Back in the shop

If someone enjoys modifying or wrenching on their bike does it really effect how anyone else enjoys their bike and/or hobby?

I mean, no clear clutches, but do you do you.

This bike is a fire breathing Dragon, at the height of its powers, that’s savagely pissed off

I garage with my buddies who are all BMW guys, and one of the event Sponsors is always right next to me, Seaver BMW.

Every time I go there my one red Ducati in a sea of BMW white, red, and blue.

And when people walk by the garages they always stop to look at my bike, I always feel like it’s gunna piss off the guys from Seaver, and they’re such nice guys that’s it’s almost guilting me into buying the 2023 r1000 M lol

The bike handled amazingly today, one of those days where the suspension felt dialed in, all the ergos came together, the bike just went where I pointed it and did everything I asked of it. held the line beautifully accelerating hard off the apexes.

The Pierobon Swingarm and the Wings are doing their job incredibly well, meaning keeping the front end down mechanically instead of by cutting power electronically, it’s braking so hard and accelerating so hard that it almost feels like it wants to through me off the back end of the bike when I’m transition from out of saddle at lean to back in the saddle while accelerating. Had to adjust to that, was moving me around in the saddle too much too unexpectantly, might move the foot pegs a bit further too the rear and try that.

I’m getting a bit tired of running in the groups I’m in, the 1st 3 laps of each session I’m getting around people to find some unimpeded space, while trying to find somebody just a bit faster than me that I can chase.

The problem is that my fitness needs another upgrade now, was fine for how fast I was going but now it’s not, so I’m impeded for three laps then by the time I get clear I’m gassing out of the 4th or fifth lap….easy fix though, more peloton and kettle bell swings.

I’m having an issue finding someone to follow to get faster…everyone just a bit faster just hits the times in a completely different WAY.

My bike accelerates harder than just about everyone there, but worse, I brake later and harder so I run up on them, where they get ahead of me is in higher roll speed on turn in, I brake much later than anyone else, but am still slowing the bike too much, I don’t want to stop braking later than everyone else, cause it’s too fun, so now I’m practicing braking even later but carrying more roll speed into turn in.

I need an open track to train on lol

Are you on slicks with the warmers?

I had that same problem my last track day...people kept walking by and stopping to take pictures. Two young kids kept coming by throughout the day and looking so at one point I called them over and let them sit on it and get some revs.

That's one thing I was surprised about at my first track day, how much of a family thing it was. I can't recommend track riding enough. It's such a good environment to enjoy this sport.

bp_SFV4 said:

Are you on slicks with the warmers?

I had that same problem my last track day...people kept walking by and stopping to take pictures. Two young kids kept coming by throughout the day and looking so at one point I called them over and let them sit on it and get some revs.

That's one thing I was surprised about at my first track day, how much of a family thing it was. I can't recommend track riding enough. It's such a good environment to enjoy this sport.

Click to expand...

Not full slicks, I run the SC3’s front and back, nearly as good as a slick, definitely solid for my pace for now, so I’m going to see if I can get away with using them for a few more track weekends…they last a good 12 to 15 sessions, so about 2 to 3 track days, whereas with the slicks I’ll be pulling the wheels off at the end of every track day.

Yes to tire warmers, those are a must.

I have a set of slicks mounted to a second set of wheels, the Marchenesi Magnesium’s that came with the bike, but so far grip isn’t slowing me down, at least not today. I was getting on the power earlier and harder but smoother today.

I’m easing slowly into learning how much this bike will take before it reaches its limits…on my fastest sectors I’m probably only riding this bike at 80% of its limit with the SC3’s.

Getting steadily faster, but not rushing it, today my average lap times were a bit faster than my fastest laps times last track day.

No reason to rush it at all. No one is paying you to be faster.

I asked about the warmers because I hear and read different things about them with DOT tires. I heard that on cooler days in morning sessions they have value, but if its 90F, eh not so much. It seems like its another thing that will have to be sorted out, both in selecting a set, learning how to use them etc, that is probably worth doing early on.

When I was at Putnam Park in Indiana, this dude would roll into the garage and his GF/wife would put on and remove the warmers every time. It seems like a task I could delegate.

bp_SFV4 said:

No reason to rush it at all. No one is paying you to be faster.

I asked about the warmers because I hear and read different things about them with DOT tires. I heard that on cooler days in morning sessions they have value, but if its 90F, eh not so much. It seems like its another thing that will have to be sorted out, both in selecting a set, learning how to use them etc, that is probably worth doing early on.

When I was at Putnam Park in Indiana, this dude would roll into the garage and his GF/wife would put on and remove the warmers every time. It seems like a task I could delegate.

Click to expand...

It’s something you just get into a rythm on, everybody does. When you come off track 1st thing you do is put tire warmers on, when you leave to go on track last thing you do after helmet and gloves is unplug the tire warmers, pull them off, drop the bike off stands and roll straight out, you want as little down time as possible between on track and off warmers.

Tire pressure is everything, even for a new rider, tire pressure DRAMATICALLY changes how the bike feels, so even when using a DOT approved track tire you want to use tire warmers to manage the consistency of your tire pressures.

If you have a tire vendor like Pirelli at the track, go tell them exactly what tires you are running and they will tell you what WARM pressures are close to optimal for the conditions, then right before your session starts, when the tires are fully warm in the warmers check the tire pressure, then when you pull back to the paddock IMMEDIATELY after the session Che l your pressures as you come off track. Ambient air and track temperatures and riding pace affect all of it.

After a few times checking the pressures right before you go out and right after you come back in you’ll know how much the pressures are changing up or down, and know where to set the pressures cold or warm ti be in the right zone while on the track. It changes.

For example, today I need hot pressures to be at 25 rear, 36 front. I set them there with the tires fully warm with the tire warmers on right before going out to my session, when I checked the tire pressures coming off the track they were low, it’s was an unusually cool day today so the tires were actually losing heat on track and dropping tire pressures coming off the tire warmers. So I set the pressures to 27 and 38 and they stayed perfect on track the rest of the day at 25 and 36.

Last summer on 100 degree days the tires were heating up a lot on track so my pressures were going up on track comming off the warmers, so I set the ‘warm’ tire warmer pressures to 21 rear and 32 front to end up consistently at 25 and 36 on track.

It’s fairly easy when you are actually doing it, and is arguably the most important paddock skill to learn fir new track riders. Managing tire pressures.

bp_SFV4 said:

No reason to rush it at all. No one is paying you to be faster.

Click to expand...

I’m very competitive by nature, so a big milestone for me was realizing that the ‘winner’ of track day is the guy who had the most fun.

Even still, I find myself trying to race these fuckers sometimes while I’m on the track haha…and by ‘these fuckers’ I mean my buddies lol

At my level I look it as the one who learned the most.

Do you check pressures before and after a session? I was thinking about making a data sheet organized by track.

bp_SFV4 said:

At my level I look it as the one who learned the most.

Do you check pressures before and after a session? I was thinking about making a data sheet organized by track.

Click to expand...

I check them right before and right after until I get a feel for how much they are moving up or down on track versus on warmers, once I have that sorted I stop checking when I come off track unless ambient temps change a lot.

bp_SFV4 said:

At my level I look it as the one who learned the most.

Do you check pressures before and after a session? I was thinking about making a data sheet organized by track.

Click to expand...

You’d want to track ambient temps, and pace along with what track you are at.

…and check them every session! They will stabilize but checking them will also let you know of any punctures. Picked up my first at a track day the other weekend, was loosing 3-4.5psi in the front each time out, by the end of the session the bike was oversteering a lot with the imbalance. All info to be filed away for future reference

andyb said:

View attachment 46479

Click to expand...

Whatever disease you guys have infected me too.

youpaiyou said:

Whatever disease you guys have infected me too.

Click to expand...

There’s a name for it, it’s called the Mod Bug, and there’s no known cure once you have it.

Steven, can't find the pictures of you trying to get tucked on your bike. But, I was thinking about it today.
You may find it easier to get in the tuck, with the standard tank. ie no tank cover or tank extender. This might give you a little more room to lay flater.

In regards to braking, as you approach a corner, you should be moving your body across the bike, toward the inside of the bike/corner. Now, your inner thigh, should be against the base of the tank, as you begin braking.

Mat not help, just thoughts

RickD996 said:

Steven, can't find the pictures of you trying to get tucked on your bike. But, I was thinking about it today.
You may find it easier to get in the tuck, with the standard tank. ie no tank cover or tank extender. This might give you a little more room to lay flater.

In regards to braking, as you approach a corner, you should be moving your body across the bike, toward the inside of the bike/corner. Now, your inner thigh, should be against the base of the tank, as you begin braking.

Mat not help, just thoughts

Click to expand...

+100 get the bike settled & stable before the turn. OMG what a dif. in confidence.

Also... most time is cut during corner exit, contrary to what most people think. More time is spent accelerating rather than braking during a lap and therefore one should focus on corner exit rather than late braking.

Thinking ahead is key.

RickD996 said:

Steven, can't find the pictures of you trying to get tucked on your bike. But, I was thinking about it today.
You may find it easier to get in the tuck, with the standard tank. ie no tank cover or tank extender. This might give you a little more room to lay flater.

In regards to braking, as you approach a corner, you should be moving your body across the bike, toward the inside of the bike/corner. Now, your inner thigh, should be against the base of the tank, as you begin braking.

Mat not help, just thoughts

Click to expand...

Corner entry I’m good on, though I still over brake by mid corner and then try to make it up on exit instead of a carrying more roll speed through mid-corner.

At least that’s what it feels like, gunna start logging data soon.



That last pic was the VultureBike squared off tank extender, it works well but at my size the squared corner was a bit in the way, I could get a decent hook on the tank with my outside leg.

The two pics in the middle are the MonkeyGripp tank extender, it’s made from a firm but not hard rubberized material and it’s perfect, it sits low enough and is rounded enough on the edge to get a comfortable perch and has a nice flat spot for my chest, and the leg hookin is PERFECT. And very easy to index to the right spot on my leg to get my hips opened up.

My problem with the tuck is mostly size and body shape and neck related.

I have to sit out over the tail fairing to get flat enough, and then I have some minor neck flexibility issues where my sight lines are affected if I get too flat.

Vbreeze said:

+100 get the bike settled & stable before the turn. OMG what a dif. in confidence.

Click to expand...

I know it’s soooo wrong, but I like playing chicken with the corner, braking as hard and late into as I possibly can with that momentary feeling of manic fear as I try to do it later and later each time haha

I go off the track a fair amount lol

The stopping ability of these bikes is crazy, you are approaching the corner at speeds that your mind cannot comprehend that the bike can slow enough in that short a space but it can, sometimes I charge past two or three riders in the breaking zone, granted I’m in the middle group but my breaking zone is functionally half the distance they are using most of the time.

Having said that, I learned things backwards, I sorted breaking and corner entry before I learned mid-corner control or corner exit, which is why my times are still slow overall…but I’ll go toe to toe on breaking with all but the best riders out there. It’s one of the few areas where my size and weight is an advantage out there.

If I ever start racing I’m going to cause some emotional damage to guys on the last two or three turns of a race haha