So after the AFM Races at Sears Pt this week-end I took my trusty Beowulf out & hit the track for the first time in 6 years. Here's a rundown on how it went

Getting signed up was easy - Donna @ Ride Red Shift is really nice under pressure, and the day was undersubscribed because racers getting in extra practice are such a big part of the clientele, and with AFM races at the same track the day before, well...

Sunday - get back from watching Gogo & the rapidly expanding KTM population at the track do some great riding. Prep the bike for the track day
-remove all 4 pieces of side plastics
-tape up headlight
-remove my touring windscreen & install original pasty
-remove tail-light (@&*$%@#*!! - those bolts are not easy to reach)
-change oil - Amsoil dominator 15W50 racing
-remove barend mirrors / turn-signals / license plate

-get gear together - WTF?!? BOTH my racing suits are 'missing' - so I piss & moan for about an hour, throw a tantrum, and ready my street-leathers - at least the racing boots & cool-shirt were still there.
-get some sleep

Monday
-load up Alucarda (the Eurovan - Transporter T-4 for you folks in civilization)
-eat bagel, gas up, get to the track, register, set up, suit up, check pressures

I spent the first three sessions going really slowly, trying to see when these 2CTs were going to betray me & how (old Dunlop man, can you tell?), and learning the new-to-me turns - the new 9, the chicane in the middle of the back almost-straight, and the very strange and fun new turn 1.

Rider forums were great. Chuck Sorensen & Tom Montano gave clear down-to-earth riding tips, and are much more approachable off the track than on! It was great getting a feel from them for how to handle the new geography of the track.

By the fourth session I started picking up some speed, got into a couple of slides, and realised, as we are wont to do, that I really could have been going a bit faster all along. Adjust accordingly.

The Michelins are great, but my 6-year hiatus from racing and the intervening improvement in all tyre technology may have a lot more than Michelin to do with that - these tyres feel like Motoracer with the 'simulation mode' turned off - they get sideways on the brakes without complaint, they make noise as they're letting go, and they have a huge, mile-wide, rubber-bumper edge when you slide - it's as if they come back in on their own. Mind you, I did not spend all day doing these things - the rear end slid around probably 10 or 20 times, and I must have slid the front 5 times max - it just made an impression how completely comfortable that felt.

33psi front, 30 rear worked well on these, and now I see what the guys at TriValley moto say about the bike liking the 190 tyre better than my 180. The issue is not so much full-lean or trail-braking for me getting on the throttle as you stand the bike up coming out of a corner - there are many places at Sears Point where this applies - 4 of them absolutely critical because of the length of straight after turns 9 and 11, the chicane, and the carousel.

When you have the bike not quite upright and are hard on the throttle in these situations, the Pilot Power 180 seems to have a slight crown just far enough off-center to really stress the rubber there. In this picture you can see how the rubber looks more abused just off-center, on that place.


First session after lunch was cut short for me - as the front touched down after turn 9 I reached for the shift-lever to stab 2 quick downshifts and could not find it. Goddamned shifter is missing - very unpleasant going through a chicane with no gears. Hand up, waving to anyone behind me, slowly edge to the left & exit turn 11. Boy, does this bike not like loping along through the pits in 4th. Once in the pits I see that the pivot bolt has fallen completely off and the shift-lever is dangling by the linkage. Run over to a vendor nearby, and they have spare bolts. The closest match leaves the shifter with quite a wobble, but it's on and pretty likely to stay that way. Off I go again.

Last session of the day, at 4:20

Sounds like you had a good time at Sear's. Four days there last week really took it's toll on me. I am hobbling around like an old man and it took two days to come down from the adrenaline rush I had from the open twins race.

It seems that we had similar experiences with the new suspension parts. I couldn't believe that the bike could be that different. It took me two days at T-Hill and another two at Sear's Point to get back in a groove where I felt comfortable. Now it's ON!!
That tyre of yours looks pretty hard to me. After a day at the track on the mighty SD I would expect it to look a bit more worn. I ran a soft rear for one day last week at Sear's and switched to a med/soft for no real reason on Friday. It stuck very well for me and I ran it all weekend. At the pace I ride, this med/soft compound is just fine but I expect that the soft will be better as I pick up the pace. And I will pick up the pace!
If you need tyres for everyday use, I can keep you in take-offs for an eternity. Cheap! The center of my tyres are just about untouched. No way you would need the slightly worn sides on the street. At least not to the extreme that you would on the track.
You may want to call Alex at AFMotorsports for racer pricing on some more Michelins.
I am switching to a 15 tooth counter as it just came in the post/mail.
We'll see how it wakes this bike up.
Now I have to get psych'ed up for two days at T-Hill on Monday and Tuesday.
I wouldn't get too wrapped up in losing your tail lights, etc. at the track. I know a guy just north of you that has many bins full of SD parts that are available for sale.
Come by next round and say hello! If you ride your bike, come park it in my pit!
Here is the link to a local post. Looky who's in the first pic!!
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forum ... p?t=331829

Man, that guy's so fast he's blurring the light! - As far as picking up the pace - and yes, free advice is worth what you pay for it... - concentrate on smoothness and the speed will come on its own.

As for the tyres not looking very worn - having spent many years and a few , I think a lot of my tyre 'savings' came from not too much throttle anywhere - concentrating mostly on corner speed.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but one thing that might help you gain more speed is to spend a day on one of Brian Bartlow's 250 proddy bikes, at some track-day or practice, and then switching back & forth w. the SD - I noticed when I first switched to the Aprilia, going back to the 250 proddy bike I felt comfortable pushing it harder, and saw places where it had more to give than I had noticed before.