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Yeah it's pretty crazy but owning that thing has been quite an experience. I'd have no regrets even if it blew up tomorrow. $122 for 12 liters of agip plus $19 for shipping works out to be cheaper than 3 4-liter bottles of motorex by $54 so maybe I should just suck it up and order a case.
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Sep 16, 2011 23:52
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FYI, I use castrol 10w-50 synthetic in mine. Ordering through SMJ was the cheapest I found it.
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Sep 17, 2011 00:32
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Z3n posted:Even on my SV I was at the wearbars before the tires had heat cycled themselves to death. Heat cycles and modern tires is kind of a anachronism these days. There definitely were tires that did that 10+ years ago but these days you can run them to the wear bars on trackdays with no problems. But in spite of that you still get people replacing tires after 2 days because they're "done". awesome, thanks for the input on the tires. looking forward to running them into the ground. around here everyone raves about the dunlop ntecs. i've resorted to ignoring people who wanna talk about 'how awesome the ntecs are and how long they last blah blah'. i'll never understand the people who spend the money on the good rubber, and are 'done' after 2 or 3 trackdays. i'm gonna shag these pirellis out for the rest of the season, which includes tracksdays/instructing, and hopefully a one or two races.
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Sep 17, 2011 05:23
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Veritas posted:awesome, thanks for the input on the tires. looking forward to running them into the ground. I've never run the NTECs but back in my CBR days I burnt through a couple sets of 209GPAs and put a couple days on a set of 211GPA. It really comes down to what bike you're on and how silly you get with the throttle. By no means was I the fastest rider out there, but at a respectable pace my cbr1000 went through a rear in "4" (three dry days and one rainy one) days. The front still had some life in it but the rear was GONE. I didn't want to run it again because the 'meat' of the tire just off the shoulder was so thin I wasn't sure it was going to make it another day without blowing the gently caress out. I got similar life out of the other set of 209s I ran. The 211 was much improved, showing decent life left after two very hot trackdays. I'm talking ridiculous hot, 107F in the shade hot  . Much more impressed with the 211s than 209s.I'd like to give some Pirelli tires a try other than the OEM dragon supercorsas or whatever the hell came on my 690.
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Sep 17, 2011 05:41
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Veritas posted:awesome, thanks for the input on the tires. looking forward to running them into the ground. I ran the ntecs for awhile on my SV. The things that I didn't like about them was the cost and how they'd make the bike feel twitchy. They did wear well, they were good tires, but I found that the pirellis calmed the chassis down a bit due to the softer sidewall. With the same setup, the bike was a lot more prone to headshake on the dunlops. I like the neutral feel of the pirellis. Some people think pirellis feel numb but I've found that they only give me the feedback I need, how much grip I have left. I don't know how much time you're gonna get out of the rear on a 600 at pace. For my next track bike I'm definitely gonna get a rear Pirelli Trackday Slick as those things apparently stick well enough for endurance racing and some teams ran them for an entire 6 hour race without changing tires. At solid A pace I was running through a supercorsa in about 2-3 days plus whatever the guy before me had on it. Figure about 4-6 days before you're at the bars. As with any race tire it's important to make sure that you're running the proper hot temp, cause if they start tearing and you dont address it they're gonna be toast in a handful of sessions.
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Sep 17, 2011 07:09
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needknees posted:I'd like to give some Pirelli tires a try other than the OEM dragon supercorsas or whatever the hell came on my 690. They're good tires (in the dry), but the bike comes with a sticker on the seat warning you not to use the OEM tires when it's wet out.
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Sep 17, 2011 16:42
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Zool posted:They're good tires (in the dry), but the bike comes with a sticker on the seat warning you not to use the OEM tires when it's wet out. I'm just going to assume they suck because I lowsided on them  That's hilarious the bike comes with a "hey don't ride this thing in the rain the tires are downright dangerous!" sticker though. The PO must have removed it, I didn't get to see it.
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Sep 18, 2011 03:24
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Well I made it back in one piece and so did the bike. Barber is my new favorite track and I plan on doing a lot more events with sportbike track time. I ran in the slow novice group and had a great day, kind of wish I would have signed up for both days. First off the R6 was amazing on the track and I may have to start looking for one. A bit cramped and stupid for the street but on the track it was perfect. Warmed it up per z3n's advice and didn't blow anything up either. Didn't bother with the tire warmers and only had one "oh poo poo" moment with cold tires. The "oh poo poo" moment happened on lap 2 or 3 going into turn 2/3 which is a downhill right. Turned in and felt fine then about 1/2 way through the corner as I started rolling on the gas the front pushed. Only slid a bit and hooked back up but it was a nice pucker moment for me. I know BP doesn't really matter but my instructor and another coach commented on my great BP. He also recommended that I move up to intermediate which was pretty cool. Pictures should be here in a few days and video once I find my gopro. edit: nvm my gopro is a POS...nothing on the card. damnit NitroSpazzz fucked around with this message at 14:04 on Sep 18, 2011 |
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Sep 18, 2011 13:23
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thats why i got a contour hd. stupid go pros.
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Sep 18, 2011 17:23
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Veritas posted:thats why i got a contour hd. stupid go pros. I had a contour HD then the CA hivemind said it was junk...looks like maybe I should have held onto it. Oh well no loss except one video.
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Sep 18, 2011 18:44
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There is a bunch of wind noise with mine, but I still like it. I just got some footage from my second go at Taste of Racing. Boring until halfway through and I get comfortable. A marshal buzzes by kinda close at 7:45, but poo poo happens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxZIZN5ETKs
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Sep 18, 2011 19:45
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Finally made it out to a supermoto event and it was amazing. Passed tech with flying colors and ran all day with no crashes. I did have my own "oh poo poo" moment when I got on the gas too hard at a corner exit and the back slid for a bit. I saw a lot of that from other riders too, both on entry and exit, but not a single crash all day from anyone. I ran in beginner and asphalt only classes, so I got a ton of runs and did the races too. Englishtown Raceway, despite being a fairly new track, has really gone to poo poo already. The pavement is rough like a parking lot and you have to dodge potholes on track. Dirt section was all rocks and overgrown grass, but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be, just a few tabletops and a berm. Everyone there is pretty friendly as well, one guy literally gave me gas so I could keep riding and wouldn't take any money. On track though, dudes are super competitive. Out of the six or so groups there, only two other riders besides me had street legal bikes and street tires, everything else was converted off-roaders with slicks. So I basically came is last place in both the heat and final, but the last 4 laps I was chasing down the guy in front of me and by the time we crossed the finish I was 2 feet away from him. Wayyy more fun that just regular riding. There weren't any photographers there or anything, so I just took one lovely pic of my bike while waiting to run. 
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Sep 19, 2011 22:53
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Pictures from Barber showed up the other day. Not too bad although way too many weird angle shots. This one turned out pretty good.  Think I need to drop my elbow down and forward a bit more. Being on a bike that fits me should help. A lot of parts should be rolling in over the next few days for the track SV. May be headed back to Barber at the end of October if the bike is ready. On the subject of the SV, need some recommendations for track tires. Bike won't see street use and I don't want the hassle of tire warmers. I'm running a fast N, slow I pace. I'm having trouble finding adjustable rearsets for the SV (gen1), so far best I've found is an adapter plate with various mounting points.
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Sep 29, 2011 18:29
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Honestly, in today's market, you can't go wrong with any of the tires out there. They're all fantastic. I personally love the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas. They've never led me wrong. Run the hardest compound you can get on the rear, the softest on the front. I'd usually run about 5 days on a rear and 8-10 days on a front, drop a few off if I was getting takeoffs rather than fresh tires. And really, if you can, you should look for takeoffs, especially if you mount them yourself. You can expect some variation between tracks and abrasion levels, talk to your local tire guy about what you should run given different pavement constructions. It's not really gonna come into play at low I pace, but it will once you get some quality time under your belt. Also, start a track notebook. Record time, weather, heat, starting cold PSI, hot PSI off the track, temp change throughout the day, suspension settings, and adjustments to suspension due to whatever behaviors. Here's a handy flowsheet for adjusting suspension, courtesy of Dave Moss at Catalyst Reactions Tuning.  Woodcraft makes rearsets. Adapter plates are a good start though. Certain years of GSX-R rearsets will fit too, I believe. I ended up using the woodcraft high plates paired with the adjustable ones for maximum comfort, if I didn't get them high enough I'd have leg cramps when I tried to reach the tank cutouts. Adjustability is good.
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Sep 29, 2011 18:54
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All the talk of the dangers speed differentials in regards to tracking a 250 has made me a bit wary, but through talking to a couple people who have raced at Jennings and said that the instructors are good about breaking up novice groups, I've decided that I'm going to register for their novice school early next year. I'll probably need new tires by then, what with all of my commuting, and I'm wondering if the BT45s I run on the street would be hurting for traction in a track situation? I guess the better question is if I would be close to pushing their limits? I've never had any hiccups on the street, and I do tend to push the lean angles when the road is clear. I'm not opposed to getting a set of Sport Demons, GT501s, MT75s, etc. that I commonly see suggested for a more grippy tire, but if my BT45s wouldn't be expressly hazardous, then I'll just run those.
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Oct 9, 2011 21:27
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AncientTV posted:All the talk of the dangers speed differentials in regards to tracking a 250 has made me a bit wary, but through talking to a couple people who have raced at Jennings and said that the instructors are good about breaking up novice groups, I've decided that I'm going to register for their novice school early next year. I'll probably need new tires by then, what with all of my commuting, and I'm wondering if the BT45s I run on the street would be hurting for traction in a track situation? I've been to the track on pilot roads and kept up with/passed plenty of people. They are fine for the novice/beginner groups.
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Oct 10, 2011 02:32
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I made it out to the last supermoto event of the year at my local racetrack and the second one I've been to so far. Felt much better out there due mostly to having a prior experience with it but also two other things: Some good advice from my MXer uncle about pushing down on the pegs a bit when going off jumps. It meant the difference between floating off the bike and feeling like going over the handlebars to actually jumping with it. And secondly some friendly racer advice about dropping the rear psi to 20 from 26. I was struggling for grip and riding off the edge a few times but it was a whole different game after that. I can only imagine what this thing will feel like once I actually get the suspension setup properly and either re-spring or lose 15 lbs. At the end of the day a nice surprise was waiting for me too.  
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Oct 17, 2011 22:24
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Congrats! Yeah, 20PSI is a lot better for track use.
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Oct 18, 2011 00:05
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Thanks Z3n! I'll enjoy the possibility of easy trophies while it lasts. Beginner is a small group and not too competitive, but once you win a few you get bumped to novice, which is 20 bikes strong and led by ex-flat trackers. Amateur is completely insane, with riders backing it in sliding both wheels somehow. Then expert is like two guys from Canada, haha.
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Oct 18, 2011 00:55
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Gnaghi posted:Thanks Z3n! Hey take 'em while you can get them. I've got a stack of 2nd place trophies, never ended up on the top step of the podium in any of my races.  But I will say...while you might get your rear end kicked by those guys, if you can fight with the back of the pack, move up as soon as you can. Riding with faster riders is the fastest way to improve.
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Oct 18, 2011 00:59
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Well, just got back from Daytona last night for the CCS Race of Champions. Did it back in '09 on an SV650, as well as a Friday race with AHRMA, which was a blast as usual, Daytona is probably my favorite track I've ridden so far in my 4 years of racing. And then I raced it on our '08 CBR600RR.  I have a few different Go-Pro videos from different angles, of practice and my Middleweight SuperSport and Middleweight GP races, I'll put them up sometime within the week, and hopefully I'll have some pictures later this week or next. But holy god-drat that track is rediculous on a 600 supersport.
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Oct 19, 2011 16:39
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T-Square posted:Well, just got back from Daytona last night for the CCS Race of Champions. That's awesome, looking forward to the video. And yeah, I remember the first time I rode Willow Springs on a 600...You're just on the throttle and on the throttle, and that's without any banking to play with. Anywhere where a 600 can get to 170mph is insane. Also, we should play some Forza sometime...just got my Fanatec stuff and goddamn if it isn't fun.
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Oct 19, 2011 17:59
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Z3n posted:That's awesome, looking forward to the video. Still workin' on that, I have to cut down the videos, there's a lot of downtime waiting for the track to go hot. And that's awesome you bit the Fanatec bullet. I've had mine since Forza 3 came out and it's still going strong. Gotta brush up a little though, haven't played for about a week or so.
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Oct 21, 2011 03:57
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T-Square posted:Still workin' on that, I have to cut down the videos, there's a lot of downtime waiting for the track to go hot. I'm totally poo poo at it thus far. And I need to build a more comfortable racing cockpit...going to start my fabrication skills there first. Just need to finish moving, and packing the house, then I can look into tools and stuff again.
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Oct 21, 2011 04:29
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Racing tomorrow, last CMRA race of the season. decided i wasn't gonna sprint as i'm still getting the hang of the gsxr600, buuuuut a friend asked me if i wanted to do the 5hr endurance race for fun, so i'll be doign that instead. figured it was a nice compromise. i still get my race on this way, at a more relaxed pace. raaaaaaaaace weeeeeeeeeekend!
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Oct 22, 2011 02:08
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Did an unexpected track day at Little Tally last saturday. Found out that my buddy at work had requested off Saturday to do a trackday and it just so happened that I had that day off as well. Can't beat $99 for a day of riding around a racetrack so I threw the R6 in a truck and we hauled over there. I'm continuing to love the street/track setup I have. Wound up not having time the previous night to track prep the bike. Got to the track and I had pulled the mirrors/headlight/license place/disconnected taillight in the time that it took our pit to get registered. This is the track that I went to the same weekend last year and crashed. Last year it was my first trackday, my first time on the R6 (essentially), and I was running DOT NTEC's. This year I came back on Q2's and ran a lap time 7 seconds faster. Overall it was a great day. I'm feeling a hell of a lot more comfortable on the bike and I know exactly where I'm losing time/what I can do to improve my riding. I think it's time to say goodbye to the street tires, though. They were getting a bit squirmy and uncooperative at some points where I know DOT's wouldn't have any issues. I want to have the ability to get on the gas as early as I would like and be able to push my lean angle to what I would like. Q2's would be fine if I were comfortable pushing their limits and sliding them around the track, but I'm not. I'll probably post a video up here for critique as soon as I have time to render/upload something. Complementary picture in the meantime: 
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Oct 22, 2011 07:15
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-Inu- posted:Little Tally That is a great track and for the price it is even better. I'm headed there in a month with the CRF...should be a good time.
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Oct 22, 2011 22:58
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woo! the 5hr endurance was blast. contrary to our team name, 'slow bastids racing' did not come in last. and i think we finished 6th in our class! 
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Oct 23, 2011 23:03
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What's are some differences between taking a track-bike 600cc supersport to a track day as opposed to a street legal KTM 690SMC? Does the KTM crash better, is it less expensive when it crashes? Is one easier to find race take-offs for? Is one "more fun" than the other (I realize that's largely subjective)? Is the KTM going to make you fall behind all the 600cc supersports?
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Nov 6, 2011 23:13
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hayden. posted:What's are some differences between taking a track-bike 600cc supersport to a track day as opposed to a street legal KTM 690SMC? Does the KTM crash better, is it less expensive when it crashes? Is one easier to find race take-offs for? Is one "more fun" than the other (I realize that's largely subjective)? Is the KTM going to make you fall behind all the 600cc supersports? Depends largely on the track. A tight technical track is great on a SM but a track with long straights and high speed corners is better enjoyed on a supersport. That said either works fine on either type of track it just depends on what you enjoy. The SM will likely crash better though and getting take-offs for a supersport running standard (120 front, 180 rear) will be easier. Both my track toys run the same slightly odd 160 rear so finding take-offs can be a bit harder but still isn't too bad.
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Nov 7, 2011 01:11
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hayden. posted:What's are some differences between taking a track-bike 600cc supersport to a track day as opposed to a street legal KTM 690SMC? Does the KTM crash better, is it less expensive when it crashes? Is one easier to find race take-offs for? Is one "more fun" than the other (I realize that's largely subjective)? Is the KTM going to make you fall behind all the 600cc supersports? Ask Gullous how many times you can crash a 690 SMC per track day without it being a problem...
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Nov 7, 2011 01:19
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hayden. posted:What's are some differences between taking a track-bike 600cc supersport to a track day as opposed to a street legal KTM 690SMC? Does the KTM crash better, is it less expensive when it crashes? Is one easier to find race take-offs for? Is one "more fun" than the other (I realize that's largely subjective)? Is the KTM going to make you fall behind all the 600cc supersports? Little bit late on this one but I completely agree with NitroSpazzz... it really depends on the track. I will have to say though THE MOST FUN trackday I've ever been to was at Sandia Speedway in Albuquerque, riding my 625 SMC. Very tight track, no long straight. It was loving perfect for a street based supermoto. I can't even imagine what it would be like on a race sumo. Wait... yes. I can. It'd be loving AMAZING  And yeah, they crash pretty drat well.I don't know how they handle a slide at the track but I certainly know how they take 10+' drops off a canyon run!  I've done a few days on big boy tracks on sumos. It's not terrible by any means but certain tracks are definitely more suited (and safer) than others. Yeah, you can carry great corner speed but you're definitely lacking when it comes to raw acceleration and overall speed on straights. For the most part you won't have any problems, but one trackday in particular I did on the 625 really sticks in my mind. Autobahn south track in Joliet has some pretty long straights (longest is 2000') and high speed corners. I had a great time regardless but I could tell I was causing some frustration for other riders... due to the terrible passes some of them started making to get around me. I'd pass someone on the brakes, or on the outside, or scoot up the inside. Whatever, normal poo poo. They'd then blow by me on the next straight. I'd pass em again. They'd blow by me on the next straight. Repeat this for a few laps and you end up with an irritated guy on a sportbike who just doesn't like some ugly orange dirtbike lookin thing passing him at every opportunity... so he makes a poo poo pass to try and run away. This happened again and again while I was out there. Most of the time it wasn't an issue, I'm no stranger to getting passed (slow, lol). But when some chode decides a flatout unsafe pass is a fine idea during a trackday of all things... not so fun. They really don't like it when you pass them at the next opportunity. More recently than the trackday fiasco on my 625, I took the 690 SMC out to its inaugural track event a few weeks ago to a track I was pretty familiar with from my CBR days. I had a loving RIOT of a time but I was definitely slower than the big honda. Lap times were down ~6-8 seconds which is a freakin eternity. Grins per lap? Up hundredfold. In short, do it. I've had far more positive experiences on big tracks with a sumo than negative. Definitely worth giving it a try!   
needknees fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Nov 7, 2011 |
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Nov 7, 2011 05:25
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Headed to Little Tally (Talladega Gran Prix Raceway) Monday with the CRF-SM. 1.4 miles of tight corners, a few straights but nothing too bad. I was able to top out the DRZ and had fun last time...now I'm on a race-tard.
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Nov 7, 2011 15:26
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hayden. posted:What's are some differences between taking a track-bike 600cc supersport to a track day as opposed to a street legal KTM 690SMC? Does the KTM crash better, is it less expensive when it crashes? Is one easier to find race take-offs for? Is one "more fun" than the other (I realize that's largely subjective)? Is the KTM going to make you fall behind all the 600cc supersports? Based on my loud-canned Duke II (maybe low 50s hp if I was lucky?), which admittedly was 15hp and 12kg shy of an SMC, you need a VERY twisty track, as in a SM style kart circuit, not to get destroyed down the straights OR in any fast corner complex. The payoff is that up against average riders, the Duke II on street tyres (which clearly is some way short of the SMC) would absolutely destroy the sportsbikes from their braking point to shortly after the apex. You could basically stay on the throttle, completely flying past guys who were already hard on the brakes, slam the Brembo on hard enough to chirp the front and lift the back, then tip it in while maintaining 50-70% of your braking effort(!), tap the inside peg down and then get on the throttle as soon as the bike was at full lean. From their braking point through to mid corner, you could basically choose whether to go inside or outside pass and the big problem was not running into the guy in front. But ... trying to pull out of any corner faster than 60mph meant you were already fighting aerodynamics and a lack of power. And on your average racetrack, that's a lot of the corners, if not all of them. Extended complexes above 70mph you were basically relying on keeping a max corner speed line and hoping that if you carried maximum speed, no one would be crazy enough to pass you. Until the next straight that is, where you get instantly annihilated. Just as anecdotal evidence, I took my '94 CBR F2 to the same track I last had my Duke on, got forced into the fast group and thanks to having a fairing and a bit of commitment (disposable bike factor!), kept up with 50% of the field and passed about 25% of them. And when I sneaked out in the novice session masquerading as the dude sharing my bike, it was like My Lai all over again. In comparison, with the Duke II on the same track in the intermediate group, everyone except the two Aprilia 125s could pass me on the straights, but thanks to that chassis I could out-corner all but 2 or 3 moderately talented dudes on liter bikes. The bikes it trounced included said RS125s and an RS250 track bike. On balance, my personal take on it is that if you pick the right track AND you bring a couple buddies with SMCs, you can have a blast. The track I'm talking about IS twisty by sportbike standards, and even so it was a bit fast for the Duke. Personally, I think it's horses for courses and you're going to be better off with any kind of beater 600 faired bike than the SMC. Obligatory YMMV. Only other data point I can add is that when I had my 1989 CBR400 track bike, it was pretty closely matched to a guy on a 690SM around Brands Hatch indy. And that was my first track day on the 400 (Alpha 10s though). If that's an indication of the 690's pace on a ""proper"" track, I would definitely go with the 600.
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Nov 7, 2011 18:25
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All I can think about is how an aprilla svx with an aprilla rsv v-4 jammed in would be on those longer straightaways and sweeping turns.
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Nov 7, 2011 20:00
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Gnaghi posted:All I can think about is how an aprilla svx with an aprilla rsv v-4 jammed in would be on those longer straightaways and sweeping turns. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej4cQv-K0so Excusing the on-the-advice-of-our lawyers video, I think this might be a little easier to get hold of.
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Nov 7, 2011 23:28
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https://vimeo.com/27709300 Did a beginner night session at one of our local kart tracks a couple months ago, took some video. Track had really lax rules on gear and behavior, so things got a bit stupid. It was fun anyway. Allegedly, this track layout is a miniature replica of some track in Japan. I've not seen any track that I recognize like this though, so whatever. EDIT: IT'S SUZUKA. that one guy chad fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Nov 8, 2011 |
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Nov 7, 2011 23:53
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d00d, that is Suzuka. 
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Nov 7, 2011 23:58
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They're still doing bike nights down there, BlackMk4. Apparently the rules are better, and they actually require tape and leathers now. I think it's $60 for the whole night, and they've been running until like 1am-2am.
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Nov 8, 2011 00:13
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| # ? May 14, 2024 11:40 |
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I am bike-less right now.  Looks like I am on a sinking ship job wise so it'll be a while. gently caress. The track/bike itch is really bad.
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Nov 8, 2011 01:04
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