Tires, cornering question

[JFB1973]

When I lean into a corner, it starts gradually but at one point it feels like it drops suddenly to another lean angle ( which scares the shit out of me) it feels like the I am loosing grip, this is what I thought it was doing then I realised it is not. Is this due to the tire profile? I have Battlax 015 front and rear, or is it something else?.....

[BrianL]

If your rear tire is worn a bit flat in the center, it can cause this feeling. Chassis geometry (ride-height, rear spring preload, fork tube position, etc...) can also cause this feeling.

My 'S' felt like this when I first bought it off the showroom floor. Adjusting the ride-height to raise the rear a bit, and also raising the fork tube position to approx. 2mm above the top of the triple clamp made a big difference with my bike. This could go either way so experimenting is usually best.

If you make adjustments, I recommend taking note of your initial settings, then trying one small adjustment at a time between test rides. If you have adjustable ride height, a small adjustment will make a suprisingly big difference.

[mwtrogus]

I would bet that you have uneven tire wear and the tires are a bit flat around the center leading to a steeper profile on the sides/edges of the tire.
How many miles are on the tires and what type of riding did they see... highway, twisties, or track? Did you run proper inflation as well?
Next step is to set the suspension up properly...

[jryden]

If you run with very low air pressure it can sometimes feel like you describe as the tire "doubles over" when you get your lean on.

[unfast1]

More right wrist and you won't notice it.

[JFB1973]

Originally Posted by unfast1

More right wrist and you won't notice it.

More cohonas needed then?

[JFB1973]

Originally Posted by mwtrogus

I would bet that you have uneven tire wear and the tires are a bit flat around the center leading to a steeper profile on the sides/edges of the tire.
How many miles are on the tires and what type of riding did they see... highway, twisties, or track? Did you run proper inflation as well?
Next step is to set the suspension up properly...

I ride normal riding, no track and too little lean angle due to bad asphalt and not much experience, I have around 3000 miles on the tires but not much wear. The tires does not look flat around the center, I will check my inflation normally I run 32 up front and 34 in the back.

[marc.danziger]

JFB - most motorcycles will do this naturally - i.e. as you increase the lean, the tendency to 'fall in' increases - all other things being equal.

You overcome that by adding throttle and speed - the faster you go, the more force holding the bike up (centrifugal/centripetal force increases with speed), and acceleration both increases speed and tends to 'pick the bike up.'

Tire profile (both in terms of the stock 'shape' of the tire and the state of wear) matter a lot; racing tires tend to me more triangular than round, so they fall in faster (but have more of a contact patch when leaned over).

I tend to find Ducatis in general a little weird compared to other bikes I've ridden, they don't like to start turn easily. That's just character...

Hope any of that helps...

[bullet3z]

You should check your air pressure. What are you currently running at?