Moto-Brian

I have a No-Mar and have the trailer hitch adaptor. It is worth every dollar and the price Jeff is offerings crazy good. I'd suggest someone jump on this ASAP as it wont last long. Plus, No-Mar takes seriously great care of the customers. You may break a tip for example and they will send you a few if you call. Pretty bad ass. Bump!!

Dealers arent too excied over this bike. They are almost giving away ZX14s the last couple of years with zero success. The fact that the numbers will be higher, price higher and the fact that your insurance company is gonna shit an aluminum brick over this bike, doubt sales are going to be stellar. You'll get the guys with 14s wanting to trade, but I think sticker shock is going to go into action soon here in the States. Look at the price of 600s and 1000s and where they are landing... Just a "just cause we can" build with this bike. Cool stuff going on, but nothing really new. I am amazed that Kawasaki put a lot of effort into this. I know Suzuki is really struggling and doubt a new Busa is coming this year. I suspect they have one ready, but right now, the left engine on the Suzuki plane is shut down and the right one is on fire... They are in some deep water right now and putting out a bike that is certain not to obtain large sales volume isn't a great idea for them...

Great job, Craig!!

Mostly great info in here and a great example of how to approach things. Getting things paid for is a HIGE step. You then establish a ROI and it can grow. I've seen as of recent, guys getting enough things paid for that they barely have any out of pocket... The last sentence says it all. Good job, Red!

OK... As usual, a lot of mis-information getting out. Many people have got money as sponsorship. We did when racing with Kawasaki and even up until I stopped racing full time. The point is that it was there and still is. Now, that being said, it was a LOT different then than now. Money is tight. Budgets are tight. Race budgets are part of marketing and marketing is tight. Point is that money is tough to almost impossible. BUT, there are ways to get "money" or get "paid" in today's racing. If you have buddies, that isn't getting sponsored. They are not approached, given a resume of accomplishments and deciding that you are worthy of cash. That's luck and purely a friendly investment. What you can do is approach sponsors to pay for tires, entry fees, travel costs, mechanical parts, etc. Paying for those is like getting a wad of cash to help offset costs. We still get a number of free stuff. It's usually product and it is usually in testing some things, proposals to promote and sell the product, etc. As mentioned before, it is a ROI that is looked at and trust me, there's a lot of freebies floating around. However, the ROI has to be high. The thing to remember, is that you need to market yourself. Marketing yourself can result in a big return if done well. However, if you only saw the resumes I get for race support... Wow. The thing is that this sport is uber expensive. So much so, most racers do not last as long as in years past. Racers that ran years and making 6 figures racing as privateers and chasing contingency are LOOOOOOONG gone. Ask Reuben about the good ol' days. Robbie Jensen, Tray Batey, Reuben, etc were bounty hunters that could make STOOOPID cash at races if they won or did well. Think about now. You are lucky to get $1k a race weekend. They used to make 10 times that in some cases... But, you also have to be good. Young pups like Jake Lewis, Gerloff, etc are the sticks by which you'd be measured. Good luck with that. Hell, even in the AMA, there are single digit number of racers that get PAID to race in the series. Most are actually PAYING to ride on teams. It's crazy right now... But, at the end of the day, the best bet for you since you are a novice and (don't take this wrong) most likely not going to be the next Ben Spies, sign up for XTRM or similar and get deals from sponsors. Usually, you get a % discount on parts. The more you buy and the more you communicate and the MORE YOU SUCCEED, the more you will get. Again, I wish you the best. It's a tough racket, but it is possible to get free stuff and money.

Uh, some guys get free tires...

Silly man, you should use a sawzall and concrete saw. Works SOOOOO much faster!! But, yes... Leak Proof seals are junk. OEM stuff is where it is at...

Not being a snob at all, dude. I'm just telling guys that anyone that uses broom sticks on modern sportbikes, they probably need to consider elsewhere. PVC is fine as long as it is the right size. Again, there's a difference between using something that will work the same as something else and hillbilly riggin the thing to get by. Again, not an issue if you wanna do what you wanna do. FAA ain't motorcycles so... I'm not busting balls. I am simply trying to help the OP get some info that may be of interest.

I cannot see at all how you use a broom stick on the dampening rod. You have to compress the spring, use a special plate that has a notch to hold the rod from spinning and creates a gap to get the box wrench on to take the cap off... Again, you can use hillbilly tactics to do whatever you want to your personal things if you feel secure doing so. BUT, I would NNNNNEEEEVVVEEER suggest someone take their suspension components for service to a guy not using at MINIMUM, the proper tools required to do the job. Suspension is something that if done incorrectly, can cause issue. Again, you can do whatever you wish to your own stuff, but to suggest such primitive things to people and suggesting the tools you should buy to be a waste of money is crazy.

Actually to break down the forks once the fork caps are removed, you should use a tool that companies like Racetech sell to compress to remove the cap and break the cartridges down to inspect shim stacks, etc... For example, you can see there are several options based on price. I use the small tool at the track to replace springs that is the disassembly tool shown at the bottom for forks. I also have the rear shock compression tool for the shock. http://racetech.com/page/id/70 You need a tool to break the forks and shocks down... If you are using the tools you listed, I would suggest that anyone needing that work done, not to consider someone using a broom stick... No offense...

Whoa! There's a lot of weird info here from several years of not needing to service anything to using broom handles as tools to work on forks... Send them to Reuben at 35 Motorsports. There are a ton of guys going back and forth and if you think Ken is doing a solid job, wait until you have Reuben do them... The things that stand out to me are: -Track use. -Leaking seals. -Probably never serviced fluids. All these things lend to one key point. The oil and the forks are things that ARE regular maintenance and SHOULD be serviced regularly IF you are track daying this bike. The fluid breaks down from use. At the track, it gets more use than street. Guys that never have their fluid replaced and have their forks serviced are doing an injustice to themselves and the bike. Next time you are near a shop that does fork service, watch the oil that comes out of the forks. You'll then understand why they need serviced. Track day use bikes are even worse. I've seen forks from guys that the oil looks like grey cottage cheese... The oil breaks down like engine oil and needs help. The OEM fluid isn't as good as the fork fluid that Reuben uses which is typically Maxima. The stuff he uses is going to break down less quickly, but will still need to be serviced as it is being abused moreso at the track. Finally, there are some guys at the track that are servicing forks and they are running through them as fast as they can and the idea is that time is money. The quicker the turn around, the better the margin. There are steps that are missed and things that are evident if you know what you are looking at. The trouble is that most track day guys are not well versed and think they are getting such amazing service. The fact is that I can put them on a set of forks with 30mm Ohlins cartridges and a WELL serviced set of OEM forks and OEM internals and they won't be able to tell the difference. Point is, there's a LOT of mental stuff going on. Now, as you progress in speed and ability, better suspension will be what you shoot for as the OEM stuff will simply reach limits that hold the rider back. Until you are an advanced or higher end I rider, that isn't going to be in play. The thing to understand is there is a way to do suspension correctly and it goes further than turning them upside down and letting the fluid run out and adding oil back in. There are details, there are small "tricks" these guys know. Reuben is one of the best. Let me put it to you this way. Buddy won a shock on Ebay that was serviced by a known trackside guy. The bumper was on upside down. It's the little things...

Not sure what was so funny as it was a comment that is correct and where his general location for his head should be. Now, it was funny when he mentioned that it was the opposite mirror. That was funny... Are you sure you know where your head should be on the bike while riding? Weird first post, dude...

The issue is that if you do it based on lap times or ability, how do you validate and how do you measure? Lap times are not a good measuring stick. Guys will push to try and get into a group they probably shouldn't be in and crash. Ability and number of events is hard to do at the start of the year. Is there a set time allocated at the start of the day where you allow entrants to have sessions to evaluate their skills to place them in the proper groups? Self evaluation occurs at every track day organization out there because otherwise, it can't work. The fact is that there are going to be people in every group that are exceptions. Most th time, it is done right. You'll get a few people that need moved and yes, the org needs to be aggressive and handle it and move them. It's about safety more than anything...

When you say be careful what gets put on the screen, you mean what you show or what you clean with?

So, need to buy two new TVs for the house. Bought one already and want to keep the second under $1k. Was thinking Plasma or LCD as I was a 50"-55" if possible for the wall I want to mount it to. Plasmas are stupid cheap right now. Have never owned one, heard great things as far as watching sports, but have also heard (older stories) issues... So, figured the ever educated OR folks might be able to shed some light. First choice: LCD 55" $999 - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+55%22+Class+/+1080p+/+120Hz+/+LCD+HDTV/2363655.p?id=1218323020288&skuId=2363655 Second choice: Plasma 50" on sale $799 - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+50%22+Class+/+Plasma+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+HDTV/2120201.p?id=1218310004114&skuId=2120201 Just figured with a $200 savings, I can get the extended coverage and some HDMI cables, etc... Maybe a new Blue Ray player. The room is a basement room with can lights and minimal outside window light. Heard Plasma doesn't do well in really well lit rooms and this seems to be the perfect or as perfect a room as I could put it in. Thoughts ol' wise ones?

Sorry, it isn't the plus. It's the GPS one though. My bad. I'd trade to see if he likes it though.

Not heard of any. I am using 3M industrial grade stuff that works well. That way, I can re-use the mounts... You find some better mounts?

Ya know, what? You're exactly right. It took a BIG tangent and it is really over people that are passionate for track days and racing. That's a good thing. Red and Fitz are really into NESBA and have good things to say about them. I also agree they are one of the best as they've been doing this a HELLUVA a long time. I also know some of the instructors and yes, they are VERY fast and do a great job. I just got a little miffed and felt there was some degrading comments aimed a bit at MS. The instructors at MS are good peeps, they are accomplished, some have a LOT of years experience with other organizations and are well versed in how to get around a track or there to help you increase your skill level. NO MATTER WHAT people's opinions and feelings are, the mentioned track day organizations in this thread are ALL great places to go and learn and get better. The funny thing about racers is that we are all very competitive. I am very much guilty of pushing too far and going overboard. I feel MS has a damn good thing going and this is after I was historically hard on Todd and the guys. I have been able to see how he has been turning it around and how well he and the staff are doing and how great the club is. It is VASTLY different than the days of old and when it was FT. However, it has maintained the small group feel and the people there are awesome and allow for a great time for sure, but if you want high level competition, it is there also. So, nothing against NESBA, no hard feelings towards the other guys that are just as passionate. The choices are vast and the results will be great.

I actually like the small portion of the bike visible as a reference. I mount mine on the side, swingarm, tail, cockpit looking back at me, and through the windscreen. But, I haven't used it on a helmet yet. I also have a MTB handlebar mount and a couple of helmet strap mounts I wanna use in the woods and on the MX track...

You a funny man. You don't even know if you've met me and you think I'm talking about stuff I know nothing about. Shoot me a link of your MyLaps. That way we can see if YOU actually know what YOU'RE talking about and not whispering out YOUR ass.

Easy. Look me up. I might come up Saturday anyways.

ben- I have a contour with GPS. I'd be willing to trade if you think that might work or maybe we could trade and see which we like better. I want to try the GoPro and see if it is better... The thing I dislike about the Contour is the mounting system. It is definitely lacking compared to GoPro... Anyways, whatever you'd be interested in if anything...

Oh, by the way, anyone ever looked up the term "back pedaling"? Just wonderin... Oh, and Craig - if you ever need a tow, just ask. You know as well as anyone it doesn't matter about the speed as much as maybe picking up a few reference points and having someone watch you... Now back to the sarcasm.

Don't ask Jeff... He's too slow! You need to find someone running 3-4 seconds faster than Jeff so you can make double sure that you aren't running him over as you progress. I know I never learned a thing from Pinson when we were running together even though I was running faster. God forbid that you slow your pace down and actually learn something. You need to be at full on race pace to learn a thing. Balls on fire!!! I know I don't learn anything unless we are running 29s at Mid-Ohio...

Your quote: "But I can confidently say that the NESBA coaches are faster. That doesn't necessarily make them better coaches, but the "slow" NESBA control riders are turning 1:03's at BeaveRun. I don't know all the Moto Series coaches, but I don't believe you can say the same about their staff. How much that matters for riders that are new to the track is up for debate. For the first day, it probably matters very little. For the second and beyond, I think it starts to matter quite a bit - especially for intermediate riders, and even advanced riders. I have learned quite a lot in "A" just by seeing where CR's continue to gap me during their play time." You say it doesn't "necessarily make them better coaches". You then go on to say that "how much is matters is up for debate... I think it starts to matter quite a bit" You were suggesting it matters and it is a measuring stick you use to justify NESBA has better coaches. You can twist it and turn it, but the fact is that you used speed/lap times as a justification that NESBA coaches are better... Some are, some aren't. My point is that your thought process is crazy and totally silly. Nice sig, by the way...