fossilfuel
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Posts posted by fossilfuel
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Neil,
I ask stupid questions all the time. The traction control only cuts power for milliseconds.
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Dunlop catalog maybe this will help you.
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You use the R6. The motor cases are paper thin. LOL!
Well stay on the f**ker then!
Our bikes all wear crash protection as well, I don't remember a case ever going through..... We won't be going to Portimao with school this year, though I'm going in May if you'd like to pop over.
It's an amazing track that when we did go, i couldn't ride as I'd had my accident the week before. Gutted! Bullet
"Well stay on the f**ker then!
" You must be psychic! LOL! -
Ladies/Gents,
I've been made aware there are going to be some more additions to the European schedule and you'll see these dates added to the following link http://www.superbikeschool.co.uk/schedule.php in due course.
To advise, there have been dates for Denmark added on 14th/15th July 2011. I have no details on which circuit yet I'm afraid, but please keep an eye on the schedule to find more details over the coming weeks.
Bullet
Hey Bullet,
If I came to Europe for a class, which circuit would be the the most fun. You gys have classes at Portimao? What bikes do you use?
Never mind...I found it. You use the R6. The motor cases are paper thin. LOL!
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Good topic Cobie.
I see one of your instructors in the UK is going to do an "Iron Man" this year. Is he sitting on his a$$ waiting for the day or is he tuning his body for this event? If he was going to do a 1k fast walk he probably would be drinking beer in a pub somewhere not worried about it. I think the same holds true for riding and your level of commitment to the sport. It is how you live your life in general and what you expect to get out of it that translates to your commitment to riding or hobbies in general.
Everybody knows how old I am (Carbon Dating) and that I race, maybe not as fast as Ben Spies or Valentino but I try. My level of commitment is 365 days a year. My life is intertwined with racing. I can't get out there and compete with the other guys if I'm not in shape. I can't beat someone if I am not mentally committed. There is no better feeling in the world than to go out, race and beat someone half your age, to hear your name called to get your trophy, a contingency check in the mail. This doesn't happen sitting on the couch people! Getting your moneys worth on the track whether racing or track day fun takes preparation, mental, physical and mechanical. The level of riding you reach depends on your commitment to that preparation.
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Bobby,
I use Dunlop N-Tec slicks and I flip them. I have had no issues doing this.
Yeah, but you're old and slow foss! :-p
Keep smiling my friend
Bullet
Bullet,
There is some truth to your statement. I am old. Don't you have a royal wedding to got to? LOL!
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Bobby,
I use Dunlop N-Tec slicks and I flip them. I have had no issues doing this.
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Traction control can help a rider be more proficient. It gives you a good gauge as to what your doing with the throttle in the corner. If you engage the TC, then you were asking for more power than what the tire could handle at the lean angle, etc. So now you have some measure of "where the tire is at". I also think that it allows riders to explore getting on the gas harder than there comfort zone - which they may find was too comfortable. I've see students hit a wall until we told them to "pin it" (half jokingly of course).
And it really does save a percentage of low-sides and high-sides. I've seen a student adding lean and throttle to the point the TC kicks in, and make it through the corner. Same scenario different bike (like the Kawi), he would have been on the ground.
Best.
Well said Pete!
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I have traction control for racing but traction control needs to be set up for the track you are riding to be effective. Each turn will be different on rpms and gearing at exit so the set up for the range needs to be configured. If this is done the traction control is worth a couple of seconds. I use it to help me get the most out of my throttle control. I think it is much better to have the insurance than not and trying to twist a little more horse power out of the corner can be risky. You can be flung off before you know what happens. There is a warning right on the box and in the service manuals that traction control does not gaurantee you won't high side. There are only so many mechanical and electrical means to make things safer. It ultimately comes down at the moment of truth to the decision making and skill of the rider. I am recovering from a pretty bad collarbone break and four broken ribs because of an error in judgment. Unfortuantely, I can't get that in a box marked traction control.
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Wow! You are almost as old as I am! DId you have a Greatful Dead t-shirt on under that jacket!
Nah, I was wearing my "The Name Of The Band Is Talking Heads" t-shirt =)
Keith was at the BMW pavilion at the Long Beach Motorcycle show last night. I showed him a photo of the certificate and he remembered the bounced check! I'm saving up my pennies to attend a class next year...I'm guessing things have changed a bit since my last time...
The equipment has changed but the game is still the same.
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A couple of points to make here.
If you are doing track days or racing, stick Steve's post in your notebook. This is great information to have.
Dunlop tires are great. I took a a set of 6 year old Dunlop slicks that had two track days on them and ran a personal best lap time during a WERA race. I now use the N-Tec slicks for racing and have had no complaints. The thing I like about the slicks is that I am on a budget and although the tires seem to be more expensive than others, I get multiple uses because I can flip the tires and I get really good tire life out of them. You also want to feel comfortable and confident and these tires have plenty of grip.
I have always been able to talk to Steve about tires. Anytime I have called he has been great at answering my questions and shipped my tires out on time.
Once you have been riding for a while and get to know your tires, you can look at the wear on them and tell if you are in the ball park. There is a sweet spot that gives you good performance but doesn't sacrifice tire life.....unless you are riding a big 165 hp twin, then you are screwed.
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Wow! You are almost as old as I am! DId you have a Greatful Dead t-shirt on under that jacket!
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I have completed another goal I set for myself. I finished third this year in my division and received a letter notifying me that I would be getting my expert racing license. I competed in one race last year and did a full schedule this year. I want to thank the CSS coaches and staff for teaching me the skills I needed to make this happen.I have such fond memories of each school I have attended from Barber to VIR to Laguna Seca. What to do now? Maybe its time for a CodeRace class? I plan on joining a team of good friends and riders to compete in the WERA National Endurance Series in 2011.
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Gentlemen,
A very interesting topic. I have to agree with Eirik on this one. I don't want to get into an argument over waisted money but the argument over the competitiveness and participation of riders and teams. I think the MotoGP class is boring as hell while the Moto2 class is exciting and fun. Does throwing all that money at MotoGP make it fun to watch? No. Does it bring a large field? No. There is something to be said about the skill of the rider being more important than the technological advances of the motorcycle. If it keeps going like it is, we will be watching future riders controlling the motorcycles from a viewing podium with X-Box remotes in their hands!
My personal opinion about competition and what it means to me is the human connection, the rider, the player, the team. I am following Valentino Rossi to Ducati. I followed Nicky Hayden to Ducati. I followed Ben Spies to Yamaha. Lets keep the technology but put racing back in the hands of the riders. Let us keep our loyalties to our particular machines but praise the men who make them great.
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Seems like Eirik and I have something in common...
I would like to push the corners harder and maximize grip. The drill is to go faster! -
Bummer, Fossil. Sorry to hear you are injured and uncomfortable. Sounds like your attitude is good, which is either admirable or a sign of heavy medication.
I bet you're bored, let me know when you can laugh and I'll send you a bunch of redneck jokes or something. I hope you aren't stuck at home watching Oprah. If you are, get a Kindle (or an iPad!), they are awesome, an endless supply of books, instantly available.
Thanks Hotfoot...I'm ok and just finished "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" from Audible.com. I haven't been home except on weekends. I went back to work on the Monday after it happened. Just goes to show I don't do much at the office! Let me know what you have been up to..
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Ouch fossil, not the proper way to start a racing career now is it?
You guys got all the "interesting" painkillers, so I wont even try to send you some of ours.
How many ribs did the track break, and how many did the wife break when she found out you've crashed?
Speedy recovery!
Kai
OXYCODONE is good! OXYCODONE is good! OXYCODONE is good!
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Mate, you kept that quiet. I'm sorry to hear you're unwell/banged up, I hope you're starting to feel a little better? What happened mate? Highside? Get tagged?
Am really gutted for you. Hope it's not an end to the racing?
Bullet
Not an end to racing my friend. And thanks for the nice thoughts from you guys. It was all my fault. I changed the type of brakes, rotors and pads because of brake failure at Road A in June. I had just finished racing at Barber in September and pulled in some respectable places in Formula 1 and Senior Superbike with these brakes. Road A has a fast on camber right hander that almost immediately goes into a slow right hander for the back straight. I was doing about 100 into the corner and tried to get just a little more out of the throttle before I applied brake for the tight right hander. I had about 75 percent to play with on the brakes but I don't think I had enough weight transfered to the front when I squeezed a little to much brake and down I went, low side. I was driven into the pavement. I knew I broke something the minute I hit.
I don't feel good right now but never once thought about not riding anymore. I did think about racing mini's! LOL! But since this is a riding forum from a purely technical stand point, I was not balanced or smooth at this particular instance. I had been behind a slower rider and tried to get to much back at once. My mind set was not right. I should have been thinking SMOOOOOOTH and I wasn't.
That's why I don't race the Ducati Bullet! I will have the CBR1000RR ready for next season. I made a deal with my wife. I promised that I wouldn't break anything next year. I think we are going to stick with the Bridgestone National Endurance Series next year. If my friends will let me ride on the team!
I think I am healing? It is hard to tell with all the stuff going on when I move. My wife says I am very lucky. Another couple of inches and I could have been sucking out of a chest tube.
A note about the brakes: I went from stock brakes, stock pads, stock master cylinder to Galfer Wave Rotors(the best they make), Vesrah pads and Brembo master cylinder. I had much better equipment than I was used to and so the margin for error was much less. Maybe to much change to quickly? I do not blame the brakes and the feel on the back straight from 170 to 70 was awesome. The rider was the weak link here.
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Hi All,
Went to the WERA Grand National Finals a couple of weeks ago and crashed. I have a broken collarbone and four broken ribs, five if you count the one I broke in two places. Didn't go to the hospital as I was lucky to have an orthopedic surgeon friend with me at the track. In lew of flowers please send cash and pharmaceuticals!
Sorry wrong column " Student Success Stories " My bad.
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Hi All,
Went to the WERA Grand National Finals a couple of weeks ago and crashed. I have a broken collarbone and four broken ribs, five if you count the one I broke in two places. Didn't go to the hospital as I was lucky to have an orthopedic surgeon friend with me at the track. In lew of flowers please send cash and pharmaceuticals!
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Well guys, its looking like winter is about to arrive in Scotland, weather man is predicting the coldest winter in 1000 years, and I have just attended the last trackday of the year at my local track, so it looks like this years track season is over for me!
But,, what a good year I have had, with the most trackdays in a year that I have ever done, I never managed a school this year as I was focusing my time and money on doing trackdays!
Its been a year of ups and downs for me, from my first kneedown moments and the buzz of novice racing in almeria, then onto a confidence crushing lowside at my local track, then the attempts of rebuilding my confidence and thoughts of quitting trackriding because I thought I was rubbish! Over the last couple of months and with some discussions on here I have rebuilt that confidence and have really been enjoying myself and yesterday I had a blast, it was wet in the morning and dry in the afternoon, ironically my favourite conditions, and everything just felt great,
So it looks like I will be off the track now for about 4 months when I will be beginning the year with a spanish trip, followed by my level 4 at the school so will be interested to see what tracks Andy gets for us in 2011, Oulton would be ace as its my favourite track!
Bobby
Have a nice winter my friend!
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Hi Bobby,
THe part you see that is bent is part of the cast aluminum that the fork tube is recessed in? The part that holds your brake caliper and fender? you are saying that the aluminum piece is bent not the fork tube itself. if there is no damage to the tube, no leaks coming from around the seal, the movement from bottom to top of stroke is not impaired. Take a rubber mallet and beat it back into place.
Or, pull the forks and drain the oil as you should periodically and examine your forks. Sometimes damage can occur to other parts of the bike during as well so it might be a good idea to examine your triple clamp and steering head. check for to much play around the bearings to make sure that is ok...shouldn't be to big of a deal.
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Greg,
Great to hear about the Endurance race. I wish I had known you were there. I had friends who raced so I was at pit lane for a while. I would have gladly ridden a few laps to keep you in the race. I want to get into that next year.
I ran in the Senior Superbike Novice finishing 2nd and had the 5th best lap times of the Expert and Novice field and ran in the National Formula 1 race finishing 5th. Let me know if you are going to be at Road Atlanta for the WERA GNF and I will look you up.
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No probs. We are riding in the morning and as far as Im aware we are just going to Wisemans then back again so Im assuming the ride will be pretty much over by the afternoon - unless of course the other riders want to cross the ferry and ride up further. Wont really know until the day.
Why do I suddenly have a compelling need to eat at Outback Steak House?
Our bikes all wear crash protection as well, I don't remember a case ever going through..... 
It's an amazing track that when we did go, i couldn't ride as I'd had my accident the week before. Gutted! 
Gloves
in School Questions/General Discussion
Posted
I see many types of gloves that you guys use but which glove gives the best protection? This is the first thing I look at when purchasing gloves. I currently use Alpine Stars racing gloves. They have good built in protection around the wrist to protect the Scaphoid, excellent padding on the outside of the palm and strategically put protection on the back side of the hand. These gloves are very well made.