[highsider]

Just returned from the 8/29 LAPS trackday.....what a blast!

I had a bit of a rough day with my bike, we just didn't get along. In the first session, I kept hearing a bunch of clacking noises, which I still cannot locate, but continue to hear. (Maybe I'm nuts.) After that session, an instructor asked me to unplug my taillight, because the tape wasn't blocking out all of the light. I unplugged the light, and then the bike wouldn't start. Missed my second and most of my third session trying to locate the issue (many thanks to Darrell, Brent, Brent's friend to whom I owe beer, and Mike Green), which simply resolved itself. Once I finally got out on the track, I was scrubbing in the new Pirellis. They are a Pirelli Supermoto tire, called the "Sync". I definitely wouldn't recommend them for a trackday tire; by the end of the day they were flat-out greasy, and I made some "interesting" entrances to Turn 2. (Wish the camera had been there, might have made for a good pic.) I called it quits after a particularly hairy slide through 2, and skipped my last session.

The LAPS Trackday was very interesting. There was a lot going on; lots of local racers, lots of business selling cool stuff, and the Suzuki rep as there giving away free schwag to Zook owners like myself. It was really neat to have all that going on at a track day, I was certainly impressed.

A couple of comments about the LAPS management - all super nice guys, no "preachy" lectures, and generally lots of fun to run on the track with.

That said, the instructors needed to notch their riding back about 80%. (Seriously - 80%) I do track days to avoid people passing within inches of me; if I wanted that, I'd go racing. I saw a number of scary passes and maneuvers on the track, all of which were done by guys wearing orange vests. This could be me being a sissy, and if thats the case than I fully accept it, but its not something I've had issues with at other trackdays I've done.

Also, the classroom session was.....ridiculous. There is simply no reason in the world for hour long riders' meetings. And I still dont know what the random meeting the middle of the day was all about? How many times must the concept of an inside pass be explained? And why must we wear leathers on a hot day to listen to the same explanation 17 billion times over?

Oh yes - and I rode a Ducati for the first time. Degsy let me take his 999 out for a session. I never much cared for Ducatis, as I had heard so much about their maintenance being similar to an 19 year old mistress. Let me tell you, that bike is pure sex on wheels. It begs to be ridden in anger, and responds with rage. That motor is fucking incredible, and the handling is so far above my skill level I think the bike was sleeping while I rode it. It was miserably uncomfortable, perhaps because I'm relatively tall, but you didn't notice how much it hurt unless you were going slow. Much thanks to Degsy for that, what a cool bike.

All in all, though, it was a great trackday, and a great value. And really, you can never bitch about a day on the track with friends.

[hessogood]

I was checking out the supermoto tires that the pro AMA teams were running. If that's the type of tire you had they are WAY too soft for that kind of riding. they're softer than must rain tires I've run. If you're looking to get rid of them I may be interested if I plan out some more supermoto events.

[Manny]

Originally Posted by highsider

Just returned from the 8/29 LAPS trackday.....what a blast!

I had a bit of a rough day with my bike, we just didn't get along. In the first session, I kept hearing a bunch of clacking noises, which I still cannot locate, but continue to hear. (Maybe I'm nuts.) After that session, an instructor asked me to unplug my taillight, because the tape wasn't blocking out all of the light. I unplugged the light, and then the bike wouldn't start. Missed my second and most of my third session trying to locate the issue (many thanks to Darrell, Brent, Brent's friend to whom I owe beer, and Mike Green), which simply resolved itself. Once I finally got out on the track, I was scrubbing in the new Pirellis. They are a Pirelli Supermoto tire, called the "Sync". I definitely wouldn't recommend them for a trackday tire; by the end of the day they were flat-out greasy, and I made some "interesting" entrances to Turn 2. (Wish the camera had been there, might have made for a good pic.) I called it quits after a particularly hairy slide through 2, and skipped my last session.

The LAPS Trackday was very interesting. There was a lot going on; lots of local racers, lots of business selling cool stuff, and the Suzuki rep as there giving away free schwag to Zook owners like myself. It was really neat to have all that going on at a track day, I was certainly impressed.

A couple of comments about the LAPS management - all super nice guys, no "preachy" lectures, and generally lots of fun to run on the track with.

That said, the instructors needed to notch their riding back about 80%. (Seriously - 80%) I do track days to avoid people passing within inches of me; if I wanted that, I'd go racing. I saw a number of scary passes and maneuvers on the track, all of which were done by guys wearing orange vests. This could be me being a sissy, and if thats the case than I fully accept it, but its not something I've had issues with at other trackdays I've done.

Also, the classroom session was.....ridiculous. There is simply no reason in the world for hour long riders' meetings. And I still dont know what the random meeting the middle of the day was all about? How many times must the concept of an inside pass be explained? And why must we wear leathers on a hot day to listen to the same explanation 17 billion times over?

Oh yes - and I rode a Ducati for the first time. Degsy let me take his 999 out for a session. I never much cared for Ducatis, as I had heard so much about their maintenance being similar to an 19 year old mistress. Let me tell you, that bike is pure sex on wheels. It begs to be ridden in anger, and responds with rage. That motor is fucking incredible, and the handling is so far above my skill level I think the bike was sleeping while I rode it. It was miserably uncomfortable, perhaps because I'm relatively tall, but you didn't notice how much it hurt unless you were going slow. Much thanks to Degsy for that, what a cool bike.

All in all, though, it was a great trackday, and a great value. And really, you can never bitch about a day on the track with friends.

So how was the drz for the day while it was running and the tire was not shite?

[highsider]

Originally Posted by Manny

So how was the drz for the day while it was running and the tire was not shite?

It was fun!

Seriously, I hadn't ridden it yet with the new suspension and pipe. I was a bit quicker than when I ran it stock, and it was fun to really push it; got a lot of goofy headshake when pushing it hard. Also, when cresting the hill in 6 the front end gets *very* light.

[Manny]

Originally Posted by highsider

It was fun!

Seriously, I hadn't ridden it yet with the new suspension and pipe. I was a bit quicker than when I ran it stock, and it was fun to really push it; got a lot of goofy headshake when pushing it hard. Also, when cresting the hill in 6 the front end gets *very* light.

Im probably not as fast as you, but I did not feel any lightness in the front end, and I was tapped out in 4th into the bowl. I was running 4th through the bowl and then switched to 5th later in the day. One comment that Graham made to me (becuase I was finding myself too far over the tank and crunched with the bars) was to keep a little more in the middle of the seat for the corners and then forward while accelerating out of them. Obviously you dont want to be back in the seat at any time, but just a bit of movement in the front half of it. Maybe you are a bit too far backwards over the seat after the corners allowing the front to be unweighted?

Did degsy ride yours at all on track. Im curious to hear how it ran compared to mine which he rode on tuesday. He was soo frickin fast on it I couldnt believe it could move like that. He was passing in Blue group and draggin pegs in every corner. He actually thought he ran faster than on his 600. There were some sick owens photos, but now they are not up.

[newgixxerchic]

Originally Posted by highsider

That said, the instructors needed to notch their riding back about 80%. (Seriously - 80%) I do track days to avoid people passing within inches of me; if I wanted that, I'd go racing. I saw a number of scary passes and maneuvers on the track, all of which were done by guys wearing orange vests. This could be me being a sissy, and if thats the case than I fully accept it, but its not something I've had issues with at other trackdays I've done.

Being the sexy cornerworker on turn 1 usually waving with the crazy lady as you left the pits for all of you that didn't say hi Anyway, from what I heard, several people were spoken to about using inappropriate speeds and places to pass... towards the end of the day it looked like the outside line in turn 1 was becoming a more and more dangerous passing zone, but that was just my perspective... i know that several people were taken aside after the day was over so have no fear. IMO mike and kevin were great!

[highsider]

Originally Posted by Manny

Im probably not as fast as you, but I did not feel any lightness in the front end, and I was tapped out in 4th into the bowl. I was running 4th through the bowl and then switched to 5th later in the day. One comment that Graham made to me (becuase I was finding myself too far over the tank and crunched with the bars) was to keep a little more in the middle of the seat for the corners and then forward while accelerating out of them. Obviously you dont want to be back in the seat at any time, but just a bit of movement in the front half of it. Maybe you are a bit too far backwards over the seat after the corners allowing the front to be unweighted?

Did degsy ride yours at all on track. Im curious to hear how it ran compared to mine which he rode on tuesday. He was soo frickin fast on it I couldnt believe it could move like that. He was passing in Blue group and draggin pegs in every corner. He actually thought he ran faster than on his 600. There were some sick owens photos, but now they are not up.

I run the entire track in 4th and 5th, so I probably carry a bit more speed over the hill in 6. I'd be shifting into 5th as I went up the hill, and would stand the bike up just in time to fell the front end get light. I'd also get a nasty bit of headshake through T9. It's all very manageable, though, and I have to admit it usually put a grin on my face.

Degsy never did ride my bike, and I wish he would have, because I wonder how they would compare. Mostly because yours has all the nice goodies on it, and mine is a clapped out, well-whupped POS. In fact, I ran the track day with the bike still covered in mud from a dual sport ride last week. The chain is positively filthy.

[highsider]

Originally Posted by newgixxerchic

Being the sexy cornerworker on turn 1 usually waving with the crazy lady as you left the pits for all of you that didn't say hi Anyway, from what I heard, several people were spoken to about using inappropriate speeds and places to pass... towards the end of the day it looked like the outside line in turn 1 was becoming a more and more dangerous passing zone, but that was just my perspective... i know that several people were taken aside after the day was over so have no fear. IMO mike and kevin were great!

That was you? Oops, I'd have stopped to say hi.

[newgixxerchic]

Originally Posted by highsider

That was you? Oops, I'd have stopped to say hi.

maybe it was because my hair was up and my head wasn't tilted... u probably couldn't have recognized me haha...

[highsider]

Originally Posted by newgixxerchic

maybe it was because my hair was up and my head wasn't tilted... u probably couldn't have recognized me haha...

Its funny because in my last session I pulled into the pits for a minute to check out my bike, and when I went to go back out onto the track you both looked so bored I considered making a dirty gesture, then decided against it. If I'd known it was you, I'd have proceeded with the aforementioned gesture.

[Manny]

[quote=highsider;405956]I run the entire track in 4th and 5th, so I probably carry a bit more speed over the hill in 6. I'd be shifting into 5th as I went up the hill, and would stand the bike up just in time to fell the front end get light. I'd also get a nasty bit of headshake through T9. It's all very manageable, though, and I have to admit it usually put a grin on my face.

QUOTE]

Interesting on the headshake in 9. My last TD I was getting chatter in the front end through 9. On Tuesday I had none and I was certainly coming in hotter than last month. The only change I made was increasing the damper a click or 2, and that was for an unrelated reason. I have NO idea where it went or why its gone.

[newgixxerchic]

Originally Posted by highsider

Its funny because in my last session I pulled into the pits for a minute to check out my bike, and when I went to go back out onto the track you both looked so bored I considered making a dirty gesture, then decided against it. If I'd known it was you, I'd have proceeded with the aforementioned gesture.

you might have gotten yelled at by the crazy lady... she was a good source of info but absolutely insane

[WOTEugene]

Originally Posted by highsider

Also, the classroom session was.....ridiculous. There is simply no reason in the world for hour long riders' meetings. And I still dont know what the random meeting the middle of the day was all about? How many times must the concept of an inside pass be explained? And why must we wear leathers on a hot day to listen to the same explanation 17 billion times over?

A Big +1 on that from me - all of the rider's meeting material could have been condensed into about 10-15 minutes. There was seriously no need to repeat the same thing at least 4 times. Especially considering that most of the riders had done track days in the past and hear it all before... over and over and over again.

Also - The I think that the 2nd follow-the-leader session should be optional for the B group. They've all been on the track before - one session is enough of a "line refresher".

Other than that it was a great day.

[highsider]

Originally Posted by Manny

Interesting on the headshake in 9. My last TD I was getting chatter in the front end through 9. On Tuesday I had none and I was certainly coming in hotter than last month. The only change I made was increasing the damper a click or 2, and that was for an unrelated reason. I have NO idea where it went or why its gone.

Steering dampers are awesome, I'll bet the extra clicks made the difference. A smoother line can make a big difference, too, especially in a corner like 9.

I was going slow and inconsistent all day, my head was just not in it. The only corner I had down was 3, which is easy on a motard.

[Puppet]

I'd be willing to bet a lot of that headshake came from gripping the bars too tight. Even if you think you were relaxed, the next time you're out, think "relax" to yourself mid corner and, as you all but let go of the bars, it's amazing how much smoother the bike will track. 9 especially, I tell myself every lap to relax and use my legs and I'm constantly amazed at how tight the bike will run that corner when I stop fighting it. At the same speed it's the difference of barely getting back for your turn in to 10 (with a bit of shake and a little fight), and tracking so tight you'll hit the inside curb if you don't counter steer up.

[SQUIZZ636]

hey highsider losen up your hands man.

As much as I didn't like the second follow the leader the guys had a good point on why they did it, there are alot of people that think they should be in blue and really shouldn't be. Just because there fast on the street dosen't mean they can get the line on the track.
The idea is to remind all of us the right things to do. Most of us know what to do but there were more than a hand full that even after that were still all over the place.
But what ever the 2nd half of day was great, I got alot of riding time with Bill. thanks man
lis

[Trackday Guru]

Originally Posted by newgixxerchic

you might have gotten yelled at by the crazy lady... she was a good source of info but absolutely insane

[l3uddha]

didnt someone hit u an Doc's hawk? did u ever find out who?

[wookie]

that was me. No secrete, I came over to appologize before I got over to the emts. I'm so thankful they kept it up.

[sxlova07]

Originally Posted by wookie

that was me. No secrete, I came over to appologize before I got over to the emts. I'm so thankful they kept it up.

how are ya holding up Kevin?

[SVRACER01]

Originally Posted by wookie

that was me. No secrete, I came over to appologize before I got over to the emts. I'm so thankful they kept it up.

oh shit! that was you that hit me!? WTF? i didnt reconize you... mainly since the last and only time we met you were on the HD at MM when we did the big ride last year.

you bike was sliding faster then i was riding. it was pushing me off the track. glad you were OK. did you lose the front? you should have just passed me on the left. i was hoping to carry alot of cornerspeed to get around that TLS in front of me.

[wookie]

Originally Posted by SVRACER01

oh shit! that was you that hit me!? WTF? i didnt reconize you... mainly since the last and only time we met you were on the HD at MM when we did the big ride last year.

you bike was sliding faster then i was riding. it was pushing me off the track. glad you were OK. did you lose the front? you should have just passed me on the left. i was hoping to carry alot of cornerspeed to get around that TLS in front of me.

yeah that was me. After contact I thought I could save it, but no. I think my bars got tangled with your bike and I grabbed a bunch of break at the same time. sorry about that (caused by my bad decision/crash was my fault) and I'm really happy that you stayed up.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by newgixxerchic

you might have gotten yelled at by the crazy lady... she was a good source of info but absolutely insane

Sandy is a Hoot! LOL

Sorry I didn't get to say hi... I did wave though!

[Doc]

Originally Posted by wookie

yeah that was me. After contact I thought I could save it, but no. I think my bars got tangled with your bike and I grabbed a bunch of break at the same time. sorry about that (caused by my bad decision/crash was my fault) and I'm really happy that you stayed up.

Glad everyone is ok. My bike has a few issues but nothing that can't be fixed. Glad Oxx kept it up. Oxx still owes me an SV to ride!

[Trackday Guru]

Originally Posted by Doc

Glad everyone is ok. My bike has a few issues but nothing that can't be fixed. Glad Oxx kept it up. Oxx still owes me an SV to ride!

Just make sure Wookie is available that day.