Later during last year I set the front and rear ride heights to the 748RS stats which raised the c of g slightly making the bike lean over a little quicker. By either lowering or raising the front ride height without changing the rear, you either decrease or increase the steering angle. Theoretically the steeper the angle the quicker it turns but you lose stability as you shorten the wheel base. Hence the development of a longer swing arm for the race bikes (not 748). If you had a setting you liked, use it, there is no hard and fast rule. It's got to be what works for you. Andy
From what I remember the Ducati race figure is 185mm from the fork seal to the bottom yoke. I've mucked around a lot and found lowering the front/raising the rear I could get better handling in the slower stuff, but it really messed up hard braking and high speed corners. You want to keep some trail as this gives you feel if you know what I mean. 7 rings seems a bit much. Tyre profile can alter how good it turns too though.
