Went on Sunday to a track in Dacono, CO, northeast of Denver, called IMI. It's prettymuch just a go-kart track on steroids, not a real road track. You pay $35, sign a waiver, and join the karts out on the track. 1-2 gear the whole way. They have a motocross track, too.
(http://www.boulder.swri.edu/%7Eterrell/bikes/imi.jpg)
Was so fun to be out after all the snow we've had here. It was sunny and in the 50's.
I crashed. Sortof. It was right after a big patched section. My brain was racing with too many things, like: "YAY turns!!" and "Yikes! Ugly asphalt!" It's a long sweeper that tightens up at the end. I came in too hot, got distracted by the funky colored asphalt, and decided to straighten up, brake, and run into the dirt. I guess I sortof only half committed to that, and when I left the asphalt, I was still leaned a bit. Bike just slid out on the gooey clay, tagging the edge of the asphalt with the plastics mostly.
Left fairing is rashed, cracked, broken tabs. No cash to replace it, so just gonna epoxy the shiz out of it for now. Bent some of the fairing brackets, nothing a hammer won't fix. Cosmetic scratches on the upper fairing and the frame. Left turn signal was broken, but it turns out the bulb just popped out in the housing. Housing is a little tweaked, but functional. Bent and scratched my brand-new Suzuki OEM $40 weighted bar end, but better that than my SM2 bars. I should point out that the bike was not pristine before arriving at the track, but now, it looks downright thrashed.
No real damage to Jen. Just some skuffs on the textile pants and boot. Possible emotional scarring. Pride wounded.
Busa owner named Carl (aka dm_gsxr) helped me pick it up. And after I let my heart rate go down a bit, I got back out there. Felt more and more comfortable as the day went along. Getting passed by 10 year olds in karts is depressing.
Fun track for a GS, maybe better for something like an NSR 50. Carl was out there on his Busa. I let him try the GS (what's he gonna do, scratch it?), and it was fun watching him flick it around like a toy. He even let me try the Busa (even after just meeting me and watching me crash—what a trusting soul!). That bike is awesome. Throttle is twitchy as hell. Rolling on in second gear on the back straight, I was holding on for dear life and screaming "woo-hoo!" in my helmet. I can really appreciate now how fast he was moving that thing around the track with that throttle. On the GS, you can really roll on without consequence—45 HP is pretty predictable.
Carl's pics of me on the Busa: :o
(http://www.schelin.org/20070304/day01/dscn8180x600.jpg)
(http://www.schelin.org/20070304/day01/dscn8187x600.jpg)
(http://www.schelin.org/20070304/day01/dscn8188x600.jpg)see the smile in the helmet. :icon_mrgreen:
Crappy cell pics of my fairing: :cry:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/mckennitt/the%20bike/0305071235a.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/mckennitt/the%20bike/0305071234a.jpg)
more pics from my camera 2-nite...
holy crap that track looks loke so much fun!!!!! sorry to hear you went down, but eh... it happens. Luckily you're OK!
:thumb: Cool!
Glad you're allright! Looks like great fun! :thumb:
That track looks awesome. I'd kill to get to ride it every weekend for $35
(http://www.schelin.org/20070304/day01/dscn8180x600.jpg)
what have I told you about keeping your motorcycle off of the grass?
Uhh, that track looks freakin' sweet for my SM... $35? I'd find some way to afford it every weekend.
I'm going. I'd go tomorrow if I wasn't working. That tracks on;y 6~7 hours from me.
You say 1~2 gear the whole way...that mean there's speed limitations on the track or that you just couldn't find your way out of second? That back straight is nearly 700ft long...I can rack the TL out to 100mph and back down in that distance.
Quote from: TragicImage on March 05, 2007, 04:28:40 PM
what have I told you about keeping your motorcycle off of the grass?
:flipoff: at least I didn't crash into a mountain.
good luck on yellow fairings, the last three i tryed to get the guy(s) took my money and never shiped them.
i still have not gotten all my money back.
thats a nice track for 35$
Quote from: jen_ on March 05, 2007, 06:26:41 PM
Quote from: TragicImage on March 05, 2007, 04:28:40 PM
what have I told you about keeping your motorcycle off of the grass?
:flipoff: at least I didn't crash into a mountain.
at least I didn't..... I'll come up with something... just you watch.