Back in the shop

Someone is frick'n jacked on lattes now...Big Poppa Pump 2.0

bp_SFV4 said:

Someone has been hitting the testerone supplements.

Good work on the weight loss.

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Haha, the whole regime of assisted pharmaceuticals lol

Semiglutide AND TRT therapy, with a managed diet and lots of kettle bell, some Peloton, Calisthenics, and good old fashioned sets of 100 jumping jacks randomly throughout the day 4 or 5 times a day.

Was doing the full 20 minute sessions last track day and not ready to get off the track when the checkered flag came out.

Thought I was on the wrong site or my account had been hacked!!!

Looking good Steven!

Wow! Great job man! That’s awesome progress. I need to get serious about getting in shape as well…

1st session of my 2nd time at Big Willow today I felt rusty, not ‘in the zone’, but was a warm up, I think I may be a bit under hydrated but that’s easy to fix.

Next session in 10

Steven31371 said:

1st session of my 2nd time at Big Willow today I felt rusty, not ‘in the zone’, but was a warm up, I think I may be a bit under hydrated but that’s easy to fix.

Next session in 10

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Don't worry about the first session. Oil in the suspension is never fully warm. And, neither is your head.

RickD996 said:

Don't worry about the first session. Oil in the suspension is never fully warm. And, neither is your head.

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2nd session felt a little better but still a bit off, but I know why.

I changed the gearing to 16/41 from 15/41 so the bike wasn’t pulling the same way abd I had to shift differently, also the hub eccentric on the rear was about a centimeter and half different slightly changing the rear ride height and wheel base, just enough so it wasn’t tuning the way I am use to it turning.

Switched the gearing back to 15/41 for next session and will see how it feels

Okay night and day difference on turn in and mid corner feel with the rear hub back where it should be, bike is going exactly where I want it to and holding the line better.

Also even on this very fast track 15/41 gearing seems to deliver the power just right.

One of these days I’m going to learn to stop experimenting when the bike already feels good lol




Any thoughts on my tire wear?

More tire pressure, less tire pressure, keep it as is?

Full disclosure, this track has a pretty rough surface that’s known for eating tires.

Remind me is Willow right handed?

baggerman said:

Remind me is Willow right handed?

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Yeah, counter clockwise with huge sweeper high speed right siders.

OK. Thats exactly what the tires look like. So plenty of heat from the sweepers. I think the pressure is good. If it were me I'd raise the fork tubes. Shorten the trail.

Tires look a little overheated especially the front but unless they feel greasy I wouldn’t change anything

So all in all a fun day, though a short one. I only did 4 sessions I think, maybe 5. I sorta spooked myself on the 2nd lap of my first session and never really felt like pushing much after that, so I just worked on form today at probably 75% of the speed potential.

I got surprised by how much differently the bike would turn and track the corner with just a few millimeters of difference in rear ride height and wheelbase length.

Turn 9 is a decreasing apex turn that’s really one continuous turn with the very high speed turn 8 sweeper….at my pace that means just using increased bike lean to reduce speed from 110 to about 90 and tighten the radius, took the same line I did all day last time at the track, at the same speeds where I was well within my comfort zone. But the bike didn’t hold the same line so I almost went off at lean and at probably 100 mph coming off the turn 9 apex. Went wide onto the straight. Had to make a micro-second decision to lean in more and try to stay on track or stand it up and try to go off cleanly. I leaned in and made it by the skin of my teeth, wheel half on half off the track, but held traction.

Spooked me though haha. So I just wasn’t ‘feeling’ going fast all day after that.


A side note, anyone change a front sprocket on a hot bike? That was interesting with the chain and sprocket hot enough to give you a 2nd degree burn lol

Two pairs of needle nose players became my best friend, was like doing surgery lol

SuperDomestique said:

Tires look a little overheated especially the front but unless they feel greasy I wouldn’t change anything

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I was experimenting with running the pressures at the upper end of the range that Pirelli recommends, I wouldn’t say they felt greasy but definitely not the rock solid confidence inspiring grip I had last track day. I was running about 25 rear and 33 front hot pressures, but today ran 27 rear and 36 to 37 front.

At 25 and 33 the grip was fantastic but the tires felt just a touch squishy for my weight and I wasn’t getting as much feel from them as I’d like, especially from the front tire…at 27/36-37 I was getting great feel but grip was a bit off for the track temps today…so the sweet spot is probably about 25.5 rear 34 front.

Steven31371 said:

I was experimenting with running the pressures at the upper end of the range that Pirelli recommends, I wouldn’t say they felt greasy but definitely not the rock solid confidence inspiring grip I had last track day. I was running about 25 rear and 33 front hot pressures, but today ran 27 rear and 36 to 37 front.

At 25 and 33 the grip was fantastic but the tires felt just a touch squishy for my weight and I wasn’t getting as much feel from them as I’d like, especially from the front tire…at 27/36-37 I was getting great feel but grip was a bit off for the track temps today…so the sweet spot is probably about 25.5 rear 34 front.

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Were there differences in the track temp? What compound were you running?

SuperDomestique said:

Were there differences in the track temp? What compound were you running?

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A bit warmer today at the track than last time, high 80’s low 90’s last time there, mid to high 90’s today, same compounds, SC2 front, SC1 rear.

You move the back down a little bit and the bike doesn't turn as well or hold a line. You're in a fast sweeper and the front runs wide. I'll try this again. Raise the fork tubes a little or move the clip-ons down the fork tubes a bit. Needs more load on the front IMHO.

What would moving the clip-ons down on the fork tubes accomplish?

bp_SFV4 said:

What would moving the clip-ons down on the fork tubes accomplish?

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I think he meant triple clamps. Drops front ride height, reduces rake, puts the bike more on its nose - turns quicker and less tendency to understeer.

+1 seems like your tires are getting pretty hot + 90F days, but something else is going on. Like something inconsistent. Looks like, this is a guess, they get pretty hot then cool a little, then you hammer them and they get hot again. I bet you're wearing them pretty fast.