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cbrsmurf
07-20-2006, 12:43 AM
Did NRS on Saturday... holy shizzle it was hot with some wind thrown in. The suspension felt crappy like it did at Buttonwillow. Tankslapper on the straight, lot of headshaking going on coming out of T2, T6 and T9 and the front straight. Put my damper up all the way -- no dice. The rear suspension and front was also bouncing all over the place in T8. Made some adjustments every session and I just couldn't get the right setup. No Dave Moss or any suspension service around :( My lap times were actually 2-3 slower than when I first went to wsir... and it was wet when I went then.

Anyways, race day on Sunday... crappy suspension, hot as all hell (110), even more wind for the last of the race of the day. Drank about 2 gallons of water and 3 bottles of gatorade... didn't pee once. Go out for the sighting lap to "warm-up" the tires in the infernal heat. Grid up as 26 out of 27, but I can get the slightest peek of the flag holder. Surprisingly, I'm not too nervous and get an ok start and manage to sneak past 5 people towards T1. Passed a couple of people around the outside of T1 and head into 2. Taking a funky, wavy line I managed to pass 1 rider in T2 and setup for a pass coming out of T2, but oh yes, the clip-ons start shaking back and forth so I back off a little bit. I'm close to a guy in Rockstar leathers going into 3. I run it wide out of 4a and to dive into a late apex for 4b for a pass but I saw a rider go down on the track and mange to avoid running over (later found out it was Jamie, whom I was pitting with). Stupidly, I slow way down and look back to check the scene -- I would have lost major time had the race not been red flagged. Fortunately it was.

Take 2. Re-grid and the race is shortened to 4 laps. I take-off in what i thought was an ok start, but I think everyone and their mom and even some people on scooters in the pits managed to pass me. I go into T1 close to last and take my line waaaaay outside of T1 and pass a small group of people. Take my funky lines and miss my apexes throughout the rest of the lap trying to get past slower riders and rarely succeeding. Tried to pass Rockstar leathers on the outside of 9, which was scary cause he drifted out and I thought was going into the dirt. I checked up and attempted to draft. I don't remember when I passed him, but by the time I did somewhere in the 2nd lap, the couple of people around my lap times had a huge gap and I worked on my lines taking it easy. Anyways, I thought I had a pretty bad result somewhere down in the 20th position but ended up finishing 15th somehow. Best lap time was only a 1:38.9 i think :(

It was a pretty frustrating weekend with the suspension problems but I'm looking forward to getting the bike dialed in. It was pretty fun actually competing and I managed to learn a few things, so I'll definately be back next month and turning better lap times hopefully!

melonheadR6
07-20-2006, 01:06 AM
dang Jeff, now i wanna do it! soon, soon......

get that suspension squared away and you'll be smoking around there in no time ;)

CPM F4
07-20-2006, 01:36 AM
Nice going, Jeff, keeping it together and finishing. Can't wait to get out there with you.

Arnold_R1
07-20-2006, 01:41 AM
Jeff sorry to hear about your suspension issues. What tires where you running? By the way you're explaining in full detail, I had the same exact problems w/my R1 the last time I took it there. I was running the Dunlop Slicks KR106- front and KR108- rear and was getting head shakes coming down the front, over T6 and T8 etc. I turned my damper to full stiff and that didn't seem to help.

Dissident
07-20-2006, 01:55 AM
Sounds similar to the experience I had up on horsethief; couldn't quite get ocmfortable with the suspension and was getting lots of chatter out of the front in some of the corners. Between tat and the crashes in the dirt (some my fault, some not), it was rough.

But, it was my first time racing ever, so hopefully next time is a little cooler, and maybe I can show at least one guy a wheel ;)

Lost
07-20-2006, 02:00 AM
Nice work, you got the first one under your belt! Don't kid yourself anything under 1:40 is damn fast! You'll get you suspension worked out and you'll be golden for your next race. If were at 7/30 or the hypercycles day together ill try to help ya out with your suspension. Congrats!

Termin8r
07-20-2006, 10:19 AM
Jeff, you big sandbagger. Cool race report.

melonheadR6
07-20-2006, 10:20 AM
BTW Jeff, how much were all the fees?

RadPajita
07-20-2006, 11:12 AM
i'b be curious how much your whole weekend cost you. Cool race report! You kept it up?!?! AWESOME!

melonheadR6
07-20-2006, 11:43 AM
i'b be curious how much your whole weekend cost you. Cool race report! You kept it up?!?! AWESOME!

condescending bastard :rolleyes:

Dissident
07-20-2006, 11:59 AM
My fees were $40 for practice saturday, and $70 for 2 races (50 for 1, 20 for each after) =)

cbrsmurf
07-20-2006, 12:37 PM
I was running the dunlop slicks for sat and 209gp for sun. Med fronts and hard rears I believe.

Fees weren't too bad at $80 for the race (would have been $70 if I had mailed my check in sooner). $120 or something for novice race school and $100 something for novice license. I had picked up my slicks (take-offs) and 209gps, all in very good condition for about $180 a set. Both still have plently of life in them. Gas was about $50 split between two people and rooms were about $50 a night. Add in food costs and other random things.

here's a cool action pic:
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/ColemanSR/WSIR%20Racing/Crash%20photos/OZ8M3269.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/ColemanSR/WSIR%20Racing/Crash%20photos/OZ8M3270.jpg

jamie was perfectly fine and only minor damage to the bike, that's me #551 in the background

GetnJgyWitit
07-20-2006, 02:13 PM
What size rear tire were you running?

cbrsmurf
07-20-2006, 02:40 PM
190... don't remember what the profile was

Kurt'sSV
07-20-2006, 03:25 PM
Stupidly, I slow way down and look back to check the scene --

F'ing Asian drivers always rubber necking at an accident scene and slowing down!!! :slap:

Dude, don't ever, EVER do that again. Never slow down on the race track unless you see a red flag. Don't ever anticipate a red flag and slow down. And be careful where you choose to took behind you. I've never once looked behind me in a race.

But you survived your first race. Cracking into the 1:38's isn't bad. Keep coming out and you'll get faster.

melonheadR6
07-20-2006, 03:27 PM
F'ing Asian drivers always rubber necking at an accident scene and slowing down!!! :slap:


ouch! :squid:

MrCrashRR
07-20-2006, 03:53 PM
your front might be too low putting too much weight on the front causing the bumpy ride and instability,... try to make the bike a bit flatter with that big rear tire on there... push the tubes bck down and bring the front end up some and see if it helps,...if the steerting is too slow go back, but i think you will gain the stability you are looking for.

nice report, good job man

shaggy
07-20-2006, 06:49 PM
your front might be too low putting too much weight on the front causing the bumpy ride and instability,... try to make the bike a bit flatter with that big rear tire on there... push the tubes bck down and bring the front end up some and see if it helps,...if the steerting is too slow go back, but i think you will gain the stability you are looking for.

nice report, good job man

+1, also, that 209 Gp is a VERY stiff tire, you need to soften up your rear shock a couple clicks on compression to let the suspension do more work that the tire isn't taking care of. Raise the forks to stock height or maybe 5mm lower max. that rear tire is almost an inch taller than stock, raising your rear about 12mm.

Also, tell your friend not to chop throttle in the middle of 4, never seen someone tuck the front like that so early in 4...

cbrsmurf
07-20-2006, 10:43 PM
actually, my forks are pretty low in the triples... they show only 18mm. I think stock is around 24mm. So my rake angle should be pretty large.

I did soften up the compression on the rear one session, didn't seem to help much. Lots of wobbling from the rear going into 8 :(

Cyanide41
07-21-2006, 12:05 AM
Jeff, I didn't see you out there. Part of the problem is that you change bikes and leathers so much, I don't know what I am looking for. Apparently we were lined up together on the grid I was gridded 25. I was hoping to get my mighty two cylinders of terror into the :39's but didn't quite make it. I need to practice that track a lot more. The Rockstar guy was a little scary huh? Well I see ya out there next month!

cbrsmurf
07-21-2006, 01:09 PM
oh damn, you were right next to me james? Well, I've never even seen your bike or your leathers so don't hold it against me! You think you'll be out there next month?

GetnJgyWitit
07-21-2006, 08:34 PM
Jeff put your forks back to stock height, and I bet your wobbles go away.

cbrsmurf
07-21-2006, 08:40 PM
Jeff put your forks back to stock height, and I bet your wobbles go away.

Well, they were stock height at Buttonwillow and I was getting headshake there (bout the same amount as wsir)... but then again I think BW is a much bumpier track... i think i will seek some pro help/work cuz I don't want another trackday or race to go to waste

cbrsmurf
07-24-2006, 06:15 PM
I'm gonna go back to the 180 and see how that works out