Summit Point Main 26/05

[BurnCycle]

I know most of you are heading down to VIR for the weekend but I was wondering if anyone is going to SP this Friday?

[Ant]

nope but I'll be there 6-25.

[CBRBob]

nope

[r6tony]

nope but I'll be there 6-25.

me too, and the 11th.

[BurnCycle]

Cool... Not too many on my local boards either... Fingers crossed for a quiet day.

I should be able to do 12, 25 & 26 next month. I don't really have an interest in running JC on the 11th.

[r6tony]

Cool... Not too many on my local boards either... Fingers crossed for a quiet day.

I should be able to do 12, 25 & 26 next month. I don't really have an interest in running JC on the 11th.

i love the jeff. slippery, short, it's a blast!!!

[BurnCycle]

I can't say I was too eager to run in the rain on a track that is notoriously slippery when dry but...

During the riders meeting it started to drizzle a little, then it pored heavy for the next five minutes only to lighten up long enough to get suited up and out on the track before pissing down again. The 'main' course at Summit Point is a challenge enough as it is on the best of days. Add rain into the mix and becomes something of a monster. No longer are you trying to find the fastest line but the least slick. When the back end lets loose you know you didn't get it right that lap... try again.

I had put sliders on the bike earlier this week but just because I had them didn't mean I wanted to use them. I did find myself more comfortable in the wet than a number of others but also slid the rear more than others too. At the end of the first session the rain subsided but the track was soaked.

Session two saw the beginnings of dry lines but only in a few corners. The pace picked up but still below beginner on a dry day. I worked on body position and proper lines (not just less slick ones).

Session three things started to pick up and the pace was what it should be. Only T1 was questionable but the rest of the track had a nice dry line. I made some minor adjustments to the bike and shifting was easier than on my last track day which made things a little more comfortable. I also took more confidence in my tires this time and it showed as my knee dragged through T6&7 (long, long right). The bike was feeling well planted with only the rider being the main point of concern. :laugh I did have to end the session a few laps early due to visor fog issues. :banghead

Session four would be where things went south. The track was largely dry and I found myself setting into one of the fastest I have yet done on the track. For a lap or two I was riding in a group of with Nate Kern (#1 pate BMW series) which pushed things along. Nate and two other riders pulled away leaving me to pace with a Duc 996 which was still quite fast, until... I entered T10 (last turn before long straight) at a far tic and as I ease on the gas to pull out I had no response! Then all of a sudden I was back off like a rocket. I didn't know what to make of it. It happened again coming out of T1 I raised my hand to let others know I had a problem. Nothing like taking a slow lap in the middle of a session. Got to the pits, pulled in and started tearing the bike apart, good thing it was lunch time.

I found a nicked wire from using the holesaw to drill for the sliders but that wasn't the issue as the bike ran with it disconnected. I check my TOS because I had to solder a wire a while back to make it functional (er, my TOS is modified not to work but complete a circuit to avoid the C23 code) but that wasn't the issue. I checked all the connections around the ECU but nothing was out of sort. Nothing. :banghead

Then I found the issue... My low fuel indicator light is blown. :dowhat :laugh

OK... Bike back together and toped up with some fresh octane.

Session five would be my last. I wasn't able to get back into a rhythm and everything I worked on during the slow morning laps wasn't being utilized. Rain started falling again though it was only a light drizzle and didn't affect the pace much. My concentration was shot and I was turning into a danger to myself.

At the end of the session the weather took a turn for the worse. It poured down has hard as it did during the morning. I ended up shooting the shit with a few other riders then packing it up... So did 50% of the other riders. You'd hear the call for the different run groups and later hear 1 or 2 bikes go by. Beginner was grouped with Red but still no more than 5 bikes went out (or so it seemed).

In all this was not my best track day but was a learning experience. I'm off to try and make some lemonade now.

Wet track? No worries...
http://www.mariposaderojo.com/Pics/TLR/Track2/Track1.jpg

Now Cristine probably read all that and thought I had forgotten about her... Her Buell was running well when it wasn't falling apart on the track. :roflmao:

[BurnCycle]

Some misc pics...

Nate Kern's BWM (1 of 3 BMW's he had there)...
http://www.mariposaderojo.com/Pics/TLR/Track2/BMW1.jpg

My SS and trailer...
http://www.mariposaderojo.com/Pics/TLR/Track2/TBSS1.jpg

Elvis... er... Nate...
http://www.mariposaderojo.com/Pics/TLR/Track2/NK1.jpg

[Kennedy]

Nice write up, but I never knew summit was slippery when dry....?

[BurnCycle]

Nice write up, but I never knew summit was slippery when dry....?

More of a mental slippery I guess with the tar strips/patches along T6 & 7 that theirs no avoiding and the concrete patches through T1 and 5. The concrete itself isn't that bad but take an 'off line' and you'll think you were in the rain.

[lateapex]

More of a mental slippery I guess with the tar strips/patches along T6 & 7 that theirs no avoiding and the concrete patches through T1 and 5. The concrete itself isn't that bad but take an 'off line' and you'll think you were in the rain.

The concrete patches have just as much grip as the pavement. As for the slipperyness off line that is caused by the rubber marbles (from everyones tires) that are out there, not the track. The track is usually blown off every morning but by the afternoon there are marbles are back.

[BurnCycle]

Mental slippery… Say it with me. Mental slippery. I define it as: An aspect of the track that can come into play mentally which may or may not have any actual relevance to what is real. Or, it’s all in your head.

[lateapex]

We all have to play the mental game with ourselves. Pushing past it is the only way to better our riding. Best suggestion is find someone at your level of riding, that you totally trust, and push each other. You'll break down those mental blocks real quick.

[BurnCycle]

This past day is one I’ve psycho analyzed more than any other I’ve done in the last 3-years. The conditions forced some aspects of my riding to come to light that I may have been missing in the past. Having a dedicated track bike is helping heaps too.

One of the main things I discovered during this day is that I have a 2/3 issue.

1. Form (body position)
2. Lines
3. Speed

When I was forced to run slower due to the wet conditions my lines and form fell into place. As the speed picked up and I concentrated on body position my lines faulted somewhat. This is mainly due to me being an inflexible oaf. At speed I wasn't quick enough to transition the bike and be where I wanted to be on it. I did run a few laps at speed with neglect to the form but was uncomfortable doing so due to the bike being more unsettled than if I'm where I should be on it.

Haydenitis… Another thing I noticed is that I could keep pace with riders with little issue but when riding on my own (in front of a pack) then my 2/3 issues would really kick in.

This is the lemonade part...

At least I can take this information and build on it. On a dry day if I keep my lines and form the speed will come. I believe trying to force the speed is only going to set me back on the track. I believe that’s what happened on the last session of the day and why I felt I lost my rhythm.

Why after doing riding track for three years am I only making this determination now... The last few on the TLS were done for fun and I wasn't pushing myself or the bike due to not wanting to bin it again after rebuilding it. Now that I have a dedicated track bike that I can beat on I can push that little extra and not worry about the bike and sliding it off the track should I screw up.

[Cristine]

Hey Bern,

Good to see you at Summit. Your 2/3 analysis is right on. I focused on speed as the final third for an embarrassingly long time, but it worked for me. Now my speed is picking up as a result (I am still slow - just less so).

Now if I can get the bike reliable and be confident its not going to blow up more days than not, I would be very happy. You know when parts fall off the Buell but it still runs - I count it with the good days. :nod2:

Cristine
Orange Buell S1
#144