Balistic

My experience may be relevant on this question. I stopped racing in 92 and though I rode the technology progressed far greater than I could have imagined. When I came back and started trying to go fast all my parameters were off, calculated to the traction and handling I had in 92. it took me the better part of two years to get close to what my 99 ZX9 could do. When I got my 636 I had to go though the same processes once more, it took only a few months to go faster on the 636 than I had on the ZX9. And now after almost a year on the 636 I am starting to push the limits of the bike instead of just mine. My point is that any rider from any era would be just as fast compared to other guys. The ability to find the limits of what the bike is capable of is what separates the men from the boys in our game, and it is as it was and will be. the individual is what makes the speed from his willingness to do it. Will

hehe... embellishment at its finest I guess I'll say with absolute honesty that the slide and black mark was well over 100 yards. When it started sliding, I guess I did pick it up a bit, but was still dragging knee and feeding gas into it. Smoke? well, yeah, I mean, I looked back and there it was lol... busted Okay, "but it felt that way"... Good stuff, now we are on the same page. I always look for the marks I think I leave, and at times do find them. Too bad they are only temporary. Will

Full lean and feeding the throttle to a slide, that is a great recipe for a crash. Without lifting the bike into the slide, feeding it gas would have brought it right around. Smoke of the rear at full lean, LOL. Do you have mirrors on your buddy's bike? Not even the GP guys are spinning the tire the way you have described, every picture of them will show very little lean angle when you see smoke from the rear. And that is with BIG power, not a measly GSXR 1000. Big slide with a long darky I can believe, most of the rest though is just too much to swallow. Will

Amazingly enough I am already without the sling and have been driving my standard car since Wednesday. I would guess from these first few days another week or two before I would want to. I have five weeks until my next WSMC race so I think I will be fit enough to race by then, probably not 100% for a couple of months though. Will

Hi All I decided to go race at a track that I had never seen to see if I could do well learning the track and racing with the local guys. I left for the CCS Vegas at 9:30 PM Thursday night, Later than I wanted to but Stoney was lending his crew chief Tarl and he needed to work late. We got to Vegas at 2:30 am and I decided since it was just practice that sleeping would be the thing to do and I didn't set the alarm. We got to the track at 9:30 and when I went to registration I found out that the GT races were on Friday and by the time I got ready I got one 15 minuet session before the GTU race. I was tripping out about not knowing what the schedule was and getting only the one session, but that wasn't the thing that had me on the rev limiter. CCS had lost my pre-entry and now I had to post enter every race and be at the back of the grids all weekend. When I was at registration the girl called the office and said that I was the eleventh rider with this problem. I will not be using the on line system again. I was girded on the fifth row for GTU and couldn't even see the starter, they were running the track backwards (counter clockwise) with a new section. I just waited until I saw the riders in front of me move. I was just hoping that I could get up to third in the half hour race. I got a good start and was fifth into turn one. I didn't try to push at all and was just following the guy in front of me and figuring out where I could go faster. By the cross flags I was second And Tristan missed a shift handing me the lead. With no one to follow I just started lapping with what I thought I could do and pulled away for the win. Since it was a new configuration I had set the track record at 1:32.2 Stoney had lent me his ZX10 and now I had to go race it. They changed the schedule and I got one practice on it before the GTO. I had ridden it at streets but couldn't get the front to stop chattering in the fast turn one. It was good every where else but this track had a fourth gear turn onto a sixth gear straight and if it chattered there I would be sunk .I went out in the one session and it didn?t chatter at all, but what an adjustment after the 600. The 10 is a missile. I was girded on the third row and had a terrible time getting it off the line without the PC3 it seems to bog below 8,000 rpm when starting. I was off in eighth and worked my was up through the field and took the led by the cross flags and held it for the win. I had gotten some advice from a little birdie about what was causing the chatter and having applied that solution the bike was awesome. No chatter and none of the built bikes were getting away on the straights. The ZX10 is simply scary fast and with the setup I ran felt like a 600 until you turn the throttle, when all doubt about what you are on is removed. From this race I lowered the track record to a 1:31.2. I went out on Saturday morning for two practice sessions and made a gearing change to the 10 that was good, however the transponder was dead and I had no times from either session. Several others were however going faster than me and I new I would need to bring it to do well. I got a new transponder just before the Unlimited GP qualifying and Qualified fourth with a 1:29.8. I was very happy to be doing 29s but not so happy to be fourth, though still on the front row. The first race was 600 Superbike and I got off about tenth from me third row start. I worked up through the field to second behind Tristan and decided to follow him until I got passed on the brakes by a first race expert (#133) who had scared me with his apparent out of control style and then in the next corner by 888 who chopped across my front wheel and I thought we were both going down. I got it together not loosing any more spots or ground and set up what to do to get to the front. In two laps I had passed both of them and set to pass Tristan when I think he missed a shift again and handed me the lead. I put my head down and gapped them not wanting to deal with any more questionable passes for the win. Getting away from them I had done my best lap on the 600 at 1:30.2. My next race was the Unlimited GP and was up for it. I went out on the warm up and got the first of two surprises. The fuel light was on, I knew I put two gallons in it and that would be enough but having the dash flashing FUEL was a little disconcerting. The second was that the front tire was doing more than just rolling; I had a vibration that seemed to be there all the time leaned over or not. I got to the grid and decided to do the best I could and see where I finished this being a warm-up for the Kawasaki money races on Sunday. I got off in fourth and worked my way up to second by lap four when Beckman and Ledesma got buy. Now fourth with all of us following Sanders I was looking for a way by so I could get up to Sanders. Beckman went into one too hot and took Ledesma with him handing me second on the sixth lap about a second and half behind Sanders. I reeled him in just over a lap and set him up for a pass going onto the back straight. I got into the turn late and on the gas early so I could drive out under him and it worked perfectly. I had his draft and about three MPH on him but just as I pulled up the inside and started the pass he made a move to the left, I don't know why I had put several laps in behind him and he was on his line. So I had to make a steering correction to keep from running into him and that is when it started going wrong. The bike started a half steering lock wobble that didn't get any worse so I kept it pinned thinking I could get him on the brakes instead. When I went for the brakes at the rev limit in fifth It came back to the bar. five more pumps before I left the track at something over 130 didn't get me any front brake either. I was on the rear and pumping the front which did come in just after I was in the dirt but I couldn't do much with it by then. I stood on the pegs and just tried to get as much speed off as possible. I went through a ditch that had clamed another rider earlier and flew out of it just missing an out house and that was when I saw the 6' chain link fence coming up. No way was I going to stop and I thought that trying to stuff it under the fence between the posts would do best, the thing I didn't see was the pavement started just before the fence and with the ass end hung out it high sided me into the fence. I would guess at something over 35 though the view from the pits many thought it looked much faster. I hit the fence above the bike but the bike got hold of my right arm and as it went into the fence at the bottom pulled me through with it flipping us up on the other side with the bike landing on me before coming to rest next to me. I got up and was now wondering how in the world I was going to get to the other side of the fence. I knew my right arm was dislocated right away before I even got up. What I didn't know was that my leathers had been torn from the neck to the bottom of the arm pit. It is so easy to think that would never happen to me as I have. but to be caught up in the moment of trying to win the thought of the brakes never crossed my mind, just weather the shake would get bad enough that I would need to shut off or not. I am now laughing about the old adage "win or punch a hole in the fence" as that is truly the decision I had to make. I may have chosen poorly. The other good part is even with the front tire not doing the right thing I was able to run a beast lap of 1:29.1 which would have been the record but Ledesma put down on flyer at 1:28.7 his next fastest lap at 1;29.6 which was slower than my average for the race. All in all I had a good weekend with getting on pace quickly, getting Stone's bike to work, first race with multiple bikes, first race with a tuner, three wins, the DNF being my first of the year but walking away from a 150 mph no brakes off feels good. Will Eikenberry WSMC # 87 CCS Pacific # 63 Thanks to all who helped me, Keith Code and the California Superbike School, Kawasaki, Dunlop, Silkolene, AGV Sports, KBC Helmets, Lockhart Phillips, Sharkskinz, Elka Shocks, GP Suspension, Factory Pro Tuning, Graves Motorsports, Mackie's, L&L Motorsports, Pit Bull, Yin's TKD, Stompgrip.

I think I see another problem. Your rear pressure is a bit high. I run 28 or 29 rear on the track without overheating the tire. At 31 the tire isn't contorting as much as it should which could keep the rear up and put too much weight on the front too. Do you ever do cold to hot pressure differential? This would give you an idea of weather the tire was getting up to temp. You should get 6 to 8 psi rise at best. if it's more than eight you need to bump the pressure up and less than 6 lower it, with 28 being the least to use (rear) and 30 ( front). Will

Lets see, riding for four weeks? How about keep both wheels on the ground for a while. Will

I am flattered by the kind words but the school is number one and racing will always be second. Will

But now your right back to the starting point of it's the skill of the rider using the front brake. If you have to calculate distractions into the equation you surly don't have a skilled enough rider to do the study. Will

First race you miss and look at the trouble I got into. Will

The only bike I ever weighed was at 51 front 49 rear, but I have no frame of reference for such a measurement on a newer bike. I do it by feel and tire wear. I thought you dropped the front, if so that is the first adjustment to do. Start picking the front up, with what you have said here I would start back at the stock ride height and go from there. Will

I have been in battles with both the R6 and 600RR Honda and I have to admit that the difference in the bike is negligable. It almost comes down to what color you want this year in both the 1000 and 600 classes. As far as race set-up if you buy a Kawasaki I would be happy to supply you with all the set-up data I have. I wouldn't say I have the ultimate set-up but it's not far from it. Will

The inverted forks also have more sticktion ( resistance to movment) and weigh more. So there is still some trade off's between the two and the reason the R6 still has conventional forks. Will

Tire wear front to rear can be an indicator for weight bias. As a norm I am twice as hard on the rear in racing conditions. At the school when we run them bald the ratio is about the same. If you are tearing up the front and the suspension is properly set-up (BIG IF) then the wear in your front could be telling you that the front has too much weight on it. There are other indicators like a tendency to push the front off the gas or being twitchy down the straights (not enough trail) but sever front tire wear is either bad damping set-up or weight bias. Will

Pivot steering is just a way to get the steering force into the bike from you body at a better anchor point, the peg. The reason it is going to be the outside peg is that is the best flow of force through your body. It's not that you are weighting the peg but just using it as the point of anchor. I weight the inside entering turns but it has absolutely nothing to do steering the bike. The inside peg is right under the center of mass of my body and is the best balance point for the weight. In fact I have the inside peg weighted in the straight while I am on the brakes. Will

The cool thing about the way a bike works is you don't need to steer it in a slide, the trail will turn the front wheel the way it needs to go. As for how to control a slide the first thing I do is pick it up, take some lean out of it by lowering my body to the inside. If this is enough (meaning if you caught the slide soon enough) it's the fastest (lap time) way to handle it. If I am in the middle of a turn going flat with the throttle is the first thing I do. If that doesn't stop the slide from getting bigger instantly I will shut it down some. Being the recipe for a high side I don't normally say that but the measure of the slide is a subjective thing and how much you can get away with can be a costly lesson. The key to getting out of the gas is being able to get it back on the instant the rear starts to grip. The timing on this is probably less than tenths of a second, the difference between a highside and the bike rushing forward out of the slide. The best comparison would be a dirt bike landing from a jump. If you are off the gas when the bike lands you are going to be forced forward, if you are on the gas when you land all is balanced. Will

Hi All I just finished the April WSMC and it was the toughest race weekend I have done. Coming off two sweeps in the last two events I had a hard time getting up for this race. The CCS race just the weekend before and the bad weather, 50s with 30mph wind on Friday and then threatening rain with the wind and cold on Saturday Had me slow and down about going fast on Sunday. All through practice my best lap was a 25.2, not fast enough. On Sunday morning I went out in the first practice and ran 23.8, not fast but good. My first race was 750 MP and I got off in third behind Stearn and Girard. I followed them for the first lap and a half and then took the lead and the win. Second race was F-40 and after last months excitement I didn?t want to follow and took the lead into eight and held it for the win. With two races and low 23s already done I wasn?t feeling too bad about the 650 SB race. I got off in second and took the lead into turn two. I held it to turn one on the second lap when Perez came up outside me. I got on the brakes a little more thinking it was Palazzo ( last month I ran him out to my turn point for one and he didn?t like it) and wanting to keep the peace between us let him by. When he chopped across my front wheel and I saw that it was Perez all I could think was DOOOHHH. The end of the second lap Palazzo came by me on the outside of nine and I tried to pick up the pace. This was when I realized just how bad I had the bike set up. I still had the settings from streets and it was a jack hammer at both ends. It took me two laps to figure out how to ride it, while Palazzo and Perez were starting to slow each other down and I started to reel in some of the three seconds I had lost. Coming down the front straight to take the white flag about a second behind Perez the red flag came out. My fastest lap was a 22.9 half a second off last month and my poor judgment about changing the settings had cost me the opportunity to run for the win. I finished third. Next up was F-2 and having considered what was going on with the bike I made a couple of changes that proved to be the opposite of what I needed. I have never tried to ride a bike that chattered both ends at the same time, it was a good learning experience but not what I needed to be doing at a double points weekend for sure. Palazzo just walked away from me. Thankfully none of the others could catch me and I finished a distant second. I came in and changed to DOTs for the 750 SS race and found my set-up notes from the last willow race and put those settings on the bike. I had just gotten a new shock from Elka and didn?t know how the shock would work with the old settings but I had to try something. It worked like a charm, I was able to run 23.0s in the race without being pushed and could put the bike where I wanted it. I got off in fifth at the end of the front straight, but third out of one. Second into turn two and first out of turn two. I never look back but I knew none of the 750s would catch me. I won. The high expectations I put on myself made it very difficult to look at three firsts, one second and a third as a good weekend, but I have still podiumed every race this year with 19 wins, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds in 24 races. The downside is without beating Palazzo and one of the 600 races having 30 starters I have lost the points lead to Palazzo by what I think will work out to 12 points. I will be missing next month to do schools in the East and will drop to the bottom half of the top ten. I like to chase rather that lead and that should make the rest of the year very fun for me. Will Eikenberry WSMC # 87 CCS Pacific # 63 Thanks to all who helped me, Keith Code and the California Superbike School, Kawasaki, Dunlop, Silkolene, AGV Sports, KBC Helmets, Lockhart Phillips, Sharkskinz, Elka Shocks, GP Suspension, Factory Pro Tuning, Graves Motorsports, Mackie's, L&L Motorsports, Pit Bull, Yin's TKD, Stompgrip.

Thats great. he sure does ride hard if not totally in control. He reminds me of Tony Meiring when I first saw him road race. Will

One thing that didn't get covered is to wait as long as possible to do the downshift. When you shut the throttle and the revs are up it's much harder to do a downshift than if you wait until close to the end of braking and the revs are down. The engine braking is much less at 8,000 rpm than it is 14,000 rpm. I will wait until just before I turn to do the downshift and this leaves most of my attention to be spent on using the brakes and getting the speed correct for the approaching turn. Will

Just browsing through the report they say first that the rear brake helps you stop quicker and then a few pages down that disengaging the clutch and removing all engine braking helps you stop quicker. Im not sure if I will read more after that contradiction. Will

Hi All I went to CCS at the Streets this last weekend mostly to attempt to defend the track record I set in November and to get some practice in the Kawasaki money classes for the CCS Vegas race at the end of April. I did OK in practice and was cutting good laps but Jason Pridmore was out with the No Limit Formula Extreme bike and was under my record of 1:19.5 with a 1:19.2. It was the session after setting that time that he high sided in the bowl turn (8) and hurt his shoulder and leg. That was the start of a torrid pace that clamed many over the weekend. Sunday morning we got one practice and then had to qualify for the unlimited GP. I got the top spot with 1:19.7, the only 19 of the weekend so far other than Pridmore?s. The first race was GTU. I was using my take off?s from last months WSMC that had two races on them, thinking the pace wouldn?t be too quick. That soon changed as there were several riders who were lapping in the 20?s and I had to ride hard to stay close to the front. I took the lead form Nick Moore after the half way flags and gapped the pack for the win. The next race was GTO. I got off behind Brian Whitlock and was following him when the red came out. We did re-grided restart and I got off in third with Tristan getting past me into one, Nick Moore, and Whitlock leading. We had spent some time on the grid ( 20 min.) and I was worried about the tires being cold so I spent three laps of the five lap restart following in fourth. On the third lap I got by Tristan and then Nick and Brian on the next lap for the win. 600 Superbike was the next race and the first one I used new tires, the new 17? slicks. I got off in second behind Nick Moore and followed him for the first lap and then I decided the tires were good to go and passed Nick. That second lap was the fastest lap of the weekend and a new track record of 1:18.767. I was able to cruise to the win. The next race was the Unlimited GP and the big drama of the weekend for me. I got off in third with Sanders leading Whitlock and Jensen following me. It started in the bowl with Whitlock spinning the rear all the way around and the bike hooking to the inside in front of me. We were all only a few feet apart to start with. I missed Whitlock?s bike by inches and Jenson told me it was so close it scared him too. I got out of the bowl in second behind Sanders and coming onto the front straight the red flag came out just as I saw a bike crash at the edge of the track in front of us. It was Catching?s bike, he had high sided coming out of 9 and his bike had gone over a hundred yards just rolling through the infield. Catching was hurt and took some time to get him settled and off the track. We did a full restart with Tristan getting the hole shot and I followed him for two laps until he crashed going into turn two. Right after taking the lead I saw that Justin Filice had crashed in the last turn and it was the first time I just wanted to pull in and be done with a race. I managed to keep it together and went on to the win With Nick Moore just nipping Jenson on the last lap for second. The last race was 600 superstock. I got off to a good start and was in the lead by turn two and put what I thought was couple of good laps in only to find Nick Moore on my tail. He was hounding me trying to make a pass and in fact bumped me twice. I knew he was hard on tires and may fade towards the end of the race, I also knew that at 16 I had the edge in traffic and that would is what ended up making the difference. He wasn?t able to make a pass at the end of the back straight and couldn?t slow by the time he realized it, running off and handing me a big lead that I held to the end for the win. Five races and five wins with the outright track record. I can?t imagine a better weekend. Will Eikenberry WSMC # 87 CCS Pacific # 63 Thanks to all who helped me, Keith Code and the California Superbike School, Kawasaki, Dunlop, Silkolene, AGV Sports, KBC Helmets, Lockhart Phillips, Sharkskinz, Elka Shocks, GP Suspension, Factory Pro Tuning, Graves Motorsports, Ferodo, Mackie's, L&L Motorsports, Pit Bull, Yin's TKD, Stompgrip.

Can you please tell me a bit more about this - I run a 180 rear on a GSXR600 K1 and am thinking about using a 190 or 195 (Dunlop) on this. Can you tell me what you experienced/found? I would guess there would be more grip at higher lean angle but anything else you experienced please? I would be very grateful if you'd get back to me...cheers That really was all there was to it. I did find out that the 208 can be gotten in a 190 but the race tire service didn't want to put them on a 600 yet, a supply for the 1000's being more important right now. I was the first to try the new slicks at Willow and from my experience with them a lot of others have put them on with the same results, no set-up change is needed to use them. Will

I brought this up on another thread and it needs to be said here too. Trailing into corners will kill your mid turn speed and you will turn slower than without the brake on. So why would the fastest guys in the world use it? because with 250+ horsepower it's all about getting the bike stood up and the gas on as soon as possible. With a slower bike the benefit of trailing diminishes and becomes a liability to your lap time. With 110+ horse my 636 puts out I kill all the 750s with turn speed and 20 to 30 horse they have on me doesn't make up for the speed they scrub trailing in. The bottom line is I can use almost all of the 636s power leaned over, almost. so in my opinion the threshold for trailing to be effective is when you cant use the throttle leaned over. Most of the new litter bikes are a pain to ride hard and keep the rear hooked up but they can be ridden effectively without trailing being the only solution, meaning that the threshold IMHO is above 160 horse but not much. Will

Hi Fred I did some checking myself after seeing your 5% #. the way I counted it loooks like this Stoney 15 races with 5 1st, 4 2nds, 1 3rd, 4 4ths, 1 5th. Will 14 races with 11 1st, 2 2nds, 1 3rd. How in this world did you come up with a 5% difference? Will

In the WSMC they only count your best three finishes so the number of races doesn't matter. Stoney is running the premier Class, F-1 and I am not. I don't really expect to be in the points lead too much longer as I am in the 750 classes with the 636 and the entries in 600 and 1000 will pick up and the points and with them will set me back. I have enjoyed this season so far and at least I did make it to the top once. I have never done a full season of racing before, working for the school and racing have never been complementary before. My focus this year is to win class championships in all five classes I race and as of march I am leading all five though tied in one. It is so hard to not get greedy and race in other classes, but I have resisted the temptation so far and benefited. As far as teaching the secrets of racing to others, that job is already filled. I am the product of the master not the master myself. The real joy of my racing is showing the benefits of my training to others who want to know how high they could go. Ask Keith, and do what asks. Will