Here are a few of my highlights from AFM Round 4.
As mentioned fairly often, this is a stock GS500, with no engine modifications. The front suspension has oil, springs, emulators, and one of The Buddha's fine braces. The rear is a Katana 750 shock. Tires are Bridgestone BT003RS, front and back.
I'm really starting to push the limitations of the bike, and I've been blown away by how well it responds. I'm starting to drag the stock pegs around a number of turns at Thunderhill raceway, and I've found that in most cases, the best solution to my clearance problem is simply to gas it, lifting the rear end up. The extra clearance permits me to tighten up my lines, with the added benefit of increasing corner exit speed.
The front tire has been sliding very predictably, saving me from a nasty lowside in Turn 3, most likely caused by overloading the tire by cornering off the gas. Even at these lean angles, available traction is pretty incredible. A proper set of woodcraft rearsets would probably permit me to carry a little more speed through the turns, due to how badly I've been dragging the stock pegs.
Laptimes are also falling. I haven't ridden at Thunderhill in nearly a year and a half, and during my last visit I was running 2:15s on a 04 GSX-R 600. Best lap recorded this weekend was a high 2:14, and I've been able to constantly run 2:15s. Pace is considered fast enough to run in the A group, by laptime, and the laps are actually faster than the average trackday rider is capable of pulling on a 600.
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Kewl Pics! Thanks for sharing. It looks like fun! I need to get a track bike. :icon_mrgreen:
So what's the bottle on the right?
(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af315/paulcet/burning1copy.jpg)
Quote from: Y2K6GS500F on June 30, 2010, 05:38:03 PM
Kewl Pics! Thanks for sharing. It looks like fun! I need to get a track bike. :icon_mrgreen:
Get another GS. :teeth
Seriously though, there are a lot of great track bikes. The SV650 would be high on my list.
Quote from: Paulcet on June 30, 2010, 06:32:01 PM
So what's the bottle on the right?
In case I get thirsty...
Serious answer: AFM regulations require a catch bottle for any fluids that leak from the gas tank overflow lines. It's a plastic water bottle, and the black vacuum lines lead up to the overflow and vent ports on the gas tank.
The tech director also requested that I plum the carburetor breather vents into the overflow bottle, but when I tried it I found that the extra vent line threw off the fueling bad enough to make the bike un-raceable. I wasted a day of practice figuring that out. :\
Edit: You can see the catch bottle clearly in the first photo.
are those stock rearsets? did you lift the bike at all? for some reason it looks like your legs are balled up more than mine when im riding. may just be cause ive never seen myself ride though :D
sweet pics!!
Quote from: smaeda on June 30, 2010, 09:58:46 PM
sweet pics!!
Thanks!
Quote from: gregvhen on June 30, 2010, 09:27:52 PM
are those stock rearsets? did you lift the bike at all? for some reason it looks like your legs are balled up more than mine when im riding. may just be cause ive never seen myself ride though :D
Those are the stock pegs, and aside from having a stiffer shock installed the rear is at the stock height. I dropped the front end 8mm from stock, for handling reasons - though I would have preferred to raise the rear instead, for cornering clearance. The rear tire is also a slightly taller profile than normal - a 140/70/17 is 7mm taller than the same 130/70/17, and I wouldn't be surprised if the BT003RS I run aren't already a little taller and pointier than typical stock options.
A couple of things could be balling my legs up... First, I ride with the ball of my foot on the peg, and I extend the ball slightly in order to remain light on my feet. If I were to lower the heel a little, or rest the instep or heel on the peg, my legs wouldn't be as tight... With the trade-off that I'd be slower, and I'd be dragging my toes around a lot of the track.
I'm also 5'10" - not exactly tall, but if you're shorter than me, it's going to make the bike a better fit. The GS is noticeably smaller than the GSX-R I used to track.
For what it's worth, Woodcraft rear-sets are definitely on the list. I'm able to keep the throttle pegged at those lean angles, so there's obviously some untapped traction that I'd like to be able to take advantage of.
Very nice pics, congrats to the photographer......and I guess you look OK too :laugh:.
I'm intrigued by the belly pan, it adds weight, and I wouldn't think its doing much to help your aerodynamics on its own, what's the story?
I'm pretty sure most tracks require a belly pan.
Quote from: 007brendan on July 01, 2010, 09:41:41 AM
I'm pretty sure most tracks require a belly pan.
Good little tid-bit.
:bowdown:
Quote from: 007brendan on July 01, 2010, 09:41:41 AM
I'm pretty sure most tracks require a belly pan.
That's exactly it. AFM requires that any 4 stroke engine run a belly-pan with a rear dam capable of containing 4 liters of fluid, or the engine oil capacity, whichever is smaller. There are plenty of aftermarket belly-pans available for the GS500, but none of the ones I've seen provide oil containment (including the Airtech Titan Kit.) What I have on there now is the crashed bellypan from a SV650 race bike, repaired and cut down so that it fits the GS.
Eventually, Ill install a full set of bodywork. I've been eyeing stuff designed for the Honda Hawk, since the hawk and the GS have very similar shapes and dimensions.
For what it's worth, this bike was built on an incredibly tight budget. Here's the breakdown:
$500 - Used 93 GS500
$100 - Carb rebuild kit, Fluids
$75 - Battery
$250 - Woodcraft Clip-ons
$250 - Racetech .85 springs, Cartrage Emulators
$65 - Buddha Fork Brace / Engine Cover
$35 - 2001 Katana 750 Shock
$240 - Tires (I've only used one set this season. I'll need a new front for round 5.)
$100 - Misc stuff; plates, numbers aluminum scrap.
--------------------
$1,615 total.
The most expensive part of racing is transportation, food, and track costs. A typical race weekend costs about $500, and I've spent upwards of $1000 in one month if I include track-days.
With that said, the GS is a very economical trackbike. Reliable, low maintenance, and inexpensive to run. The cheapest way to get a lot of practice time is to hook-up with some experienced racers for information, share a ride to the track, and focus on attending 2-3 day events, rather than spending a lot of money on fuel and hotels to attend single day events.
Quote from: burning1 on July 01, 2010, 03:43:23 PM
The most expensive part of racing is transportation, food, and track costs. A typical race weekend costs about $500, and I've spent upwards of $1000 in one month if I include track-days.
So what are typical track costs that make it so expensive?
From the AFM's website, here's a breakdown of the typical racing fees at Sears Point Raceway:
AMB Transponder Rental $60.00
Airfence Fund Donation $10.00
Saturday Practice $135.00
500 Twins: $80.00
Clubman Lightweight: $60.00
450 Superbike: $60.00
--------------------------------
$405
So, Saturday practice costs $135, the first race is $80, and each additional race is $60.
The AMB transponder is a major expense; you can either buy it outright for $400, or rent it for $60 a race. Buying outright makes a lot of sense, since they usually sell for $360 used - E.g. you don't loose a lot of money on the purchase, unlike the rental which goes down a hole. I rented the first few events because I couldn't afford to buy a transponder at the time. I finally found a good deal, and jumped on it.
The Airfence donation is optional. We install protective airfences around the most dangerous walls at our local racetracks for safety.
I ride with a friend. He pays for the gas and food, and I give him a flat $100 for the weekend. It works out very well for me, since he deals tires, and drives a toy hauler to the track.
The deal food also works out well, since the shop at Sears Point is very freaking expensive... I once spend $100 on food for the weekend. I generally also spend about $40 a on fuel for the bike.
Other race tracks are less expensive, but significantly further away, so while race entry fees are about $40 less, fuel fees are probably $60+ more expensive.
Here is the flip side... The environment and the experience of racing is unbelievable, and the energy at a trackday just doesn't compare.
Everyone is fast. We see about 300 racers a weekend, and of them only a couple dozen wouldn't be able to ride in the 'A' group at a local track-day.
I've picked up my pace immensely. Working with some of the guys there, I've been able to drop 10-20 seconds a lap off of my track-day best at a lot of these events.
Race fees for next weekend:
Saturday Practice - July 10-11, 2010 @ Thunderhill
1993 Suzuki GS500 $120.00
Airfence Fund Donation
$10.00
500 Twins - July 10-11, 2010 @ Thunderhill
Priority: 1 - 1993 Suzuki GS500 $75.00
Clubman Lightweight - July 10-11, 2010 @ Thunderhill
Priority: 2 - 1993 Suzuki GS500 $50.00
450 Superbike - July 10-11, 2010 @ Thunderhill
Priority: 3 - 1993 Suzuki GS500 $50.00
Subtotal: $305.00
A typical track-day would cost about $180 there, so the price difference isn't as bad as you might expect. For this event, I'll chip in $150 for fuel and food.
effin awesome :thumb: