shakabeemer

Wow, So sorry YellowDuck. Very sorry to hear that. I wish you the best in your recovery and hopefully to raise your spirits I have a good cycling friend Oliver who had a similar experience years back and his handshake today is extremely powerful. I hope that helps. Nic

Since Laura suggested I start a blog some time ago I've been planning on doing it but now I'm doing it. The first order of business is to thank Kevin for letting me know I could rent a race bike at Loudon. My plan at this time is to get my license October third as a 60th birthday present but that's not set in stone. It going to take some time before my dreams of a sponsored ride can even be spoken out loud. One of our students Valerie Thompson has been helping me with my confidence and courage regarding sponsorship mainly just by doing what she does in racing and with her sponsors. I realized I'm going to have to legitimize my riding with accomplishment that can be measured. I was able to drum up some sponsorship when I raced bicycles out in Colorado but that was barely enough to eek by and that was a long long time ago. When I think back about it though it was a very cool and interesting time in my life. Pretty much the way it is right now except that its better now. Who would have thought getting old could be cool? When I realized Keith was ten years older than me and still on his bike I was absolutely inspired. I'm off to a good start. Thank you,

Thanks YellowDuck, I would really love to race my BMW but for one thing I crashed it in School and it cost me a bundle even though I was able to pick up most parts at a huge discount on the S1000RR Forum. Riding a ragged bike while I collected everything and then waiting for my mechanic to find time in the peak of the season makes the whole thing prohibitive as much as I understand your desire to ride the bike you love and know the best. My girl is a bit of crowd pleaser too. The budget is the most important part for me to make sure I can finish a season and that means running a bike that I can toss around a little without fear but for the rest of this season I'll be getting my feet wet on the S1k. Crashing is simply not an option so I'll be extremely cautious while I continue with School, get my license, and maybe do a club race to find out if I am as serious about this as I think I am. I just know I like to finish up in front of everyone right right now. Renting a bike seems like the best option to make the plunge, its just that I've never heard of such a thing in my area. I'll look into that today, After this post I'll be starting my own blog so you can keep track (pun intended) of me and find out if I live or die...no joke here because I've been told Novice races can be pretty dangerous. My last crash really put this in proper perspective for me and the place I won't skimp on is tires and protective gear. As far as age and fitness I am very motivated to trim down and eat good food because of my passion to go fast and I have made great strides already in this department. I think I'm going to also take the time to go back, read your blog more thoroughly and see what else I can learn. Safe riding and I'll be pulling for you to win.

Hi Las, Welcome. I hope you enjoy the incredible range assets available to students in the forums. Its a wonderful place to do exactly the things you want to acoompish. Stay with it and you can't fail. I love Florida having lived there and it must be a great place for you to ride year round. Cheers!

Thanks Hugh and all, rchase turned me onto ur blog because I'm contemplating beginning a race program. I realize that I'll have to start small maybe with a 600 or 750 instead of my BMW and have modest goals like just showing up and finishing. I don't want to bust up an expensive bike and it will be easier to handle a used smaller bike that is already race prepped which I could pick up for a few thousand dollars. The budget is the most important thing to me for me right now. I'm excited but at the same time not so sure about all the work, time, and expense involved not to mention the bumps and bruises since I'm turning 60 in October. I crashed on the track recently and it was a big eye opener and reality check. I'm still pretty determined. Eric Wood is helping me out because I'm up in the Northeast on Long Island smack dab in the middle of NJMP and Loudon. He's a nice guy and very accessible. Don't want to steal ur thread but thanks a lot for a peak into ur experience.

Yes Tyler, Thank you very much for taking the time to give us all that great information. Much appreciated. n

Thanks everyone. I'd like to revisit the issue at another time. Nic

Laura, Thanks for giving me the information I need in kindly manner. Its everything I wanted to know. Nic

Thanks Kevin, What is Trevor's title? Maybe my terminology is incorrect. The brief he gives us in the morning is about controlling the flow of traffic on the racetrack. It doesn't matter if its a Cornering School or a Race School...you can pass at any time and go as fast as you want as long as you obey the flags an pass safely. If you don't know what the flags mean you're in BIG trouble. That's all I'm saying.

Easily one of the most important and least often discussed topics in the Forums is Race Control. Unfortunately for me, what seemed like a simple common sense discussion by Trevor at the very beginning of the day was lost amid the hustle, bustle, and excitement on the morning of my School. Students and Coaches please let me know what your experience with this has been. I think most students would know more about this than I did yet I'd like to see this important aspect of racing contribute only to the absolute safety of anyone's track experience. Thanks,

Hi Will, Thank you for the many things you guys did to see me through an amazing few days about a month ago including some real difficult repairs. To make a long story short please tell me what you found on the alternator side which you had to correct to get the cover on. Intermittently and not very often I'm hearing a noise which is hard to describe and that goes away quickly. It sounds like something is coming into contact momentarily. Thanks again, I'm in your gratitude.

Wow, the photo reminds me of my 750 Ninja from about the same time. I'm the jealous one here because of your race experience. My goal is win a race within a year and I've never even been in one yet!

Rainman, I should have been more genrous with my praise of you since my back wheel is rolling under your good graces. Thanks for everything! Nic

Of the many very decent and kindly people I met at my School recently, most importantly was Chief Mechanic Will Eikenberry. He worked magic on my bike with his Assistant. They both handle an S1K like the Harlem Globetrotters handle a basketball. He and Will flick and turn the bikes on their side stands, front and/or back wheels like I've never seen before and in a way that makes the bikes look like weightless toys. Kevin Kane worked diligently with the two. Will put a re-valved shock on my bike in something like twenty minutes. If you're not familiar with this unusual sequence of events, you'd have to see it it believe it. He pulls the seat. gas tank, the plastic, and a few other odds and ends but the trick is that the tail hinges up and away from the swing arm; The two of them making an image something like a pair of scissors and then the shock comes out of the middle of the mouth of the scissored bike. When the shock is out the tail is perpendicular to the ground. Its a real sight to see. Then it was all back together in about twenty minutes. There is much much more I could say about Will in absolute fact. For now, merely a huge boatload of thanks to him and his staff.

Awesome r. You didn't miss a trick that I can see. Much luck and all the best. Nic

Stroker, was the ECU flashed or pcv? I love the quality on Akras I know lots of people say the electronics will account for the pipe but definitely do not believe it. I have the black too and i love it. its off the beaten path but I do get a little aggravated when I see how nice your racing colors look rchase. Its beautiful!

yeah; as soon as possible...a little gp style shorty that makes a bunch of noise but not too much. maybe 10hp plus loss of like 20lbs translates into more hp I don't know which arrow or something like it. theres a nice vid of one on utube not good at sending links or I would to u. He WAILS through the woods a few times and then does some launches we've got launch control and its good i set my shift lite up for 13,500 start and cut at 14,000. she can go more. this is for shifts not launch I haven't messed with that yet because it seems to be pretty right i have a natural talent for launch even so I do stall it once in a while too. my friend who runs his 73 nova drag racing says to stage deep in other words back from the start line a bit so by the time u react u don't cross the line illegally and u get a sure thing winner usually run race mode right now cause im a little to scared of it to do slick or turn it off. i run slick once in a while definitely more power i got the what i consider to be the highest from of praise from a cruiser group pal who said i look like the light cycles on Tron one of my favorite movies he said theres no noise he just fires forward (in a bunch of Harley and such so u can't hear me). nice! there was a stretched out Honda Blackbird there too last night black and totally beautiful gotta go to work at Walmart what a trip my store manner has a ZX-10! I'm working there part time which helps defray some of the costs of the household and especially gives me a private budget to work from without my wife who manages several households and businesses. she's a lawyer. so yes im getting a pipe

r, I'm going May 20th Hurrah! I posted a NJMP May 20 thread that's up and easy to see. I'm going a little crazy getting ready for it and also doing some organizing for the Long Island Sport Bike Meetup Group. We have lots of sport bike meetup groups up here in NYC Metro and slowly by slowly I'm getting more comfortable riding in them. Young people get the bikes and know so little about them its scary so I've decided to try to carry the message from the School. It's given me so much and its a good way for me to give to my community. Also, one of my buddies has an idea for a regional track out here on L.I. Our nearest one is four hours away. Its a heck of a tough political battle but again...its a long term project. If the School threw some of its considerable weight on the project...??? OC is the place to be if ur a serious motorcycle rider. I would move there in a heartbeat if I could cause I like the weather, mountains, and whole mystique and pace of the area too. rchase, u are going to have so much fun on ur S1k. Congrats and all the best! Oh, by the way, maybe there are a lot of them out by u but my bike afforded me instant celebrity status. Prepare yourself and thanks for the link and info about Nate Kern. Nic

Yup, right, easiest vehicle purchase ever at Goldcoast Motorsports in New Hyde Park, Long Island, New York as well.

Don't forget to join the S1000rr Forums...great stuff.

Finally know I'm ready inside my heart having recently learned what Keith means by the quick flick learning graph! Wow that was a long time coming. Also know I've got my bag set, know what I need, and first-aide kit coming. Just need to finish up with some oil and radiator cooler Cox screens and the rest of the front fairings for my new carbon fiber to replace the plastic after a small but terrifying crash (went wide in a tricky corner) that the School helped to save me from being a bad one. I had to steer through a bunch of road debris including cement and upside down tree stump on deep sand. Thank you sir; After a few cars went by one beeping his horn (I had passed them aggressively); Finally a nice woman in a pick-up truck as a passenger opening her window and said, "Are you alright" as I was struggling to get my Black Night upright with no traction on my smooth hardly grooved bottom boots. Her husband came over and we got her right up. Dang he was strong. She started right up. I thanked them and was off again this time nursing my broken mirror as I rode. I wish not but the case savers may have to wait. School also helped to keep me from selling the S1k. I'm now planning to get access to the local schools to talk about training cause there's too many of them getting killed out here on Long Island and we need a race track out here for motorcycle racing; That's going to be one darn hard row to hoe. A nice guy went down right in front of me yesterday morning downhill went wide and quickly found him self and his Triumph Sprint sliding up against the curb. We picked his bike up and dusted him off. The bike begrudgingly started and he was off to his meeting. Since I'm a Co-Organizer of the Long Island Sportbike Meetup Group, I told him and he joined when I saw him later after his meeting that he was so hard rushing to make, He's no kid and had leathers on and knows what he's doing. Boy I love this School!

So it looks like my post earlier didn't make it but yeah all a ok with the frame sliders I got the ....can't thing of the name but they're no cut sliders (no cuts to the fairing- they saved my bike in the crash a little while ago...not hardly a dent on them although I had to replace some plastic with carbon fiber...nothing but joy for me in that!) and I highly recommend at least an Cox oil cooler and probably radiator cover too. Thanks for letting me know about the discount. Nic

Thanks for supporting me guys! It feels great.

+1 This is the first time I've seen road racing so up close and personal and to get a feel for what its like to be on a current Superbike in racing. Very cool indeed. It gives you a feel for what a blast it was and will be. I see now the economic power of BMW which only makes sense but sometimes you have to see it for yourself. Thanks so much for sharing so much about your personal life. Its very interesting to me because it helps me to know where your coming from when you make comments especially to me personally. I also have a better idea what its going to take to set my bike up for the track. Fortunately my job is getting me into a little better financial position to delve into this brave new world. My wife can't participate but she really tries to be understanding when I get so jazzed up with my bike. I love them both so much...sometimes its tough convincing her who comes first All for now. Thanks again. n

Thanks for the replies, Cobie, Since you've been so instrumental in me achieving thus far I'm very much looking forward to meeting you. Please keep an eye out for me amid your gazillion other responsibilities so I don't get too intense as Hotfoot so instinctively noted last year in my preparatory comments. I mean I've worked very hard in other sports but still sometimes underachieving. Hotfoot said to relax and enjoy the experience which makes a lot of sense. Thanks Cobie, Looking forward to really getting to know you. BLS, Thanks, It will be great having someone with your experience in School. I'm riding down the 19th I'm hoping our garages are near one another. I'll be watching you for cues as you have been there before. Are you riding back by any chance? I'm heading back on the 21st. sif, Thanks for coming forward. I'll be looking for you too. Again, Thanks to all. Nic