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Exclusive Interview:
Eric
"GoGo" Gulbransen
Eric Gulbransen of Menlo
Park California, is one of the most accomplished racers on the Ducati
749R. He competes in the AFM race series in California, and in 2005
garnered the AFM Open Twins Championship with 5 first place
finishes and amidst some very tough competition. "GoGo" as he is
more popularly known, began racing in 1988 and has grown-up watching and
learning from Ducati greats like Doug Polen on his home track at Loudon.
In 1989 he wrenched for
Jimmy Adamo and gained his first experience working with Ducati
motorcycles.
Jimmy was known world wide as a highly
successful Ducati superbike, and Battle of the Twins pilot, and would
thereafter act as a "mentor" to Eric, who was an aspiring racer at the
time.
It was in 1998 when Eric decided to exclusively race on Ducati. Eric
spends his days as a skilled carpenter but on the weekends, he dominates
the racetrack with his Ducati 749R - the bike he calls the Giant
Slayer.
GoGo's Team website
__________________________
749r.info: Gogo,
first of all, thank you so much for taking the time to share some of your
valuable insights for Ducati 749R enthusiasts worldwide. Let’s start with
some of your general impressions of the Ducati 749R on the
racetrack:
GoGo: Quite simply, the 2005
749R we've been lucky enough to campaign for 05 and 06, is my best friend
out there. There's no easier way to explain it. I have raced quite a few
different motorcycles by now, and even quite a few different Ducatis. Some
bikes have an attitude out there. Some are too mild, too heavy, handle
lazy, or shake your fillings out if you ease your grip on the bars. The
2005 749R does none of those things. It's just right, right out of the
box. Light, nimble, aggressive, and very easy to ride real hard.
749r.info:
How would you compare the 749R with any other
bike on the track?
GoGo:
Some of the struggles we endured in our team last
year forced us to run our 749R in Formula Pacific last year, instead of
our more appropriate 999R superbike
[Formula Pacific is the toughest, fastest, most competitive unlimited
displacement, unlimited chassis mod, run what you brung "Club level"
roadrace in California - arguably in the US].
Quite surprisingly, our 749R fared very well in these races, even though
it gave up some 50hp. What we gave up on the straights, we took right back
in the technical stuff. This bike is more nimble than most other bikes.
It's easier to stop - so you can go into a turn much deeper. It feels
lighter, so you can finish a turn sooner than those around you and get
back in the gas. And then of course, there is the character...
Last year while I chased down a group of students I was teaching at Willow
Springs, I went around the outside of a Kawasaki 636 racebike at speed
while coming onto the front straight. We motored by, and through the gears
without much thought. By turn three I had made it to the front of my
students and then we went to work. Two days later I got an email from the
guy on the Kawasaki, whom I never actually met. He asked me a lot about
the bike, so I answered as honest as I could. Two days later, he wrote me
again. In his mail he included a picture of his new 749R.
So to me, and to the guy on the 636, there really is no comparison.
749r.info:
Out on the track, how does
the 749R compare to its big brother, the 999R?
GoGo: We picked up our 05 999R in August of 04, and raced
it/developed it from that point forward. By April of 05, we figured we had
that chassis figured out pretty well. Then we got to run our 749R for the
first time. I'll never forget my response to the mechanic who peered
through my visor asking for feedback after that first ride. He was in a
panic because we had made a public challenge that year to run our 749R in
Open Twins instead of our 999R - no matter who showed up all year long.
And, of course, he knew we had just about no time to make any major
changes to the bike if we needed. I looked back at him, and then at our
999R which was parked behind him. I paused, then said "Don't worry
about it. We're in good shape for the race. That big bike over there is a
pile of crap compared to this thing..."
 The
999R is a challenge to ride. It's very fast, yet you need to be real
gentle on board. The chassis
is almost identical, yet it feels totally different. At the same speed in
a given turn the 749R turns in a tighter radius. It leans over farther and
it stands up quicker. The big bike wheelies out of turns, which gets the
front tire dancing side to side over the bumps, which then can get the ass
of the bike weaving as well. But if you want to go fast you've got to stay
in it throughout these moments, so the big bike is a bit of a hell ride
sometimes. The 749R is nothing like that. It's just your best friend out
there.
749r.info:
How much support did Ducati
provide to you in your pursuit of racing? How important is this in racing?
GoGo: When the new generation Ducatis arrived they didn't
exactly light the world on fire. This is a pretty well known fact. In
previous years, grids were filled with Ducatis, but these grids began to
fade after 02. Then the superbike rules changed to 1,000cc across the
board, which hit Ducatisti from both sides at once. This was a bit of a
down time for our great family, and that very fact opened a tiny door at
Ducati - just a tiny bit - that had never been opened before. In effect,
you could say we noticed it and basically jumped right through it.
Thankfully Ducati welcomed the hard work we had been doing on, and for
Ducati since 1998 - which was the year we made the switch from inlines to
Ducati superbikes exclusively.
 When
we finally did get in that door we got to meet a remarkable man named
Michael Lock (CEO of
Ducati North America). Michael was
relatively new to DNA, and I could sense his very different, very forward
thinking was already creating great change for Ducati in America. Very
thankfully, while Ducati North America has created change for themselves,
we have been fortunate enough to be included. This has been vital for us.
We may still be running around on our old 998 today, if not for their
help...
749r.info:
What racing classes can the
749R participate in? Is there a "best" racing class for the 749R?
GoGo: The classes you can run on a 749R vary in different
series, and then again vary as you change the bike around. In stock trim,
you can enter most middleweight classes: twins or inline-4, and almost
always you can bump up a class and run against the bigger bikes in just
about any class you want. But as soon as you get new wheels, or get into
the motor, you're pretty much ruled out of the supersport/superstock/production
stuff. In the AMA series you can also run FX, which we plan to do at
Infineon in two weeks.
749r.info:
How easy or difficult was it
to maintain the 749R for use in a racing environment?
GoGo: Maintenance becomes more of an issue the harder you
ride the bike. Some of our races last year were run in 110 degree
[F]
heat, in the blazing sun, at
13,000rpm, with jet fuel running through the injectors as we bounced the
bike off curbs all race long. And that baby took it all year long. In
fact, we are only rebuilding the top end of the motor now, a year later,
in preparation for the national in two weeks. I think that says a lot
about the bike's maintenance and durability.
Ducatis these days are very different than the older generation bikes.
These things stay together like the inlines do.
749r.info:
Would a regular non-racing
track enthusiast have to go through plenty of added maintenance?
GoGo: No, I don't think so at all. You basically want to
keep up with valve adjustments, change belts, oil regularly, be careful
not to tie the bike down in the trailer longer than you have to (fork
seals blow out that way), drain the gas after a weekend if you use race
fuel, watch tire wear/suspension settings (the two are directly related),
and keep up on your coolant level! You really need to watch that.
749r.info:
What do you think are the
best all-around upgrades for the 749R in the racetrack?
GoGo: 16.5 wheels and Dunlop slicks. Holy mother of #$%$^$#
does this bike love that combination! Get the bike sprung for your weight.
You can buy Ohlins superbike internals for the forks, which suit the track
better. The Yoyodyne slipper clutch is a must have. Rearsets will keep
your stock footpegs from folding underneath you if you climb around the
bike like a spider while you ride.
Grind off the nub that limits the rear
axel from moving farther back, so you can get a longer wheelbase.
Ducati sells a great upper
fairing stay that comes with a wiring harness and perfectly ties
everything in up there. We run a DynoJet Powercommander which works very
well. You can download different maps and get the bike running real well.
The Leo Vince exhaust system is another must have item. Both Termignoni
and Leo Vince have 57mm systems, but the Leo fits better, and sounds
better (what's more important than that?!)
[At the bottom of this
page is the complete list of upgrades to GoGo's 749R]
749r.info:
Many Ducatisti have a
difficult time choosing between the Ducati 999S, the 750cc MV Agusta F4
and the Ducati 749R, what are some important points you think they should
consider?
GoGo: I've ridden all three of these bikes and they're all
good for different reasons. The MV sure is beautiful, but it felt heavy
and slow to me through the twisty mountain roads we took it on. I would
personally prefer borrowing this bike, rather than owning it.
The 999s has great power for
the street, which is definitely useful everywhere. It will run calmer on
long rides at higher speeds. Probably more relaxed.
But the 749R is in a class
of its own. It's really not fair to compare. A point to remember, which a
lot of people don't know, is that the 749R IS a race bike right out of the
box. It's built specially for world supersport, where you aren't allowed
to change much from production, so hidden under the hood of this bike are
some really trick parts that no other Ducati comes with. If you ever get
to take this motor apart, you will see what I mean...
749r.info:
What is your advice for the
aspiring 749R racer?
GoGo: My advice to any aspiring racer is to think of
the lap, rather than the turn. Plan for the race, not for the moment. If
you can't keep up today, don't throw it away trying. Go home and figure it
out so you can come back stronger.
Many new racers get caught
up in the instant. I know I can too. But you have to step back and
consider everything. Keep it all in perspective. Make small changes, but
always make changes. Don't get in the habit of just going round and round,
doing the same thing the same way over and over. Try new things all the
time. If you want a different result, which everyone out there does, then
go about it a different way.
Specifically to someone
racing a Ducati, realize you are unique. And being unique at the races is
very valuable for sponsors. Take advantage of that value, and make it work
for your sponsors.
749r.info:
What is your advice for the
"non-racing" regular track enthusiast who would like to take his 749R to
Track Days?
GoGo: Drain your antifreeze, drill for safetywire,
mount up some bodywork - some frame sliders, get a set of Vanson leathers,
and then find a local Ducati racer to take you around for a few laps.
Ducatisti stick together like no other riders on any other brands. Finding
help will be easy.
Lastly, get ready to grin so
much it hurts..
749r.info:
What do you think about the
stock suspension of the 749R?
GoGo:
The 749R suspension is
actually quite unique, so I'm glad you asked. It's rare that people know
about this, even dealers don't know sometimes, but the 749R has special
chassis parts that aren't on any other model.
In the rear, on any bike,
there is something called a "Link." I'm sure you've heard about these
links, or read about them, and probably don't understand exactly a link
is. I know I didn't... Basically, the rear shock on a motorcycle doesn't
just mount to the frame on the top, and then to the swingarm on the bottom
(even though that's what it looks like). It mounts to the swingarm first,
then to a "Link" THEN to the frame. The link is like a cantilever, and the
shape of it/position of it, can have a huge effect on how much force is
put into the spring when the bike gets compressed (you sit on it, you hit
a bump, you accelerate, or you turn real hard and compress the suspension
with G-Force).
Most street bikes have what
is called a "progressive" link. This means the spring actually gets
stronger the more you compress it. The first 100lbs will compress your
bike one inch in the rear, but the next 100lbs will only compress it
another half of an inch - and so on. I believe they build them this way so
you can have a compliant spring high up in the suspension travel, but then
when you have a passenger and the suspension gets compressed much more -
you don't bottom out. So, effectively, a progressive link gets
progressively stronger (stiffer).
On the 749"R" however, there
comes (stock) a "Linear" link. This simply means that your suspension
compresses (reacts) the same at the top of its travel as it does at the
bottom of its travel. 100lbs gets you compressed one inch, then the next
100lbs gets you compressed another inch - and so on.
Why this is so special (important) is that you need to set-up a race bike
to react to both bumps AND cornering forces. If you are out there and you
hit a two inch tall bump at 100mph your suspension might handle it fine.
But if you hit that same type of bump while you're leaned over at 100mph
your suspension will already be compressed, and already be into that
"Stiff" part of the spring. Now your suspension is NOT going to handle
that exact same bump "Fine." In
fact, with a progressive link in there, when you hit that bump at speed
you're going for a hell ride. But with the 749R link, you're just going to
motor right through it like it wasn't even there.
Then up front there is another great opportunity to be had. Most people
know about the concentric Ducati superbikes have up front, but just about
nobody knows about what ELSE the 749R has up there. There is an adjustable
offset INSIDE the concentric of the 749R that lets you move the steering
head forward or back, totally separate from the steering head angle. This
greatly effects rake and trail - which greatly effects front tire traction
and feel - which greatly effects your confidence as a rider.
Lastly, the 749R triple
clamps are different than the standards on all the other bikes - including
the 999R. If you take a straight edge and nudge it up against the rear of
the fork legs just above the upper triple clamp, you will notice that the
steering stem on a 749R is in a slightly different place than the other
superbikes are. Almost nobody knows this either. And it's just another
tiny secret, in a long line of tiny secrets, that make the 749Rs as
special as they are.
749r.info:
Well what a great set of
valuable insights you have provided for us, very complete and much more
than we could have expected -- thank you so much for sharing this with us,
and we all wish you the best of luck in your racing campaign!
Big Thanks to Eric and
Tag Team for sharing the following
Videos:
Buttonwillow
on-board Video
(Crash included!) |
Countersteering
101
(Short, but great
video!) |
The Red Baron at
Thunderhill
Willows,
California |
Visit
GoGo's Team website, for lots more information, including very
interesting info on his racing chronicles!
Bike Info:
GoGo's
749R produced 114 rwhp on the Dyno, which serves as the baseline,
and after
upgrades, it produced 125rwhp
List of
Upgrades to GoGo's 2005 Ducati 749R (production #202):
Ducati
Performance Race ("Corse") Kit
Leo Vince
SBK Titanium Exhaust System
DynoJet
Power Commander
Final
Drive: 14T Front and 39T Rear Sprockets
Yoyodyne
Slipper Clutch
Bodywork:
Sebimoto Lightweight Fiberglass (including Air Runners)
Clip-ons:
Woodcraft
Brakes:
Brembo 18mm Front Master & Clutch Master, Brembo Cast Rotors
Ducati
Performance Fairing Stay
Wheels:
16.5" Marvic
Tires:
Dunlop Slicks (205 Rear)
Rearsets:
Yoyodyne Reverse Shift
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