Living with a Superbike

I was one of the kid who used to have posters of superbikes plastered on the walls of the room and hoped one day I would own such a machine. Fast forward to 20 years later I finally own one! The Ducati Panigale, my dream bike. People say there are better bikes, but when buying one of them you have to buy one which your heart desires for. No bikes come close to the styling of the Italian beauty.💗

The first time I rode it I had a massive grin on my face and I couldn't stop thinking about it. The riding position is aggressive when compared to naked bikes. I'm upgrading from a naked bike which made the riding position very painful but over the days I finally got accustomed to it. The first time I opened the throttle, the bike just took off! It tires to wheelie every single time when you open the throttle wide open but the electronics keep the bike on the ground. But the bike is a crowd puller indeed.

Riding a superbike demands full attention and concentration. The bike turns into a fireball when ridden in a traffic and thighs start to roast. People say that superbikes are meant for tracks but I would ride it everyday just for the love of it. The problems of owning a superbike don't end here 😞

People standing next to it or sitting on the bike to take photographs is a very irrigating issue, I have had people follow and ask for photographs. The bike requires premium fuel which is not readily available everywhere. The bike consumes a lot of fuel too.

This blog is just a work in progress. Would update this as and when I ride the bike much more. Will update the bike after it's break in period. Have owned the bike just over 2 months, would require more time to get to understand the bike even more. 

Corner Braking Tips

Braking when leaning into a corner is something you should generally avoid. That's because there is limited contact patch between the bike's tire and the road, reducing the traction. But it doesn't mean that you are not supposed to brake during cornering, you have to do it the right way.

The amount of traction required depends on several factors like:

• Speed
• Lean/cornering angle
• Tire condition
• Quality/surface of the road

At some point in life, you will have to stop suddenly while cornering, if you panic then you grab the brakes abruptly and likely lock the brakes and fall. This is known as panic braking. Panic braking can be avoided if situation is analysed prior entering the corner by reducing the speed and lean angle and also being cautious.

How to brake in corners:

1. Reduce lean angle to increase available traction so that brakes can be applied hard. But there is a risk involved by straightening the bike there is a change of running off the road. This is bad if the road is a narrow one.
   
2. Reducing the speed of the bike will help by gradual braking. This applies only if your speed isn't very fast. In case your speed is very fast then your best bet is to follow OPTION 1 mentioned above. Straighten ASAP and apply hard braking hoping the road is of good quality.

Timing and execution must be perfect, but even then there is no guarantee that you wouldn't crash. The real solution is to avoid being in this situation in the first place by entering a corner at a slower speed. 

Do not be like the rest of them who crash their bikes because they aren't familiar with corner braking. Do practice in parking lots or in the local race track will be really helpful. Happy riding!