Low-Side Racing (Blogs)

[+] Expand All

[-] Collapse All

[-]

Thursday, May 27, 2010

After Miller - by Dave
What an amazing track, and what a great experience! Team Bioweapon did great. Dave Brown took 2 third places. David Ur took 3 first places. And I ended up with 2 thirds, 1 second, and one first. I was way down on power, and probably could have done better, but overall, I'm happy.

Huge thanks to Bioweapon and David Ur for getting us out there.

I have one video posted up so far, more to come. Right now, we are preparing for Road Atl, and then after that, it's off to Roebling, then Little Tally. It's going to be very busy for the next few weeks.

[-]

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Miller - by Dave
I have Miller figured out - it's a puppy. Now I just have to figure out what it would be like to ride around a puppy...

[-]

Friday, May 21, 2010

Miller Motorsports Park - by Dave
We arrived at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, today. It's a really nice place (perhaps nicer than Barber, if you ignore the artwork).

When the team arrived yesterday, they found that some of the bikes had fallen over. Mine tipped against the trailer wall. The left foot peg bracket is bent a little, and the tail section and left clip-on are a bit scuffed. Overall, it's not too bad for my stuff. Some of the other bikes didn't fare quite as well, but all are rideable. We are still working out the gremlins from some of the bikes.

I got my bike checked out, fixed a few issues, and took the wheels to the Dunlop vendors to have new race tires put on. They were quick, friendly, and very helpful! Gotta love those Dunlop guys.

Then I had the opportunity to ride the last 2 sessions of the day. What an amazing track. This is the 3 mile outer course, with 23 turns. Crazy fast, lots of technical stuff. I'm still struggling to find reference points. My fastest lap time was 2:15. If I can knock off 5-8 seconds come race time, I'll be thrilled. I think it should be do-able.

Hopefully the weather will improve and tomorrow will be dry. I feel sorry for the Endurance racers who came all this way to race tomorrow...it's not looking good.

[-]

Friday, May 21, 2010

Barber races complete, VIR SED done - by Dave
Racing at Barber was pretty good. I crashed out of the E Superstock race on the 250...it rained hard, and I didn't have rain tires. I just had to finish...but no, I decided to race. Oh well.

I did win 2 races, and finished 2nd in 2 other races, so I don't feel too bad about the weekend overall.

The Skill Enhancement Day (SED) at VIR was awesome! It was great working with the Yamaha Championship Riding School instructors, I learned a lot (both about riding, and about instructing). I can tell that this will step things up a fair bit for me.

[-]

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Racing at Nashville - by Dave
My first time racing at Nashville was...exciting. Perhaps a bit too much so.

On Saturday, the weather was terrible. It rained hard for most of the races. I lucked out in my Solo 20 race - it wasn't actually raining. It was fully wet, though, and pretty windy. The bike tried to high-side me twice during the race (those tar strips are very slick), but I held it together for a 7th place finish.

Sunday was much better all around. The track dried up nicely, though it was pretty green, and still very windy. It took me a few practice rounds and races to get my confidence back, but I managed to snag 1st place finishes in 3 races, plus a 3rd place, a 4th place, and a 7th place.

Overall, this was a good racing weekend, and I'm very happy with being able to run a 1:06 on the last lap of the last race, on old tires. I think I should have 1:05 or better with new tires and a few tweaks to the suspension. I'm actually looking forward to my next trip up to Nashville.

Next weekend, we're off to Birmingham for races at Barber Motorsports Park. Hopefully I'll continue my progress of more confidence and faster lap times, but with better race starts!

[-]

Monday, March 22, 2010

Racing at Roebling, and fun at Jennings - by Dave
Racing at Roebling with WERA was fun. Cool, and wet (most of the time), but fun. The weather actually improved on Sunday for the races, though it was very windy. I was in 6 races, and finished in the top 10 in all of them. I was 3 second off my pace, though, so I'm not very happy with that. However, I did win the E Superstock race (on Lynda's Ninja 250) and the Senior Superbike Middleweight race, so I guess I can't be too unhappy with that.

The next race is at Nashville. Looks like I'm going to chase points this season... :)

Last Friday we went down to Jennings for a private track day. I was off my pace there too (about 3 seconds). I need to fiddle with the suspension and geometry more to get the bike running well on the Dunlop tires. I did take the 250 out for a few laps, and managed to hit 1:40 flat. I could have taken off another 3 seconds if I had worked at it. Lynda had a blast, and got down to 1:49 on her own. I'm very happy with this, she worked hard to go fast!

In 2 weeks, we're at Road Atlanta for a NESBA track day. I'm hoping to get the R6 working well so that I can place better at Nashville.

[-]

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Update for 2010 - by Dave
Man...it's been a long time since I have posted anything here...

The end of 2009 was great. Lynda went out on the track a few times, and is now fully addicted. I went to a new track (Roebling) and did reasonably well there. We had a lot of rainy weather, but got a bunch of good riding in anyway.

This year is starting off really well. We did a 3 day event at Jennings where we had a blast. On the 3rd day, the Advanced group guys had a mock 5-lap race, which was really fun!

Last weekend was at Barber. It was cool but sunny. I never did get fully up to speed, unfortunately, but Lynda did great! Once again, she was tearing it up on the little 250.

This weekend, we are heading down to Roebling for my first WERA race of the year. I'm entering 6 races, plus 2 days of practice (600 and 750 Superstock, 600 and 750 Superbike, 250 Superstock, and Senior Superbike). My goal for this year is to get consistent top-5 finishes, and hopefully earn my expert plates. It's about time I took the skirt off...

I have 1 video from Jennings uploaded, and I have a bunch more to process and upload. Plus, I will have video from the race weekend, too.

After this, we go down to Jennings again for a private track day, then on to Road Atlanta with NESBA for the season opener at that track.

[-]

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Little Tally, October 12 - by Dave
This will be a private track day put on by Shane and me, with 9 or fewer people. For my part, this track day will be a chance to learn Little Tally, and also to introduce Lynda to track riding in a very controlled environment.

The cost will be $250 per person. We will have 3 corner workers and 1 ambulance, plus a track marshal. There will be 3 groups (advanced, intermediate, and beginner), and the groups will run in that order. Sessions will be 20 minutes each, and we are limited to 3 people on the track at a time. The beginner group will be run as a class, with 20 minutes of class room stuff (during the I session), then 20 minutes on track to practice what we learned. We're still trying to see if we can get 3 riders + me to instruct in beginner, or if we will be limited to 2 + me.

We will be able to camp out Sunday night (the track day is on Monday the 12th), and it seems like power is available for a fee. I've never been there, so I'm not sure where power is, or what it's like (30A, 50A, just 110V, whatever).

Bike and gear requirements are per NESBA. We strongly recommend all bikes be safety wired - I will be wiring Lynda's little 250. I will be performing tech inspections in the morning (probably around 7:30-8:00), so please come prepared to ride. This is a small group, so it should be quick and easy.

After tech, we'll have a quick rider's meeting to go over the ground rules. There won't be any CRs to enforce the rules, so it's really up to us to decide what we want, and to self-enforce. In particular, passes must be safe. I'm not going to be a stickler on inside/outside in any group, just make it safe. There is a lot of track and just a few bikes on the track, so there's no need for any aggressive passing.

After the rider's meeting, I'm thinking it would be good to do a quick track walk. This is a great way to see the track and to start to learn reference points. It would also be good to do another one at lunch. This will be optional, but I'm pretty sure Lynda and I will do it.

Another opportunity for learning, which can be available to all groups, is that we can do some on-track skills work. In particular, a session of no-brakes drills followed by a session of hard braking drills, as long as we all agree to do it (no bikes circulating on track during the hard braking drills). The idea is to spend a session coming to grips with how much corner speed you can carry (no-brakes), then discover how hard you can brake and how late you can brake in order to get to the corner speed you found the previous session. Spending 40 minutes doing these 2 drills will do more for lowering your lap times than 2 days at the track just circulating!

I'm really looking forward to this, it should be fun!

[-]

Monday, June 1, 2009

Roebling Road - by Dave
Fun, fun, fun! This was, by far, the best weekend at the track that I've had all year. Even with the heat (94f on Sunday), I still had a blast!

This was my first time at Roebling, so I was a bit nervous about instructing and learning the track at the same time. Everything turned out great, though. I found some speed and got down to 1:19 on Sunday (with a bunch of low 1:20's). I know where I'm throwing away a lot of time, so I'm looking forward to getting back there and putting my head down to knock a few more seconds off.

Pitzer decided to be mean to me and put me in the Intermediate group both days. But it was all good. I got a lot of good track time, and got to help a lot of members. I was pretty amazed at how receptive they were to input. Sometimes the 'I' guys just go out to ride, rather than to improve their ride, but most of these guys really listened and improved. That's pretty cool!

I was also impressed to see several women out there, one of them in the 'I' group doing pretty well. She needs to work on using less lean angle, though, she touched a foot peg down and then ran off the track. Kudos to her for keeping it up and going back out to ride again.

[-]

Saturday, May 16, 2009

VIR SED - wet but...wet - by Dave
I always love going to VIR, but it's a long drive (6+ hours), so I don't go all that often.

I was looking forward to the Skills Enhancement Day (SED), this would be my first time instructing (or attending) one of these. I figured the endless track time would be fun, and the ability to work 1-on-1 with members would be a great opportunity.

Aside from the weather, it really did turn out to be great. Thursday was a lot of fun, and was mostly dry. It seems like most of the members got a lot of attention (the ones who didn't get attention didn't ask for it), and I did several 1 hour rides on the track, which was a great experience for me.

Friday was great for about half a day. After lunch, the skies opened up, and it all turned to crap. I feel bad for the members, the track shut down due to lightning for about 2.5 hours. However, prior to that, I actually rode for 3.5 hours, which is as much track time as you get in a normal track day, so it seems like the opportunity for fun was there if they took advantage of it.

Overall, I thought it was a good event, and I'll plan on doing another one when NESBA schedules it.

[+]

Monday, April 20, 2009 - Road Atlanta - wet but fun - by Dave

Monday, April 20, 2009

Road Atlanta - wet but fun - by Dave
A 3-day event is a hell of a lot. A lot of work, a lot of track time, a lot of effort. By the end of Sunday, I just couldn't go any more. From now on, I think 2 days will be my limit, unless it's a very special event.

Friday was wet. And windy. And it hailed on us. That was crazy, seeing pea-sized hail on the track and bouncing off your visor. Overall, though, everyone kept their cool, there was only one flag the whole day. That was nice. The last 2 sessions actually dried up, so we got to go a little faster, which was a good way to end the day.

Saturday was fun. I had the pleasure of working with Jason and got the final say on bumping him to the Intermediate group. My lap times weren't all that great. We had a couple of flags, including one nasty red flag in the Advanced group - it was in T4 where one bike low-sided and collected another bike that was passing on the outside. They ended up through the hay bails and into the wall. That looked nasty. I hope both riders came out ok.

Sunday I got to go a bit faster, but still 1 full second off my normal pace. I'm beginning to think that I'm faster with running the AMA chicane at T3/4. I don't understand how I can push so hard and go 1 second slower. Hopefully I'll have things worked out before I head back to RA again.

The bike did great. The power from the new map is unreal, I was able to go -1 rear sprocket and avoid topping out on the back straight. I think I need to play with the geometry a bit though, I seem to be having trouble turning the bike at turns where other guys are just throwing it in to the corners. That will be something to play with at Barber.

On the bad side, I think I'm having issues with the video camera. I tried to run video, but it looks like I'm not getting any signal. Need to look into this.

I also need to clean the bike. After all the rain, there was a lot of mud in the Esses, and a lot of it ended up on the bike. I'll spend a good bit of the week cleaning things up...

[+]

Sunday, March 1, 2009 - RM Racing - Rick is the man! - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, March 1, 2009 - Barber - a winter wonderland - by Dave

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Barber - a winter wonderland - by Dave
An interesting start to the season, for sure...

It started off looking like the weather was going to be great, but as the week before went on, the forecast became more and more bleak. Friday was very rainy, all day. They were calling for more rain on Saturday, and snow on Sunday. Snow!

It actually stopped raining (for the most part) overnight, such that when we got up Saturday morning, things were damp, but there was a chance that it might improve. After working Tech and attending the CR's meeting, I went out for a few laps in Advanced just to get a feel for the track and the bike. The track was wet. Very wet. And I was on DOT race tires. Pretty good traction until I tried to lean over. Spinning up the rear and sliding the front are going to be on tap all day. I managed to keep it on 2, so I'm pretty pleased at that. I think there was 1 other rider out there. Maybe 2, it's hard to say. But nobody was looking to go out at that point (probably they were still putting their rain tires on).

As the day progressed, a dry line actually started to form. It drizzled a bit on and off for most of the day, but we actually managed to get out and have some fun, but CRing the B group, and riding in A. I certainly didn't put in any good lap times, but I got to play around and explore the limits of traction in the wet.

The biggest bummer of the day was Jim's crash - on the last lap of the last session. I had worked with him a few times, and was following him when he got on the throttle too hard and nearly high-sided himself. I passed him and had him follow me at a slower pace, since I didn't want him to get off the track with that lingering in his mind. We continued around at a leisurely pace, and I led him through the chicane on the back straight when he tucked the front and crashed. We're not sure what happened, possibly he had just a little too much lean angle, maybe he touched the brake or rolled off the throttle. Regardless, it's definitely not what I intended for him to experience. Fortunately, he's not hurt, and it seems like his bike isn't too bad off.

Sunday, the weather definitely turned out worse. What a strange week, going from mid-60s and sunny to snowing (and lots of it). They called it on account of snow, so everyone packed up and drove home. It was a tough, slow drive.

It's disappointing that our first weekend was a bust, but I'm sure RoadAtl will be better.

[+]

Friday, February 13, 2009 - The old girl - coming home - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, February 8, 2009 - New year update - by Dave

Sunday, February 8, 2009

New year update - by Dave
Boy, I'm embarrassed at how long it's been since I've updated things here. What all has happened since my last update...?

The WERA GNF went well. Saturday's race sucked, I finished dead last. Sunday I found speed and finished in the top 10 for a few races, top 15 in the rest. I'm relatively happy, but not thrilled. Still, since it was just my 3rd race weekend all year, I guess I can't be too unhappy.

I finished the year with a few more track days, and was officially dubbed a NESBA Control Rider for 2009 and beyond. I had a blast with my trial runs, and am looking forward to more contributions this year.

The old R6 has been in for winter service with Rick at RM Racing, and all is well. The dyno tunes should make a big difference in power (Rick says this is the strongest R6 engine he's ever seen). I got a tune done for race gas, just in case I want extra power for the 750 races. We'll see... Rick also serviced the forks and shock, set the suspension for me, replaced the clutch plates, lubed the triple tree bearings and the swingarm bearings, replaced the radiator fluid, and all that good stuff. Great service, very quick, too, and at very reasonable prices, and he communicates well, letting me know what's going on and what's left to be done. Plus, he's less than 30 minutes away. He'll be getting all of my service work from now on!

Lynda went through the MSF class, and I got us a pair of 2009 Kawi Ninja 250R's. These little bikes are a blast to ride. I might even try one out at the track some day. The goal is to get her enough experience this year that she can do a track day, and then we can do some serious over-seas touring. That will be fun!

I also sent my leathers off for cleaning. Alexa at Spyderworks did a great job, patched up the torn knee (due to the rumble strips at VIR south), added some color with my name and number, and added some soft cloth at the cuffs to keep my wrists from getting chaffed. I'd highly recommend her for servicing your leathers.

I guess that's about it. I managed to stay fairly fit and not put on any weight over the winter, so it won't be too hard to build my strength back up for race season. I'm looking forward to the first track day with NESBA at Barber. Hopefully the weather will be nice.

[+]

Sunday, September 28, 2008 - WERA Nationals at Barber - by Dave

Sunday, September 28, 2008

WERA Nationals at Barber - by Dave
What a weekend. I went out Friday evening to try to get a decent spot in the paddock, thinking it would be crammed full. Much to my surprise, it really wasn't all that packed. I've seen more people there at a track day!

Saturday morning, we had one practice round, and it was cut short by a red flag. Somebody crashed on the short straight between the Hairpin and the Roller Coaster. Very strange wreck.

I watched the start of the endurance race, and then went back to the trailer to work on the bike and rest up. It rained about 3 hours into the race, causing all sorts of mayhem.

Sunday was mostly dry, great weather. I got 2 practice sessions and tuned my suspension a bit. I managed to get down to 1:40 flat, but couldn't hit 1:39. I guess I should be happy, since this was my first time to Barber this year, but I was hoping to hit 1:38 during the races.

Race 2 (my first, 600 Superstock) was crazy. I got a crap start, was passed by nearly everyone off the line. I managed to get it together and pass a bunch of people, but then started making mistakes once I got out on my own. On the last lap, J.T. passed me going in to T6, but ran wide and allowed me to pass him back. That woke me up, so I put my head down and finished the race just ahead of him in 8th place.

The next race (750 Superstock) went better. I ran consistent 1:40s and 1:41s, and didn't botch the start. I still just finished 8th place, but I felt better about it.

My third race (600 Superbike) was much more interesting. I got a better start and held it together for a 5th place finish. It was still sort of a lonely race once I passed the slower guys, but I feel good about my consistency, and about getting several 1:39s.

The last race (750 Superbike) was fun. I actually diced it up with a guy on a 750, and had 5th place for a few laps, but he pulled it back together and passed me with his horsepower. I couldn't run fast enough laps to reel him in again, I think the tires were starting to go on me, so I had to settle for 6th place.

This should qualify me for 5 races at the WERA GNF at Road Atlanta in October. I'm looking forward to this, maybe I can squeak out some more top 10 finishes for the year.

[+]

Monday, June 30, 2008 - Racing again - Sunday - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, June 28, 2008 - Racing again - Saturday - by Dave

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Racing again - Saturday - by Dave
I have to say, it feels really good to be racing again. The butterflies were overwhelming, and I was on an adrenaline high for several hours afterwards. I didn't get very much track time, but it's at a whole different level, and is absolutely worth it!

Saturday, I had 2 practice sessions - sort of. The first one was cut short by a red flag, I only got 2 full laps. The next one gave me 4 full laps. They are running the new configuration at turn 12, and the AMA chicane at T3, but not the new chicane at T5, which is just fine by me. Sounds like it was a total crash-fest on Friday in that chicane.

Then I ran one race in the afternoon, a solo 16 (16 laps, mini-endurance race). I was in row 11, 28th place, second wave. There was a third wave behind me! I got a great start (very surprising, considering that I don't do race starts at all), and quickly passed 2 rows in front of me. By turn 6, I had already caught the back of the first wave. Around lap 6, things settled down, and I had made my way up to 15th place. I was slowly reeling in other riders and passing them a lap at a time, and by lap 11 I had 2 others in my sights when the red flag came out. A rider went down hard in turn 7, so they called the race. At that point, I was in 12th place. If we had all 16 laps, I think I might have had a top 10 finish, maybe even better.

My best lap time was 1:42, which is 5 seconds off my pace with the old track configuration. The AMA chicane and the new turn 12 really slow you down!

Still, finishing 12th in my first race in 2 years has me thrilled beyond belief. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll run 4 races, 600 superstock, 600 superbike, 750 superstock, and 750 superbike. Should be interesting; if I can finish in the top 15 in all races, I think I'll be thrilled!

One side note - I ran into Nicky McFadden and his coach at the track. Check out the pics I took of him at VIR last year. He's still on a tear, and doing well. This kid's the next Moto GP star, for sure.

Also, huge props to Mike Dozier for showing up and helping me out in the paddock. It was a huge help to have someone looking out for me!

[+]

Sunday, March 16, 2008 - VIR - Great weekend despite the cold - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, March 8, 2008 - At VIR with my pit bitch - by Dave

[+]

Monday, December 31, 2007 - Parting is such sweet sorrow... - by Dave

[+]

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Barber in November - what a weekend! - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, November 10, 2007 - Barber in October - by Dave

[+]

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 - Major changes - by Dave

[+]

Friday, August 10, 2007 - What is up with LSR? - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, May 6, 2007 - Not racing at Barber - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, May 6, 2007 - Barber track day, April 28-29 - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, May 6, 2007 - Barber AMA Races - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, May 6, 2007 - Oregon Scientific ATC2000 video camera - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - Road Atlanta - brr! - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, April 1, 2007 - VIR and Cornerspeed - by Dave

[+]

Friday, March 23, 2007 - Starting a new season - by Dave

[+]

Monday, February 19, 2007 - Phillip Island almost here - by Dave

[+]

Friday, October 27, 2006 - Props for Marietta Motorsports - by Dave

[+]

Wednesday, October 4, 2006 - Barber strikes again - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, September 10, 2006 - Stick a fork in her, she's done... - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, August 26, 2006 - Dave's return at Barber, a mixed bag - by Dave

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Dave's return at Barber, a mixed bag - by Dave
As you might expect, August is hot, which made it hard to keep the energy levels up. Also, Shane forgot the Cytomax, which didn't help. Having A/C in the trailer was an absolute life-saver; we need to insulate the roof next so that we can keep it cooler inside and keep the A/C from having to work so hard.

My shoulder held up reasonably well, all things considered. It didn't hurt too bad most of the time (though getting the leathers on and off hurt like hell), and I was able to compensate for the lack of strength by using my legs and left arm more. Of course, this had my legs and left arm aching.

I got down to 1:44 in the first session, and managed to have a full session at the end of the day on Saturday with an average of 1:42. The first several sessions I had to pit in early due to lack of strength, but after lunch I was much more comfortable and relaxed which allowed me to go the full session.

On Sunday, I was working my way back down to 1:42, and was planning to go for 1:40 when I noticed that the left fork was leaking oil. A blown seal ended my day after just 4 sessions, which was a bit disappointing. However, aside from that, the bike did well and didn't show any issues with the new master cylinder, throttle cables, or the dented gas tank. Overall, I'm really pleased with how my bike and I did (especially since I haven't ridden at all for over 6 weeks).

Andrew and Shane decided to have a little fun at my expense. Andrew did a great job patching the cracks and holes in my fairings, and did a good job with painting them flat/primer black. Then he put some nice "T-Bone racing" decals on. The Pics Of You guys got some good pictures of it (including the oil spraying out of the fork and on to the fairings). Your day is coming, Andrew... ;)

I've decided not to race again this year. While I accomplished my goal of hitting 1:42 and getting comfortable on the bike, I have come to the conclusion that I would probably ride very hard, and another wreck would put me out for the rest of the year, possibly jeopardizing my trip to New Zealand. So, I'll just settle for finishing out the remaining track days at Barber and pick up racing again in 2007.

[+]

Sunday, August 6, 2006 - Up and running again - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, July 23, 2006 - Assessing the damage... - by Dave

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Assessing the damage... - by Dave
I have finally completed disassembling the bike, and this is what needing fixing or replacing:

- Obviously, I need a new helmet.
- Wind screen (and number plates). I can run my double bubble screen for NESBA, but WERA makes me run the stock screen in the Superstock races, and mine is scratched pretty badly from flipping over in the gravel.
- Right side control housing (kill switch and starter). I only need the top half of the outer housing, which had a placement tab that was broken, allowing it to rotate freely on the clipon.
- Throttle cables. They were mangled when the bike flipped.
- Dust boot for the throttle cables.
- Bar-end slider; the existing one did it's job, and really isn't that badly scuffed, but I can see that this is a good item to have extras of.
- Front brake fluid resevoir bracket, which was bent during the flip over.
- Brake fluid resevoir hose to master cylinder. It was cut through at the master cylinder when the bike flipped.
- Front master cylinder; I'm concerned about fluid leaking from the bleed valve, it may have stripped the threads. I may go after market (Brembo) on this one.
- DZUs for the fairings; one was bent by being pinned against the engine casing.
- Right side frame slider - it did it's job keeping the majority of the bike off the ground.
- Right side foot peg and brake lever. Also did it's job.

The fairings are pretty badly scraped and cracked, but I think it's repairable with some Bondo. It won't look pretty, but it should work. I'll have to redo the number plates on the tail section.

The right side clip-on seems to have shifted a bit, but it's straight. I should be able to put it back in the right position.

I'm rather surprised that nothing major was damaged. There are a few scratches on the front rim, the tank is dented (but workable), and the frame has some scratches from rocks. But, the frame is straight, the forks aren't bent or scratched, the airbox and ram air tube are fine, and it doesn't look like the engine casing even touched the ground.

I'm kind of surprised at how many little things were damaged, though.

But, overall, I guess it's not too bad. Now I just need to order the parts and get her back together for Barber.

[+]

Friday, July 21, 2006 - Cycle Jam - more details - by Dave

Friday, July 21, 2006

Cycle Jam - more details - by Dave
Saturday morning practice was rather slow, lots of traffic with people searching for lines around the track. I found a decent line through the chicane and started working on getting faster there.

In the C Superstock Novice race, I got a lousy start from wave 2, but managed to work my way forward through slower riders to finish 17th overall, with a fast lap of 1:41. I was right behind another rider at the finish, and could have placed higher if the race was 1 lap longer (but isn't that always the case, eh?).

In B Superstock Novice, I got another lousy start from wave 2, and worked my way forward to 15th place, with a fast lap of 1:40 (and an average of 1:40!). This garnered me 1 point, but no trophy or plaque. No sign of sponsorships at this point, but I haven't given up hope...

I had a close call in T5, where I carried a bit more speed than in previous laps and got on the throttle a bit harder. Both the front and rear wheels started to slide, and I ran wide onto the curbing, sending me bumping and wheelying up the hill.

My final race (C Superbike Novice), I got a slightly better start in wave 2, but only worked my way up to 16th, with a fastest lap of 1:40.2 (and an average of 1:40). I was disappointed that I couldn't quite make it to 1:39.

Sunday was pretty bad all around. Chris Stevenson's wreck and passing on was very sobering...my thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Morning practice was slow as hell. I only managed to put in 1:45 with all the traffic.

The first race (600 Superstock Novice) was very odd. Riders were going off the track left and right, then coming back on without looking. A lot of people were short-cutting the chicane, which made for dicey conditions for those of us who were actually turning at the chicane. I got another slow start (something that I clearly need to work on), and finished 18th, with a "fastest" lap of 1:42.

My last race was in 600 Superbike, and I really should have sat this one out. I was in row 5 in the first wave, and I figured I had a chance to finish in the top 10 (certainly in the top 15). I got a pretty good start, but was checked up in traffic in T1 and the chicane. Coming out of T5, I drove hard up the hill, and kept the throttle pinned, staying center track, out-braking several other riders. I figured I was on track for a 1:39 for sure. My rear end got a bit loose, but settled down as I started to turn in...then I felt a bump...next thing I know, I'm seeing sky/ground/sky/ground...

I have a "class 4 A/C separation" of my shoulder, and the other rider may have a broken or sprained finger. My bike isn't too badly banged up, nothing major was broken, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get her back in shape for the track again. I, on the other hand, will have at least 4-6 weeks of down time. The doctor said there's a 50% chance I'll need surgury, so I'll have to see what the specialist says. I'm just glad that it wasn't any worse...there were a number of very bad wrecks this weekend.

An amusing anecdote about the aftermath of the crash...I walked over to the concrete barrier and sat down in the shade, taking my helmet and gloves off. As I tried to get the jacket off, my arm wouldn't quite move right, so I struggled with it and finally got it off. That's when I saw my collar bone sticking up in a very unnatural position, and I noticed that my right arm was a bit longer than my left arm. I figured I just dislocated my shoulder, so I got on all fours and threw my weight on my right arm. Nothing much happened, so I did it again, and heard a pop. I looked up to see the corner worker standing there staring at me wide-eyed and mouth open, and he asked "Dude, are you ok?" I said "I think there might be something wrong with my shoulder", to which he replied "Uh, YEAH! Let me call the ambulance..."

I sat back down, waiting for the ambulance to arrive, looking at the trees and hearing the bikes go by, and I noticed something growing in the weeds. I may have been in shock, because despite the pain that was building in my shoulder, all I could think was "Hey, blackberries. Yummy!" The medic arrived before I could get any...

Even though I'm not sponsored by these guys, props to HJC for keeping my noggin protected (despite being banned from northeast tracks), Alpinestars leathers for keeping my skin protected, Teknic gloves for keeping my hands in shape to type, and Sidi boots for letting me walk away from the wreck

[+]

Thursday, July 20, 2006 - Barber, RoadAtl, and Cycle Jam - by Dave

[+]

Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - Road Atlanta - bumps and bumps - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, May 13, 2006 - WERA Racing - the aftermath - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, April 30, 2006 - Good bye #42 - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, April 30, 2006 - After RoadAtl, new suspension - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, April 2, 2006 - New suspension for the ZX6R - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, April 2, 2006 - Cornerspeed School and VIR - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, March 18, 2006 - Barber, March 4 2006 - First track day of the year - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, December 18, 2005 - ZX6R winter projects - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, December 11, 2005 - End of track year update - by Dave

Sunday, December 11, 2005

End of track year update - by Dave
Well, I'm sad to say that it's over for 2005. It's going to be a long, cold winter. Our first track day in 2006 will probably be one of the Barber dates in March. We may try something in February if it's warm enough.

Jennings was a blast! I had a great time riding with everyone, and even managed to go reasonably fast. I crashed in T11, which caused some problems that would come back to haunt me at Road Atlanta (the stator cover started leaking oil). I'll definitely be back to Jennings next year.

Road Atlanta was great for Shane, but pretty much sucked for me. My old tires wouldn't warm up on the cold track, and the oil leak had me bail on half a day on Sunday. We only got 1 session in the morning on Sunday, which also sucked. I don't think I want to do RoadA on Sunday any more, it just isn't worth it with the long quiet time, and it's close enough that doing a 1 day event isn't a big deal.

Shane was really doing well. He was passing me at will, and put in some pretty fast lap times (mid-40's if I remember correctly). His form looked great, and he was really consistent. I think he's finally coming to grips with riding there and not going off-track!

Now it's time to start the post-season mods and maintenance. I'm replacing the stator cover and putting in a new air filter (my stock filter is probably clogged with sand from my crash at Jennings). I'm also looking at a 1/5 turn throttle kit to make it easier to go full-throttle. I'll also put on a new chain and new tires, along with metal 90 degree angle valve stems. I'm going to stick with Metzeler Racetek - these tires rock. I may also get her dyno'ed for a custom map. I will also put speed-bleeders on and replace the brake fluid.

Shane is going with a full exhaust; I think he decided against the velocity stacks and valve jobs. I'm putting the metal angle valve stems on his wheels too.

We're also looking to pimp out the trailer. We will install a heater/AC unit, get a generator, paint the walls, spray Rhino Liner (or somesuch) on the floor and ramp, install cabinets/shelves, improve the tie-down bolts, etc. Also, basic maintenance (check brakes, new tire, spare wheel/tire, etc).

[+]

Saturday, November 5, 2005 - Other post-Barber odds and ends - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, November 5, 2005 - Last track day at Barber for 2005 - by Dave

Saturday, November 5, 2005

Last track day at Barber for 2005 - by Dave
It was a great weekend for riding at Barber! It was also sad to say goodby for 2005. The STT track weekend went very well, remarkably few crashes or short sessions, despite the cold mornings.

Shane and I managed to keep the bikes up and on the track the whole weekend. I worked out some issues with chatter (had to make the rebound damping 1/2 turn harder front and rear). With that and the Metzeler rear tire, my laps times went down 3-4 seconds, and stayed there pretty consistently!

On Sunday, I had "Shadow Video Productions" follow me around the track for one session, getting video. I had to go a lot slower than normal (they aren't very familiar with the track), but it should still show me what I'm doing wrong and help me improve my riding. I can't wait for the DVD to show up.

This time out, I had the +2T rear sprocket, which made a huge difference in driving out of corners. I had to adjust my gear selection a bit - I actually hit 5th gear on the front straight and out of the Hairpin. I also need to catch 4th gear before the chicane on the back straight, and I'm catching 4th before I crest the hill at T3.

I also had the Akrapovic exhaust (with stock map). This made a big difference in weight and power. I'll map it for the Hindle full exhaust next, which should give me even more power.

On Saturday, I trashed the Pilot Race rear tire, and had them put the Metzeler rear on - I love this tire. Great feel, nice profile, and lots of feedback. I spun up the rear coming out of the Hairpin, and it was very gradual, allowing me to control it pretty easily. This tire should get me through Road Atlanta.

It was a real treat to ride with Kevin Schwantz while they were doing motorcycle tests. I got to "dice it up" with Kevin riding a stock 636 for a little bit, though I know he wasn't really trying very hard. Still, it was fun watching an expert ride a stock bike similar to mine and put it to good use. Very impressive, and very humbling.

[+]

Saturday, October 8, 2005 - More Upgrades to the ZX6R - by Dave

[+]

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - CMP weekend - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, September 17, 2005 - After Barber - by Dave

Saturday, September 17, 2005

After Barber - by Dave
It seems like Barber was a mixed bag this time. Shane spent the weekend fiddling with his suspension, trying to get comfortable with the feel of the bike. In the end, he was going faster and seemed to be doing pretty well. Hopefully Road Atlanta will get him the rest of the way. Shane changed his oil twice on Saturday (once at lunch, then again at the end of the day). The oil looked pretty clean at the second change, so hopefully she's well broken in (and not broken).

On Saturday morning, I had some serious magic. I was running 1:47's with one lap at 1:45. Everything was clicking and felt great. Then it started to go downhill. I went off the track entering the Carousel because I didn't have enough lean angle for the speed I was carrying; no big deal, kept it up and just rolled back on the track. Then I nearly high-sided exiting the Roller Coaster as I spun up the rear tire and it hooked back up rather suddenly (both of which were my fault).

After that, I lost confidence in the tires and decided to switch to the Pilot Race tires at lunch instead of at the end of the day. Bill (DZone) taught me a few neat tricks with getting the rear tire off that minimize the fiddling you have to do. I put the new tires on in kind of a rush, and forgot to check the pressure - WAY too high. The first session out I felt like I was on ice. I came off early to try and adjust the pressure, but by then the tires were hot and I couldn't get it right. The rest of the day was horrible, just couldn't get the feel for the tires and had no confidence.

Sunday was better, as I started to regain the feel for the bike and the tires. By the end of the day, I was back around 1:49-1:50, still not great, but much better than I was doing. Hopefully I will feel more confident at CMP in a few weeks.

On a positive note, the Barber museum was incredible! Pictures don't do it justice. I definitely need to go back when I can spend more time there.

[+]

Friday, September 2, 2005 - Back in black, ready for Barber - by Dave

[+]

Saturday, August 27, 2005 - Upgrades to the ZX6R - by Dave

[+]

Monday, August 22, 2005 - Hot, hot, HOT - by Dave

[+]

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - Road Atlanta - by Dave

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Road Atlanta - by Dave
Saturday turned out pretty well. STT/Road Atlanta decided to run the AMA chicane at turn 4, so it was like learning a new track. It took me about half a day to learn the new line through that section. The key is to clip the apex at turn 2 (down-shifting to 2nd gear) with the bike standing up, then hop the curbing at turn 3, straight-lining into the chicane. Then move to the right side of the bike, jogging left slightly, and throw the bike to the right with your knee almost touching the grass. Flip over to the left, shifting back into 3rd gear, exiting the chicane.

Overall, the new chicane cost me about 2 seconds per lap, not too bad. I think I ended up a lot faster elsewhere, so I made up a good bit of the lost time. I was getting my knees down in many turns.

I had a bit of a scary moment when the front end started to chatter going through turn 12 onto the front straight. I was driving pretty hard, and the tires were new so they weren't gripping as well as I thought they would. I didn't experience this for the rest of the day, but I also didn't drive as hard either.

I also had quite a bit of head-shake going over the hill past turn 5, and under the bridge at turn 11. This has convinced me to get a steering damper; it's costing me too much time to ease through those sections to avoid the shake.

I had some fun moments sliding the rear end around going into turn 6 and turn 10a. I spun up the rear at the exit of turn 1, getting it to slide out a little. I held the throttle and let it hook back up gradually without unsettling the bike. It's nice to know what that feels like, and especially nice that I can do it without freaking out. I guess watching all the races on TV can teach you something... :)

Sunday sucked bad; it rained pretty much all day, and turns 1/5/6/7/10b are like ice when they get wet. I ended up sitting out the whole day. It would have been nice to have gotten a rain credit. In the future, I may not run RA with STT unless I'm sure the weather is going to be good. There's no point in wasting the money.

[+]

Saturday, July 30, 2005 - Track days schedule - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, July 17, 2005 - Odds and ends - by Dave

[+]

Monday, July 11, 2005 - What's next? - by Dave

[+]

Sunday, July 10, 2005 - Barber was good to us! - by Dave

[+]

Friday, July 8, 2005 - Ready for Barber! - by Dave

[+]

Wednesday, July 6, 2005 - Engine drain bolt is on its way - by Dave

[+]

Wednesday, July 6, 2005 - Installed CF rear hugger and tank protector - by Dave

[+]

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - A stupid mistake - by Dave

[+]

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - Next track day - Barber 9 July 2005 - by Dave

Add blog entry