Barber (an experience to remember)

[John712]

This is long, if you read it then cool, if not, its also cool. But some like to read up on track day experiences!

As most of you know me and levi went to Barber in Alabama! Thursday i loaded the car and open trailer with levis bike and all our stuff. tight fit but i got it all in there. I kept saying to myself i should take the truck and enclosed but we didn't. I managed to squeeze everything in my Scion with just enough room to put the passenger side chair back to get some sleep. like levi says, i can pack earth in a box Thread to the bike --->> http://sportbikeaddicts.com/forums/s...ead.php?t=7744 but i was anxious, happy and impatient all at once because i finally get to get the bike i put a deposit on like a month or so ago.

we left at like 4pm for barber but not before stopping at WCW to pick my order up!. i was in rush mode the entire time, because i was picking up a new to me bike 2007 gsxr600. we got about 1/2 way there before we starting driving through some serious rain, down pouring!! it was cool though, we were warned to do the speed limit because there are many troopers out, and we seen maybe 3 or so only!

we made good timing to get there, just under 15 hours. we got to barber at about 6:30am friday with a lot of time to spare. We drove to see if we were able to drop the trailer and NOPE we werent allowed not till 5pm or so, there were cars on the track. okay, no problem.. we drove to cracker barrel for some breakfast, hung out a bit and back to the museum parking lot to wait for the museum to open. we slept in the car for a bit, and it starting raining so hard, i never seen anything like it before. the thunder that woke us up sounded as if someone lit a stick of dynamite next to my car, unreal!!

10am rolls around, we make adjustments, putting other stuff in the car to prevent a theft, ya never know. walked around the museum for a bit taking pictures and working up an appetite! 1pm or so we left for lunch, off to ruby tuesdays to wait for Troy and Laurie to arrive. had food and a few beers! the guy next to me was weird, he smoked 1 1/2 pack of smokes in about 2 hours or less. we got a call from Troy saying hes in the museum parking lot, we left rubys and met them in their hotel on wheels, this thing is ][P ][ ][v][ ][P, it has a freaking fire place!!!!!!!

after hanging out there for a bit we were able to enter and drop the trailers, set up shop ETC. we hung out a bit again there then we went shopping for food and what not. after shopping we stopped at Subway, ordered a few subs and ate there. the girl working the counter rapped me with her eyes lol then i found out saturday night from troy that he noticed it to i also came to find out that either troy or laurie have no problem with 6 inchs lol

back to the hotel on wheels to get ready for saturday, PLUS i get the new bike!! saturday morning rolls around, rain here and there, no biggie i got Cakes rains Aaron calls me says he at the track, he got there late. i find Aaron meet up with him, we go to the side trailer door and BAMM, the bike is on its fucking side, it fucking fell over in the trailer!! we get the bike up, and only minimal damage, only the tank cover is scratched and chipped.

I get it over to where im pitted and started working on it. i had to put the exhaust on, bleed the brakes front and rear with Troys help, swap the tires and put the DCIII's on. i was having a difficult time getting the Aarow exhaust on, Troy gave me Lauries old M4 with a big jug of bolts. I think i spent more time looking for the bolts then i did trying to get the Aarow on. But i stopped with the M4 and got the Aarow on in 5 minutes after messing with the M4

bleeding the brakes took a long while. we got the squared away then come to find out the battery is dead. okay i will charge it while i do more work to the bike. i misssed the entire first half of the day and 1 session after lunch. Aaron, the guy i got the bike from gave me a brand new battery. cool! but so much for a mint running bike huh?? finally after getting everything in tune, brakes front and rear, bike running new battery i was cleaning up some. Aaron came back to me and ----- GAVE ME

-6 sets of Extreme EBC pro's

-extra stock shock

-front fender new, and undertail NEW

-stock throttle to swtich from 1/4 turn back to regular

-2 extra Gilles bars

-10 sets of the decals thats on the bike now in case of a wreck, just paint and put decals on

-hundreds of other stickers

-suzuki umbrella

-NEW ohlins damper

$200 off the price of the bike, that pretty much paid for my day. he was an honest stand up guy.

over all im happy with everything, i got in 3 sessions, bike is strong, i ran through all the gears over and over, getting used to the 1/4 turn throttle, it IS touchy, and getting used to the track which actually took me a session to learn it. the track was wet and raining here and there. Troy saif the DCIII's are good, i said to myself if troy trusts them, then i will and went out there like it wasnt wet out. although i had some slipping, but that was expected.

hanging out with troy and laurie as well as levi as always is fun. the drive back home was horrible, im sure you all know that and the pictures will explain that.