Moto-Brian

Were you having front end "feel" issues Sunday? Meaning, vague front end feel?

I had a terrible time at Putnam this time around. The twin is still hard to figure out. It is a ton of fun, but I struggle on setup. I have never been a knob turner and I think maybe I need to start new and start from the beginning and see if I can sort it out. The wheel base is short and causes the front to be light everywhere. We tried raising the rear a bit to allow it to steer better as I had an understeer issue. That worked a bit and as mentioned before, we chased preload settings all day Saturday. Cred to guys like Brandon and Gene for showing up Sunday and running quick out of the box. Gene ran the fastest times of the weekend and actually went slower each race. It was really strange and tough to figure out. I didn't have good results really. I felt I did OK considering some things, but in the end, I got really good starts. Agnes is a BEAST on starts. I think I am almost as good as the twin launches well. It is the shinning point in the season as I seem to be there on the starts. In 1000GT, Agnes, myself and Peters were all wheelies from the start until the first crest. It was crazy. I was short shifting and still lofting the wheel... Race #2, I got a solid start, but carried the wheel a good distance again and put too much weight to the left and thought I cut Peters wheel on the start, but he said it was all good. Race #3, I got a solid start and Agnes and I were in front 1-2 until lap 4. Then ol' Justin and Gene pulled past me like I was glued to the track. My results were shitty, but felt I did a decent job. Could run a few laps as hard as I felt I could with the issues and then, they just wore me out. The surge, clunk issue in the turns just wore me down. The chassis never got planted and the surging issues caused the bike to get upset like if you chopped the throttle. I always felt like I was going to lowside. Turn 1 was the worse. So much speed and load on the front and just before turn in, it was on and off and was just not good. I tried hard. Lost several positions and just couldn't do it. I thought of coming in on the third race, but knew Wrobel and Neyra would have busted my nuts too much for quitting... Peer pressure... So, I think I got a 6th in 100GT. Was my funnest race because I looked back and saw Kent coming on the last lap. Knew he was CRAZY good at 5 so, I came in tight to defend, but had a lapper. I made the decision to pass on the outside going into the Bus Stop. BUT, thelapper went wide into it and I crushed the brakes to avoid clipping him, cut tight inside and lost all my entry speed. Matt passed me like a rocket out of a cannon coming out! I was laughing in my helmet and cussing him out at the same time. I knew it! I knew as soon as I scrubbed speed, I was a goner. In 1000 SB #1, I got 4th. Held off Wrobel that was on a shit front tire that I wouldn't give free to my least favorite rider. How the hell he raced that race on that pile of shit tire is beyond me. But, I looked back, saw him and tried to put my head down. The tranny issue was a big deal that race and it had me blowing some lines and Jeff was on my ass for line choice and being all over the place. So, I punched him in the mouth and ran. No, I didn't and he was joking, but it was stupid as to me missing my points and such. 1000 SB #2 was the last race I ran. Got a 5th. Just had shit for anyone. Agnes and I held 1-2 until right before halfway when the rocket ship freight train of Neyra and Burcham came flying by. Robert got me also. They all just powered by me, but were also riding better so, it wasn't just power. Also, Dave on the R6 beating a lot of us open bikes was proof that it isn't about power that makes a fast lap time. I think he and Wrobel had the second fastest times of the weekends. They pushed each other to :13.1s, I think... Anyways, hope to find out what the issue is with the tranny issues. I am probably not back until the Sept events due to work. Hope to see you all at Nelson or Beaver! I also will not make Grattan due to work, either so, I think only two more rounds! It was great hanging with Steve, Craig and the other OR guys. The AFJ guys have more respect from me after this weekend. I always have liked Josh and as far as his comments, I haven't seen them yet, but he is a really good dude. The others like Gerbs, Beard, Mannon, Cob, Brandon, Monger, etc all did well, I think. I know there were a ton of them and even though several attend the other MS events, there were more this round. Sorry Craig couldn't race. The GSXR you rode, dude is by no means an indicator of all GSXRs. I raced GSXRs from 2000 until last season and can say they are as solid a race machine as anything. Just bum luck and most likely, poor maintaining of the machine. Remember, Jeff can ride a fucking scooter fast so, don't try his setup. He's got a different riding style and can make even the shittiest machine look better than it is. That thing was bone stock and from the looks of it, had the forks raised up vs what Jeff ran it last. That means the handling was changed and those bikes need trail. Hence why everyone with a 600 has fork extenders... The gasket deal is a deal that is freaky if the bike was newer or low miles and wasn't crashed, etc. Just bad luck, man. In any case, had a great time. Holy shit the stories we were telling at dinner. Ask Steve about the poop on the seat....

They redesigned them. I'm on my third one. They hold reception great. In fact, I had better reception than my buddy (both on ATT) at Mid-Ohio during AMA weekend... They freakin ROCK!!

Best way to tell is older is thicker body and square edges. New one thinner with rounded edges. The internals are completely different. I other words, you can't take the infrared sensor on the old version and plug into the new and vice versa. Hence, why XT won't fix the old ones.

I actually haven't crashed with one on yet... But, the old generation (thicker and more square) needed a new board and sent it in and they said they only repair the newest one (Thinner and round corners) so, I got one about a year ago. I then had the newest one decide that the connector on the battery tray broke and needed repaired. It comes and goes, but never stays on... Need to send it in, I guess...

Remember two things. One, there are two versions of XT out there. If it is the older one, XT will not replace stuff on it. They will credit you towards a new one which is the newest version. Two, always look for a beacon. But, the XT are fragile. They constantly have issues. I have two and they both are on the fritz...

If you have truly been around racing for such a long time, the waiver is typical and pretty standard issue. There isn't a track out there that has anything different. The wording may come across as different, but at the end of the day, all you are saying is that you are participating in a dangerous activity and should your child or "minor" get hurt and as Todd VERY WELL PUT, if he cracks three ribs to keep him breathing, they aren't liable. In other words, racing is dangerous. People die. This ain't table tennis so, every time he suits up, you suit up, friends suit up... You all risk coming back in a bag. The waivers don't mean shit, either to be honest... You get killed and there is a reason why a particular wall was exposed or something happened where they can easily be found liable? That waiver isn't worth the ink used to print it. Carry on.

Depends on the race gas used. Let's use VP U4.4 which I run as an example. Yes, you need to drain the tank at the end of each day and run pump gas through the fuel pump a short time. The reason is more due to the fact that race fuel will destroy the o-rings and such within the pump... Another thing is that while race fuel technically can be ran for a very long time, the example I am using is oxygenated. Every time you crack it open, you lose the good stuff. Another thing is that race fuel has a shelf life. If it is an opened container, it isn't going to sit long before it is basically wasted. Sure, it will run your bike, but it doesn't get the gains it did before... In the end, unless you are at the top of the rung in racing a series you run at, it really is a waste of money. Track day use? SERIOUS waste of money. I always love it when I come up behind a rider as I am setting up to pass by and smell the top shelf race fuel they are running... Makes me giggle. Could be the fumes. Or, could be the fact that I waxed them while running 93 octane... as for draining the tank, I use a boat siphoning setup. Has the brass end with a marble inside and you essentially jiggle until it shows fuel coming up and it will drain the tank. I then replace pump gas in, start and run for a while... Done.

You obviously have not researched any company that you've dealt with. Those Google reviews? Some of the most important aspects of a business is found right there. Customer service. Again, I don't care how good the deal appears, if you get screwed like the OP did and the deal was done for because a poor decision on the part of management at IM, I and SEVERAL others would be less likely to even consider that dealership when looking. If they had the only one in existence? Maybe. The fact is that several people deal with companies they do not know anything about. They tend to research these companies and look to forums and Google reviews to establish a "would I do business with..." response. The fact is that if I Google IM reviews on Google, I get some reviews that are available. This site is on that first page and if you search, you will find this thread. All useful things when trying to sort out whether or not to do business with. IM has a responsibility. Customer service. Simple as that. They conducted poor customer service in this situation. thus, a warranted review. Again, take the personal shit aside and look with an open mind. You're buying a car. Do you just buy it based on color and model? Do you review it by searching the internet? When you decide it is right for you, do you just go to the local guy and buy it no matter what the cost or do you research and find the best prices and try to get closest to that? When you buy it and it needs serviced, do you just go blindly to a tech that says they can work on it or do you check that shop out before dropping your baby off? All legit things that most people do.

Not really. You said that Disney sucked and you come on here to complain. You still gave them money and are just upset that it didn't fulfill what you had in mind. The OP paid for a bike and never got it. He complained how they did the transaction. He gave everyone a heads up as to how they did the deal so we all would be better educated. He obviously thinks they suck, but isn't complaining - just giving out facts of the deal. There's a HUGE difference. I buy a ticket to a movie. Movie sucks in my OPINION. I then go and post the movie was shit and everyone should avoid seeing it. Again, my opinion... The OP in this case has facts. He did a down payment on a bike that was sold out from under him. That's shitty and that isn't how it should be. He is following that up with facts. You wish to see proof like an email, phone record, next of kin, blood type - whatever. He has the info and it isn't opinion filled. He doesn't have to provide that info unless IM comes on (doubt they will) and says otherwise. It's no different than the MJ deal and the ATV. That guy never once provided proof other than his word, but his story was showing he wasn't filled with opinion and bashing the company. Same here... Sounds like maybe you have a friend at IM and are taking this and getting offended. Otherwise, it is just a "heads up as to how a deal went" for educating everyone on here that are even closer to IM in terms of distance and would possibly use them as a source for buying a bike.

Who had the Penigale with race plastics? Also, did you ever get any pics from VMD? You had mentioned it...

Make sure you go to Google and leave a feedback for them on there. That is something that gets a TON of reads and people should know your situation...

The thing is that by today's standards and the fact that we are a VERY social media based culture nowadays, companies need to be even more aware of customer service than before. The OP has all the right in the world to tell his tale. Why? Because others may want to do the same thing. This is a situation that was really, not harmful or even financially an issue for the OP, but it did hose him. What if he decided to not go with another deal on the same bike elsewhere and that unit got sold? He lost twice. Or, what if he declined a deal with someone and they sold it during this situation and he cannot find another one that suits him? The issue is that companies need to be aware and that people SHOULD come on to local sites to complain and tell their stories? Why? We all want to be educated. I know after some of the stories on here about IM, I won't be giving them my business. It's a shame, but the reality is that the deal here was SO easily avoided. But, poor decisions and poor management caused this to be a bigger than it needed to be deal.

MoJoe- I think he is essentially warning others about how they treated him and how they conducted business. They have a history and have had similar issues brought up via just this forum. The thing is, if he complains to them, what is going to happen other than them saying they are sorry and they refunded his money and apologize? I mean, that's all cool, but obviously, the shop is poorly managed to have something like that happen. All he has to do is show us that he sent a payment on a set date and provide the ebay listing date when it ended and we know the story. It's really not a two sided deal here. Sounds like the right hand had zero idea what the left hand was doing and they screwed a guy that was set to buy it and followed the guidelines properly. I'd say that him coming on here is a good thing as it allows some that may want to deal with the company to set up some sort of insurance policy when dealing with deposits and such as to avoid being screwed like this... The Disney idea is silly and while you are correct, it is a completely different deal. In your scenario for it to be similar, it would be like Disney selling you a set of tickets for four people at a set price and when you got there, told you that they made an error and those tickets are not valid and you cannot get in. He's not calling anyone out. He's educating possible customers with IM...

Push rod won't be an issue. If it is the counter shaft seal, you will want to replace. But, as with anything with oil behind it, insurance is better than not. You will have a belly pan for the track I assume. If not, I would do as SJC stated...

Well, today is the day we start in on doing a complete refresh of the motor. Complete tear down. So, I decided that I would grab some small square tubing sitting around and make an engine stand. The motor is so small and easy to work on that I wanted a stand that I could put up on a table and work on it. Not my best work, but it was a quick weld and grind job so, it isn't pretty, but works. We got into the tear down immediately and will hopefully have a full on fresh motor soon...

I have several slick sets for sale and all are in great condition and are sold in pairs. I have Ntec UK slicks and Ntec US Slicks. UK slicks retail for $550 a set - buy the take offs for $200 a set - you pick from the lot. Most are two rears with one front on some to a set with 20 laps. You pick what you want and what you wish. US slicks retail for $399 a set - buy the take offs for $125 a set - you pick from the lot. These have 30 laps on them. I have two sets... I will bring them to Putnam if you'd like as some are coming from here. PM me is best. Thanks!

They are supposedly coming to Putnam for the MS races. If someone has one and can bring it, I can pick up at Putnam and bring back or one of the guys from CBus that will be there also...

Just let me know and maybe pick a few dates in case of a conflict in schedule. Just PM me or something...

Nah, we are buying one. We looked and had a tough time finding one for the right money. I used an industry connection to get him a great deal on a new one so, we appreciate the offer, but will wait until it gets here.

....

Yeah, we were going to go down to CRP this week, but his suit hasn't arrived yet so, we are just working on the RS for now. He really wants to ride so, we will hopefully get some time next week after Putnam.

So, we are at the stage where we did the following to the bike: -Frame has been torn down completely and all bearings replaced or regreased and replaced. -Swingarm - same deal as frame -Regreased all axles, swingarm bolt, steering head bearings and related. -Replaced all the junky wire ties that were used to retain the bodywork clips. Will redo in Tygon and safety wire to be cleaner. -Cleaned and got all calipers taken care of. They were a complete mess. -Cleaned the rims. It's a 97 so, they are knicked everywhere. But, they are actually nice and shiny white! -Cleaned and replaced the controls. The clutch lever was outdated and crappy. The M/C is a bit older and may replace with a Brembo unit, but not yet. Have one sitting in the spares box, but don't think he will need it yet. -Essentially cleaned everything with brushes, scrubbing pads, etc. This thing was filthy. It was good that it had a layer of oil everywhere to basically preclude any oxidation and such, but it was a mess. Here she sits sans motor. We will get the motor cleaned and inspect it before trying to test it out. I really hope to have this done for Putnam just to run a few sessions on it to see if everything works... Upper controls. New Vortex and clutch lever. Rear. Shock has been cleaned and will need a refresh along with the forks over winter via Mr. Frankenfield...

Just hit me up when you are going again and we can hammer it out in a jiffy... You going to Putnam this weekend?