My interesting day at the track (LONG)

[grendels_arm]

I arrived at Summit Main for the Coleman Powersports day. After the rider's meeting I could tell the "control riders" wouldn't be doing too much except for maintaining control. Unlike a NESBA or Cornerspeed day where you can get some good feedback on what you're doing.

Anyway I did my first session on new tires. Took it easy and just tryed to scrub em in. No problems, finished my session.

Then right before I go out for my second session I see on the left side of my airbox splashes of some liquid. I figured "the upper coolant bottle has finally gone". I run water wetter/water. I see right in front of the fuel tank it's wet as well. But I don't see anything dripping on the ground or anything else. I decide to take off the fuel tank. I look inside the airbox and there's liquid of some sort. I assume it water and start taking off the coolant bottle. Anyway while in the process I decide to look more and I go back to the fuel tank that's sitting on my trailer.

Well something is wet on the tank. Yep the fuel tank is leaking from the area where the ignition switch sometimes will hit it. The area has never had paint on my track bike so it's been rubbed up against plenty. Now I'm like "o crap I'm done for the day". The leak isn't leaking alot but it's a small seepage.

I tryed to get the Ducati mechanic that was at the track to look at it but he was busy fixing another Duc. At the same time I notice my sight glass for my oil has got a big creamy area.

Right now my head is spinning and thinking what will I do for my upcoming Friday and Saturday track days. "time to get the 996 on the track" is what when through my mind.

I called the former owner of my bike since he knows a good amount about the Duc and he asked what level the oil was. This was in the process of me trying to determine what liquid was really in the airbox. His thought was I had some blowby as I had the oil level at the max level and maybe a hair over. I normally only fill to the mid level but this past oil changed overfilled a little and decided to leave it. He said for a track bike you don't want that.

So I think the stuff in my air box was a combination of fuel and maybe a slight blowby. I could see stains from whatever liquid it was even in my air runners as they are carbon fiber.

For the fuel tank I decided to do what another rider said. Go out and ride it because you're gonna use up the fuel anyway. So I did it. I'm going to either at some point get the tank fixed, use my old tank from my wreck on my 996 (glad I kept it), or get a used one for a few hundred $$$. I have a 3 week break till my July track days.

What still I don't know is where my slight water wetter/coolant loss it. Either it's the coolant bottle and I haven't seen it yet or the milky stuff in the oil after my first session (which I didn't see after the rest of the sessions) isn't simple condensation, but is water getting into my oil from a head gasket or something. O boy.


The positives are a few sessions after I got back on the track I had my best lap time on that track by over 1 second. In addition some guys i was pitted next to filmed me from overhead at turn 10 and will be sending the short video via email. I'll link here. And to top it off there were some hotties at the track.