Bad Decisions - Master Class

[loudbeard]

Bummer on the brakes. Definitely a challenging couple of weeks ahead of you. Let us know how the shakedown run goes! Also, I would buy a team shirt if a few $$ would make it to the race budget!

[Kurlon]

Woot! Brakes are Go! Er, Stop! No judder, no pulsing, only vibration in the lever is Buell Charm(TM) from the motor. I haven't done a HARD stop yet, but at no point did the original rotor feel anywhere near this good so I think I've got that sorted. The new ergos have shifted the bike from feeling like a heavy, wide, no ground clearance version of my KTM 500 to a heavy, wide, all the ground clearance CRF70, it's compact now. Having the pegs slightly back might be nice, I've got the OEM drop pegs I could swap in but I'm afraid I'll need the ground clearance so I'll stick with this. Only concern noted on the test ride, I need to put some slack in the clutch cable as the new routing has it tightened up, easy fix. Will get that sorted and decide if I'm going to put a few more miles on today while it's still street legal, or go straight to stripping it down.

[Kurlon]

Order M6 wellnuts and matching M6 bolts and fender washers... get M5 wellnuts... thanks.

In the mean time I've been charged for my entry, and emails are flying from MA about pit space being tight, etc... things are getting real.

[typeone]

No judder, no pulsing, only vibration in the lever is Buell Charm(TM) from the motor.

while these motors do has vibe, if you notice this increasing over time, keep an eye on the front isolator (motor mount). the rubber can fatigue with heat and time which causes a bit of droop essentially hanging the motor on the main frame bolt that goes through the isolator. doesn't cause any serious issue but can be annoying.

[Kurlon]

[TheIglu]

Dude, please tell me you are going to put proper rubber on this thing...

[Kurlon]

At my pace, maybe Shinko’s finest 80/20 tires are up to the task?

I’m required to run Dunlops, will be putting a set of R3 slicks on at COTA, or whatever setup the Dunlop people suggest. I would have liked to have gotten some on sooner but my oopsie set my progress back a bit.

[TheIglu]

Little oopsie happen here?

https://youtu.be/ZtBRpgdM4oQ?si=Nl5g7AZ0wbnjSwhC&t=289

And are those your gouges in the pavement? Lol

[tls25rs]

Little oopsie happen here?

https://youtu.be/ZtBRpgdM4oQ?si=Nl5g7AZ0wbnjSwhC&t=289

And are those your gouges in the pavement? Lol

How'd the new suspension work?

[Kurlon]

Hah, I didn't drag anywhere NEAR that hard/long, and I'm kinda upset as I thought maybe you had found footage of my crash. Looks like you were having fun on the KTM though!

[Kurlon]

13 - https://youtu.be/ZtBRpgdM4oQ?t=331

That was it.

[TheIglu]

How'd the new suspension work?

Fantastic. This thing would be pretty competitive in the Super Hooligan class now

[Pittenger5]

Kurlon is a motherfucking MotoAmerica racer. Killed it out there.

[sdog30]

Kurlon is a motherfucking MotoAmerica racer. Killed it out there.

Where are the results? I can't find them.

I did find a video of Teagg highsiding in race two Supersport. Too bad, he had a nice third place on race 1.

[Kurlon]

https://www.motoamericaregistration....RSD_R3_res.pdf

I didn't know Teagg highsided, anyone know if he's ok?

[sdog30]

https://youtube.com/shorts/LsUKHlTT8...XCM9DkvZWBJxDh

[sdog30]

I think he's okay, bike... not so much.

Good job on your race, Josh. You weren't last and your times weren't that far off several people ahead of you. Win in my book. Hope it was fun.

[Kurlon]

I've got the full book of excuses ready, including gems as "well if I had a built motor like the others" but really what I needed was more seat time, both on the bike in general and the track. I'm happy with the results, and want to figure out how to do this more.

[OreoGaborio]

Fantastic job, Josh. Proud of ya for making it happen

[Rada]

Stud in my book.

[Pittenger5]

Kurlon, you did it to me. Now I want to get a bike, but I still cant decide which. I would love an FTR or PanAm, but cant really justify a 10k+ bike. So whats a good option, dont want a Buell to avoid parts issues like you had.

[Kurlon]

Challenge with an FTR or Pan Am is you've got both the massive upfront cost, AND you still have to do a lot of R&D and fabrication on your own, so I agree, scratch them off the list unless you are just really enamored with them.

Monsters in various forms would slot right in, older air cooled ones could be had for cheap and still should have a decent aftermarket? Just don't be like that one guy busted for calling a bike a Hyper but using an 848 frame... 08 Hyper Evo 1100 for $4500 in Mass right now for example. You could also base around a big vStrom, or find a SV1000 nail to hammer? Old KTM SuperDuke 950 would work, Triumph has some liquid and air cooled big twins that look cafe-ish, 2018 Street Twin 900 for $5800 in ME. There was a Thruxton cup at one time so some racy bit have been figured out for those. Lots of BMW R bikes would be legal and have potential, never chased their older machines for parts. The F800ST might be in that sweet spot of old enough to be low cost, but still new enough to be easy to source part for? F900 would work as well, bit higher entry costs. Victory didn't make anything close to sporty, they'd slot into American Air-Cooled Twins but would be a shitton of work to make racey, AND likely hard to find even OEM bits for at this point. MotoGuzi has some bikes that'd slot in, as does Aprilia but I don't know them well enough to have an opinion, and no idea what parts hunting is like for them.

I can see some very cheap HD big twins and Sportsters around, but getting one of those to go around a corner is going to take actual fabrication. The motor side, easy, 4 million companies will sell you errything for it, but making it handle is the challenge. The good news on the Buell option, I now know where to find all the bits, and as long as the base bike isn't a basket, you don't need much, and likely most bikes will already have an ECM tune, air filter and muffler so the motor side is done. I ran on stock suspension, I know where to get belly pans... They've got an active following with a lot of knowledge and very helpful people. They are also quirky machines to work on, I have to source everything mail order/online, and 99% of shops won't touch 'em so, you gotta want to go there. You can find tubers cheap, skip'em, XB only, the 1125 CR would be more 'traditional' to work on but sadly claims too much HP so not legal despite them being cheap and sharing many bits with the 1190 that's semi back in production.

On the modern front, the new Suzuki GSX-8S is legal and will likely be seeing racey bits developed for it. You could also base around a big vStrom, or find a SV1000 nail to hammer? Honda you'd be looking at an Africa Twin or a cruiser conversion... meh, unless you got one cheap? Yamaha, wish the Bolt-R was actually more deserving of the 'R' designation, MT-07, Tenere or Super Tenere? Kawi really doesn't have a good fit in their current lineup.

If you want to chase something with possibly some factory support, CFMoto IBEX 800 S. Initial problems I see, need to find a 17in front wheel to slot in, likely something already exists in CFMoto's range that'll be a direct swap. I think CFMoto will be trying to get into Jr Cup, they're active in the UK racing scene, could be worth a conversation?

[Kurlon]

Took a quick stroll through the Austin Craigslist, price cap of $5k and had to have pics:

Triumph:
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/...656698409.html
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/...658321076.html (Thruxton cup parts should be available...)
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/...662588693.html (Purists chasing you for molesting this into a race bike should help drop your times rapidly, you'd also be the coolest guy in the paddock, particularly if you could keep it running reliably.)

Ducati:
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/...657700291.html (Lowish cost of entry, known solid motor, rough idle when cold isn't a concern, no idea how the geometry is for racey use.)

BMW:
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcd/d/...661199303.html (Ships out of LV, no info, sketchy but... CHEAP, and not much to strip off it.)
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/...663150557.html (Piggie needs to go on a diet and makeover, but not super expensive.)
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/...665954112.html (Another piggie, same price, too bad no lights/sirens.)

Buell:
https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/...666241139.html (Tuber, and a low end model at that. Cheap, would work, don't have to screw with ZTL brakes, but wet noodle handling... would still be better than an EX500 though.)

[Kurlon]

2024 license acquired... so much for one and done?

[OreoGaborio]

I love it when this thread gets a bump