Back in the shop

No, its 30F here. Going to be a few weeks unless we get an unseasonably warm spell.

The Vulturbike fits really good to the tank and doesn't flex. If I were to come up with a downside, its that the tank is going to take a beating from it. I tried to protect the corners best I could but there was spots I missed. I took some black vinyl wrap and ran a strip around the fuel cap so you can't see any red. More or less so it doesn't look like there a tank cover and just has the brushed aluminium look.

RickD996 said:

Without wishing to simplify the onerous task of lengthening the swingarm, you could just buy longer bolts, and some spacers equal to the extra length of the bolts.
Go in 10mm increments.

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what about the rear tank mountings? If you space the subframe back then they will move too and not line up with the tank.........

andyb said:

what about the rear tank mountings? If you space the subframe back then they will move too and not line up with

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Um, make a bracket....

RickD996 said:

Um, make a bracket....

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hardly......

andyb said:

hardly......

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Realistically, a bracket for the rear fixings on the fuel tank is a piece of piss.

Harder, will be how the front of the tank aligns with the top of the subframe. So, a little more involved, and probably some cutting and welding of the subframe required!

Maybe easier to see if DB Holders or Pierobon will do one that meets requirements...

Realistically it’s not a simple job you have the front tank mountings and the rear tank mountings it’s not just a simple 10 mm washer bracket…it borders on stupid ..

So moving the tank is a massive no no.. you are into the fairings not fitting let alone the gubbings underneath fitting in.

In answer to spacing the rear subframe on its mountings is a no no too as its not as simple as just putting spacers in (say like spacing out a rearset) because the way and angle the four mounting bolts fit. The subframe would go up or up and back and two of the bolts wouldn't align, let alone the misery of the tank mountings both front and back of the tank.

if you wanted to extend the subframe it would need to be done rearwards of the back of the tank and extend or remake the shape there! Still a massive job and stupid.

If I'm honest I don't think you are that much of a freak of size.....see above!

1st session out today felt good, wasn’t even trying and did 2 seconds faster than my previous best lap.

Paul G said:

View attachment 47766

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That's my philosophy. Works wonders. Spend money on gas and tires and piss off with the BS already

Jolly Roger V4 said:

That's my philosophy. Works wonders. Spend money on gas and tires and piss off with the BS already

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If a good rider can get within seconds of the lap record on a stock bike, the best bang for buck is rider training.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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