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Firemanjim
| | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 04:36 pm: | 
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Dang,this morning it was a 60% chance,now it is 80%,stop,already!!
Had one of our group decide he could not go so we have a ticket available for anyone who wishes to chance it on tuesday--for free!! |
Sethbuchbinder
| | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 06:43 pm: |
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"Dang,this morning it was a 60% chance,now it is 80%,stop,already!!"
Its a good thing weather people are so bad at there job and screw it up 99% of the time.
I'm sure the weather will be great.
See you at the screw
(cork)
Seth |
Al_lighton
| | Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 11:54 am: |
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I was supposed to climb on mine today to start riding north on it's break in ride on the way to Laguna Seca.
Based on the weather forecasts, I'm likely going to bag it and not go at all. I'm monitoring the weather, and may still throw the 1125R in truck tomorrow and bring it up. But I'd need to see a big change in the forecast to do that.
I know that sounds wimpy as all get out. But we're rolling out all new SW to run A.S.B. on, going live January 1, and I could work 24/7 right now and still be marginal on meeting all our go-live requirements. Going to this track event was a very difficult thing to do from a timing perspective anyway. Going there and sitting in the pits watching water falling on the track and getting neither the work done nor the track time is NOT an option.
I'm totally bummed. I think I'll take the 1125R up to palomar and back today to get some break in miles on it, just in case it goes into the truck tomorrow.
But if someone was looking for a ticket, let me know. I'm signed up in expert if that matters. I have no idea of the transferability.
Al |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 01:38 pm: |
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Any idea what happens with a rainout,do they reschedule or just can it? And when will they decide?? |
Socalbueller
| | Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 02:12 pm: |
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From the PTT website -
Q: What if it is raining that day?
A: PTT runs rain or shine. Most tracks charge us full price when the first rider goes on track. If it is raining that day, SHOW UP and register. If you fail to appear, and we cancel the event, you will NOT receive a refund. If we cancel the trackday, a full refund will be issued to all riders present. We will make any decision to cancel the event that morning.
I really hope it doesn't rain. I doubt Buell will let you demo an 1125 in the rain. I have not done it yet but riding around a track in the rain does not sound like fun especially since my boots are perforated. So I hope they will cancel if it is really wet. |
Sethbuchbinder
| | Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 05:59 pm: |
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Al, since I'm flying out and wont have a bike to ride if the demos get shut down due to weather,( which they do after the first drop). You should bring your 1125R up so I can ride it regardless of the weather. I can bring a set of rain tires on the plain if need be. I got my race license in a downpour.
This matters not since the weather will be great.
Flight leaves at 6:30... cant wait.
See you there.
Seth |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 06:07 pm: |
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Heard from Sam down at the monday session and they had dry enough weather to ride after they dried ther track. He said it was the BEST bike he had ever ridden.--rotten bastard!!
Got my rear brakes finally working on the S-1(the darn stock line was the problem,no leak but would not bleed) but dang vendor shipped the wrong size clip-ons and did not get the replacements today as promised. So taking my DR-650 that was already prepped. Headfing to Monterey in a bit,fingers crossed the weatherman is wrong about tomorrow. |
Smoke
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 06:03 am: |
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sorry to hear the news about the S1 Jim. super motard looks like a lot of fun though. you will enjoy the 1125R. HAVE FUN ALL!!!!
tim |
Fresnobuell
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 08:20 pm: |
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So today was the day yes? From the day long battering of rain in Central Cal., I am guessing that the Laguna Seca event was washed out. If so, that is a true bummer for all involved. |
Bertman
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 09:15 pm: |
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Not a rain out, but no demo bike rides for anyone. This is as close as we got to them.
It was strictly a run what ya brung day.
Firemanjim on the DR was commenting earlier in the day on the incredible deal he got on his riding suit. Terry (Buelldynoguy) is behind him saying "Damn Jim, I wish you would have spent a little more money".
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Firemanjim
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 12:09 am: |
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But I was so stylish---
It started off bad as I was unable to take my ROC S-1W when I got 52mm clip-ons instead of the 54's I ordered.After assuring me they would be here monday they never showed. Fuchhh!!But I had prepped my DR-650 for a friend who could not go so all was not a loss.Looked bad when we woke up this morning and it was raining in Monterey. Was very surprised when they said they would run in the rain.But Buell said dry track only,fuchhh again!
Nice to see all the familiar faces--Vik,Chop,E-Bear,Jerry Johnson,etc.
Actually had a great time with the DR as it was not upset by the wet and ran on rails.And the lack of HP was actually inmy favor.Passed a ton of folks wimping around corners and generally was a hooligan. Ended up letting Kevin Smith ride it, the Seth Buchbinder from New Jersey, And another Badwebber who came without a bike intending to ride the 1125.Packed it in about 4:30 and headed home.
Forgot to add,I snagged a biffed radiator pod they had tossed, closest I came to having an 1125 .
(Message edited by firemanjim on December 19, 2007) |
Smoke
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 05:53 am: |
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sorry about the bad luck guys.
tim |
Bertman
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 11:35 am: |
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Way to go Jim in letting others ride the DR around the track. I made the wrong decision in not bringing the Firebolt at the last minute because I thought it would be canceled. In hind sight I needed it and my nylon riding gear.
Great meeting Seth, and glad you made it out on the track buddy. |
Bertman
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 11:45 am: |
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The best news for me happened when I got home and my Buell dealer called to tell me my 1125R showed up at their freight companies warehouse. I'll have it by this weekend. Late, but I can almost taste it. |
Bobup
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 12:02 pm: |
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Bertman...who is your dealer? |
Bertman
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 12:06 pm: |
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Ventura Harley/Buell
The sales staff seems excited about the motorcycle, I'll have to see about the service and parts department though. |
Xnoahx
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 12:49 pm: |
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We are very excited about the bike here in Ventura, especially after our monday inside pass(sorry you guys got rained out.) The bike is flipping amazing. Looks, power, handling, brakes, wind protection, comfort. It has it all. If you are thinking about getting one DO IT!!! Its going to be an amazing machine for the street and a very respectable track bike stock. It is a very well thought out design with function over fashion. The radiator pods are much tighter to the body in person. I like to think of it as a riders bike. The ergos are very comfortable for me at 6'. It has a seat almost exactly like the firebolt's with gives the rider a lot of room to move around to get into the best position for how you are riding. Im jealous of you guys getting yours. |
Cityxslicker
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 12:57 pm: |
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whhoooo-hoo that thing is a damn hoot. Laguna is a fun track, I am glad it is not in my back yard, I would go broke funding track days. Ok on the 1125r, I felt I needed to be about two inches taller to ride it comfortably, (and 50 lbs lighter) 5-6 29 inch inseam 255lbs My lower back was killing me after lap 3, which is exactly why I quit riding sport bikes 10 years ago. felt like Bib the Michillen Man out there on the track. ugh. the power is amazing, never did hit the rev limiter, and a couple of nose lifts to boot, she was stable as hell. Great bike, Buell will sell a ton of them. Waiting on a smaller displacement Rotax... maybe that dirt bike will come off the shelf. |
Free2wheel
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 02:58 pm: |
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The 1125R is one great bike. It retains the Buell look in a completely new package. I'm 5'7" with a 29" inseam and it is a tall bike for us shorter folks. I was still able to manage it well and is the way I fit on most sport bikes anyway. The power of the engine is smooth and predictable with handling that will make any sport bike rider extremely happy! It is a very satisfying experience to ride this 1125R and you'll want to ride, ride, ride! The fairing also does a remarkable job of keeping wind off the rider.
For all of you who will have one of these 1125R's, I'm envious. I think Buell hit a home run with this bike. |
Choptop
| | Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 12:15 am: |
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the rain sucked monkey butt.
I went out for a little on my GSXR 750 with race DOT's (small tread in the middle, slick sides), it was horrifying. Laguna is slick as snot in the rain to begin with, add slicks? forgetaboutit.
What really sucked was not being able to ride the 1125R, I was really looking forward to spanking one around Laguna. |
Socalbueller
| | Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 12:16 am: |
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Well riding around the track in the rain was actually kind of fun. Not nearly as fun if it was dry but it was far from sucking. Tried waterproofing my boots with gaffers tape but that only lasted 1 1/2 sessions until the tape blew off. Had my rain gear so I stayed dry except for my hands and feet. I did learn I have a ton more traction in the rain than I thought. I was amazed how hard I could brake and accelerate.
Laguna Seca is an awesome track, my favorite so far. Can't wait to go through the cork screw when the track is dry. All that time playing Grand Turismo and Tourist Trophy on the PS2 did not go to waste since I found out I knew the track already during my first lap. Still couldn't figure out turn 2 in real life either.
Thanks to Jerry for letting Calidrew and I crash at the love shack. It was great being able to wake up at the track and having a place to get out of the rain during the day. |
Sethbuchbinder
| | Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 01:07 pm: |
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Jim and Terry are officially the coolest two guys in all of California. They both came through in a big way to help a fellow Bueller/Badwebber out of a real unfortunate pinch.
Having tried un successfully to fit my XB12R in the over head compartment of the plane, I arrived at the track with only my leathers and helmet and a strong hope that Mondays weather would hold through the end of Tuesday. Flying out to a track day with the possibility of not having anything to ride was a gamble I was willing to take since the logistics and cost of actually bringing my bike across the country to this legendary venue made riding there unlikely of ever happening otherwise.
For the most part, the fact that 1125Rs were going to be the bike provided was just going to be icing on the cake. I have already done one local inside pass and ridden the bike for the better part of the day so the real attraction was the opportunity to ride at this world class(west coast) track without the huge obstacle of bringing a bike. So when the weather actually followed the forecast,(that never happens), My concern was focused on if I was going to be able to ride and not on what I would ride.
When Jim approached me and asked if I had gotten to ride anything I said "not yet" and he yelled get suited up, take the DR and get the hell out there. He didnt have to say it twice! The DR felt rite at home among the highly tuned sport bikes which it joined on the grid most of which severely handicapped by Dot or track day tires(The great equalizer had stepped in) The knobbies on the DR navigated the three streams of water running across the track after turn five with ease. They had descent grip on the rest of the track and lots of feel and fair warning when they did begin to slide(simultaneously).
People joke about video games being good training for new tracks and I have to say that the hours and hours I have spent lapping the virtual Laguna Seca improved almost beyond measure, my confidence level once on track. not once during any of the sessions on track was I surprised or caught out by a forgotten or unexpected section of track. Even with the pouring rain hampering visibility, it was almost like being on auto pilot. The turns and lines I had honed so many times just fell in to place.(very satisfying).
As I parked the DR behind Jim and Terry's trailer, Terry walks out and encourages me to take his 1250CC Ulysses out for the next session (THESE GUYS ARE TO NICE!) The Uly performed flawlessly and thanks to the D606's had descent grip but still allowed some sideways action coming out of turns when I twisted the wick on the honkin engine. That thing has a set of nutz!(wish my 12R ran like that) I rode the Uly for the last two sessions of the day and two laps before the end of the last session The Uly and I did the two wheeled lateral mambo through the dip in turn six the front tire washing out while the rear spins under throttle and there bye also sliding. Ten feet diagonally later, all is well with the exception of the clean underwear department. Conversely, the ego department is doing well and praising the skill department for pushing the limit and then saving the collective company butt. The wants to keep our new friends as friends department is going to be sending out a memo mandating god decision training. Moving on , oh yeah, don’t for get to waive for the camera while going through the corkscrew. Did I mention how great these guys are?
Thanks again to Jim,Terry,Ebear(sp?) and whoever else I forgot.
You guys always have a full tank of go juice and empty seat waiting for you out East if you ever need or want to do some riding.
Seth |
Calidrew
| | Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 06:34 pm: |
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Okay, I guess I put this in the wrong spot earlier.
Twist of the Wrist and TotW II - $36
Two previous track days - $125, plus a winning raffle ticket.
New Adidas running shoes for road work to build leg strength - $90
New GP Pro gloves and boots 'cause your lap times are dropping and if you go down this time it's gonna' be hard. - $340 @ IMS.
Torrential, Monsoonal, "If I hold my breath I'm gonna' float," downpour at Inside Pass. - Priceless.
Brian and I met Ebear, Jerry and Kathleen at Laguna Seca. We had four Buells, a Suzuki and an Aprillia between us. Two DNF's, the Aprilia and the Zook, so that was interesting. Compared to a lot of people I had a great day and as Brian said, "I never thought I'd go over 100MPH in the rain." It was cool to meet Trip and see Terry and Fireman Jim. I look forward to them announcing the Inside Pass schedule for 2008. Many thanks to Jerry and Kathleen and Ebear for putting us up in the warm dry Luv Shak II and to Brian for helping out with the driving and gas. |
Socalbueller
| | Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 09:36 pm: |
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Pics are up!
http://dvkphoto.com/BUELL/datebuella.html |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 11:37 am: |
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It figures they have a bazillion pics of Seth,Kevin,and Steve on my bike but not me---darn. Nice pics in the Corkscrew,Seth. |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 11:41 am: |
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Nice one of Kevin and an 1125,quite the contrast between the DR and the 1125.
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Sethbuchbinder
| | Posted on Monday, December 24, 2007 - 06:45 pm: |
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Thanks Jim, those pics are pretty cool. It would have been much nicer to have a bunch of dry weather 1125R knee draggin pics, but Ill take what I can get. I got those back at Pocono anyway .cant figure out how ti post them(ebear??) I will most certainly be back for a rain free rematch with "the screw".
Seth |
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