| Author | Message | ||
     X1glider |
I'll probably try that Pilot race tire. I talked to the guy yesterday, he's in Galveston. The same tire guy at the tracks here. There's a PM rear wheel on ebay too for 300 bucks, so far. It has a 170 on it for some reason. No biggie, I'd just take it off and save it for my cast wheel. I'll keep an eye on it to see if the bid gets higher. Would be nice to have a 5.5" rim for the track. Suspension will have to wait. Don't know how the money will hold up when I'm paying rent and bills in Korea and paying for a house in TX. So I'll keep tweaking until something good happens. All those Penske delivery trucks in Houston, and not a single one so far has had a box fall out the back and in front of me with an X1 shock in it.  | ||
| Sportsman |
I'll second traxxion, they do a more thorough job than anybody else I've found. If your getting a shock, make sure you get the proper spring for your weight. Too stiff, even though your pushing the bike hard, won't give enough to work the shock. My bike came with a 500 lb spring and it just didn't move, 375 for me did the trick at 145 lbs. You can put a 180 on a cast rim, it bends the carcass more tightly inward and you will never run out of tire leaning. I don't know why, but Mike Barnes had this setup on his bike at Daytona last year, but even he had chicken stripes on the edges. I'm thinking you loose a little coming off the corners, but gain it with less contact patch on the long straights. Sounds like you learned alot about shoulders. I got off at Summit and everything was fine, but when I push down (like if on paralell bars)it reminds me right quick that I got off. It's been about 6 months and I expected it to just go away but naww. Any thoughts? | ||
| Henrik |
Sportsman asked: Any thoughts? If you're still in pain after 6 months, get it checked by a shoulder specialist. Shoulders are complicated and require lots of experience - so pick your surgeon/rehab facility carefully. Ask questions. Henrik | ||
| X1glider |
If we can't get the clavicle back where it belongs by Monday, I'll have to see an orthopedic surgeon to slice into me and move it back. It's rotated too. I've got the full range of motion now but it won't take any weight in any postion. I'm doing some agressive stretching routines for it in hopes the drastic measures won't need to be taken. All those years of falling in the martial arts helped me control the fall real well but didn't keep me from injury. But that is the downside to falling techniques, you sometimes need to sacrifice a limb to protect your vitals. So I guess I did well. Funny how many mountain bike crashes I've had at high speed and never had more than abrasions. Henrik: any thoughts on the "sports medicine" field? We have a "sports medical" facility near my house. I am not familiar with how that will actually differ from a regular facility. Sounds like a gimmick to get active people to visit. | ||
| X1glider |
The PM wheel has 10 more hours left. I'll keep thinking about it. I'd rather not squeeze the 180 on the cast wheel. The race tires are pyramidal in profile for a reason. Squeezing the 180 on would change the shape and decrease the, dare I say?, contact patch! | ||
| Henrik |
Bob: I work for an ortho/sports medicine facility, so in and of itself, sports medicine shouldn't detract. However ... keep in mind that surgery is a craft. Ortho is like bone carpentry. A bad carpenter will do a shoddy job - a good one can work wonders (almost) even with shitty materials. If you need some names, shoot me a mail and let me know what city you'll be looking in, and I'll try to dig up some good people. Since you're looking for a shoulder guy, I'd make sure the guy you choose at least is a long time member of the Shoulder Society - ask and confirm. Henrik | ||
| Benm2 |
X1G: What's the benefit of the 180-section tire? According to ratings, its overall carcass width will only be 10-mm wider than the 170; the chicken-strips it leaves on the sides may be at least that wide. Note also that Pilot Race tires aren't really "round" in profile; they're made with more contact patch at full lean. Besides, little burrs of spent rubber pushed over the lip of the tire is far more likely to impress the chicks than "chicken strips".... So, mountainbike crashing of no benefit? I've gathered more than abrasions from mine (I tend to crash with more of a "thud" effect). Good luck with the rehab. I went for rehab when I messed up my back (non-abrasive MTB injury), and the result was excellent; got full use back and got a stronger back to boot. Saw on another page something that indicated possible visit to philly?? Ben | ||
| X1glider |
The only benefit of the 180 that I am striving for is the availability of racing slicks. For instance, the Pilot Race 2 comes in 180 but not 170. The Pilot Race comes in 170 tho but the compound is less tacky and the profile isn't as aggressive. Same with other brands. A D208GP would be nice too. Once again, 180 only. I've always done well to turn a crash into a slide so yes mountainbiking is a great teacher that translates to the engine powered side. Yep, Philly, my hometown. Been 2 years since I've seen my grandmother. Have an ex in Hershey I'd like to see too. (It's my goal to have a woman in every state! ![:]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) )I'll probably see her in the springtime, after the thaw, and try to get together with you and Dave too. | ||
| X1glider |
Thanks, Henrik. I'll do interviewing if the need arises. The guy that carpented my foot back together did a great job, perhaps he'll be in my network. At the very least he might give me a good shoulder referral. | ||
| Blake |
X1G, So let's here all about your crash. All I know is that you lowsided coming into the kink before turn 7, the topmost part of the track shown in the pic below, and that you tumbled so violently that it made you nausious. What caused the crash, too much rear brake? Did Keith tell you that when he was riding your bike back to the pits his right leg got swarmed by fire ants. He said at first he thought it was hot oil burning him a little. We played raquetball yesterday, his leg is covered with fire ant stings. LOL!  The aerial pic below more accurately represents the track geometry, but it is real old. The track looks like it isn't even complete yet. Something strange was going on with turn five.  . I'll be looking to get back on the track soon. Let me know if you are interested. | ||
| X1glider |
I was squeezing 3rd gear in on that straight coming into 7. Realized it was too hot, so tried to trail brake thru it but the bike stood up on me. Was too far into the entry by then. Trying to lean it in again would have just made me lay it down on the pavement, so I decided to keep the bike straight up and ride it out in the run off area. Musta got hold of some uneven terrain because that's when the rear end kicked out. Yep, I brought home some new pets too. The fireants were still hanging on for the ride home. If you are going to get back on the track, you need a bike that will start. I won't be doing it anytime soon. I need to fab some controls and fix my shoulder. | ||
| Phillyblast |
X1, sounds exactly like what I did in CO. The turn in the mountains was banked the wrong way, which contributed to the stand-up effect I'm sure. I stood it up and aimed for the sandy shoulder (no pun intended) and the only thought screaming through my feeble walnut-sized brain was "let go of the front brake when you hit the sand!!!!!" Of course, then I peeked over the guardrail, and had to hustle back to Aaron's to clean up :-) Hope you heal soon. philly | ||
| Johnm2 |
Sorry to hear about the accident. I broke my shoulder (and arm) in a motorcycle accident three years ago, and was lucky that the ortho who screwed the shoulder back together was one of the best in my city. But damn I got tired of sleeping sitting up. Good luck X1 Glider! BenM2: thanks for the info. | ||
| X1glider |
My chiropractor is looking at my PPO list as we speak to hook me up with an appropriate ortho. May need to get sliced open and have the shoulder pinned in place. I swatted at my naughty cat yesterday and accidentally moved it into place temporarily. Man I felt sick at my stomach when that happened. My boss had a close call yesterday. He was flat tracking his YZ250 in the knobby class and layed it down. Did pretty good til that point. Came out with some road rash since his armor moved inside his suit. | ||
| Rick_A |
I separated my shoulder on a dirtbike as a kid. I caught a lot of air and landed on flat ground, violently bottomed the suspension and ended up with a bike atop me. I refused pain killers and and let it heal on its own. My therapy was forcing myself to use the arm. It was healed pretty good after 3 months. I feel your pain. Hope you get it fixed. Mountainbiking, skateboarding, and BMX have given me a lot of good crash "knowledge", too...but those falls happen at a fraction of the speed. | ||
| Shazam |
I am leaning heavily towards doing some track days come spring locally and I have a few Q's. 1. first off do you have to do any classes beforehand regarding track rules and passing techniques, safety briefings and so on. as spring nears I will call the track and find out more. I am just doing research now 2. How do you find out about what needs to be safety wired and if catch pans are necessary (probably same question as the first)and so on. 3. Are there different days for people who've not done this before? I am not looking to ruin a more experienced riders day by passing them on the wrong side all day. 4. I am gathering the necessary safety gear( I have leathers -2 piece but not zip-together- so am buying all new) want to know what to if there are any items that some of you experienced guys might recommend for a newbie with lots of real-world riding experience. 5. where do I go for race tires? haven't asked anyone I know about any of this due to the fact that no-one I know has done track days.... I have an X1 and a Firebolt and am still trying to decide which to wad up.....I watched too many of my friends take helicopter rides this summer......thought it might be nice having an ambulance nearby while I'm performing the impossible for a change! any input would be appreciated. p.s. I am in the kansas city area and will probably do Hallet in OK or MAM in Iowa unless someone suggest something more appealing like a buell day somewhere.....I missed the last one at MAM....I should probably just call "DAVES" for the skinny. alright need more beer see-ya.... | ||
| Kcbill |
Hey Sam, My son road raced for two years. | ||
| Blake |
Shazam, Find the local motorcycle road racing club. The CMRA races at Hallet, but I'm betting there will be a suitable track closer to you. Answers to you questions... 1. Track day requirements vary greatly. If it is a racing club practice/track day you will probably need to meet their standard racing requirements. Most racing clubs require basic safety wiring of drain plugs, filler caps, and oil filters. They also usually require a belly pan. Racing rules require removal of kickstand(s), mirrors, turn signals, and passenger pegs. All lenses (headlight, tail light, speedo, tach) must be taped over (transparent packing tape is acceptable on tach and speedo). You will also need bar ends. Drop your tire pressures to ~30-31 psi, crank up the compression damping, check sag, have a blast. Non racing club track days may allow street bikes with just some tape on the headlight, other lenses and all glass. Even the new racers school for the CMRA allows non-safety wired bikes on the track for the school. Come on down to OHR in February for the CMRA school. Lots of good track schools exist, but basically acting responsibly, maintaining your line, and leaving a couple of feet inside and outside for the fast guys to get by will do you very well. In the CMRA new/prospective racers must wear a yellow jersey over their leathers so others are aware of the newbies. If you have never been on a track before, I wouldn't worry too much about passing others on the wrong side. Fast on the street is light years behind fast on a track. You'll want to do your passing on the straights with plenty of margin before entering the next turn. Otherwise, hang back for a while, learn the track, or just pull off into the pit road and give the slow guy(s) a chance to build a good lead. You will know when you are ready to pass on the turns. When you do, you'll be able to go inside or outside as the situation warrants. It's just too stupid to push it too hard on a track day though. Be safe and be smart. Same as on the street, do NOT let your ego dictate your speed or aggressiveness on the track. Get some good boots with replaceable sliders. A back protector is mandatory for club racing. Of course a good set of road racing gloves with plenty of armor. As to leathers, the Dennis Kirk Outlet store has some half price deals going. I like the AGV Rage suit I got there. Racing tires... You are in luck, there is a guy on the CMRA message board selling last year's new Michelin Pilot Race and Race-Soft DOT race tires for like $230 a set. That's an outstanding deal. Otherwise, try some of the mail order shops or local performance parts dealers. No question, go with the Firebolt on the track.  | ||
| Blake |
Oh yeah, the tire guy info... The Pilot Race and Race Soft tires that I have left are on sale until they are gone. These are set prices and can be brought to the banquet to save the cost of freight. 190 and 120 $250.00 per set 180 and 120 $240.00 per set 170 and 120 $230.00 per set 160 and 120 $220.00 per set There are not many sets and I will not be ordering anymore of them as these prices are basicly cost. 409-771-3950 Thanks, David Hirsch From CMRA Message Board | ||
| Shazam |
I'll get in touch with the CMRA, and appreciate all the info. I'll let you know how it goes. | ||
| Blake |
http://www.cmraracing.com | ||
| X1glider |
Shazam, Hallet is one of the tracks the CMRA races at. It's a CCS club. Track class: the CMRA hosts a class on the Satuday of a race weekend. It does NOT teach technique and skills. It only teaches pit in/out procedures, flags, rules, safety and gridding. If you want to learn to race, there are clubs around that will help you. Go with the firebolt. It's lighter, has a much better, more tunable suspension and the 5.5" rear wheel will allow you to wear the really good race rubber. The bike that is more stable and sticks like glue is a better choice than the one that will win a drag race. It will also freak out all the other racers since you'll no doubt be the only one there! As for your leathers, if you like the ones you currently own, and want to save some bucks, you can have a tailor sew in some zippers. Must be full circumferential. However, leathers that have pockets for hard armor are highly recommended. The built in back protectors are worthless too. Buy a real spine protector, preferably the segmented kind. Boots with lots of protective features, at a minimum ones that protect the shin and ankle bone. Good thick palmed armored race glove. Helmet must be min. SNELL 95 approved. For any race specific parts you'll need, call Henry Duga (Buell race director) at (262) 642-2020 or email at hduga@buell.com. He'll have things like race fairings, tail section, belly pan, programmable ECM, controls, shocks, etc. He's not always in but he wil get back to you ASAP. Tires: you can get them at the track any race weekend. The seller will have stands and can fit them for you. Passing: there is no concrete rule. However, since you are new, I don't think you'll have to worry about which side to pass on, you be the one getting passed. In the meantime stay to the outside of a turn so the fast ones can take the inside. Be predictable and hold your line at all times so someone coming up behind you can pass safely and uninterfered. Drastic line changes will cause accidents. When you do become able to pass, start by passing on the outside of a turn. If you lose traction, the only person you'll end up taking out is yourself. Comprende? Last but not least, take out a home equity loan for tires and spare parts!!! | ||
| Shazam |
BLAKE, I bookmarked that one and downloaded the rulebook. that was a huge find...thanks. also requested the new rider info packet via e-mail....thanks for the tips I will check back in here as questions arise. Looking forward to seeing some of you on the track. | ||
| X1glider |
Blake, I'm not sure about me riding Oak Hill this month. I ran into some trouble while Xmas shopping with 3 teenage punks who wanted my wallet. All they got was their asses kicked and locked in the trunk of their dad's beemer. I threw the keys away too. I however threw my shoulder out a little more (just as it was starting to feel better) and strained the ligaments at my left elbow as well. Other than that I'm fine but I'm not in ridable condition. Showing up for the hell of it and hanging out is still an option with me. | ||
| Cjmblast |
>>>>All they got was their asses kicked and locked in the trunk of their dad's beemer. I threw the keys away too.... Other than that I'm fine but I'm not in ridable condition.<<<< X1G, remind me to NEVER piss you off about anything !! Hope your shoulder eventually heals ! CJM | ||
| Shazam |
My reference to passing on the wrong side sure got a lot of attention.... for clarification it was written in jest. I fully don't expect to be fast first, nor do I have any desire to hasten my demise. At this point I am racing my keyboard (and losing most of the time!) I thought some of you might find it funny...not disconcerting! X1glider, right on with the leads, I'll get a hold of buell race dept. with my inquiries regarding parts after I have read the rulebook. what is the CCS Club? MAM racetrack is much closer to where I am but I keep hearing how much nicer Hallet is....any one have info on mid-america motorplex and which clubs are involved with that track? | ||
| X1glider |
Ok Shaz, I'll cut you some slack, I knew you were joking. There's a few YSRs you should be able to get around your first day out! That's all I was able to boast about my first track day. I still didn't get any credit for it since he blew up and DNF'd. CCS: Championship Cup Series: part of Formula USA. This is most likely where Buellers will be racing since the AMA doesn't want us anymore. | ||
| X1glider |
I haven't seen Hallet, It's about an 8 hour drive from Houston. I hear the surface is superb with a full coverage of Rhinohyde to protect it and giving it better traction. The CMRA will be running it CW and CCW next season to give some variety. KC is almost as far from Hallet as Houston is from Hallet. Perhaps WERA or RPM exists in KC. Just don't ask me what the intials stand for. Might even be another race org. in your vicinity. | ||
| Benm2 |
New question: Anyone know if I can run the bike "total loss" off a "nickel metal hydride" battery? I was looking at it is a way to reduce the bike weight. I was thinking about 12V or 14.4V cordless-drill batteries. Just a thought.. | ||
| X1glider |
Ben, go ALL the way back to the first 3-5 archive topics and read through. I recall someone, from the land of OZ, I think, that was running a total loss setup. He had battery recommendations as well. I think it was a marine deep cycle battery. Should work for sprints but forget endurance racing. I'm guessing you'll only save 6-8 lbs for the stator/rotor assy and another 5 lbs for a smaller battery. You'll need spares, I know that, more than one race on the battery would be pushing it. Speaking of pushing, you might want to start it that way too so you don't die on the last lap. |
