Cresson Nov 8th(1.3CCW) and 9th(1.7CCW)

[WickerMan]

11 days to go. Will someone have a spanner for the rear preload adjuster just in case? I think I'm ok, I'm on the stock 3 of 9, but just in case.

pre-load can be set well in advance, just keep tools on hand for adjusting damping

I have no dampening adjustments on my machine, just rear preload. The new '16's have preload adjustable forks that I may see if they fit my model some time over the winter.

[fixxervi6]

That actually pisses me off, I can't understand why they refuse to ship sub 600cc machines without adjustable damping.

[JTChiTown]

Cost

[shilka99]

I'll be coming to this one. perhaps not riding at all. But i'll be there.

[DemonDuck]

Its gonna be cold 64 high is whats being called for and 20% chance of rain. I might not be going.

[WickerMan]

Now it says sunny for Monday and a high of 66. I'm there Sunday to work regardless. I guess I'm going to go ahead and sign up for level 1 on Monday, as I got the Q3s put on yesterday and it's usually a couple of degrees warmer than they predict. Also this will be my last chance to hit a track before spring.

[WickerMan]

Too late level 1 and 2 are full.

[LonestarCBR]

I think they've been full for a couple of weeks now.

[WickerMan]

Last hog to the trough finds no dinner. I can't believe that many people are off on a Monday. Oh well.

[dufremle]

When I first started doing track days Ridesmart only did Mondays.

[DarcShadow]

If you show up in the morning with cash in hand, you can usually get a spot.

[WickerMan]

Hell I got credit already. I guess it's worth a try. I'm off Monday anyway.

[LonestarCBR]

When I first started doing track days Ridesmart only did Mondays.

That was on a new Vincent, wasn't it?

[dufremle]

How did you know?

[JTChiTown]

He caught you on camera, the same one he used in 1903 at Kitty Hawk.

[LonestarCBR]

WTF? Can you spell "Triumph Brotherhood"?

[WickerMan]

So just in case if anyone was wondering, this weekend was very nice. Sunday was cool at the start but sunny all day, I was on the flags at corner 3 in the hairpin. Lots of pegs scrapin in the cruiser class. Man were those supermoto guys fast. Got out a session early thanks to a gray 954RR and oil on the track and thankfully just minor injuries.

Randy is super nice. Talked to him Sunday morning about a L1 spot for Monday and he said to see him at the end of the day. Talked to him after turning in my stuff and he said come on out and he would get me on the track.

Monday was cool and grey with a start temp of 57 degrees. I did the track ride in the trucks after pulling into the staging on my cycle, how embarrassing, but they were nice, said to leave the cycle where it was and we would get it on the way back. Did the round robin. I spent the first session working with the instructor since it was a little cold on the track still and I didn't trust the tires and I wasn't sure how much I could lean, everyone was taking it easy. They had lots of big Xs on the track for turn in points and ending points they didn't have last time and that was really nice. Connect the Xs and ride close to the apex cone in a smooth arc, presto easy as pie. I really liked that, helped my get my braking zone and shifting done before turn in. Q3s rock. No issues with rear wheel grip none at all. Great on the front too, too much front brake and they twitch a little, easy off slightly and they are back in line, even trail braking leaned over pretty good blowing a turn, little twitch easy up a hair and back on line. They were so good I don't miss ABS as much as I thought. Plus I think having the single rotor in front helped it, just doesn't grab as quick or hard. I was pretty hard on them and they were very easy to modulate, a couple of turns behind a girl on a yellow SV650, she would slow where she shouldn't have, like at the apex or just past, plus I was too close setting up a pass, all the way leaned over use a little more front brake, slight twitch and ease up, no problem. After lunch the sun came out and it warmed to about 70 degrees. Picking up the pace was fun.

Now myself and the 500. Great machine. Like Rick said like a big 250 and I was tossing it around like last time. Again no knee down but I did scrap the left pegs twice in Roundabout and got a boot toe down in Buzzard's neck. It was no passing from there to the straight before Big Bend which they said is standard policy but I don't remember that from last time. I guess the 250 couldn't get all the way past someone before they took off again, so I could only pull up next to them on the outside, and that kept me from the dreaded black flag. The 500 is way faster than the 250 with the same predictable handling. Ran up on the flat curbing after Wagonwheel and Roundabout a couple of times each early I was so fast, and that was new. Randy said that isn't an off, but not to do it. I had to, surprise, modulate the throttle to keep from running wide coming onto the straight before Big Bend, and that was new. I was so fast and L1 was packed with first timers, I was passed much much less. We had a L1.5 class not with the rest of L1. I wasn't as fast as the Ninja 500 or SV650 on the straights, so you really had to set up those passes carefully. Close in, hold the curbing past the apex, back on the throttle early and hope the person in front follows the race line out wide. I passed so many people, that was a new experience. I could drop some names of the machines but you wouldn't believe me. Was that a R1 or RSV4 APRC RF (now that guy had traction control and there was no excuse)? And who knows what kind of other machines. Sorry I had to. But honestly I would be too afraid to crash such a machine I wouldn't have gone as fast as I was going. I was so fast I'm starting to think I missed my true calling. I'm unsure how fast I'm supposed to go. 75% of my riding ability by the end of the day? How much ability is that? How much do I have total? When your sliding across the track on your butt is 101% I guess. But I would say I was over 75%. All and all it was a really fun day, everything still shiny with no scratches, so a success. Again best time I've had on two wheels. I'm glad I got the 500, matches my ability and a whole track day used a little over a half a tank of gas or 101.5 miles. You could really use the machine and stay within the total grip of those awesome Q3s. I like the lower redline as I felt I wasn't hurting it. It had so much torque I could short shift at 6500 or 7000 RPMs and still feel fast.

Now I'm thinking about springing for the big bucks COTA day. That is a bucket list item right there. I can't wait for next year.

[LonestarCBR]

Kind of addicting, isn't it.

[fixxervi6]

Sounds like a successful day to me

[DarcShadow]

Glad you had a good time.

[WickerMan]

Kind of addicting, isn't it.

Your right it kind of is. Now I'm wondering what I could do with a more powerful machine. I'm going to stick with this one for a while, for sure, but in the back of my mind...

[Striple]

Kind of addicting, isn't it.

Your right it kind of is. Now I'm wondering what I could do with a more powerful machine. I'm going to stick with this one for a while, for sure, but in the back of my mind...

Do yourself a favor and don't worry about "upgrading" to a larger bike. Instead, upgrade your skills and continue to work on what you can do on your 500. Much like any other activity or sport, this is primarily about quality seat time. Focus on one or two aspects to work on in every session, and try to ignore your overall pace as much as possible. Once your technique is solid, the pace will come by itself. Before you know it, you'll be passing bigger bikes all over the place.

[WickerMan]

Kind of addicting, isn't it.

Your right it kind of is. Now I'm wondering what I could do with a more powerful machine. I'm going to stick with this one for a while, for sure, but in the back of my mind...

Do yourself a favor and don't worry about "upgrading" to a larger bike. Instead, upgrade your skills and continue to work on what you can do on your 500. Much like any other activity or sport, this is primarily about quality seat time. Focus on one or two aspects to work on in every session, and try to ignore your overall pace as much as possible. Once your technique is solid, the pace will come by itself. Before you know it, you'll be passing bigger bikes all over the place.

I will follow your advice. My pace is good. I will work on my technique. Thanks.