Cobie Fair
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Posts posted by Cobie Fair
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Excellent info Vinny, thanks for that. Is the 4T additive good 2 or 4 stroke?
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Turns out that I was on track at the first school in Vegas this last weekend, got to ride the new model - 2023. In short--very, very nice :).
The suspension and set up from the factory (and the adjustments to where the forks had been set) are near where my fastest coaches were ending up, so right out of the box, the bike felt great, very confidence inspiring. It was a little cool (got to a high of mid-60's) so didn't push for maximum lean angles, but riding with one of the faster students (a racer), the bike was rock solid. Mid-range is stronger too.
Gonna be a good year to ride :), hope we see you at the track.
Anyone else ridden them, care to chime in?
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After the bike has been leaned over (or while leaning) if one puts the brakes on, the bike wants to stand up, correct on that for sure...it is being countersteered at that time. This also increases the effort to steer.
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7 hours ago, D_Gray said:
Do you trail off the brakes coming through the corners to reduce the rake and get better contact patch ? that's supposed to reduce the effort put into steering.
There are a number of pieces that we could look at, but one you brought up, let's take one to start with, and that's effort in steering. In a corner, if braking is being applied, and the bike is leaned over, what does the bike want to do? 3 possible options here: stay on it's line, stand up, turn in more.
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Vinny, how about an overview of the core LM products for the street or track day rider (not necessarily racer). Maybe touch on a few that would be a good starting point.
What would you recommend and why?
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I'm lazy, and like horsepower these days
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Good predictions, like 'em!
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Hi Loski,
Did you end up getting to a school?
Nice summary from Jayrbird :).
Best,
Cobie
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Yeah, I think this will be quite valuable. I'll set up some testing. A little more scientific than, "Hmmm...looks a little dark."
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Vinnie,
CoffeeFirst asked my questions, made my comments. Where can we look at getting some tests done? Can you direct us on where, and what to ask for? Particularly the laymen amongst us?
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On 10/20/2017 at 3:18 AM, DucPati said:
How did MY weekend go? I bought a track bike in January, did CSS Lvl 3 on it in May. I could have done Lvl4 in May or Aug without having to travel but I had decided to spend more time at the track to work on getting faster. You posted this on Oct 6th, which would have been the 7th where I am and that day I went to the track again. 5th time at this track, a ~3km circuit called Morgan Park Raceway in Queensland, Australia. I ride in the fast group at the local track days. Previous outing I had taken 3 seconds off my PB on a rear tyre that was well past it's useful life and sliding around a lot. It had been 2 months since then on the 7th and I went out first session with a fresh rear tyre and set a PB on the 3rd lap. By the 3rd session I had taken over a second off my PB from the previous outing and was looking like I would get to my target lap time in the 4th session. Bike had other ideas though, the fuel pump died and I didn't get another session in that day. While that was disappointing, it was a very successful outing and I left pretty happy. My target was 1:23 and I had done a 1:24.3. The fastest guys at track days and local club racing are doing 1:20 and sometimes 1:18/1:19. A few people were asking me which class I race in. I don't.
Australian Superbike record there is 1:13. I'm now aiming for 1:20 but I need some suspension work as the springs are too soft for my weight and a fork seal was leaking.
Pro photographer was there and got some great photos. Here's one at one my favorite corners, an uphill blind left hander under a bridge with a cement wall on the inside.
I have video too, I always run a front and rear camera - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFI0X_M5Zh4&list=PL2qr50jc8pAUK5w0NZafcl5tFNOXGZC3e
Hey DucPati,
Nice picture! One comment only is that your helmet sits a bit low on your head, I'm guessing that you are able to see the upper rim of the visor. Many pros adjust the helmets up so they can see a little easier out of the top of the helmet, enabling a nice low body position. You might find it easier to see with the helmet a little higher on your head/tilted up a hair. We do that at our schools as we see this a lot.
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Vinnie,
Further question to your initial answer on oil: the lubricity, and the additive package of reducing friction. How long does that last in terms of miles? I want to know for 2 applications:
1. My daily driver (a Mustang). How often between oil changes, and how do I really know?
2. On a track bike like at our schools, how often should we change oil? Some bikes ridden pretty hard, some not as hard.
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And the answer is:
Lubricate
Cool
Seal
Clean
Protect
Pressurize
Most of the wear comes from lack of, or breakdown of lubricity. (friction reducing anti-wear additives)
Every good oil should have an additive package that stays strong throughout the oil change interval to assist in this.
Carbon deposits and sludge formation are next to degrading any motor. -
Here is the first question: in modern engines (or any), what the is purpose of oil, and where does the most wear come from/happen?
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We have a very nice relationship with the LM USA company, and their rep has been with them for years, very knowledgeable. Checked in with him and he's quite willing to answer any questions.
Obviously, LM has quite a bit more than just oil, their product line-up is impressive. We have some nice personal endorsements on their products (our chief mechanic liked them so much, he paid full retail to put in his car, and immediately noticed a difference).
We'll start off by taking any questions here, and I'll get them forwarded. So, fire away, pretty sure there won't be a question he can't answer, but anything from simple to technical will be fine.
Best,
Cobie
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Very nice
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Don't need plates at racetracks...
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The age for a senior citizen seems to have gone up, but aging does change the riding game a little. Here's what I'd like to know: what skills/techniques/attitudes does the older rider consider important?
I used to think that older riders might be wiser, would use their experience and wisdom to think things through, take more calculated risks, that kind of thing. Some do...and some don't! I can think of 2 riders right off the cuff, in their late 70's. These fellas had more balls than sense, they approached their riding like 18 year-olds at the bordello with Daddy's black AMEX--out of control.
Or another senior citizen that had a heart attack (and knew it). Then flew himself home in his private plane!!!! WTF! He later said he flew "lower than normal" and took a route home away from civilization, so if he did crash, wouldn't hurt anyone else.
So this question is for the older forum members (let's say over 60). What do you consider your best defense for successful riding (or any high stress activity)? A particular technique? Your overall ability to "handle come what may?" Luck? Karma?
I'd like to know.
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The savvy fan...who is willing to make some predictions:
Moto GP--Can the freight train of Ducatis be foiled by the the Frenchman with an Italian name?
Moto 2--Will the canny Japanese rider beat himself again?
Moto 3--I didn't watch enough of these.
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Thanks for checking.
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We are looking for qualified coach candidates. The primary reason is we continue to add is the number of coaches needed per School day keeps rising. We used to have 2 or 3 coaches--at some Schools it's now up to 15.
If you are interested, think you might qualify, please read the following carefully, and return the application to me (download here).
1. Racing experience is preferred. We have to see the riding to answer if the riding skill level will be adequate. Most of our students are
street riders, but we do need someone that can set an excellent example for a broad range of skills.
2. Friendly, personable, upbeat, high ethical standards, fit in with the rest of our team is a must.
3. Excellent communication and observation skills. Willing to be trained and do homework. The coach training is vigorous, not for the
wimpy. Every aspect of what you do is examined, honed, tested, and improved on a regular basis.
4. The positions are part-time or full-time (meaning doing all Schools) for independent contractors but we need a minimum of 15 school days per year. In most cases, a coach will need to do all schools at a venue, and consider travel time. For example, if you could only do weekends, this would not be realistic.
5. Application first, follow-up questions, then proceed to an interview. If appropriate a tryout is scheduled. That is usually 1 day at a racetrack.
6. After the tryout, there is a short probation period/apprenticeship, but we pay travel and other expenses, use our bike, gear, etc. Probation period depends substantially on you and how well prepared you are.
7. Coaches are paid according to their training/skill level, how many of the training programs they have completed. Starts at
$180 per day, goes up from there.
Friendly, interested in coaching others, willing to study and train, ride at a very high level, and handle long days--quite a package to find. About 1 in 40 that apply make it past the probation stage.
We are a school, we train riders and racers and we do that totally. We don't give jobs to our friends because we like them.
Download the application and email it to me.Best,
Cobie Fair
Chief Riding Coach
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Please do let us know how it goes/what you think!
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I keep expecting some modern stuff on this thread, like: VR goggles or some such thing. I'll 100% date myself--never put on a set of those things yet. I will eventually, but most of the time I'm working to spend LESS time in front of a computer on the damn phone! Ok, end of mini-tech rant.
Liqui Moly--products
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
Another question on availability. I'd found LM products at NAPA, but none near me. Does Autozone carry LM products? O'Reilly?