| Author | Message | ||
     Shazam |
Thought I would put a short story in here somewhere about my trackday at Heartland Park Topeka on Saturday. This is a recount of my unusual experience told with no regard for my ego in the hopes someone else doesn't have to go through it. A little background info might be relevant here. I ride a '03 XB9R, It's got roughly 30,000 miles on it, it's been North, South, East and West of here a thousand miles or more, I've done half a dozen Trackdays at Mid America Motorplex, and now one at Topeka, five Battletrax competitions, trips galore to the dragstrip, and countless stupid human tricks in between....it does everything for me and I love it. I love it even more lately due to the fact that it now pushes 117RWHP and 109LB/FT torque (huge thanks to Aaron Wilson at NRHS) It's the wickedest, most unruly, most obnoxious, unholiest machine I've ever grappled with (including the 1180 gixxer motor'd 750 frame widowmaker I owned a few years back). You probably get the point and wish I'd hurry up with the goods, so here ya go. I got a phone call Thursday about a Trackday open to the public preceeding the CCS races at heartland Park, Being completely unprepared I wavered and said I would think about it. I didn't have any unbreakable plans Saturday, the significant other wasn't objecting, and well I have really wanted to run HPT for a long time....so I pulled the trigger and committed. Spent the Evening Friday Prepping the bike, Safety wiring the drain plugs and filter. picking up a trailer......The only thing I didn't do was put the Track tires and wheels on. I have a brand new set of Michelin Pilt Powers on the bike at the moment and wanted to see how they compared to the Pilot H2's I ran last summer. I Loaded the wheels, tools, gerry can, cooler, chairs, bike stand and gear in the truck. Parked the bike on the trailer in the garage and then tried to sleep........fat chance, I was excited. Saturday I was up before the Alarm was. quick stop for gas and I was on my way to Lawrence to meet up with a group of very rowdy goofballs who would in the end make this one of the funnest trackdays I've ever been a part of. I swear I haven't laughed so much or for so long as I did on Saturday. You'll know why shortly. Rider's meeting in the morning was pretty straightforward, the usual stuff, one point they were pretty enthused about was a white line painted on the track out of the pit entrance, We were to stay left of the line so that we didn't roll out slow into the racing line, They were very adament that this was unforgivable.....yes it's relevant I was second on the track for my first session, The gentleman I followed out proceeded directly across the no-go line. Only by sheer stupidity or luck, whichever, did I not follow him directly. I have never been on this track other than for Drag racing purposes, Half of this track is obscured from spectators (meaning that the times I have been out to watch the motorcycle races I have never been able to ascertain the lay-out of the southern end of the track)(do some research folks, I should have checked it out preceeding my first lap) anywho...I am in no hurry, no testosterone pump, no adrenaline rush, just calm curiosity about the track layout and a desire to warm the tires.....That short term memory disorder riding in front of me, soon was beyond my perception. I concentrated on checking out the track at a medium pace. I am slowly picking up speed, after three lefts, a right, and the chicane, I though I was on a long back straight......it's not quite as long as I thunk it was, and the hard left at the end of it is a blind one(so to speak, the crest of the hill obscures it somewhat). As I crested the back stretch, I saw the tire wall first maybe two hundred yards out and then I saw the 150 yards of grass and then I saw the Left. I certainly wasn't carrying enough speed to blow the turn but as soon as I got off the gas and on the binders, the rear wheel locked up, here's the sing-along "and a farming he will go" It happened pretty quick. I knew better than to dive into the turn with the rear locked up. So I sucked up both the left and the right one, and started paying attention, hard on both brakes until the pavement ends (the rear is already useless as it's skidding and more pedal ain't gonna help). as I cross from pavement to terra-not-so-firma I drop the front caliper action and just try to keep it straight and get it stopped before the fast approaching tire wall. It fishtails out from under me about thirty yards short of your done. It's a trackday these things happen. I am uninjured, the bike looks fine...a low speed low side in the grass. I pick the bike up, look it over, and start it up and shuffle along the barrier until I get the go ahead signal from the corner worker to roll back onto the track, This is when I find out there's only and inch left of my right footpeg. I run as far off the racing line as possible to prevent leaving any hazardous debris or fluids for someone else, down through the corkscrew and onto pit lane. I think I am going to go back to my pit and give the bike a thorough once over. The pit entrance official has other Ideas. I get waved over to him and think he might be concerned about my condition. upon arrival I am greeted with a long winded reitteration of the white line rule, complete with cuss words and fingers in my face. If I hadn't just been through enough embarrassment I was getting it now. In the pits I am going over the bike when all my buddies pull in....."did you see me waving at you, hahaha","Sam, you have to turn", and my personal favorite and the most fortuitous "look soil SAMple made it back". everyone asks what happened and I replied to the best of my knowledge, I lost the rear...cold tires? was I on the rear brakes? I couldn't remember, That's certainly not something I do....I think? The corner snuck up on me..... a lot of possibilities. The real reason would elude me all morning. Second session I make it three laps and then plow the same earth, same symptoms same reaction, I kept it up. This time I sit out the session on the tirewall. I felt like an Idiot. my thoughts? I haven't put many miles on this year..., I've got a huge new motor I am trying to control... and don't know this track at all (at this rate I am not going to learn it) I am utterly dissapointed in myself, I sit there watching my friends pass lap after lap waiting for the humiliation to end, I don't want them to throw another flag because of me. When I do make it back into the pits its a feeding frenzy. I can take a joke better than the next guy, but in the back of my head I still can't figure out what's going on. It's bothering me. Again I explained that I lost the rear as I was decellerating, setting up for my turn in. It felt like I had oiled my tire the way it just went. Was I on the rear brake? well it's hard to say as now I am riding on what's left of a footpeg and I may inadvertantly be resting my foot on the pedal.....doesn't seem likely, my toes are usually pointing skyward about that time or at least outward. Third Session....you guessed it, Farmer Ted shortcutted the chicane. At least the scenery is different here and I can get right back on the track, well as soon as a break in traffic materializes....This has got to be a record! Now, I am laughing as well. I have made more off road excursions in this one track day than all others combined, all before lunch. the bike is running great, I stay out of the racing line for a half lap and get back to work. Tires are working great lots of corner grip, no hint of slide, but daam those straights are kicking my rear. I had one more episode in which a quick pull on the clutch corrected. EUREKA! it was all making sense now.....Have you figured it out yet? Ate lunch, took a beating in the pits, was asked multiple times if I was groundskeeping or a corner worker......But I figured out my problem and I wouldn't be making another trip onto the fairway...right? wrong! Fourth session, on the sixth lap, I short shot the chicane, only this time I was aware of the 6" ditch in the middle, and my jewels were spared the punishment. see how not taking the beaten path pays off? I am starting to feel better about my day. It has certainly been a learning experience up to this point. Get back on the track for a couple more laps and almost have myself re-programmed to pull the clutch in, while hard "off" the gas. It's not an optimal situation but it works. I start getting up to speed, and feeling better and not riding so scared spitless. It happened once again in the fifth session but I kept it on the track. I didn't participate in the sixth session. My nerves were shot. I had to run out for a wheel bearing for the trailer.... I have since been informed that a slipper clutch would cure my problem. The motor on decel was locking up the rear, not the brakes. I think it may come as no surprise to some of you, but I haven't ever really had any experience with this. dirt biking excluded (now that I think about it). I surely didn't recognize it. It only took about ten or twelve laps to figure it out, half of my day was gone by then and all of my dignity. Like I said upstairs, had to be the funnest trackday ever. The bike hauls a55, I didn't wad it up(bad), and my friends won't let me forget this for years.....soil SAMple, got dirt?  All the Bueller's I met were fantastic and I think at least one got a front row seat for one of my safaris. I had a great time, and will see you again, I'll be better pre-pared. a Slipper clutch before my next trackday, it will have to wait until later this summer. I'm having too much fun right now. | ||
| Tripper |
Slipper clutch expensive.... Idle screw cheap. Oh. FI? Slipper clutch. | ||
| Kcfirebolt |
Glad to hear you figured that out on the track and not down in Arkansas. I still can't wait to see the beast. | ||
| Richieg150 |
SLIPPER CLUTCH!Hmmmmmmm is there such a thing? |
