Long-Term Update

Long-Term Update

DUCATI

999

Clutch play

WHEN LAST WE LEFT OUR LONGterm 999, it had suffered a catastrophic clutch failure. The bike had tipped over on its right side, and the thick rubber clutch-cover gasket compressed enough to let the cover contact a spring stanchion. When that stanchion later snapped off, it took the rest of the clutch with it.

Ken Zeller at Evoluzione Cyclesports (www.evoluzione.net) has seen this before, and offers a simple cure. His clutchhub stabilizer ($70) ties all six stanchions together under a single machined-frombillet-aluminum spring retainer, reducing the chance of damage in a crash. Or a tip-over.

The stabilizer is also sold as part of a Competizione clutch system ($250) that includes a set of springs and a slave cylinder. Together, these offer 20 per cent higher clutch loading (for reduced slippage and wear) yet no increase in lever pull.

While we were upgrading the clutch, we installed one of Barnett's new clutch baskets ($249). Made of aluminum like the stock basket, the gold-anodized piece adds stainless-steel inserts that prevent wear from the clutch nlate drive tabs.

Replacing the clutch hub ($112) and pressure plate ($59) with OEM compo nents brought an end to this sorry saga, and not a moment too soon: There's a track day at Laguna Seca Raceway next Wednesday...

List price (2003): $17,695

TRIUMPH

DAYTONA 600

Bright-yellow gun

THE LATEST 600CC SUPERSPORT BIKE to come from England is also the only such bike to come from that overwatered rock in the North Sea. Sort of irresistible, really, if you’re looking for something different in the middleweight repli-racer class. Its classy-yetflashy, bright-yellow paint job helped

solidify its place on our long-term short list, but what really did it is the Day tona's fundamental goodness. A fine running engine in a great-handling chassis that only needs a little massage, it seems, to be right up to snuff with the latest from Japan.

As delivered with 2446 miles on the clock, this bike ran much more cleanly than our original silver tester (CW, July, 2003), though power was off a pony or two with 93.4 horses delivered to the rear wheel on the dyno. In addition to some commuting and open highway work, the bike was hauled off to track days at Laguna Seca and Buttonwillow. It acquitted itself pretty well, but the rigors of the circuit showed the suspen sion could use firming-up and the partthrottle engine response still needs sharpening. Complaints also were levied against the slow-revving nature of the beast. Goals, then, are to try to improve this motorcycle so that it is a no-excuses, Supersport-ready middle weight alternative.

Let the tweaking begin.

List price (2003)• . $7999

KTM

ADVENTURE S

Weebles wobble

SO THERE WE WERE, OUT PLAYING Rally Racer in the dunes on our long-term Adventure S, when gravity, deep sand and a steep incline conspired to make us crash. Close inspection revealed a bent upper fairing bracket, which we tried to straighten, but ultimately ordered from our local dealer ($207).

Next it was off to corner-carving land, sticking to the street this time, when a combination of fuel and tranny fluid caused a high-side worthy of a “10” in the Motorcycle Olympics. Truthfully, there were two KTM 950s involved, and it was perfectly synchronized. Fortunately, bikes and riders emerged with only scratches.

We expected our Adventure to be expensive to repair in the event of a crash, but so far it has proven us wrong. The small sliders on the bottom edges of the fuel tank, the handguards and the passenger pegs do a wonderful job of preventing

more serious damage. Sure, we’re looking for a good painter now, but the bike is 100 percent rideable. Ugly, but rideable.

Maintenance, on the other hand, has proven costly. We’re on our second set of Pirelli Scorpion street tires ($270 per set) now, and have fallen in love with Metzeler Karoo knobbies ($245) for off-road use. We’re also into Three Brothers KTM for $250, which seems outrageous for an oil change until you consider that the bike uses three filters. □

List price (2003). $11,998