fossilfuel

Cobie, the factory recommendation is 31 cold for the front. I checked my tire pressure before I removed the tire warmer for crash run and the front tire pressure was 36 psi. I am sure they got hotter and harder after 10 laps. I thought it was high myself. I dont feel comfortable running that high of a pressure in a hot tire.

I think Hotfoot would make an outstanding coach! I know a mature guy from South Alabama that might be good at that. He said he feels very comfortable on Dunlop tires and green is his favorite color!

Thanks Cobie. I'm sticking with Dunlop.

Hotfoot, Your glad and I'm glad that your glad! I have been wondering if I was crazy! When I got back in the paddock one of the guys asked me if I had scuffed them in. But you have to ride on the rim to get these things scuffed in to the edges and I think that might be a problem. I looked at the front tire since it needed to come off a bent marchesini rim anyway and noticed that the side walls didn't scuff in as close to the edge as my Dunlops or other brands I have used in the past. After 10 laps of hard breaking at an Advance level pace, these things should have been hot and scuffed. I'm done with these tires. I am not against Michelin as I loved my power race tires but these suck. You remember how cold it was at Leguna Seca? 49 degrees with a northwest wind 49mph. We were on Dunlop Qualifiers with no warmers and no issues....Thanks for your post and I hope to see you and your Hubby again. P.S. Tell me again how you loved your Barber Code school. P.S.S. I run Dunlop Race slicks 120/70/17 and 195/70/17. Check with your Dunlop Rep. The SportMax are what many of the WERA guys use.

When I run Dunlop slicks the tire pressure for the front is 31 psi hot. My tire wear looks fine. The cold pressure on the Michelins was 31psi which gave me a 36psi tire pressure hot on the front tire. This tire pressure is much higher than I am used to running but Michelin does not give hot pressures for these tires...a big secret. Also, the profile of the "V" tires makes it hard to scuff in the edges. This was something that I noticed when I looked at the tires after the crash truck brought it in (funny!).

I had a spectacular low side at Barber during WERA race practice a few weeks ago. I was not on my normal "Dunlop race slicks". I was in a bind and a friend ordered Michelin Power One V-profile. The manufacturer states the cold tire pressure is 31 psi. Michelin does not give hot tire pressures. I had put about ten laps on the tires. I ususally try to get about three laps on a new set before I consider them "scuffed" in. So the front probably was about 36 psi. I was passing on the outside using "maintenance throttle" when the front just went, no warning at all. Unfortunately for me the bike caught on the track, went up in the air and flipped twice before hitting the ground. I had a front row seat. I normally run Dunlop slicks with hot tire pressure of 31 psi front and 30 psi rear. I have been to Barber probably 35 times and never had an issue in turn two. I know, there is always a first time. I love my Dunlop tires and after the crash all I could think about was the tires because in my mind it was unlikely after all the riding and race schools I have been to that I caused the low side mid corner. The questions that run through your mind: Was it a light front end, a seam, marbles on the track, to much pressure on the bars, tire pressure or unfamiliar tire profile? These are the kinds of questions you ask yourself after the fact. It is really hard to do analysis when your trying to pass and maybe that is where more errors occur because you get tunnel vision and lose "feel" I know that three other guys low sided in turn 2 at Barber and two were on Michelin Power Ones with the "V" profile. When I came back in to the paddock several racers commented on the tires. One guy said " He only new two top racers that could ride on them". I talked to the Dunlop tire rep and he said "off the record" you know what he said. So, I guess it is hard for me to admit that I made a bad input. I mean I was smooooth and still can't believe it happened but....Do tires make a difference? Does 31 psi hot vs 36 psi hot make that much of a difference? Does tire profile make a difference?

I just watched the 1000cc race at Road America on "AMA Prime Time" Russel and a new announcer, Greg. They went on and on about how Michael Laverty finished second at Miller..except that it was Eugene Laverty who finished 2nd. Michael Laverty finished 17th. What the f...! Russel was there. He should know better.

I really appriciate you post Fossil and your toughts! And although you must have mixed emotions still major congrats on your race and your results and also your boldness in taking that step!!!! I think one of my favorite quotes is this one: Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.Helen Keller I have been toying with the idea of trying some racing and you may have convinced me to go for it (even though I am so old lol) steve Steve, Go For It! It was really no different than a track day. Most of the apprehension comes from just not knowing what to do, where to go and what the general procedure is...I belong to NESBA and STT so I posted on the racing section of the forums about my signing up. I had a lot of response from some really great guys who offered me a place in the paddock. They really helped more than I can say. I will be signing up for the WERA Nationals at Barber in September. If you decide to take the plunge or want more information just leave some contact info on my message board. I will be glad to help in any way I can. You are never to old to live brother!

They do make you feel at home!

We probably ride that same road and don't know it! Is your CBR scratched up on the right side? Funny! The point I was trying to make is basically to use the throttle more. You have 160hp at your disposal on a bike that only weighs 30 lbs more than your 636. I noticed in your video that you were not braking hard at all so get on the throttle between corners and learn to use the brake more.

Ok Guys, I guess I was not good at making a point. I live in Hawaii and I have two motorcycles. One is a 2006 Kawaski 636 (108 hp), weight 402 lbs and I have a 2008 Honda CBR1000RR (160 hp), weight 432lbs with full Ohlins suspension. I have my favorite road to go down and I have been going down this road on the 636 faster than on the 1000. I have never been on a track and have had no on hand instruction. What is it going to take for me to go faster on the 1000 than the 636? 108hp/408lbs vs 160hp/432lbs

At Miller, during the race practice...the top riders in the 1000cc class ran 1:48's. The top riders in the 600cc class ran 1:52's. Why?

I saw you video on the 1000RR. Nice road! I am a little jealous that I can't get up in the morning and go for a a little country ride around Maui. Here are my thoughts. 1.) Country roads are a lot of fun...but it only takes the car you are meeting in the turn to be off, just a little while you are off, just a little. 2.) I saw your "High Side". What lane of traffic did your motorcycle end up in? 3.) The set up for street riding is a lot different than riding on the track. a. Your chain is tighter b. Your tires have more pressure c. Your tires don't get up to temperature d. If temperature you do get is lost quickly e. The sag has probably never been set for your weight 4.) Get some instruction, personal on hand is preferred but if that is not available, search for articles and read the best available books on the subject. 5.) My observation of the first video, pre-crash is that you are not using your front brake into the corner. I don't see your forks compressing at all. So in effect, you are not putting any heat in your tire before you lean it into the corner. 6.) There are degrees in riding and the closer you get to pushing it the less room for error you have. We who ride on the track understand this. We take into consideration the hazards. We are prepared and adjust our suspensions and tire pressures for that limit. 7.) Check your equipment before you ride, chain tension, tire pressure, brakes and before you try to put a knee down in the corner make sure your tires are nice and hot. 8.) See #4.) 9.) The 1000rr is about 50 lbs heavier than the 636....More mass means harder to turn but you can make up for that by..........You need to learn more before you get to that lesson Grasshopper.

Simoncelli got a $5,000 USD fine and a yellow card. I also thought they would at least swap places between him and Bautista, but it was just a stupid move, and hopefully he learned. And don't even get me started on the American announcers. Even that British guy and the "uh, uh, uh" announcer they brought in. The WSBK regular announcer is my favorite. I don't mean to say anything personal about these guys. I have much respect for Scott Russel and what he has accomplished I also think that Sheehan is a good announcer but not for motorcycle racing. He has no clue. They, SpeedTV, could at least get someone that knows the riders, understands motorcycle racing and can feed the expert questions that make the racing informative and fun. I would be willing to bet that Sheehan hasn't even watched a WSB race this year.

The 250 MotoGP race was really good. I was really impressed with Passini and the last lap he put in. I thought Simoncelli's move on Bautista was wrong. He probably will lose position for that. I will watch the WSB races again tonight on the internet so I can listen to Martin and Greene.

I just finished watching the WSB races at Miller and have some comments. 1.) Sheehan and Russel are terrible race commentators. Where were Jonathan Greene and Steve Martin. 2.) I thought Jamie Hacking ran a good first race but he took chances that endagered other riders. He ran his team mate off the track in the first race and caused another guy to high side in the second. I think he hurt his chances for a spot at WSB. 3.) Way to go Melissa 4.) Way to go Ben

I am having a difficult time enjoying my excitement due to the tragic deaths of a rider and corner worker at race practice Friday. I am deeply saddened by this and my heart goes out to the families of those killed. I have never heard so many people be so quiet. The only sound was that of the idling helicopter rotors at the far end of the track between turn six and seven. I knew something was terribly wrong when the helicopter sat for an hour. I guess we all forget or try to block out the dangers in this sport, what can happen on the track. There is always the possibility of mechanical failure, someone going down in front of you or a loss in concentration at high speed. I think we understand but this accident was so bazar so unexpected. At 1:00 p.m. the announcement went out over the p.a. that race practice would resume for the next race group. Life continued, people suited up, the sounds of engines filled the air and people went about their business. My life continued too. Sunday brought a new day with heavy morning rains. Everyone was soaking wet, trying to get rain tires on their machines. I thought I would not be able to race having only race slicks so I waited and hoped for the best. The sun came out and the first group raced on rains even though most of the track was dry. My first race, Senior Superbike Heavy, was the 6th race. I hoped that the track would be dry by my race. The track was dry enough for slicks except in a couple of spots but I just had to remember what I had been taught. I lined up on the grid in last place wearing a bright orange T-Shirt, thats what they do to newbies. I had a blast finishing 4th in the division and 15th overall. I represented well, I thought. The next race I was in was the last race of the day, "A" Superbike Novice. I start last again with the identifying jersey "watch out for me!". I finished 8th out of 17 riders. Thanks to all of my coaches for their help and instruction. A foot note to this is my feeling for life in general. If anything ever happens to me on the track please celebrate that I lived life, that I took every opportunity and lived every moment. I think that is what we all did after lunch on Friday.

Hey Hubbard, You don't have to be at the track to practice the "blip". I brake and blip at the same time and sometime just blip to scrape a little speed off for setting my corner speed for entry into a fast corner. There is a nice flow and rhythm that you can get into once you learn the blip...try it, you'll like it. Check out some videos on line. There are many guys out there who have camera's pointed toward the rider. You can catch the blip and braking into a corner...Good luck.

Hotfoot, It was nice to meet you and Mario as well. That eight our NSR50 endurance racing sounds great. I am doing two WERA races in May so I can race endurance but I didn't know about the 50cc class. I will have to investigate further....

Hey by the way, seems like good things happen after a school with you guys...I went to Barber Sunday for a track day and did another personal best lap time 1:41. I stayed in the 1:41's for four laps in the first session after lunch...then I was spent...dehydrated, tired etc...where is Judy when you need her! Thanks for the help guys. I just need to cut one more second off to reach my goal for this year...came back from Laguna with that extra confidence..

We are trying to set a new thread record. Thanks Domina. You can give Ayn Rand a run for her money!

Thes guys are up PCH

Hey Documented, I since a degree of frustration in your post. And it sounds as though you were enjoying riding or you wouldn't have been grinding the knee sliders down. But from what I read, two of the incidents that occured were not due to riding error but equipment problems? Regardless of what happened, at our age it hurts like hell when we fall down and takes forever to heal. I'm with you brother. You need a plan to get your confidence back but right now you don't have one. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to be critical just giving my two cents worth. I have a plan everytime I get on the track. I have mentioned this before but believe me the older we get the harder it is to be on our game 100% of the time especially the faster we go. There is nothing better for me than riding as fast as I can but.....UNDER CONTROL. You need goals, a plan, and a good approach to attack your problem. Success may take more than one or two track days. Once you sit back and do some serious evaluation you will find the answers. I'm with you man.

Second Day Laguna Seca "Working on Quick Turn"

A day has gone by now since we finished up at Laguna. I was thinking that it would take a while to really put everything in perspective. I want to thank the "Crew" for everything. Keith Dylan Judy Cobie Pete Trevor Max Christi James Will Jon and Tim the "Timmer" our riding coach for both days I have to admit that riding Laguna was a goal. I mean when one looks at the history of this track, one has to feel fortunate riding it. Seeing Wayne Rainey talking to Keith during the second day of school brings the feeling home. The coaches have the same responsibility no matter what the track and so did I. I was very fortunate to ride this track and CSS made it possible. I rode through barriers and found some errors that "Timmer" pointed out. I know that if I had ignored the primary reason for this school, I would have missed a great opportunity to improve my riding. A coach gets feed back from what their students accomplish and I hope my riding can be an example of great coaching. Thanks to all of you for helping me accomplish my goals. I couldn't have done it with out you.