RHill

Don't quote me on this, but DOT 5.1 is supposed to be compatible with DOT 4 & 3. All are glycol based, but 5.1 has a higher boiling point. Maybe it meant to be 5.1? because 4 and 5 are not compatible at all. If you are unsure, don't use it in anything you don't feel like fully breaking down to clean. Yeah, more than likely it is molded right on top of the reservoir.....but as I already admitted, I'm an idiot. One advantage to DOT 5 is that it repels water (hydrophobic), and I thought it has some magic pixie dust that might help improve my brake performance.....well if it ain't broke, don't break it trying to make it better. Got a fresh bottle of DOT 3/4 and what will be 2 afternoons into (hopefully) getting my brakes right back to where it all started; well at least the calipers are getting cleaned....one "improvement" out of this whole mess.

how is it in the cold? can deal with the cold overnights, just hopefully warms up during the day for a couple decent afternoons

Short story, I'm an idiot, just say no to DOT 5 brake fluid. Long Version.... Bought some DOT 5 brake fluid awhile back and had it sitting in the spare parts box for the longest time. Did some research before I bought it and knew needed to be installed with a flush. Well, like I said, I'm an idiot and didn't completely flush the system. Ran a few track days with it, first two the color changed slightly from purple to grey...OK, don't really care about that. Brakes felt a little spongy at Mid-O, so I popped the master to bleed them. Congealed nastyness lay in the reservoir. Dump it out, fill it up and vacuum through 2/3 of a bottle to clean out as much as I can. As the day progressed, the master cylinder started making a squeak noise when compressed.....as I said, I'm an idiot, so I rode the rest of the day with no real issue, but the brakes felt like ass. Tore the system down tonight, and that congealed nastyness was throughout the system. The seals are all in good shape, but I'm having fun with one piston that doesn't want to pop. Managed get a shot of brake cleaner in the eye so I'm calling it a night. I'll be back at it again with the rear master and caliper tomorrow....this time wearing some PPE. Hopefully this saves someone the trouble

Feeling down with the cold weather creeping in this weekend? Just take a look at the weather in Birmingham, Alabama: http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USAL0054:1:US http://www.n2td.org/ Do it! (first video I saw with a track map overlay ) Shout out to Riders Discount for posting some sweet videos.....looking forward to recreating this one while passing Brandon next month

All I've ever done is blow air through mine with a 4" duct fan after getting home from the track. Let it sit for a day or two with air circulating through it, done. Bought some of the Lexol leather cleaner, but it turned brown and putrid after a few months of sitting on the shelf. Don't think washing it down would hurt, ridden in the rain a few times. Your spidi have a removable liner? mind didn't till it started to rip out after much abuse, now it is nearly fully removed

Might have to pick one of these up if my gopros ever crap out. Is the battery removable? I see some of the other versions seem to come with 2x batteries, but I can't find the SportShot 2" with multiple batteries or even batteries sold separately. And speaking of batteries, any idea of how long a charge lasts?

Few more videos for reference: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6516891

Wish I could make tomorrow....limited vacation with work sucks. I'll be hanging out in garage 2 Wednesday.

PTR Appreciation Day: Wednesday, October 7 Just got the email over the weekend and signed up, anyone else attending?

Sure didn't feel up to pace....I mean I got passed by Stoppable, but had a great time

Yep, completely dry all day. Morning was cool and took a few sessions to come in, but I think a lot of it was in my head trying to learn a new track, new front suspension and sort some issues with the bike. Should have some video going up over the next few days. Track was a lot different than I expected, really enjoyed it tho....lots of time to cut, hope to make it back next year.

This is how Ron is planning on covering gas for the trip

Yeah, luckily there are a few other options with Putnam and NJMP running that same weekend. Would love to make Putnam, but already have N2 days paid for, so looking forward to NJMP Lightning and Thunderbolt!

Along with my crooked clip ons, I was getting some pretty nasty headshake on corner entrance at PIRC. This was on the "new" frame I picked up with the 750 engine....so I'm betting it was the steering stem bearings. Went ahead and ordered some just to find out the retaining nut was completely loose. The service manual calls out some pretty serious torque for both nuts....32.5 ftlbs for the retaining nut, then back off 1/4 to 1/2 turn, and 58 ftlbs for the jam nut. Figured it would be nice to actually torque them properly, so I fabbed up a spanner socket. Welds on the teeth are kind of ugly, but they didn't budge, so good enough. Since I already bought the bearings, went ahead and changed them out. They call for a special driver tool to tighten them in via threaded rod, but I just used an old race and tapped them in with a hammer. \

We need an OR trackday, checking out this thing would be icing on the cake

Hasn't proven itself yet, but it will be. Traffic was rough because of a sold out event, having a few issues with the bike(including some headshake on corner entrance that hasn't been pinpointed yet), and I was trying to be a little reserved while adapting to the 750 considering the collarbone.....even with all that still managed a few laps within a second of my previous personal best, and even more importantly, had a great weekend.

and once again, the bike took on another color scheme...

Fun little update, went to PIRC a couple weeks ago(videos below)....anyway, was in a hurry before the trackday building a bike around a 750 engine. Noticed about half way through the first day that my clip-ons were crooked as hell, but it didn't feel that bad, so kept riding. Forgot about it that evening, then rode through it the next day as well. Mr. Stoppable mentioned building a clip on alignment tool...figured I'd make one as well just to have around. Well this is the results: and what I was riding with at PIRC....first clutch side lined up, second the comparison to the throttle side: Is the tool necessary? No, the same thing can be accomplished with a straight edge and a measuring tape. Did I overbuild it? More than a little, it is the material that was available. Is it a neat little gadget? Sure is, makes measuring the clip on alignment side to side take about 5 seconds. Tip: After they are lined up, scribe a mark on the upper triple clamp and each clip on clamp, so they can be lined up every time without any tools. Now on to the PIRC videos:

In.....Taft is wanting to go as well. I'm going to need a tow to get up to speed....then I can let the 750 eat on the big straight!

Do want...

If a tree falls in the woods.... When someone goes down on the track, there are people who talk about it, well wishes, videos, all that good stuff. Just because you don't see it first hand or hear of it happening, doesn't mean it isn't. Out of the last dozen or so group rides I was on, 4 people went down....1 requiring an ambulance, 1 requiring a bike fished out of a ravine(me) and the other two were luckily very minor. These were just normal paced street rides....similar to the pace we have rode in the past. Now consider the density of riders,and riding time at each track day. Then add in the pace and environment. PIRC full we had 61 riders per group, 3 groups + control riders. Lets just call it 200 people. 7 sessions at 20 minutes apiece. That is equivalent to 200 people on a 2.5 hour ride at and beyond their limit. There is going to be crashes, and there is going to be witnesses who want to give their well wishes and know that the person is OK. So yeah, crashes at the track are a lot more visible than the one guy out riding by himself on some back road that overdoes it just a hair and hits be berm.

Complete outside speculation, but his position leads me to believe it may have been a saved highside that steered him into the inside of the track. I've spun the rear cresting into thunder valley plenty of times...most of the time it is predictable, but if you are not expecting it and it tosses you, it would send you in that direction. The change in environment and hazards will definitely cause concerns when first adapting to the track. Hell, in the reverse scenario, I'd be shaking in my boots going back to a spirited street ride at this point. Traffic on track can sometimes get a little congested, but that is why passing rules are in place for each group(novice, intermediate, advance). There is also an option to get out of the traffic, signal and pit, cruise through, and head back out for some clean track. With that being said I don't see that much of a difference in safety between a reasonably spirited street ride and track time, they should both be extremely safe. What it comes down to IMHO, is the point at which you start pushing your limits, there's no way around it, hazard exists in that unknown zone. Track vs street, I'd rather lowside on the track 100 times to the 1 time on the street....the repercussions of sliding off the side of the road are too high on the street. Riding in SEO doesn't eliminate the traffic concerns, it reduces the likelyhood of them occurring. It is the moment that you start getting comfortable that one of those hazards poses the most risk. Nivin's video of being pulled out in front of comes to mind.

You trying to hustle someone being in the novice group or something? Step up and challenge for KING OF INTERMEDIATE!!! There is no King of Novice....don't want to put too much pressure on the newbs. We really need to get a badge or trophy or something and pass it around to whoever "slums" it when they should have been in advanced.

Have fun today any tomorrow guys....if I wasn't scrapping pennies together for a new suit I'd be there.

With the liner in it fits me at 5'7 and around 230....sleeves are just a little long on me. Pretty much new, only worn a handful of times $50