Ducati stability issue leaves one North West 200 rider considering BMW switch

Storm Stacey is considering using his Superstock-spec BMW M1000 RR in the Superbike races at the North West 200 due to instability on his Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Stacey is making his road racing debut this week at the North West 200 and completed his first laps on Wednesday (6 May). He rode both his Superstock BMW and Superbike-spec Ducati in Wednesday’s practices, but seems to feel more comfortable with the M1000 RR than the Panigale he is campaigning this year in BSB at present, leading him to question which bike to run in the Superbike races.

“I’m still not sure, to be honest, because the Ducati is very unstable,” Stacey told BBC Sport NI during a red flag period in the Thursday Superbike practice session.

“I think over six laps… I was alright then [at the start of Thursday practice] and obviously BSB races are longer than what the races are here, and you get a lot of wobbles there as well, but the Ducati gets very out of shape, it wobbles a lot, whereas the BMW is very planted and just goes.”

Stacey also encountered a quite specific brake problem with the Ducati.

“I done yesterday on the BMW and I don’t know if the levers are different, but I didn’t have any brake fade or anything all day on the BMW,” explained Stacey.

“But then I jumped on the Ducati, went flat out on that back straight, got to the end and I had no brakes. When I say ‘no brakes’, I had a bit of brake, but not as much as I’d like. 

“I managed to stop it just enough, passed someone, and then stopped it just enough to go on the grass, looped it round on the grass and then joined back on the circuit.”

Stacey added: “It’s the wind holding the brake on, so it’s cooking the brake and getting really hot. It’ll be slowing my speed down on the straight as well.”

BBC Sport NI noted that the Bathams AJN team were working on a modification to the right handlebar to add a guard over the brake lever in order to prevent pressure being applied by the air.

Stacey is not the only rider to have encountered problems with the Panigale V4 R, Michael Dunlop having made a late switch to Honda machinery for this year’s Superbike races at the North West 200 after he felt the Ducati required more testing time to get it dialled in as he wants it.

Additionally, Glenn Irwin ran into his own issues in Thursday’s practice, although it seems to be more of a question of the Nitrous Competitions team learning the motorcycle than a specific problem with the bike itself.

“Not so many issues, really, in general,” Irwin explained to BBC Sport NI.

“Bike is okay, we have had traction control for here and it’s new to us and to the team. It was very good in the wet yesterday, but it’s extremely intrusive, so the bike’s not really going anywhere. 

“I went straight on a couple of times due to an electronic feeling that we need to rectify. I saw Dean [Harrison], which was good, and he was just riding away from me where my bike’s [on the traction control] – it doesn’t pull. 

“I could go flat out up Juniper Hill, I don’t even think you’re flat out there on a 600! 

“So, too much electronic interference, so we can dial that down, but a couple of other little things that may come to light later in the week. 

Irwin also said that he’s struggling physically at the moment with “a little niggle” and is due to see a doctor next week, although that could be brought forward.

“We have a few things that we’re struggling with, with me, which is frustrating,” he said.

“I woke up this morning feeling a little bit better, but it’s a little niggle.”

He added: “I’m due to see the doctors next week before Donington Park [BSB round], possibly even tomorrow, which would maybe help for Saturday. I don’t know.”