Kitchener/Waterloo area, c u next trackday riders thread! | Page 154 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Kitchener/Waterloo area, c u next trackday riders thread!

For anyone missing Grand Bend track days, you might want to consider the evening lapping sessions.
We ran modified track (my least favourite of the layouts - killed the scrub slick I just had mounted - hoped to get a bit more out of it, but so be it), and had 2 groups. Fast and faster. Fast had about 15 people, Faster had 5.
It's just not the same seeing steady traffic to pass or the likes. I was probably middle of the pack in the faster group.

Ran into some brake fade issues later in the evening. I knew my pads were close to end of life, and I think they're officially cooked now. Glad I have 3 sets of spares in my parts bin. Will change the front brake fluid before next track day as well.

Got in 2 hours of on-track time (6 sessions of 20 minutes each). The price of $60 made it really attractive.

Only 2 yellow flags all evening that I saw. Both crashes, one needed a ride back, and the other was at the beginning of my last session - he left the pits and promptly pushed the front end into the first left turn (turn 2 if you're counting from the start/finish line).

There was no tech whatsoever, fyi.

I'd do it again, but with a different layout.
 
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Doh... Sorry that slick didn't last longer. At least it was free. How was the track surface as the evening cooled off?
 
doozerdave said:
Doh... Sorry that slick didn't last longer. At least it was free. How was the track surface as the evening cooled off?
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No worries... the slick would have lasted longer if it was any other track layout. The steady diet of what, 7 rights to 1 left didn't help it out any. The tread depth holes are pretty much completely gone on the right side of the tire now. There's only 1 or 2 left, at maybe 1/4 mm or so - just enough to barely see it. *Might* be good for 1 more evening session of Modified Track if it was flipped... but that's about it.
 
There are 3 lefts in modified, The S, the kink and the dog leg after the carousel. Tim, use your fingers next time you count :) Yeah, those dunlops stick great, but don't last very long.
 
smergy said:
There are 3 lefts in modified, The S, the kink and the dog leg after the carousel. Tim, use your fingers next time you count :) Yeah, those dunlops stick great, but don't last very long.
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Was a Bridgestone slick actually....
As for lefts, I don't really count the kink as a real left.. the dog leg OK, sure.

Oh yeah, there was a new R1 at the track yesterday - I don't mind the looks in person, except for that nasty stock exhaust. Didn't sound like anything special, and was being drowned out by the other guys he was running with for the most part.
Another fellow on an RSV4 with Austin Racing Exhaust... wow... what an amazing sound... why he was running in beginner I dunno - he was clearly one of the fastest of that group...
 
Those guys were going by me on the straight like I was standing still. I felt like I was on it as hard as I could on a 600 and these guys would pass me with front hovering in air :) At least I am getting used to being passed in corners in green lol

As for the new r1, we talked to him at the end of the night. Running stock everything (except had slicks on) as all parts are on back order
 
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actually the kink should count as 2 since your on the gas through the corner the whole time right on the tire driveline :) Glad to hear the evening worked out for you :)
 
BigEvilDoer said:
No worries... the slick would have lasted longer if it was any other track layout. The steady diet of what, 7 rights to 1 left didn't help it out any. The tread depth holes are pretty much completely gone on the right side of the tire now. There's only 1 or 2 left, at maybe 1/4 mm or so - just enough to barely see it. *Might* be good for 1 more evening session of Modified Track if it was flipped... but that's about it.
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So you're calling it done by how it looks rather than how it feels?? You're not Red group material :p just kidding...
 
doozerdave said:
So you're calling it done by how it looks rather than how it feels?? You're not Red group material :p just kidding...
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Well... I figured that there can't be much left below the little holes, right? Or am I completely wrong on this? There's also a huge flat spot on the drive line. Maybe I'll have you take a peek at it.
Only one real "OH POOP" moment last night - the back end slipped out on me once, but I think it was due to running over something on the track at full lean. There's a gouge out of the right side near the edge of the slick. Don't think the tire was compromised by it though.

Gixxer_fan - don't worry about getting passed on the straights by litre bikes. In green there are usually the "straight line heroes" who are on the gas like superman on the straights and park it in the corners. As I mentioned earlier, I really don't understand why those guys didn't move to red - they were clearly faster than the rest of the group. Maybe they just liked passing people, obviously against the rules stated in the riders' meeting. They said no passing in turns.
 
I dunno... I've run tires down low enough that you can see the ripples of the cords and it still felt fine, but certainly not a good idea since a few more laps could have worn it to sliding on the cords. That's what the tread depth indicators are there for, to tell you how much rubber is left. I have no issue running past that point, but you're right, don't do it for too long. Flat spot on the drive line sounds like you're abusing it in the drive line or a suspension problem is wearing it more than it should. I wouldn't worry about trying to debug any bike setup problems with what happened to that used tire. Start with a fresh set (not scrubs) of something and go from there.
 
I'm thinking the drive line wear is simply 'cause you're on the right side of the tire soooooo much on the modified track. When you figure how many seconds per lap you're on the right side, accelerating out of turns etc, it makes sense to my brain.
There were no tears etc on the tire that my new-to-warmer tires could see. But you're absolutely correct - my suspension no doubt needs some sort of adjustment.
 
So the track surface was okay as night started to fall?

Looks like there isn't another motorcycle Thursday night until September... cars every Thursday until then. Wait, August 20th says motorcycles but it's the wrong colour.
 
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Ya it was a great night. I hope we didn't do any dirty passes. We usually only passed on the straight. Ya in retrospec, my friend on the R1 and gixxer should've been in the fast group, they were doing 54 second lap times. But we were not sure how fast some of the fast guys were, looked like there were a couple racers out there and we didn't want to hold anyone up.
 
I was the one getting passed and didnt see any dirty passes - all gave plenty of space and I benefited from the pull around a few times getting better lines

Did anyone happen to get the name or site of the photog that was out that evening in a couple areas of the track?
 
JPR said:
Ya in retrospec, my friend on the R1 and gixxer should've been in the fast group, they were doing 54 second lap times. But we were not sure how fast some of the fast guys were, looked like there were a couple racers out there and we didn't want to hold anyone up.
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At 54 seconds (how he managed that on a track stuffed with much slower riders, I will never know) he would have been the fastest guy in the fast group by 2-3 seconds a lap. Was talking to the SOAR racer on the green Kawi, and he was doing 57.5 consistently.
 
anyone else going to the SOAR practice on Friday?
 
Well next time I'll let them know to go in the fast group. They were doing consitent 55's on their lap timer thingy they got. I'd imagine he could go quicker, but he was having issues with the suspension. The stock suspension on the R1 is really soft. Plus it was only his second time riding on a track. He is just naturally quick.
It was a great group of riders at the track. And for $60 its such a deal. Too bad they don't do more of those Thursday nights. We would sign up for them all.
Bifevil, Were you the guy on Colins old Triumph? If so that is a sweet looking bike!!
 
JPR said:
Bifevil, Were you the guy on Colins old Triumph? If so that is a sweet looking bike!!
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Thanks for the compliment... It is one of Colin's old Triumphs - I bought it 2.5 years ago for street usage (he bought it as an insurance buy back from a friend, and fixed it all up). Turned it into my track bike at the end of last season.
 
Bunch of us signed up for the Racer5 VIP day at the Mosport DDT on June 27th.
Smergy (red), Dan (yellow), Ricardo (green), Omar (yellow), myself (red)... should be a good time.
Anyone else coming?
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