racer

Penguin Roadracing School Head Instructor, Eric Wood (son of Penguin School owner/racer Jerry Wood and brother of AMA rider Jeff Wood) wore a knee brace when riding his Kawasaki EX500 when we raced together in the LRRS CCS Lightweight classes back in the early 1990's because he had injured his knee in a crash and needed the extra support and preferred the extra protection it afforded him. I don't know if he still wears it today when racing his Hooters HELPMERIDE.COM Suzuki GSXR1000 AMA Superbike or his Team Pongo/NCR AMA Formula Extreme Ducati 848. I also saw Team Promotion Racing School coach, Chuck Graulty, wear one while riding at Beaver Run this year, as well. Of course, he too was recovering from an early season get off in Turn 5 there.

Fat? Old? Pleaaaase, I've been in the middle of a mid-life crisis since I was 16! Me, too! And I really am fat!

LOL! I'm conflicted. I love my coffee (and espresso!), especially in the morning. But, it is nasty stuff. Very unhealthy. Really bad for your heart and your liver. Especially espresso which is brewed without a paper filter to absorb the oils that contain enough cholesterol to choke a horse.

Good answer!

Why practice one way, and do it "for real" another? Good question!

Yes, Jay, many MX riders/racers wear knee braces as part of their standard riding safety gear. The Asterisk website lists some of the riders, and other sports/competitors, that they sponsor. We carry several brands at the dealership; but, due to the expense, and our overhead budget, we only stock basic amateur level equipment, like Thor Knee Guards, for our showroom. That isn't to say the product Thor sells is inferior; but, for starters, they are mass-produced and only come in two adult sizes S/M or L/XL. On the other hand, upper level braces offer more size options or, at the top level, are semi/fully-custom fitted and hand-made to order. If you go to the Parts Unlimited or Tucker-Rocky websites, I believe you can find several brands of both amateur and pro-level sports/medical braces that they distribute. Or, you can simply Google "knee braces" and find all sorts of options starting under $100 (like Thor) all the way up to $1000 or more for custom fitted, hand-made to order braces. The Asterisk Cell Protection System falls toward the upper half of the pricing spectrum retailing for $599 USD. But, they offer precision fitment, carbon fiber construction and other features commonly found only on more expensive equipment. (Our dealer price would be about $425 + shipping.) Road racers also wear knee braces; but, it is probably fair to say that more MX riders use them as a normal matter of course, so to speak. In other words, most MX riders/racers wear knee braces as part of their standard safety gear, for extra support and as a preventative measure against injury due to the sorts of impacts they endure on typical MX obstacles, ie. jumps, whoops, washboards, etc. Whereas, most road racers I know who wear knee braces do so because they have an injury or a "bum" knee that requires extra support. racer PS - The Asterisk braces are also available individually, ie. it is not necessary to buy a pair if you only need one.

Many riders I know need to wear a knee brace (or two). It happens that I have an order for two sets of top flight, sized to order, professional level carbon fiber Asterisk knee braces on hold because I need a third pair to qualify for dealer pricing. I can offer one pair at dealer cost + 10% to anyone who might be interested in one (or two) braces. Anyone who might be interested can PM me for more information. I don't mean to use the school website for advertising; but, this is a one-time, limited opportunity that pertains to riding and might be helpful to our members here, so, let me know ASAP if you are interested. If you are not familiar with Asterisk protection systems, you can check them out here: www.asterisk.com

To all: While operating at less than 100%, not "pushing it", and staying well within the envelope of traction frees up some attention to learn the track or run drills and allows a rider to "adjust the bike" or to execute mid-turn corrections to their line, the dominant goal, even when "just having fun", is to actually learn the track and gain the ability to choose a good line that follows Throttle Rule #1 (& #2) at any speed without needing to make mid-turn adjustments. Making mid-turn adjustments, steering or throttle, upsets the suspension balance and reduces available traction. Even if one is only having fun, ie. not riding the edge such that a single mistake means a fall, following these rules creates conditions of "max headroom" so that when the inevitable mistake occurs, the rider remains "in control". The thing is, riders fall into habits. And, some of those habits can become automatic responses to emergency situations. So, when the inevitable mistake occurs and the envelope is suddenly reduced, they are instantly in over their head and will revert to survival reaction mode and typically automatically do the wrong thing. Something of interest: all racers will tell you that after getting warmed up and raising their riding to a certain level of skill and concentration, backing off, riding without goals, "just for fun", creates a certain relaxed mental attitude which fosters distraction and increases the chance of making a mistake. The story of the racer who built up a big lead during a race and backed off for the last couple of laps only to make a simple mistake and crash while cruising at 85% is a very common one. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you shouldn't have fun; but, if your idea of fun is being able to ignore the rules, you are headed for trouble, no matter what activity you are participating in. racer

Hey Jay, These two statements would seem to contradict each other. racer

Interesting.

You put it out there, now you MUST show. Here is one link. You can navigate around within the site to see different types of transmissions and what they have in common: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission3.htm And here is one specifically about motorcycle transmissions: http://www.gadgetjq.com/transmission.htm

Hi Jay, I've never personally experienced this. I have been told by others that tire profile (new or worn) can cause this sort of thing. However, I had a "conversation" (traded posts) with Keith this past Spring/Summer and he said that, at least when talking about new tires, it's BS. So, I believe I can say that, Keith would say, you are probably putting some pressure on the outside handlebar without realizing it. One thing, you said you can "widen your line with the throttle". Is this related to the rest of the post, or merely an off-hand remark that has nothing to do with what you are experiencing? Because, the thing is, if your handlebar wants to turn inward and you are needing to put pressure on it, then you areworking against the bike trying to run wide already as it is trying to counter-steer itself up, eh? So, the remark seemed to beg some clarification. Anyway, I'd like to ask whether this is happening in both left and right turns. And do you have any reference for how far over you are leaned on the profile of the tire? Like how far over the tire is worn and what the shape of the profile is there? If the profile seems consistent at the wear line, or you are riding out to the edge of the tire, I'd say pay attention to what you are doing at the handlebars, ie. perhaps holding yourself up on that outside bar. A last thought, rearsetting the footpegs can create a tendency to put more weight on the bars. If you tend to be sitting on the seat, are you locking on in corners? If not, where are you holding on? Where are you holding yourself up? r

Off topic, Has anyone else noticed a time delay between theirs or others posts? Like you reply directly to a comment and your reply shows up directly below it... and then the next day or days later several posts appear between your reply and the post you were replying to? Either the posts are going up out of order or they are getting lost in the server. Or servers, plural, perhaps? To CSS Admin: are you using more than one server for the forum? If so, are you using a global mode to network them? I ran into this problem on another forum and going global solved the problem.

Wipe it off the best you can. There's nothing more you can do that I know of. Any chemical reaction is already done. On the up side, if it wasn't a full soaking, you probably don't have much to worry about. It's not like you soaked the tire with brake cleaner.... the way everyone used to do to clean the factory coating off before heading out to race... lol. Take it easy anyway, but, I think you'll be fine.

I think it was some time ago now that they announced Bridgestone as THE tire of MotoGP. I like the battle of the tires myself. Michelin screwing the pooch at Laguna. Riders setting their preference. At least they're not all stuck on Pirelli (COUGH WSBK). I agree. Spec tires are fine for production based racing. They fit the underlying intention of the class or series. But for GP or Formula racing, tire choice should be, like you said, part of the game! Which leads me to my next opinion which is that it's bad enough that GP racing is effectively being turned into alleged Formula racing, I think they are ruining the concept by way of essentially production based classes for the pocket books of the manufacturers, ie. 600's to replace 250's, and some other single to replace two stroke 125's? It's BS. If they wanted a Formula series, fine. But why do away with the purest most sublime and elegant racing machines in the world to do it? A two stroke motor has three moving parts, and the lightest chassis possible, eh? It requires the best riders to ride well. But we're supposed to swallow a formula based on the most complex technology possible? Four stroke motors, Desmodromic valve trains, traction control, etc, etc. And then talk about instituting claiming rules to keep costs down? Baah!

Hey guys, While "personal preference" is a valid criteria if based upon handling characteristics that inspire confidence, "because it looks cool" or "because it's bigger and I want to go faster" aren't. It is widely held as "common knowledge" among the racing community that, unless you are talking about a big bore Ducati or Aprilia which would be a poor choice for a training bike in any case, twin's are the smart choice for novice track riders. They are less expensive to purchase and maintain. Are lighter, so have easier, more confidence inspiring handling characteristics than inline fours. And, typically, have a wider power band and relatively flat torque curve leading to less gear shifting and friendlier power delivery. Hence, less chance of highsiding when rolling on the gas. This is known as "tractability". http://dictionary.weather.net/dictionary/tractable That said, when I bought my first race bike, an inline four, I chose a lightweight small bore machine (FZR400) which offered the same characterisitics, ie. light weight, easy handling and friendly power delivery, so, low chance of a high side. Tractable power and light weight handling that inspires confidence are the top criteria for choosing a "trainer" for a novice track rider. racer

I couldn't agree more. Regret and self-pity are ultimately counter-productive and self-defeating. The best thing any person can do is to learn from their mistakes. And what would one ever learn if they made none? The person I am today is a result of all my past decisions and actions culminating to bring my life to this moment. The first day of the rest of my life. Success or failure are in my hands. All I can do is look to the future and take control. Dare to dream. Make a decision and act! racer

Bonjour, Alex. Bienvenue!

What tire brand is Nicky running? Whatever it is, they will all be on the same tire next year. Has anyone heard if the spec tire for MotoGP has been chosen yet?

If these figures are correct, it's a bummer: http://www.motorcycledaily.com/09july08_aprilia_rs125.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aprilia_RS_125 http://www.aprilia.com/assets/450/brochure-rs-125-eng.pdf OK, so there are definitely two different versions. The street bike weighs 295 lbs and the track bike weighs 264 lbs. And there is an available hop-up kit that includes a power valve, racing expansion chamber (probably a more narrow powerband), and power jet carb kit to go with! Well, the stock street bike weighs 295 lbs and makes 30 bhp. Ugh! A stock 250 Ninja weighs 330 lbs and makes 38 bhp. That gives the stock Ninja a significant power to weight ratio advantage over the street Aprilia. The "track-day" bike weighs 264 lbs and makes, um... guessing, maybe 40? bhp, horsepower with the hop up kit? The 250 Ninja in race trim probably tips the scales at something < 300 lbs and probably hops up to about 45 bhp with a pipe & jet kit and maybe a hot cam. Assuming my guesstimates are correct, that makes the power to weight ratios about the same. So, the Aprilia may run smooth, eliminate oil pre-mixing and corner a tad faster with ~ 30 lbs less weight; but, the Ninja will have a wider powerband and probably more top speed to boot! But, neither bike is anywhere near a real 125GP roadracer which is a whole 'nother world. For comparison: a stock 1998 HRC factory RS125RR weighed 149 lbs and made about 43 bhp in stock trim. My 1996 HRC RS125RR with pressurized ram-airbox, A-kit cylinder, variable volume head, 250 spark plug, stuffed cases, modified reed block and D-bore modified stock powerjet carb made about 51 bhp running on 115 octane leaded race fuel. And, the HRC factory team WGP 125's with unobtainium factory kit pipe, adjustable powerjet carb and adjustable CDI igniter box were making about 53 bhp... ten years ago. With the new power valve system added in '04, they are probably making over 55 bhp today and lighter still with Ti bits and fasteners, Marchesini wheels, etc. Maybe ~139 lbs? That's 155 lbs lighter and 25 bhp more power than a street Aprilia RS125. Or, in simple terms, less than half the weight and almost double the horsepower of the street Aprilia RS125. FWIW, my HRC RS125RR would motor a stock 600 with me at race weight (125 lbs) and roll-up power wheelies coming onto the front straight at Laguna Seca! OK, so, what are you really getting for your money? Nothing even close to a real 125GP roadracer, that's for sure. Assuming my power guesstimates are close, the Aprilia "track day" RS125 with hop-up kit is roughly comparable to a 250 Ninja in race trim. At $1500 more for the street version Aprilia. Who knows how much for the "track day" version? And, probably another $2000 for the hop-up kit. That's at least $7500, probably more, for a bike that might be equal to a 250 Ninja. The '09 250 Ninja MSRP is ~ $4000. Lose the street parts, add a pipe w/jet kit, maybe a cam and you have a seriously fun track day trainer that at least rivals the kitted "track day" Aprilia RS125 for under $5000. I don't know about you, but, I'm leaning heavily toward the 250 Ninja. In fact, I've been thinking about getting a used one for a little low budget "track day" fun. racer

There are a couple of shots in the video where his superior corner speed and riding skill is pretty obvious. But, don't feel bad, Cobie. When going head to head with a fat old guy like you on a 600 truck ( ), you have to consider his diminutive stature (little guy) and the superior cornering potential of his machine. All in all, he's a very lucky kid to have so much support and experience at such an early age.

Thanks,Cobie You didn't reveal too much. And, I just don't have enough time to watch races these days.

See the v2 vs i4 thread for my thoughts on this bike.

Wow! Talk about the ultimate stocking stuffer! A couple of questions though: 1. The article calls it a "track-only" bike; but, it's obviously a street bike with mirrors, turn signals, DOT treaded tires and kickstand. Did I miss something? Are there two models? 2. As a hardcore racer, I'd like to see a tech spec sheet including bhp and weight figures, as well as maintenance schedules, ie. how often will the piston/rings and crankshaft need replacing, for starters. That said, for a beginning racer or track day enthusiast, a two-stroke track bike that doesn't require weekly rebuilds like a true factory RR GP bike is a major bonus. The best of both worlds, so to speak. 3. What sort of hop-up/kit parts are available? Lightweight, low-cost fiberglass race bodywork? Is the cylinder plated? Is there an exhaust power valve? A ram-air pressurized air-box? Cassette transmission? Optional tranny gear sets? I'd love to get my hands on one and modify the heck out of it with the tricks I learned racing factory RR two-stroke GP bikes. You know, let my black art skills out of my black bag for a walk around the block on a reed valve Aprilia. Aren't the factory Aprilia RR GP racers disc valve induction? I think this would be a perfect entry level starter GP bike for anyone wanting to go racing or track riding. Probably without all the time consuming maintenance and tuning skills required for a true factory RR GP bike that are such a distraction and obstacle for new track riders/racers who need to focus on riding, not wrenching. And, it has a balancer shaft and automatic oil mixing! I love two strokes and would never race anything else... except perhaps for endurance racing. But, I probably would not buy one to race unless they were offering a spec class with big purses. That said, I'd love to check one out. I think it would make a perfect low cost track day trainer. r

Just had a conversation over the parts counter with a guy racing an SV650. I hear lots of good things about it. Today's equivalent to the EX500 of 15 years ago, I suppose. But a whole lot better. I'm going to say it's good for beginners and more advanced riders for different reasons. But, yeah, they corner well. Build em up and you have a Ducati 750 killer!