Kevin_Duke

If you haven't ever been to a track day, you owe it to yourself and your riding experiences to join one!

MOKE1K

I cant wait to ride the new track at Moroso. I hated it before, more of a point and shoot track when I rode it. And they have retained the same layout as the old one pretty much. Looks nice on the site. You'll have a blast.

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"YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL"

Kenneth_Moore

I got to do the Skip Barber 3 day car control class at Sebring, and it was one of the best times I've ever had. Vic Elford was my instructor...imagine that! I'm sure some track days on the bike would be just as cool.

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www.kennethmoore.org

Kevin_Duke

Cooler, actually! Make it happen! That goes for all of you who haven't yet experienced it!

seruzawa

Miller has put the motorcycle track days back on the calendar. I might just pull it off. I've been wanting to for a long time. It's a matter of the several hundred bucks for the school, tires, set-up etc. Should do it before I get too old.

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"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

mscuddy

Hey, a little on-topic for once. I know, here he goes again about liter bikes weighing too much, but holy cripes, looking back at open class street motorcycles over the last 20 or so years, they seem to have gained a lot of weight. Some of which can be removed with common sense engineering and design.

Yes, I know, water cooling, black boxes, bigger brakes, forks, frames to handle all that power, etc. etc.. add weight and all that, but we have TECHNOLOGY that can lessen the impact on the environment when your Gixxer thousand falls over in a parking lot, and you have to call three burly homeboys to help you right it, or risk wearing a truss.

I had an '81 Yamaha Vision touring rig based on the XS1100, and with all that touring crap, the bike still tipped the scales at 550 lbs. (weighed it at a scrap metal place). How can the big four justify foisting 500+ lb. rockets on an unsuspecting public?

And yes, I've ridden some of these bikes, and under power they don't want to change direction all that well, and resemble more a missle than a good handling street bike. Making a hard transition from a right-to-left hand tight corner at speed, due to mass in motion, almost highsides the damn things anymore. I cite the bikes tested in the '04 MO liter bike shootout, when Sean ate it into his brother, in that corner right up from the Rock Store (hard blind right handed sweeper).

My Buell had that lump of a Sportster motor, and still came in at just over 400 lbs, and as a result could out handle most anything Japan had to offer in the tight stuff (and the fast sweepers too).

Maybe I should start a company that removes unsightly pounds from 1000cc Japanese repli-racers..might be big.

What's your spin on the weight issue? Is it a necessary evil, what with all the technology, or can it be solved with better engineering/materials?

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A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

The_AirHawk

Here's a new tracktoy a friend of mine is almost finished-with:



Triumph 675; 132 WHP, 327lbs wet - minus fuel (that's with the tail on it). Penske's at each end. He also figures theres a teensy-bit more power in it (probably ~10-12hp), and another 15-20 pounds it can shed - but that's gonna require MONEY.

I figure it's gonna go like stink, just how it sits..........

(and with J.D. piloting it - anything goes)

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Parfois, on fait pas semblant
Sometimes, it's not pretend
Oderint Dum Metuant
Let them hate so long as they fear
политики предпочитают безоружных крестьян
Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants
Nothing to see here, Citizen. Move along now...

mscuddy

See? 327 lbs wet. With just some smart modifications. That makes a ZRX10 or Gixxer (even with all that power) and ill handling pig in comparison.

Like pitting a Mini Cooper (a real one) against a Buick Roadmaster. Sure, the Buicks got it on top, but trying to muscle it around a corner requires nerves of steel, and a REAL BIG CORNER.

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A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

Kevin_Duke

My spin is facts. The wet weight of a 1991 Yamaha FZR1000, according to Cycle magazine, was 533 lbs full of fuel. That's nearly 100 lbs heavier than the lightweight '08-09 CBR1000RR, and it's 60 some lbs heavier than the lardy new R1. If you don't think OEMs try hard to reduce weight of sportbikes, you're not paying close enough attention to the additions of forged-aluminum, titanium and magnesium components to contemporary sportbikes. Big kudos to Honda for doing the best job at reducing weight of both its CBRs.

MOKE1K

Ah I think you better take a closer look brother the bikes of today don't turn? At speed? Are you kidding me, no disrespect but check the weight of a gs1100 versus a Gsxr1000? The bikes are much much lighter now a days? Thats not even mentioning the 600 class?

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"YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL"