Two wheels discussion thread! (Motorcycles only!)

Originally posted by dking Originally posted by Shakazulu Yeah,I can't wait to take his Boot Camp.  I saw on his twitter feed that a bunch of Moto GP guys are going to be hanging out at the next one. You're going to Colin's boot camp? That's going to be sweet. I didn't even know he had one. What are the details on that?

He just can't catch a break in MotoGP lately... his crash today was the weirdest I've seen a while from a pro.

I wish him good luck on WSBK, he's definitely a brilliant rider. Just needs to find his mojo once again.

I'm hoping he at least goes to BMW. That way, he still has a shot at coming back to MotoGP next year on a factory ride.

Apparently there are reports his crash was caused by a swing arm failure. It makes more sense now at least...

Ducati is said to have offered Rossi 17mi Euros to stay but he is still considering the option of going back to Yamaha.

I don't think its Ducati paying the 17 million is the thing.  Most of his salary now is paid by Marlboro.  He can probably get similar dollars overall wherever he goes, even when he isn't winning, that guy is a marketing machine.

Rossi does have a pretty valid point when you think about it.  I mean, he turned the Yamaha completely around in a season.

Oh, I always heard it being that he got there when the Japanese guy did and they formed a huge bond etc...........Probably just regurgitating what I saw on the movie Fastest though.

He definitely wants Agostini's win record.  Just think, two years with no wins, he could have been really close by now.

If all he wants is wins, why'd he bother gong to Ducati? Of course, that's prolly a question he's asking himself.

Bought a bike today! 2005 R6 with 5.1k miles.

Yeah, I'm working on that now, using this article http://www.gostar-racing.com/information/motorcycle_suspension_set-up.htm as guidance. I don't have a center/engine stand, but as far as setting my preload, how much should my bike sag when I sit down on it? I only weight between 120-130, and I know right now my bike hardly sags at all when I'm in position. Eventually I'll set my rider sag and static sag properly, taking measurements of an unweighted bike, bike standing alone, and with me in position on the bike, but right now I just want to make a quick adjustment with my preloads. They're set to factory setting right now, and I'm just guessing that factory settings were made for the average man of 180 pounds?

After setting my preload, is having an inch worth of sag (from the bike standing alone to me sitting in riding position) too much? As I said, my bike barely sags at all when I sit on it, and I'm only 5'6'' (5'7'' with boots), so I'm barely on the balls of my feet when I sit and was hoping softening up the preload for my weight would help a bit.

Well, at least it's a ZX6R! not the year model I'd pick though.. hahahaha

Here you have to have covers as well... also needs to be properly lockwired (oil filter, sump plug, calipers, etc), only water on the radiator (no coolant) belly pan with plugs and some breathing hose business I still haven't done but no one has checked anyway! hahaha

nice shorts... lol. glad u were back on the track... not as glad as you, I'm sure.

Snowboarding has me worried too.  My strength is coming back big time with working out, but I have no endurance.  Playing basketball isn't the same as I can jog between plays, but hustling the bike around the track, particularly considering portland is 9 rights and only 2 lefts, and I was absolutely dead after 8-10 laps each session and had to pull off with 10 minutes to go each time.  It was also making it really hard to keep my weight off the bars, didn't realize how much I grip the tank on the brakes.

My personal favorite is Nick Ienatsch's book, "Sport Riding Techniques" basically everything we went over at the Yamaha Champions school, but in book format.  

Cycling is the hot workout for race guys.  Look how many of them are on cycling teams now in the off season.  Pretty much works every muscle that you need for hustling a bike around the track.  I has no bike and no patience so I'm going the spin class option.

I mountain bike a good amount, but cycling doesn't really get to the sideways muscles that I use to grip the tank or when hanging on/off. Spin classes even less since the bike is so stable.

Forearms aren't really a problem riding, but they're noticeably sore after. I don't think it's arm pump and I feel pretty "loose" on the bike. I know I need to work on holding myself up more with my core and lower body, but I'm a big guy so it's kind of a losing battle.

I won't even mention my neck and back since they don't seem to affect my riding, but are also pretty sore/tight afterwards.

My last trackdays (two in a row on a weekend), there was a low turnout so the organizer switched from three groups (20min sessions) to two groups (30min sessions). I don't have to tell you that I only rode a full session once or twice and I skipped the last session both days. It did not help that it was the first time I'd been out on 100+ degree days in a year or more (last season was great; nice and mild).

Dking, work some more weights into it then and possibly some more cardio.  We frequently get 30 minute sessions on trackdays around here, or at least when I was running them all the time.  I almost always pulled off at around minute 25 though as well.

I get neck pain from holding my head up looking forward. It happens on the bicycle too... especially on long downhilling days and the full face helmet. Maybe I just have a big head.

I think you guys need to spend less time in front of the computer! hahahaha J/K... as if I could say that to anyone!

Sonoma (ex-Sear Point... ex-Infineon) was good today... just a bit warm (~90F). We ran the modified (for Indycar) T9 chicane, which is more open on the exit. Layout was okay, but I don't like pavement transitions... and the inner 2' is concrete .

The instructors ran the proposed further T11, but I think the current short one is okay for MCs; I think the cars want a longer run down and back to help passing.

And you'll be glad to know I didn't have much neck pain, even though it's much tighter and more technical than T-hill, where I usually go. My lower back did tighten up at end of the day after my last session and my knees were sore, but that's just old age setting in. All in all a good time.

But something odd happened... So there were a few crashes (more early than later), as usual, but I don't think the ambulance had to roll the whole day. Then as we were packing up to leave, with the pits more than half empty, we hear a faint cry for help. We eventually look up and figure out it's coming from an upper access road which runs well above the pit area; like 100' away and about that high above us. Initially we weren't sure if the guy was serious or goofing... turns out he was serious. He had ridden a GoPed (powered scooter) up there, I assume to get to the grandstands or some other viewing location. He was apparently on his way back, downhill on the gravel road... and ate it... bashing his head into a concrete retaining wall. So they roll the ambo up there... lots of attention. I didn't go up to see firsthand since I wanted to finish packing and get out of there. A bit later, I hear a helo coming in for a landing... yes, the LifeFlight helicopter. I guess he was bad enough that he needed to get airlifted to the hospital. Now I don't want to make light of someone getting hurt, but we go the whole day without needing the ambulance on track and some yahoo on a scooter with no helmet or other gear needs to get airlifted? That's funny to me.

Oh well, if you read all of that, I hope you get something out of it. Be safe out there.

Damn, the Indy GP weekend has turned into total carnage.  I had always heard the track surface sucked, but didn't realize it was this bad.

Think I read somewhere that Indy actually has three very different types of surface and it was wreaking havoc for everybody when it came to TC settings etc.  No idea if thats true or not.

Adjusted my idle today! It was sitting around 900, and sometimes when I pull my clutch in and downshift multiple gear as I come to a stop, my engine would just turn itself off. I looked it up online and other people with the similar problem said that it's because their idle dipped below zero, so they just turned their idle up and it fixed the problem. Others suggested that perhaps the battery is going bad. Anyway, apparently the idle should be between 1250-1450, and I've got it in that range now, so hopefully that'll fix my problem. I don't really want to buy a new battery, I don't really see how that could be much of a problem considering my bike starts up every time, instantly.

Honda makes a 250 now.

Suzuki SV650 is another to look at.

Is there power outside of the garages?  I'm debating on renting one for the weekend or just bringing a generator.  Looks like they are 250 for the weekend.