csmith12

Yes, I knew that was meant mostly for entertainment. I had not yet seen your post, it popped up while I was typing my reply to Stroker. Is that actually you in the photo? Naw, that is not me but I would love to try that one day. Maybe on a bike that is older and cheaper. Seriously though, I am in the dirt for the obvious reasons but for the subtle ones as well. Staying frosty between races/track time. Keeping visual skills on par. Keeping decision making skills as fast as possible. Keeping fitness and endurance high. Keeping passing skills more "aggressive". Trying to hit the rutting every time helps me with consistency. I had an interesting thing happen to me last weekend. I blew a corner on the track and ended up in the grass runoff area. Normally when this happens to me, there is a "sharp" change in thinking. This time, there wasn't, the transition from tarmac to dirt was more blended together. Difficult to explain but totally cool to feel. As I took the "shortcut" from turn 2 to turn 5 lol, there was mud, bumps, the drain ditch and I still had to scrub off some speed/downshift, all the while keeping my head straight enough to not crash and reenter the track safely. FUN! Im also interested in knowing the pros AND cons of dirt riding in relation to racing , esp on tarmac/asphalt surfaces. WHo better to ask than someone who does both?? Does it give you arm pump on the track later as dirt tracking makes use of a lot of upper body movements? Arm pump? No, not normally for me anyway. Do I feel it in my legs more, you betcha. Everything comes with some sort of cost. Cons to dirt for me, I am sure there are more but this is what I can think of off the cuff. My lap times go down if the span between track time is too long. Especially in the winter. ie. (months of dirt riding only) This year I went to JenningsGP in Feb. to combat that effect with pretty good success. I normally maintain a greater distance between other riders while on dirt (general trail riding) (except while passing) vs. getting much closer while on track. In open forest trails vs. dirt track, predicting a riders line is much harder for me, this has me holding back and 2nd guessing some track riders that haven't found a comfortable line through a corner. The overall feel of the dirt bike is different. The first few sessions on the r6 is spent adjusting to the slower turning rate and general ergonomics. While in the open forest, the sense of speed is greatly exaggerated for me due to trees and other obstacles in peripheral vision. I am ALWAYS worried about injury.

Yes, I knew that was meant mostly for entertainment. I had not yet seen your post, it popped up while I was typing my reply to Stroker. Is that actually you in the photo? Naw, that is not me but I would love to try that one day. Maybe on a bike that is older and cheaper. Seriously though, I am in the dirt for the obvious reasons but for the subtle ones as well. Staying frosty between races/track time. Keeping visual skills on par. Keeping decision making skills as fast as possible. Keeping fitness and endurance high. Keeping passing skills more "aggressive". Trying to hit the rutting every time helps me with consistency. I had an interesting thing happen to me last weekend. I blew a corner on the track and ended up in the grass runoff area. Normally when this happens to me, there is a "sharp" change in thinking. This time, there wasn't, the transition from tarmac to dirt was more blended together. Difficult to explain but totally cool to feel. As I took the "shortcut" from turn 2 to turn 5 lol, there was mud, bumps, the drain ditch and I still had to scrub off some speed/downshift, all the while keeping my head straight enough to not crash and reenter the track safely. FUN!

^^^ yea I wasn't advocating that anyone do that, it was meant more for the funnies. I bought a used $100 200cc off brand dirt bike just to beat to death. It has taught me plenty that I used on the track for reasons Hotfoot has already mentioned above. The shotty suspension has me really relaxed on the street bike. I try not to crash my yami dirt bike too hard, parts are expensive when you need them often and broken bones hurt, even in dirt.

Maybe even more than you think, change your tires.

Interesting stuff Dylan, thanks for doing this. The minute quick shifts in eye movements are wild and quite telling!

Between the two, go for the GP. Why? Because a novice track day doesn't really warrant a slick. Are you gunna be able to run a pace that will keep the tire at a good operational temp? (Might want to consider that question for both tires.) The slick will not last as long. What if your track day is a wet one? Which tire would you rather be on? Any reason you are considering those tires vs. some other alternatives?

I am in northern KY/Cincinnati OH area and have driven as far south as JenningsGP, Daytona and planning this year as far north as Thompson International. I would consider TX as a once per year thing and IL three times a year at the most. My radius is very large (12h) compared to my other track riding friends.

Oh!! We did buy them when they were on sale. Seems their current sale is 2 bills off the 2 piece charge model. Brandon and I got the Elite model, the other buddy got the charge model.

I have said soooo many times, everyone should do a rain day at the track. Feel... because without the bombardment of the senses while going faster and no traffic to worry about, one can listen to the subtleties and feedback you get from the bike, it's quite amazing really.

Indeed, as you would expect in 3yrs, I have ask any questions ranging from seating position, braking, steering, markers, vision all the way down to how does his helmet fit.

I have been working with a rider for about 3yrs now. I have tried everything I know to get him to get his head lower. Finally, I threatened to tie fishing line to his head nut and the zipper of his suit, only then did he start to "get it" and a few hot pits to zip back up. Sometimes one might have to use verbiage "outside of the norm" to help your eager listener understand as not everyone learns the same. Also, to many riders the pick up on corner exit is a very subtle and vague thing, almost like it's automatic or something. So let's challenge your friend a bit. Ask him this... What causes the bike to pick up to straighten the line on corner exit?

Just throwing this out there for additional perspective. I raced (sprint) my r6 at JenningsGP on Q3's without warmers. They did just fine with a semi-hard sighting lap to get em up to temp. This was after a track day the day before on them at A group pace. They held nicely and gave me plenty of notice/feedback before letting go. I only noticed slips on exit when I was greedy with the throttle, they would step out just a lil bit, hook back up, grip and was solid there after. I couldn't run podium pace against the cats on slicks though, every time I would push them that hard, they started to feel greasy and I would have to back off the pace a bit. Race time air temps were in the low 70's and sunny, but it was a bit cooler during the AM practice sessions. Full disclosure: This was my first time running/racing the Q3's but have had plenty of track day seat time with Q2's under me. My normal race tires are the mich cups or slicks.

Indeed I have heard the chin drop tip as well as "dropping your shoulder" farther down. The reasons I attest that some riders give out the tip could be; They are riding crossed up Trying to show a more aggressive body position Hook turn Pick up So they can relax the arm on the tank The real question is... Is it any good and why?

No such thing as a silly question. Basically, as the rider's skill and pace ratchet up on the street or track, the forces that act upon the suspension get stronger and have more of an effect. So adjustments may be needed to keep the suspension operating in the mid-stroke range. The rider's personal preferences and riding surface also play major roles the suspension setup for a given bike and rider combo. For example on my r6; at my current height, weight, I fall within the range of the stock suspension/ergo settings for preload/damping(high & low)/rebound for street applications and it honestly don't feel too bad. However, if I take this bike to the track, it feels too soft for liking. The front nosedives hard, due to the increased braking forces (much harder than street) and the rear feels lethargic and unresponsive while on the gas (more aggressive than street). On the flip side, my preload/damping settings make the track suspension settings a bit on the rough side for casual street riding. Ya know... something a bit more forgiving for street use. I hope that makes sense. Are you considering a track day soon?

Welcome!

See you at a frew MCRA races! Gunna be fun times for sure. I am #511 red 250.

Hi Susan and welcome! I also race 250's and second what Hotfoot said, very tire dependant & Chicken Hawk is hard to beat. I bought a set that fit a 120/180 so I could swap between the 250 and r6. I think most riders say you don't need warmers because our choices of tires was somewhat limited in the past. Thank goodness that is changing. For your sprint races, you just don't have the luxury of holding back a lap to put heat in the tires. Although... I raced my last sprint 3 rounds without warmers on Diablo Rosso II's and was only 4 seconds off the lap record on two different tracks with a couple of podiums. So I can understand how some riders might say you don't need them. You won't see me on a set of slicks without a set of warmers but mount up some DOT's on a hot day, on a tacky track and I just might leave the warmers in the bag for a track day.

Here is another for being too late - Using the engine as a brake deep into corner entry

Couple of examples for each question: Turn in too late - Chopped up braking, loss of drive for mid-corner & exit, tight to the inside on corner exit Turn in too early - Lazy steering, no clean and decisive flick when setting line, running wide to early in the corner

My friend Brandon (AMA Pro racer) in his spartan. Sorry for the large image.

Sorry, it took me some time to get in touch with my buddy who had his suit custom fitted to his measurements but didn't want to forget about you. First off, from my own experience buying a suit from them and my friends. The service is "whatever it takes". For example; my buddy was a special case and couldn't order a standard sized/cut suit. So what did Spartan offer him? Come to my office in Indiana and we will measure you to ensure 100% a perfect fit. How much was the cost for this extra service? $0 I told them, I wanted it cut pretty much like a S&S suit and they happily said "no problem". Cost or (bang for buck) My suit: Custom cut (fit is perfect, will break in the butox area this spring) My colors Upgraded armor (chest piece feels pretty good, back protector disappears from feel after about 10 mins.) Speed hump Ect.. ect.. Grand total: $859 My buddies spec cut suit Custom cut and sizing His colors Patches No upgraded armor Pucks Speed hump Ect... ect.. Grand Total: $549 Crash testing Rider 1 Off the rack suit with A (Advanced) group track day rider and novice WERA racer for 2 season The suit was crashed a total of 4 times and all 4 times the suit held up perfectly. Only needing cleanup of the scratched leather. Rider 2 Custom suit with a I/B (Intermediate) group track day rider His suit was down 2 times. Both times the suit held up perfectly, only needing cleanup of the scratched leather. The upgraded armor, is fine enough, although I cannot compare it to the non-upgraded armor as I didn't have a chance to see it for myself. It is equal to most major brands that I have owned. Fit and Finish The fit from my point of view doesn't get much better. But hey... it was custom cut from my measures. Same review from my heavier friend. He is now getting ready to have his suit refitted to his new measures as he has lost 75lbs over the off season. The finish, well... it looks good new and if you take the time to keep it conditioned and clean, they still look pretty good after being down 4 times through the asphalt, tarmac, grass, sand and gravel. Timing My friend received his suit in 4 weeks from the time of payment. Most of my other friends received their suits in the 4-6 week time frame from the time of order placement. What is bad? Having to wait up to 6 weeks to get your suit in hand. Elbow sliders costs extra No local, "fix it" locations. (hard to send it back for an issue when back to back race weekends, so will need an alternative suit) So there you have it, the quality, fit, protection and bang for the buck is there. Lemme know if you have any other questions.

That's pretty much exactly the advice I was looking for. The friend in this case is actually me. My big problem is I'm riding the little 400 like a more powerful bike and It's not really working well. I race 250's and it's a hoot! Hotfoot's message is spot on. I can't add but a few things; I believe CSS has a drill called "finding lines". Think about that next time your out there. You have more passing opportunities when you have more line choices. Railing a low powered bike is much more about "carrying" the speed into the corner because your not just gunna roll on and get it back. It can be a real challenge as a rider and can push your skills near their limits. I think Hotfoot is sort of saying the same thing in #8 Learn about and use drafting, it can make a huge difference. Ask the CBR250 racers. Wind is really not your friend. Be a tidy rider, tuck well and keep your arms, hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times.

werd!

I am not sure of the question. Is the question assuming a crash is unavoidable? Running wide + a bit of debris in the road doesn't automatically mean crash does it? No... so what should you be doing? And yea, the answers can be found in the TOTW 2 dvd. Bonus question: What racing technique can also be used on the street as a way to tighten your line, avoid debris or handle surprise decreasing radius?

I haven't forgot about you Stroker. I need to talk to one more guy about his custom suit. He is a heavy rider, so really wanted to get his input on your questions. But... I am in the middle of ordering a custom Spartan suit for myself. So far, I had to measure myself and submit the sizes and pay of course. I feel I got a great amount of bang for the buck with the color choices, lettering and upgraded Forcefield armor custom fit into the suits sizing.