| Author | Message | ||
     Chopped_burban |
Well, I need to thank everyone on this board first off. Couple reason, first is the number of responses and possible solutions when I asked for help for my hand going numb in the first 15 minutes on the bike. Got that cured and makes the bike to a joy to ride. Second is for all the other useful info about the bike and aftermarket parts. So let's get to the fun stuff. I had a few weeks off this summer and signed up for the California Superbike School at NJMP. Pics with a green #6 are from there. I had so much fun on the 1125R that I signed up for two more days at VIR a couple weeks later. The white #8 and #9 are from there. Bike was an absolute blast to ride on the track even for a novice/rookie like me. Things in Jersey went great. The school was great and the instruction was awesome. I got much faster though out the day. The bike ran almost perfect... The noid got me on the second to last lap of the day coming out of the last turn into the straight away. No problem, I have the part to correct that. Oh, and every time I'd park I'd drip gasoline out of the vent. Anyway, great experience. Moving to VIR... wow I thought I was on it starting the second session of the day. I was making good progress with the lessons, had a good feeling for the bike, was confident, and all was good. That first lap felt great. Go down the straight into turn 1, think I have it all lined up, get half way through my turn and figure I’m going to run wide. Now I’m thinking I can fix this… just make a correction and power through it. A little bit about turn 1, its two right hand turns with different radius's in one. Second radius isn’t tight as the first, but it definitely plays with you. Well, the steering correction didn't go so well. I can play this back in my head in slow motion because when it happened, it was all in slow motion. Anyway, it suddenly occurred to me that I had WAY more lean than seemed possible.... yep... I can identify the exact point where "lean" becomes a "low side." While I was sliding on my side I was thinking that I needed to get a good, tight, body position before hitting the grass so I would roll without breaking anything. Um, ya, turns out that's easier to do falling off a mountain bike than a street bike. I hit the grass and immediately went into a roll that I had no control of. Went something like this: Back Knees and elbows Back Knees and elbows Back Knees and elbows Side Back Side…. “Ah, this is good, I’m slowing down.” Knees and elbows Side Back... done Whew... that wasn't so bad. The only thing that made getting up hard was all the damn gear that just saved my bacon. Not a scratch on me. And the bike, by the time I got to it, the coaches already had it upright and were starting to look it over. This is where it gets really amazing. The lack of damage to the bike. Scratch on the right pod near the front which, as it turns out, was more melted plastic from the black part of the pod that melted and pushed back on to the white part more than anything else. Some grinding to the ball on the end of the rear brake lever and the Throttle Meister (both still fully functional), some grinding of the rear axle slider from American Sport Bike, and some serious grinding to the carbon fiber clutch case guard from Erik Buell Racing. The guard needs replaced as I just barely ground a hole through the middle of it, but the clutch case is in perfect condition as it the puck on the end of it. Ironically, I didn't have the case guards on in New Jersey and only got them on the bike the day before the low side. If not for this site, I wouldn’t have had any of those items on the bike. The rest of the day I was definitely skittish. I really didn’t want to lay it over again. By the end of the next day, I was feeling pretty good about things. Had my speed back up and was cruising around the track at a good clip for me. I can’t wait to do more track days and some more schools. New Jersey Motorsports Park  Virginia International Raceway  VIR - Post Low Side  VIR - Coach Evaluating  VIR - Two Up???  | ||
| Mountainstorm |
Looking good. | ||
| Gunut75 |
Cool. I suppose ya got that first crash out of the way. | ||
| Dannybuell |
Are you OK? | ||
| Chopped_burban |
Dannybuell, Ya, I'm great. Not a scratch. I didn't even wake up sore the next day. Mountainstorm, Thanks. I think the track photographers have a way of making everyone look good. Too bad none of them were shooting turn 1 when I bit it. Now those would have been some great pics. | ||
| Jng1226 |
Sorry to hear about the crash, glad you're OK and the bike faired well (especially because the white/blue ones are the MOST beautiful). VIR was my home track for 7 years, I miss it dearly and it's the best track I've ever been on. Turn 1 can certainly bite you. Pics look great, you're looking far into the turns which is one of the most important things you can do. Way to go for getting right back on the horse and getting back up to speed! One point about crashing on track (which I unfortunately have a few experiences with): you always want to keep your center of gravity as low as possible. Sliding is your friend, rolling is what causes major injuries. If you have the presence of mind, which it sounds like you did, get and/or stay as low and as flat as possible (arms and legs down) and try to RELAX. Tightening up will only exacerbate muscle/tendon/joint/bone damage. It really is like a car crash, where statistics show that drunk drivers actually fair better than sober folk because the alcohol acts as a sedative and they are generally limp when they crash, moving with the crash forces instead of against them. | ||
| Chopped_burban |
lol... ya, I now qualify to take the sticker off my mountain bike and put it on my motorcycle helmet. It states: "Tuck in behind me... I'll show you where to crash" | ||
| Jandj_davis |
Does that helmet bother your sight-lines? | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Make sure the vent hole on the clutch cover puck is open. When I lowsided it ground down the puck enough to close off the vent hole. I rode it that way until my clutch started acting up. Long story short, I blew out one of the orings due to the vent not doing it's job. | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
This is on my list for next year. No more excuses. Im always too busy or something. Im am so in for a trackday. Looks like a great time. Thanks for sharing! | ||
| Chopped_burban |
Badlionsfan, thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure the vent is clear when I replace the case saver. Jandj_davis, nope, helmet doesn't obstruct my view at all. The flip down visor inside is a nice feature too except when you're trying to flip it up so they can check your pupils when you're still getting yourself together from sliding off the track.  Seriously, the only other helmets I have are all motocross style so to me, this was a huge improvement over visors and googles. Great field of view, almost no distortion (there is just a slight bit on the sides with the inside visor down) and for my square Norwegian head, it fits great. | ||
| Jng1226 |
Chopped - one opinion about that EXO-1000 helmet with the sunshade pulled down. If you were to have an unfortunate accident where the helmet took a frontal impact, the EPS (expanded polystyrene) liner deforms to absorb the shock. This in turn allow your head to move forward, making that shade come back towards, if not strike, your face. I would be very leery of using that thing on the racetrack. | ||
| Chopped_burban |
Jng1226, interesting point. I had more thought about it from the other side of the coin, the number of face shields I see that break off and go flying leaving no eye protection for the rest of the crash. I'm going to have to take a closer look at it. Thanks for bringing it up. | ||
| Xodot |
I began tracking my R this summer and (like you) suck but am addicted. Here is me yesterday:  | ||
| Chopped_burban |
Xodot, certainly looks like you were getting the hang of it. I see axle sliders on yours too. Question for you, are you still running stock tires or did you change to track specific tires? And in either case, what are you running for tire pressure? I was running 33 front and back on the stock rubber and have to wonder if it contributed at all to the low side (more than likely it's just me, but have to ask). | ||
| Xodot |
Thanks Chopped Burban. The sliders are home made. I replaced the stock CorsaIII with more of the same. The front stocker lasted 5k+ miles. It was the track that tore it up finally. I just put a new Corsa III on today in preperation for a week with The Dragon in October. I read here, in one of the many repeating tire threads, that the replacement CorsaIII's are much better quality that the stock ones they put on our bikes. That is why I stuck with them for one more cycle through. As far a tire pressure (another topic that everyone here has an opinion on of course! hehe)I asked an old time (my age) local racer who hosts track days and is still heavily involved in racing and has had a large retail/shop in Toronto for decades what pressure to run. He asked me what I was at. I was 32 front 29 rear and he said "Yea anything around there is good. It really doesn't matter at our level." - referring to himself and the best riders there that day and light years faster than me. Seems if you are racing, make that competitively racing, then it matters; but for a couple of dweebs like us it isn't going to be a noticeable difference. I think steering input and throttle control (sources of pilot error)are the big areas I need to improve and those two things are the source of smoothness. Of course speed follows smooth. I am glad you are OK after the upset. Of course our addiction to track continues to grows doesn't it?! | ||
| Chopped_burban |
I'm not addicted... nope... not me.  So ummm,,,, when is the next track day??? On a similar subject, I saw the video clip of Geoff May at VIR and suddenly felt really, really, really slow. The clips of him make it look like I was out for Sunday drive. Wow that guy is fast. | ||
| Betzy |
Hey Xodot, How you like the new ECM  Notice a difference? It was tucked away nice and cozy all the way back from Erik Buell Racing in the back of our truck | ||
| Xodot |
Betzy, yea thanks for bringing that home to me. I was counting on making the trip myself but life happened eh! For me the big advantage of the Race ECM is it's smoothness - no more jumping as I try to roll on the throttle. As far as power goes, well I was not making use of the power the stock ECM had until I had the Race ECM and had a few track days and track school behind me so I have nothing to compare to. Heading to the Dragon next month and looking forward to the change in how I take those bends! Are you going back this year? | ||
| Jaimec |
Want to feel slow??? Last year at NJMP during Superbike School just as I started feeling good about my lines and speed through the corners, twelve-year old Peter Lenz (may he Rest in Peace) blew by me on his 250cc like I was parked in the middle of the turn!! That kid had one hell of a future. Damned shame he was killed in Indy this year. | ||
| Betzy |
Xodot, Sad to say but I think my riding season is done  no trips planed yet... Have fun, rip up them corners... |
