redkow97

turn 9 would be the right-hand kink on the back straight. On a 600, you can keep it wide open through 9.

FWIW, I have been extremely happy with my shitbox Corolla purchase. I'm racking up 400 miles a week in commuting alone. On the trip to DC and back, I got 42 mpg with the AC running most of the way. It is not flashy. It is not even remotely fun to drive. It is paid for, it doesn't cost me much to maintain, and it is not something I cry over if it gets scratched or dented. And I actually think it makes me drive more carefully, because I can't just use the gas pedal to get out of bad situations anymore. This was certainly a step-down in "class" from my last vehicle, but it really suits my needs better than I thought it would. You're either married or engaged at this point. I would look at what your fiancé drives, and choose a vehicle that fits your needs, but also does something significantly better than her vehicle. Then you have more options, without redundant capabilities. My vehicle is the "seats 2-3 and gets good mileage on long trips" car. My wife's will seat 4 comfortably, fit a lot of stuff (or dogs), and tow a trailer. We sacrifice almost 20mpg for that additional space and towing ability, but we've only made that sacrifice on ONE of our vehicles. That's my logic anyway.

Having owned an EX500, I loved a lot of things about that bike. Currently riding a GSXF 750, it is bigger in every way, and I believe the 600 would be pretty much the same. They both have their advantages. Unshockingly, the Katana feels heavier, but not as heavy as people make it sound. And this is after I've been riding an XR100 that weighs less than I do... The power difference from EX500 to Katana is significant. The Katana gets up and goes really well. It's like an NFL lineman in that respect. it's not the fastest guy on the field, but it's faster than you expect it to be. The EX is the opposite. It feels pretty light, and with the rear raised an inch, the turn-in is really easy - but you twist the throttle at highway speeds (even if 4th or 5th gear, with the RPM up in the 9k-10k range) and it just doesn't impress you much. You'll get out of the way of traffic, but the EX in 4th gear might still struggle to keep up with 6th gear roll-on against the Katana.

Walt! damn... now I really want to come out, even if it's just to watch. Maybe a quick road trip on the bike is in order. And if someone crashes out early and wants to sell me their spot, we'll see what happens

do any of you have throttle locks or those little wrist buddy things? after 1 day of commuting 40 miles, my right hand was numb... Pretty sure 1000 miles would have been quite painful. How many stops for gas?

Yeah, I may ask if they couldn't count qualifying as "Race 1" next year instead. Doubling up on the race points can really screw people if they crash out, or if someone crashes in front of them. I have had people crash in front of me two or three times this year, and it has cost me a LOT of positions, and thus a lot of points. If that happens in a double-header round, I'm completely screwed. I have no illusions of competing for a points championship this year, but it would be nice to end the year with an average finish in the 6th or 7th place range, rather than outside the top 10.

Do you guys have 46 tooth rear sprockets? I ask because Andrea will almost definitely have that on her bike (Devon is her mechanic...). Given her weight advantage, and the bigger track, she may really run away from you guys through the chicane, and that would be really hard to overcome the rest of the lap. PIRC just has a lot more time in 5th gear than CRP. I wouldn't consider it fatal, but it will make things harder, and keep yoru bike on the rev limiter longer. JB and I were turning 1:18's with the 48 tooth rear before the season started. with the 46, I'm hoping to be in the 1:16 range. for reference, we run counter-clockwise, and Turn 1 is at the bottom of that image. the "chicane" I refered to is the little left/right combo right after T1. You'll be pinned in 5th gear from the start/finish line all the way up until the braking zone in the bottom right corner of the map.

JB and I use $50 Moto-D lap timers from amazon on the minis. They work great for what they cost, and they come with a beacon. We have the advantage of having 2 beacons (one with each of our timers) so we can leave it on all morning and just swap the beacon (rather than the battery) at lunch time. http://www.amazon.com/MOTO-D-Racing-LT-011-Lap-Timer/dp/B005LDFD3K/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1402599829&sr=1-1&keywords=lap+timer JB has started to play with the Harry's lap timer app on his iPhone. The $100 antenna is the most expensive part. It's pretty cool, but you kill the phone battery quickly, and you have to find a way to mount your phone in a manner that it has a prayer of surviving a crash... The $50 cheapies are a lot more useful honestly.

I'm not trying to sell you on a liter bike by any stretch, but I would bet you that a modern 1000cc bike is negligibly heavier than a Ninja 250. Within 30 lbs. is my guess. They will cost more to insure, more for tires, and not be as frugal at the pump, but oil changes cost the same amount regardless of the bike.

I would buy this before the Bandit or the FZ6... http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/4515470944.html (2004 Honda 599 for $2500 asking) this also isn't bad, if it's in good shape... ('94 F2 for $1800 http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/4506619426.html) this is okay too, if you want something unique (triumph speed four $2500 http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/4490110705.html) I swear I wasn't looking for Hondas - just anything at a fair price that I would want to ride.

Random question, but are you (Ryan) the guy with the dark colored regular cab Ranger with racing stickers all over the back window? I saw said vehicle on 90 West yesterday after work. The MotoSeries sticker jumped out at me. All I have on my car is an OMRL decal on the back window.

I pulled up CL and found a few in the $3500-$4000 range, so there may be a demand for fully-faired low-powered bikes that I'm not aware of. I just look at it from a perspective of what else I could buy with $3k, and I see a lot of bikes I would purchase before a GS500. But that's me. I doubt I'm your target market.

have you tried?

No offense, but I think you're delusional if you think anyone is going to pay $3,000 for a GS500. If you showed me a brand new 0-mile example of a GS500 with the fairings in showroom condition, and it was painted my favorite color, I would still value it under $2500... In a market with tiered licensing, something like that will hold its value better, and maybe I'm jaded by how much more bike I've purchased for less than $3,000 in the past, but I think $2k is more realistic, if the fairings are in great shape.

you are aware of how hypocritical this would sound to many people when it's coming from a motorcyclist, right?

I haven't been to G&J, but I believe it is smaller and tighter than CRP. Are you insistent upon a bike you can ride to the track, or would something smaller and cheaper be an option?

I like the GS500, but it's a turd. They're not much more powerful than the Ninja 250. The only real advantage is that I feel the chassis is mildly better than the pre-2008 EX250, and the lack of radiator means you don't have to drain or flush coolant for winter and/or maintenance. talking liter bikes, I think more than 100hp is silly on the street, but I do understand that people want big torque. I spun the rear today accelerating up a damp highway entrance ramp. I wasn't even on it that hard, and I definitely short-shifted, but the tire let go a second before I pulled in the clutch to pick up 3rd gear. That's on a bike making 95hp on its best day... Something like the superhawk (big twin) is probably really my ideal street bike. None of the options listed/suggested by everyone else have been "bad," and there is something to love about almost every bike. It's just a matter of what you want to live with every time you go riding. It can be really fun to wring out a 250 and drag-race all over town without breaking (m)any laws. It's also fun to have gobs of torque and not care what gear you're in. If you won't get to ride frequently, I would always err on the side of cheap. That's why I have the bike I do. This is the first time I've gotten to ride to work, and it's hard to get out of parenting for long enough to really take longer rides. I know my bike will do a lot of sitting, so I didn't make it a priority to have something super awesome.

Word. I don't need to re-roof my back porch anyway. I like it leaky and rotting!

Mine are wired, but that was done before I had access to a drill press to get my header bolts drilled. Silicone the stuff that vibrates less... The big stuff is the oil drain plug and oil cap, axle bolts, catch can, and then on a supermoto, I would be sure to do caliper bolts. It can be a lot of drilling. Liberal use of silicone on the less vital items is probably sufficient.

Indoor karting is tough to make cheap. Gotta pay the rent, and cover the cost of the karts. That's before paying any employees. I'd be curious to know how much money actually went into their pockets last night, and then compare that to the operating expenses. I really hope they get a lot of business, and it's wildly successful.

what's the cost for the track day?

I think karting will be a twice a year thing for me between the distance and the costs (not a slam on GP Karting - I know they have to maintain their equipment, pay their bills, AND turn a profit), it's just not something I can commit to every weekend right now. In the future, I'd like to look at a league that races twice a month.

would loved to have made this work, but I am in the middle of a rape trial, so it's best that I didn't plan on attending, only to have to scratch at the last minute! Safe travels to all.

We're skewing from the original question... Guns don't cause shootings. They do allow unstable individuals to inflict greater harm with less effort. Their potential for misuse is extremely high. That is what scares people. The inability to "fix" crazy or criminal leads some people to have knee-jerk reaction toward banning what (they believe) can more easily be removed from society: the tool rather than the person wielding it. But the second amendment isn't going anywhere. I am sure that the future holds legislation that will require registration of firearms, more extensive background checks, longer waiting periods, and possibly even a limit on the number of firearms an individual may own. I also expect to see private sales of firearms more heavily regulated. Essentially, firearms will be tracked the same way vehicles are with a title and registration. As a responsible gun owner and a Libertarian, I am conflicted on these legislative steps. On the one hand, I am not worried about losing my right to own firearms. I don't think legislation will step into the absurd realm of hindering my rights to own as many firearms as I desire. But my desire is for a handful of firearms that suit the relatively small number of applications I use and keep them to fulfill. I'm thinking selfishly rather than objectively on that limitation of freedom. I don't like the trend, but I do understand the desire to accomplish the intended goal. Shootings will never stop. publicizing them in the media only encourages others to follow suit. It may even teach them how to plan more effectively... But if we un-invented the gun, there would quickly be a substitute. Americans have a knack for pretending we're a developed country while we secretly rely on caveman instincts and a deep-rooted desire for revenge.

it's "next year" now. Still no OMRL appearances that I'm aware of yet ;-) FWIW, if your work schedule is still Saturdays, the PIRC race round is track day Saturday, and race on Sunday. Going forward, I would guess Kent & Brian would work with you on just running the afternoon supermoto heat.