Bike Prep for Buttonwillow 8/26/07 VIDEO ADDED!!

[Mk1inCali]

So, I'm getting the bike ready for my 2nd track day tonight/tomorrow/Saturday for Sunday's track day.

-Rennsports in stock front and 150/60.

-14/39T sprockets and new DID chain.

-New stock plugs

-SV Throttle tube and new grips

-5/8" 7075 fork brace

-Katana shock

-Pulling the "Stage 3" mains out and going back to the "Stage 1", hopefully eliminating the stumble/stutter at 8K rpm.

-Possibly swapping for a Gixxer master cylinder.

-Tank mounted camera, and possibly a rear-facing bullet cam.


Anything else?  I ran Big Willow a few months back with a Pilot Road up front, Pilot Activ in the rear and I was running with the "fast guys" in C class.  I'm hoping to run smoothly enough/pace quick enough to get bumped up to B class.

[coll0412]

sounds  fun, and if you do the bullet cam post up the video.

One thing I would not recommend is swapping the master cylinder only a couple of day before the trackday, I would just leave it stock, and probably would leave jets as well unless its a pretty bad stumble. I have had bad experiences doing mods a couple days before and having to undo it the mods at the track cuz they didn't work out.

Best mod on the whole page is the katana shock and tire...mmm...dampening.

Also I just noted that you are going to stage 1, dynojet stage 1 will make your bike too lean with your setup. Mine is perfect/little lean right now with stock airbox and V&H, this is with DJ122 mains

[Mk1inCali]

Well, I have in the larger mains that were included with the Dynojet kit, and thought to swap back to the smaller ones.  I've got the DJ needles in, and I could try raising those before swapping the mains.

Definitely need to do something with the jetting, it's OK around town but whenever I go WFO and hit 8K it's pretty choppy.  Pulls like hell above 8.5K all the way to valve-float though.

I might heed your advice and not mess with the master cylinder, probably a good idea.

[tonyalta]

Hey,

Buttonwillow this weekend? Sounds Great. Do you have any advice for first time track riders as far as bike prep goes? I have an '02, rejetted and K&N drop in, 2 washers on the needles and Bob Broussard ignition advancer mod. I hope to get new fork springs before I venture out on my first track day this fall.

Any advice at all would greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Tony

[Mk1inCali]

Get some good, solid rubber on your bike.  That's first and foremost.  I started off on my GS with Michelin Pilot Sports, ran thru two fronts and 4 rears of those, then went to Pilot Roads and have dragged knee (on the street and track) with them, but I wouldn't recommend going to the track with anything "less" than those.  For this weekend, I've got some Rennsports (which are in-between a Bridgestone BT-002 and Pilot Powers for grip/stickiness).  I grew up racing motocross, so the whole lean angle thing didn't scare me, nor did the really hard (to the limit) braking and acceleration, so really it was just getting used to the track and learning lines for me on my first time. 

Good brakepads, SS front line, DEFINITELY get 15wt fork oil and straight-rate fork springs that are suited to your weight (Progressives are OK, but I can bottom the forks out even in street riding now with good pads, SS lines and good fluid, and I wish I had gone straight-rate like Sonic Springs) installed before you head out on the track.  Everything else is purely optional, but fork springs are a MUST.  The stock shock sucks, so find a Katana or GSXR or SV650 stock shock (Check Pantablo's page for better swap info) and it'll be more balanced/stable when flying through S-turns, flopping the bike from side to side, if you can afford another ~$50 investment.

One other thing that some people notice, and some people don't really mind, is footpegs.  I hated the stock footpegs, so I swapped over to CBR600F3 rearsets, and that has made a huge difference for me in my confidence while leaned over.  Clip-ons aren't necessary, and some people believe that wider (stock or similar) bars are better for learning to ride aggressively, but I like clip-ons and feel more at home with lower bars when cranking on it.

Let me know if there is anything else you are curious about, I may have forgotten something.  I figure, even for the GS500, it takes about $400 to do a track day, even splitting tires between 2-5 different days, if they last that long.  Food, hotel, water, gas, gas for the tow vehicle, buying any gear you may need to upgrade/replace, tires, spark plugs, oil change, brake pads, etc etc.  Don't kid yourself into thinking you can do it for a whole lot cheaper unless you A) live right next to the track, B) tires grow on trees in your backyard, C) you own a motorcycle parts store and can get everything for cost - 20%.

[tonyalta]

Thanks a million for all the info. Exactly what I was looking for.  Good advice about the tires and springs.  Also good adviced about the shock, not something I had thought of. After some research and reccomendations I am probably going to go with Zoom Zoom (any thoughts about them or another provider is also appreciated) as a provider at one of the local bay area tracks. I am willing to spend the money and am looking forward to it tremendously. I am currently shopping for a good set of leathers, as I move through the next month or so trying to get my bike in shape for the track I will post again looking for advice.

Thanks again......

Cheers, Tony

[mille2race]

Tony,

I have 2 sets of leathers that I am looking to sell now.  They are both size 54 Euro.  I will make you a screaming deal.  Let me know.  One set is Corner and the other is Wintex.

[Mk1inCali]

I don't know anything about the NorCal track groups, but from what I've seen, it is hard to go wrong with any of them, especially in the competitive California market.  One of my friends is driving down from San Jose to Buttonwillow for this trackday and to see our group of friends (www.hypercycles.org), so you could look at Button or Willow Springs for days too, if you are willing to make a bit of a drive compared to the true NorCal tracks.

[tonyalta]

Mille2race,
I have to admit I am curious about screaming deal on leathers though I fear they be slightly too big (one size). Thanks for the offer, anymore info.... heavily crashed in, pics.....

Mk1inCali,
THanks for the hypercycles link.

Cheers, Tony

[Mk1inCali]

2:24 lap time in my 2nd to last session, last session was best of the day as I finally started carrying *real* corner speed and simultaneously hanging way off (head past/lower than the bars) and still dragging knee/toe/pegs.  One of the control riders that I know through work but never ridden with commented that I was the most fun rider to watch/follow that he'd ever seen, in a good (not dangerous) way.  Gearing was perfect, 6th gear just topping out at redline at the fastest parts, tires were excellent (very progressive on their traction release), Katana shock that I ended up subbing for the described SV shock (last minute change-of-plan).  Ended up getting those Progrip SCS for it, which DOES turn the GS throttle into 1/5th turn for ~$25 bucks.  Well worth it, over getting the whole SV throttle from some stealership.


On my way home, just making a pitstop at my parent's place in LA, will post more once home/later tomorrow with picts/some video.

[TragicImage]

you're gonna get blown past at BW with a 14t.... I think a 15 would be better suited just considering the straights?


or so I've heard.  Never actually been to Buttonwillow.... PM Pantablo, he goes to BW quiet often... actually I think he's a control rider for a Trackday group...

[Mk1inCali]

I don't know if you read my last (most recent) post in this thread, but in it, I said that the gearing 14/39 was perfect.


If you were thinking of "Big Willow" at Willow Springs, then yes, you would probably run out of RPMs, but it seems to me that the 14T puts the redline right where the bike's power can't overcome the drag anymore and you're topped out anyway, so I don't know if a 15T would be more appropriate even at the "Big Track".  But, at Buttonwillow, it's tight and technical enough for a 14T.

I played tag for a while in C class (first two sessions) with a Repsol NSR250, who was leading his son (who was on a vintage RD350 or something 2-stroke and dual-shocked.  There was also a VFR400RR which was bad-ass in it's hot pink/white/fluoro green paintscheme.

[coll0412]

Do tell more about the Progrip SCS, like where did you get it from and for how much,

I snagged two SV650 throttle tubes this weekend so I wont be upgrading, but it would be good info for everyone else

[Mk1inCali]

I'll have to edit this post with pricing info once I get into work today, but my shop had a set lying around so I threw them on and it worked.  The grips themselves are pretty tacky and worked well for the hot track day (plenty of traction to muscle the bike around), and with the new throttle tube bolted on, that feels good as well.

www.buymoto.com

(I don't know if the set is up on our website).

[pantablo]

... PM Pantablo, he goes to BW quiet often... actually I think he's a control rider for a Trackday group...

yes, I go about once a month. and I do run as a control rider for a group. 2:24 isnt bad for a gs. really good actually. first time at the track too, no? bet it was a hoot! On a slow day I run 2:09's, on a fast day I run 2:00's I think. I'm going tuesday again and I'll have a timer so I'll know better...(not going as a control rider, just a paying customer with thetrackclub.com).

you ran regular direction-reverse is better. flows much better. how was the gs over lost hill? or riverside? wobbly I bet.
fun as hell though, no? Now you can see why I pretty much dont ride in the canyons anymore, just track.

nice avatar.

[TragicImage]

I don't know if you read my last (most recent) post in this thread, but in it, I said that the gearing 14/39 was perfect.

I have no idea how I missed that.... I thought I read the entire damn thread.

Congrats on a fun trackday....  I really did think that a 14/39 would wind out long before the end of the straight....

[Mk1inCali]

yes, I go about once a month. and I do run as a control rider for a group. 2:24 isnt bad for a gs. really good actually. first time at the track too, no? bet it was a hoot! On a slow day I run 2:09's, on a fast day I run 2:00's I think. I'm going tuesday again and I'll have a timer so I'll know better...(not going as a control rider, just a paying customer with thetrackclub.com).

you ran regular direction-reverse is better. flows much better. how was the gs over lost hill? or riverside? wobbly I bet.
fun as hell though, no? Now you can see why I pretty much dont ride in the canyons anymore, just track.

nice avatar.

Yes, first time at the track, 2nd track day in total.  First time riding the GS with the Kat shock, with the 1/5th throttle, and the tires...took forever to work up confidence in the tires, and I know I shaved some time off (mid-corner/entry speed) in the last session (got timed in the 2nd or 3rd to last).

It actually wasn't too bad over the wheelie humps/Lost Hill/Riverside, it was the big right-hand sweeper (the C group meeting instructor described it as "the fastest corner on the track) was one of the spots I could feel the front-end flexing around, and going into the last left before the front straight, it would shimmy there in the last session (as I was getting fast enough to drag knee through most corners).

Definitely a fun track, I liked it's technicality over Big Willow's wide-open-ness.


It definitely re-connected me to the risks of canyon riding (especially in SD county, Palomar has so many accidents) that I started off on the street with (after being used to riding in the dirt where it's all very safe, only your right hand and desire to jump are dangerous).  Definitely toning it down, again.

[pantablo]

...it was the big right-hand sweeper (the C group meeting instructor described it as "the fastest corner on the track) was one of the spots I could feel the front-end flexing around, and going into the last left before the front straight, it would shimmy there in the last session (as I was getting fast enough to drag knee through most corners).

Definitely a fun track, I liked it's technicality over Big Willow's wide-open-ness.


It definitely re-connected me to the risks of canyon riding (especially in SD county, Palomar has so many accidents) that I started off on the street with (after being used to riding in the dirt where it's all very safe, only your right hand and desire to jump are dangerous).  Definitely toning it down, again.

that big sweeper is Riverside...my sig pic below is riverside at 105mph, regular direction. I can imagine the suspension was at its worst there given the consistent full throttle on its side nature of the turn. MUCH better than Big Willow-I wont ever go there again. You can see why this is my favorite track, and why some guys call me "Mr Buttonwillow", lol...

I hear ya on the street thing. I dont bother riding street at all now.

[slowinthestraights]

As for the stumble, if you have time before the track, I would try adjusting needle height on the main you have now first.

I started out with 150mains as according to the jetting matrix.. it would stumble like hell up until 8.5k.. went all the way lean on the needle (have a 5clip needle), same deal, now all the way down to a 142.5 and at the top clip on the needle is where it runs best, but not perfect, i tried going down to a 140, and it ran worse on any needle setting and felt lean up top. I have yoshimura full exhaust and k&n lunchbox. Point being, if you only have a slight stumble, try messing with the needle first.

[Mk1inCali]

That reminds me, I went into the carbs the night before the trackday, and out of the 5 clip positions, the right carb was in the top clip position on the needle, the left carb was on the 2nd position from the top.  I dropped them both down to the middle position, and it cleaned up the stumble quite a bit.  Still there, but not nearly as bad as it was.  I'll probably go another clip down (to the 4th from the top) and see what that does for me.

The old plugs were on the whiter side of tan, so I know I was lean in general.  Stuck with the same mains.