Back in the shop

Steven31371 said:

View attachment 50231View attachment 50232

Got here late, am at Big Willow today, just did my 1st session, but I did it on the K5 Gixxer track bike, I gotta say, I f***king LOVE this track already.

We’ll see how it feels with the stiffer suspension of the Ducati next session, but so far my god this track is cool.

There’s only about 20% of the track that’s slightly technical, the other 80% is just….GOOOO FAAASSST

Click to expand...

Remember, it's only cool and fun, if the throttle us pinned wide open

RickD996 said:

Remember, it's only cool and fun, if the throttle us pinned wide open

Click to expand...

Haha, the front straight at this track is like doing roll racing but with a starting speed of 80 to 90 mph instead of 60 mph….so far there’s no one here faster on that straight.

I’m pushing out and taking the 130 mph turn at about 105 mph though, but in my defense I had dot approved SC3’s on the Ducati the 1st two sessions, just put the slicks on for the last 3 sessions

That was supposed to be ‘pudding’ out not pushing out lol

That was absolutely the funnest track day I’ve ever had, like in my entire life with any type of vehicle lol

Interestingly, it was also one of the most productive in terms of my rider development, usually the days where you’re making improvement tend to be boring days because you’re just repetitively doing the same things over and over at 90% or less.

But today I spent the entire day working on corner entry speed and corner roll speed because it’s the perfect track to calibrate your brain to higher speeds at.

I started the first session taking turn eight at 85 or 90 miles an hour but then I just kept methodically adding two or 3 mph more every lap till I peaked at somewhere between 110 and 115 miles an hour for that corner, that’s still pretty slow for that track, the faster guys take that turn at 135 and the really fast guys can do it at 150 so I’m not setting any records but it was a big improvement in one day.

Turns one and two were a bit of a different story. I definitely got legitimately quick, if not fast on both of those turns, by the last session of the day, taking turn to add 75 or 80 miles an hour and turn to in the 90s mph. Turn one I feel like I actually got sorted pretty well. Some of the faster guys who are passing me on turning pretty easily while I’m doing 110 miles an hour I was closing the gap on the straight and then taking turn one with enough more roll speed that I was already passing them back as we came off of turn one onto the short street before turn two so I felt pretty good about that.
I really wasn’t very fast on the straights most of the time unless somebody tried to pass me on a straight lol, I wasn’t having that today…. I doubt I got past 160 mph but that’s OK I wasn’t there to improve my straight line speed. I was there to improve my corner, entry and corner roll speeds, and to calibrate my brain to tipping into a corner at much higher speeds than I’ve been used to. Turn one gives some people some trouble at the track because you’re potentially reaching speeds of 180 miles an hour which makes that turn look a lot sharper than it actually is, the key seems to be to get your body and the bike settled early and then turn in a bit earlier than what you would think, because it’s not actually that tight of a radius and the track is really wide coming off the Apex

PS: tires take it in the chin at big willow lol



Those were fresh tires about 3.5 twenty minutes sessions ago

Steven31371 said:

That was absolutely the funnest track day I’ve ever had, like in my entire life with any type of vehicle lol

Interestingly, it was also one of the most productive in terms of my rider development, usually the days where you’re making improvement tend to be boring days because you’re just repetitively doing the same things over and over at 90% or less.

But today I spent the entire day working on corner entry speed and corner roll speed because it’s the perfect track to calibrate your brain to higher speeds at.

I started the first session taking turn eight at 85 or 90 miles an hour but then I just kept methodically adding two or 3 mph more every lap till I peaked at somewhere between 110 and 115 miles an hour for that corner, that’s still pretty slow for that track, the faster guys take that turn at 135 and the really fast guys can do it at 150 so I’m not setting any records but it was a big improvement in one day.

Turns one and two were a bit of a different story. I definitely got legitimately quick, if not fast on both of those turns, by the last session of the day, taking turn to add 75 or 80 miles an hour and turn to in the 90s mph. Turn one I feel like I actually got sorted pretty well. Some of the faster guys who are passing me on turning pretty easily while I’m doing 110 miles an hour I was closing the gap on the straight and then taking turn one with enough more roll speed that I was already passing them back as we came off of turn one onto the short street before turn two so I felt pretty good about that.
I really wasn’t very fast on the straights most of the time unless somebody tried to pass me on a straight lol, I wasn’t having that today…. I doubt I got past 160 mph but that’s OK I wasn’t there to improve my straight line speed. I was there to improve my corner, entry and corner roll speeds, and to calibrate my brain to tipping into a corner at much higher speeds than I’ve been used to. Turn one gives some people some trouble at the track because you’re potentially reaching speeds of 180 miles an hour which makes that turn look a lot sharper than it actually is, the key seems to be to get your body and the bike settled early and then turn in a bit earlier than what you would think, because it’s not actually that tight of a radius and the track is really wide coming off the Apex

PS: tires take it in the chin at big willow lol

View attachment 50233View attachment 50234

Those were fresh tires about 3.5 twenty minutes sessions ago

Click to expand...

You have nailed track day riding, i have raced bikes since 1980 and every time I'm on track I'm pushing the limits, crashing, getting frustrated with setup issues it is a job and at one stage it actually was, that is when I walked away in 1995 i had a ride with pay but that pressure was something i didn't want, i gave up a really good deal and i don't regret it. I came back riding in 2013 with the aim of just doing track days and trying to enjoy riding ( something i never did while racing) but i ended up racing again pushing limits and crashing, i had my last race in 2015 placed 3rd in national championship race and was pissed off i didn't win, i had a heart attack 3 days later and racing days were over. Last year i got back out on track and I can't push like i used to but for the first time ever I'm actually having fun!!!!! People i used to lap are going past and i don't care, the point I'm getting at is if you leave the track with a smile on your face rhen you have nailed it. Took me 45 years to work it out

@Steven31371 How do you get your bikes in and out of the truck bed?

Bruce Wayne said:

You have nailed track day riding, i have raced bikes since 1980 and every time I'm on track I'm pushing the limits, crashing, getting frustrated with setup issues it is a job and at one stage it actually was, that is when I walked away in 1995 i had a ride with pay but that pressure was something i didn't want, i gave up a really good deal and i don't regret it. I came back riding in 2013 with the aim of just doing track days and trying to enjoy riding ( something i never did while racing) but i ended up racing again pushing limits and crashing, i had my last race in 2015 placed 3rd in national championship race and was pissed off i didn't win, i had a heart attack 3 days later and racing days were over. Last year i got back out on track and I can't push like i used to but for the first time ever I'm actually having fun!!!!! People i used to lap are going past and i don't care, the point I'm getting at is if you leave the track with a smile on your face rhen you have nailed it. Took me 45 years to work it out

Click to expand...

Much appreciated and sage words of advice, I’m never gunna get paid for this so it needs to be fun…I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and overly self critical of myself until I feel like I get it right…so for sure I’ve been guilty of trying too hard at this and not having enough FUN on some days. Part of that is also not wanting to screw up in a way that this beast of a bike maims or kills me, but mostly it was just that I was trying too hard.

The track I was on today has very little in the way of technical riding demands, so there wasn’t much to beat myself up over…you just gotta go or not go for it, and that made it fun…I can’t think of another day I ever had in my life that was funner than today lol

Certainly days with more joy, or poignancy, but it terms of just sheer fun, todays was pretty f***king awesome.

bp_SFV4 said:

@Steven31371 How do you get your bikes in and out of the truck bed?

Click to expand...

I have a set of extra long ramps that aren’t too steep, that’s key, comes in a set of three, a wider middle one and two less wide side ramps.

When I’m loading two bikes I put the front wheel chucks up against the back of the bed, I don’t use all three ramps, just the wider one to run the bike up, and the thinner one to walk up beside the bike…put the bike in 1st gear and walk it up into the wheel Chuck, move the wider ramp to the other side and do the same thing, the wheel chucks hold the bikes up while I strap them down. If I take one bike it’s easier.

bp_SFV4 said:

@Steven31371 How do you get your bikes in and out of the truck bed?

Click to expand...

Titan Ramps 9 FT Single Arch Ramps Loading, Black Aluminum Folding, Rated 600 LB, All Terrain Portable, Safety Straps Included Amazon.com

Titan Ramps 9 FT HD 4 Beam Arched Motorcycle Loading Ramp, Single Black Aluminum Folding, Rated 1500 LB, All Terrain Portable, Safety Strap Included Amazon.com

Get one of each of those, one wide one, one narrow one, you walk up the narrow and run your bike up the wide one, makes it pretty easy.

Those are the exact ones I have, they are made well, very sturdy but not heavy to move around.

And this wheel chuck, a bit pricey fir a wheel Chuck but worth it because it will last for years, and unlike every other wheel Chuck I’ve owned it’s easy to get the bike out of it wheel holding the bike really well because the lower part has a pinching mechanism that holds the tire after you roll up into it. Get the textured black version and your hot tire rubber won’t stick to it making it a bear to get the bike out.



https://store.schnitzracing.com/bax...M9mBgWBXqBKaTYKcE-ZV95PuRtoTeFmAaAsioEALw_wcB

BP was it you that was looking for an airbag vest?

I was looking mostly at the Tech-Air 10, but I want to make sure any issues are ironed out.

bp_SFV4 said:

I was looking mostly at the Tech-Air 10, but I want to make sure any issues are ironed out.

Click to expand...

Man I have a tech air 5 that I never took out of the box if you want it, I think we are about the same size if I remember right, cover shipping and I’ll gift it to you if you want it.

Steven31371 said:

Man I have a tech air 5 that I never took out of the box if you want it, I think we are about the same size if I remember right, cover shipping and I’ll gift it to you if you want it.

Click to expand...

If he’s not interested I am. PM me how much you want for it, should it be available. I wouldn’t presume that I’ll get the same deal as BP

Steven31371 said:

Man I have a tech air 5 that I never took out of the box if you want it, I think we are about the same size if I remember right, cover shipping and I’ll gift it to you if you want it.

Click to expand...

PM sent.

@Steven31371 I'm really glad you liked Big Willow on the bike! I too left quite euphoric. The track is special and FUN! It's just something else to be at such high speed so continuously. I did execute a time attack at noon and wow, it was a pretty awesome experience... over 100 mph average speed for a lap! My brain is still scrambled, and I'm fully addicted to this.

Fry said:

@Steven31371 I'm really glad you liked Big Willow on the bike! I too left quite euphoric. The track is special and FUN! It's just something else to be at such high speed so continuously. I did execute a time attack at noon and wow, it was a pretty awesome experience... over 100 mph average speed for a lap! My brain is still scrambled, and I'm fully addicted to this.

Click to expand...

That’s awesome man, great job, that’s flying….I didn’t even break out my lap timer, I just methodically went faster and faster until the last minute of the last session…I’m going back on the 8th though to pic up where I left off…that place is a hoot.

For sure there a few places where that track wants to bite you, but once you know where they are they are pretty easy to avoid.

That mini Grand Canyon pothole on 6….also there is some kind of dip about 2/3rds of the way down the front straight that almost sends you airborn at 150 mph

I gotta brag a bit on my Superleggera wings at the leaned wheelie trap coming off of 6…the whole day I could feel the front coming up so I didn’t increase my speed there assuming that if I go any faster I’d be landing that front end at lean at speed…but the faster I went the more the wings started working, so interestingly the front end didn’t come up any more accelerating to 100 through there than it did at 75., was surprised and happy with that.

Very excited to go back, glad a lot of people avoid that track, less crowded for us lol

On the other hand maybe they’d re-pave it if it were busier…imagine that track with Chuck’s tarmac and some FIA side markers that aren’t death traps themselves lol

By the end of the day there were only two guys in group B that were faster so next time I go there I might give group A a go

TAZ it’s too big for BP, what size are you, the setup is a 3XL…I bought it when I was 250 pounds…I’m down to 230 now at 6’3”, it’s still wearable at my size now but only just so…if you are about that size you can have it.

Steven31371 said:

TAZ it’s too big for BP, what size are you, the setup is a 3XL…I bought it when I was 250 pounds…I’m down to 230 now at 6’3”, it’s still wearable at my size now but only just so…if you are about that size you can have it.

Click to expand...

Appreciate it, but sounds like it will be too big for me as well. I’m 6’2” 230-235 lbs at the moment. Guessing XL or 2XL would be my size. What size are you wearing at your current weight?

Taz said:

Appreciate it, but sounds like it will be too big for me as well. I’m 6’2” 230-235 lbs at the moment. Guessing XL or 2XL would be my size. What size are you wearing at your current weight?

Click to expand...

I have a custom cut Dianese with the airbag built in.

The 3X works at my current size which is about the same as you, in that it’s not a snug fit, but also not so loose that the airbag will bind on itself if inflated under leathers as long as your leathers aren’t super tight, in which case any airbags might be questionable

Your more than welcome to try it out if you want.

It’s been sitting on a shelf in the box for a year now.

I’m going to order a set of VIRCOS kangaroo leathers out of Italy with the tech air 10 or race I think. VIRCOS came highly recommended, they make the suites for a lot of race teams apparently.

Vircos make the best suits. If a company wants suits made, with their brand on them (Spidi, Ixon, Oxford etc), and don't have their own custom shop, they go to Vircos.