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Franken-R1LE & Bumblebee at Heartland Park

9K views 24 replies 8 participants last post by  RogDeb 
#1 ·
Great day in Topeka, Saturday. Very cool in the morning and very warm in the afternoon.

20valves' in front of 'da bus' and the LEs


Liquidsilver's turn






Sportbike Track Time is a first-class track day operator. Everything went swimmingly, with very little traffic out on the track.

The LEs were a very popular fixture at the track. I think just about everybody came over to drool for a moment or two.

The R1 LE's Diablo Corsas are certainly "one-track-day-at-the-most" tires. 20v's already had some road miles on them and were gone at lunchtime. His crew chief kept trying to put his axles in backwards to slow him down, I think. :mrgreen: I was riding like a slug, and my rear is gone at the end of the day. This was my first set of DOT 'race' tires, and I've never had such a lack of confidence in tires at a trackday, ever. I had 2 XL rear step-outs over some grooves, and couldn't ever get my head in the game.

One of the STT guys clued my in at the end of the day, "Dude, why were you looking at the ground?" DOH! Why didn't I talk to him sooner? I guess most of my recent track days have been on very consistent pavement, so as soon as I started at HPT, I was staring at imperfections and grooves... not a good place to find your reference points. DUH!!!! Oh well, still a cracking good time with a relatively deserted track and great comradeship.

Ya know, we didn't talk about FJR-AEs one time. :crylarf:

:)
 
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#5 ·
Looks like a whole lotta fun you guys had, and your didn't even need Glenn ridin' shotgun in the cage :mrgreen:

Lenz, where about in Australia are you - I've got a plan hatching for some track time here in SEQld, probably August or October.
 
#6 ·
Liquidsilver said:
Ya know, we didn't talk about FJR-AEs one time. :crylarf: :)
Damn, another missed opportunity. I was having too much fun to be grumpy. Oh well.

BTW, we are taking applications for brolly babes for the next track day. Photo resumes may be posted here. Um, females only, no cops. :lol:

It was fun and that red/gold hybrid is the bizness in person. I got along ok with the Pirelli Corsa's but was a little shocked that they went away so fast. They looked ok with 1,400 road miles on them, took another 100+ miles at the track to toast 'em completely. The Michelin Pilot Powers look to be holding up much better but we'll see. There were a couple of corners that make you feel like a real racer boy as the rear spins up and the tail steps out a bit. All in all, the R1 kept this old man out of big trouble and provided some great entertainment. That thing will wheelie at speeds that make the hair on your back stand up. 8)
 
#9 ·
20valves said:
That thing will wheelie at speeds that make the hair on your back stand up.
Sounds like a perfect blend of "fear with friends".....98% control and 2% terror. During ones "adolescence" the hair on the back of the neck will stand up however the full "rug-back response" to fright is only experienced by those of us who have reached full male maturity.

Lenz......(50 and furred)
 
#16 ·
20valves and I just finished another day at Heartland Park. The track's extended configuration was open and it totally transformed the track for me. Wa-friggin-Hoo!!

I'm dumbfounded at how the new Dunlop Qualifiers, street tires, had me feeling like the bike was bolted to the track, while last time... the Diablo Corsas, DOT race rubber, had me tip-toe-ing last time. (???) The corsas were gone in one day, and the Qualifiers will probably last 3. I understand 20v's Pilot Powers are also doing great. Truly, some dynamics there I don't understand.

There were so few riders on the track, they combined intermediates and advanced and ran it 'limited endurance' - 30-minute sessions, alternated 1-2 with novice. Running 30-minute sessions will definitely put hair on your chest... or sweat it off! Uh, just be sure you go out with enough fuel! *ahem* 3.5 total hours of pure 'hanging on to R1' bliss.

It sure was fun running with the real racer-boys. One of 'em put a really tight pass on me, and apologized later. I told him there was no need to apologize... it was awesome!!

20v and I were moving pretty slowly into the pizza joint at the end of the day, and if you hear strange groaning and creaking sounds tomorrow, it may be the sounds of two old guys in different cities trying to walk. :D

My 11-year old daughter played pit slave for us... and it looks like she got some nice shots of both of us. I'll try to post 'em up Monday.

Awesome trip. Thanks for the pizza, 20v!



:)
 
#18 ·
RogDeb said:
Is there such a thing as "too much fun"? :lol:
Well, as Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen sing:

"There's a whole lotta things that I've never done,
I ain't never had too much fun!"

So Rog, the question's been asked an answered in immortality.

Hey liquid, I definitely got more physical with the bike this time. I felt like I'd gone 10 rounds wreslin' a grizzly. I guess hitting the brakes at a buck fifty all day is like one long push up. Sure was fun though.

Yeah, the pizza was good, thanks for the emergency petrol!
 
#19 ·
I think smashing copious quantities of pizza at the end of the day is so great. Sorta the last childish thing we can do before we have to go home and act like grown-ups again. :)

Still trying to limp around fast enough to steal - er, borrow the 11-year old's camera card.

The kids took me bicycle riding yesterday, and I was riding like a wounded duck. :crylarf:

(but it's a good kind of hurt)



:)
 
#20 ·
20valves said:
RogDeb said:
Is there such a thing as "too much fun"? :lol:
Well, as Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen sing:

"There's a whole lotta things that I've never done,
I ain't never had too much fun!"

So Rog, the question's been asked an answered in immortality.

!
Cool answer 20v.
Just wish I had one of your bikes (either one :wink: ) and the ability to negotiate it around a track at anything resembling race speeds 8)
I can eat pizza though :lol:
 
#21 ·
Liquidsilver said:
The kids took me bicycle riding yesterday, and I was riding like a wounded duck. :crylarf:

(but it's a good kind of hurt)
Sounds like one of those "golden days" - plenty of room and time on the track followed by the feasting and boasting. The Norse legends and their version of Valhalla wasn't that much different.

You guys are just down on "match fitness" - you'll have to step the program up to once a week - all in the interests of good health of course - call it "circuit training"......Thanks for sharing...... 8)(don't have an emoticon for envious)
 
#22 ·
RogDeb said:
the ability to negotiate it around a track at anything resembling race speeds 8)
I can eat pizza though :lol:
Hey bro, the bike and the speeds aren't the important part, seriously. Getting on the track and going fast without worrying about road conditions, speeding tickets and cell phone talkin' soccer moms "driving" minivans into your path, THAT's what makes the day.

The best thrill is realizing how high the limits of your bike are. Being able to practice the same corner over and over is just a great way to learn. It also helps me slow down on the street while knowing that the bike has the capabilities to usually bale me out as long as I maintain a sane pace while in traffic.

And yeah, never underestimate the power of a pile of pepperoni pizza! :ale: 8)
 
#23 ·
Here's some pics... (taken by an 11-year old)



can you identify the flying yellow object?















I started making peace with the track, myself.







My daughter doing camera art:
Oh my.


Bye y'all.


:)
 
#25 ·
20valves said:
RogDeb said:
the ability to negotiate it around a track at anything resembling race speeds 8)
I can eat pizza though :lol:
Hey bro, the bike and the speeds aren't the important part, seriously. Getting on the track and going fast without worrying about road conditions, speeding tickets and cell phone talkin' soccer moms "driving" minivans into your path, THAT's what makes the day.

The best thrill is realizing how high the limits of your bike are. Being able to practice the same corner over and over is just a great way to learn. It also helps me slow down on the street while knowing that the bike has the capabilities to usually bale me out as long as I maintain a sane pace while in traffic.

And yeah, never underestimate the power of a pile of pepperoni pizza! :ale: 8)
Know what you mean :D . MM2 & I just did Streetmasters Cornering School two weeks ago. That's the nearest I've been to a "track day" and it was a blast. Learned a lot also :D
 
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