redkow97

For anyone else using or considering one of these, I did get a helpful tip in the reviews section of the HF website. Stick a jack under the end of the carrier when loading or unloading. This holds it level until the bike is more balanced, and eliminates a LOT of stress on the carrier and hitch when loading or unloading. Necessary? Maybe not. But it definitely can't hurt.

it's a 2007 Hyundai Tucson, so not exactly a beefy truck-based SUV. I believe my hitch is a class IV receiver, and I know it's 2". The hitch can likely handle more than the suspension. For as infrequently as I plan to use this, I'm not too worried, even if the bike is 175 and not 150 as I was calculating.

Preserved for eternity.

That has been my concern from the start, but I have a 2" receiver hitch, and it would only ever be moving my XR100 (150 lbs?) So even if my max tongue weight is 200 lbs (which is what I recall reading in my manual, although the internet says 350), I should be fine, no? eBay has these things for $80, which is about what the HF model comes out to after the 20% off coupon. The eBay specials are steel, and the HF is aluminum. the reduced weight of aluminum probably makes it worth it, I guess.

yeah, that model is probably worth the extra $20 over the harbor freight one...

The short answer to the original question posed is always going to be "it depends." Departments set their own pursuit policies. If the circumstances justify wrecking the fleeing vehicle, and doing so is within the department's policy guidelines, then yes, they can absolutely hit a rider to stop him from fleeing. But there is going to be a rebuttal argument like Scruit(?) or someone else pointed out. Wrecking a rider may very well be considered deadly force. That all depends on the speed, road conditions, what gear the rider is or isn't wearing (like a helmet), how they stop the rider (struck with a car? Struck with another motorcycle? Spike-strips? movie-style clothes-line device?) etc. There are rarely "bright line" rules on these sort of things, because it's very rare that any two scenarios are truly identical. Even when the chase itself is identical, the situation that gave rise to the chase probably isn't. The variables are what keep attorneys in business. The variables are also why we have trials. The things that fall pretty clearly on one side of the law or the other are settled prior to trial.

unfolding my HF 4x8 and reinstalling the wheel chock just to move my bike across town to load my buddy's truck is a pain in the ass. I'm considering a hitch-mount carrier for short trips, and any time I have to travel toll roads (where the trailer is a money pit!) the harbor freight model is inexpensive. Anyone used it? http://www.harborfreight.com/400-lb-receiver-mount-motorcycle-carrier-99721.html This would just be for my XR100. Never a sportbike. My max tongue weight is supposed to be 200 lbs, so the XR should be well under that. Assuming these things work decently well, I would also like to potentially use it as a gear-carrier. This is where people who have one can help me out. Could I bolt a sheet of plywood onto the rail, and stick a generator and gas can on the thing? Or a lawn mower? Or even just a big tupperware container of camping equipment? That would vastly increase its usefulness, and (without having seen one...) I don't think it would be hard to do.

What's up, neighbor? If you like people watching, camp at the Mid-Ohio AMA weekend. If you ride down, you can park much closer to the track for the races. I'll be down Saturday or Sunday... can't remember which... wife bought the tickets. There is sometimes a group of us that will meet up at the McDonald's on Rockside before QSL bike nights as well. Watch for the threads.

Didn't you just say you've never actually ridden a NESBA event? You know an awful lot about a group of people you've never met, and have never ridden with. You have an expert race license, which means you can contact them and star out in "A" group if you want. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised by the skill of the people around you, and how much smoother and safer your day will go than can happen with other orgs. In the interest of fairness and full "disclosure," I have recently heard rumblings that STT no longer allows people to register in "A" without authorization as well. That was always my biggest issue with their system. I think it's a great improvement that they're addressing it.

that's not what I said. I said they're the most consistently fast. Meaning every last NESBA CR can turn at least a 1:03 at BeaveRun, and 1:15 or so at Nelson (for reference). I am well aware that other orgs have coaches who can destroy those times, but from what I have seen, other orgs also tend to have a lot of coaches who can't go that fast. They stick those guys with the newer riders. NESBA doesn't do that. But if you want to make it a pissing contest, Brad Burns is a NESBA CR. Pretty sure he'd give Neyra a run for his money on any track.

I will say that the Control Riders tend to view their first priority as getting the slowest riders up to speed, rather than evaluating the fastest riders in teh group. ...but that helps everyone. If the slow guys drop 10 seconds before lunch, EVERYONE has a better afternoon. At BeaveRun, I used to do 1:10's in "B" group, following all the passing rules. I'm certain that if you put me out there now, I could manage a 1:06 or so without breaking any rules. Not every lap mind you, but if you're really decently fast, you should be passing 4-5 riders at a time on the brakes, then ducking back into the parade for the corner. I personally witnessed a guy turning 1:04's in "B" group. The control riders bumped him after 2 sessions. He was following all the rules, and they told him to do 1 session in "I" and if that went well, they'd let him go in "A" in the afternoon if he wanted.

Was he following the passing rules? NESBA definitely does not reward people for demonstrating how fast they are by ignoring the B group rules. And why did he register in B to begin with if he felt he could maintain an intermediate pace? I started in "B" group and got moved up to "I" and then "A." It can be done.

I think some of it has to do with what you're trying to get out of your trackday too. Like I said, NESBA's rules force you to learn to move up a group. Other orgs might be considered "better" if your goal is just to go out and have a good time, without really caring about specifically building your skills. I definitely had some very frustrating days in NESBA's "B" group until I figured out that you have to actually back-off to set up a pass on a more powerful bike... You can't be right on their ass through a turn and expect to out-power them; you have to back off by 100+ feet prior to the turn that leads to the straight, then carry your additional corner speed, and time it so that you're catching the rider just as you're both upright again. Then you're accelerating from 75, and while the other rider is accelerating from 60 (or whatever). The bigger bike will still probably catch up to you on the straight, but you should be able to stay close enough to pass on the brakes.

^ Brandon's buddies must all think they're faster than they actually are, because the only people who hate NESBA are the people who insist they should be in a faster group, but haven't gotten moved up. the NESBA class rules are designed to force you to actually learn various skills. B group only allows passing on the straights. Forces you to learn to pass on the brakes. I group only allows outside passes. Forces you to learn to carrying more cornerspeed, rather than risking taking someone out by stuffing it up the inside. I always laugh at these "fast" riders, who can't pass the people they claim are so much slower. If you're really faster, "traffic" isn't an issue. You just pass them.

I have done 30+ NESBA events. If you've never ridden with them before, you can't register in Advanced w/o an expert race license. Register in "I" if you've never ridden with them before, but have a good amount of track experience. You can't register in "B" this time, and then choose to register in "I" next time. IMHO, NESBA has the most consistently fast control riders of any trackday org. Just be sure to follow the group rules. No inside passes in "I." I probably know a fair number of the people who will be control-riding the event, and my guess is Todd will be the director. My buddy Jeff will almost definitely be control riding. #15(?) on a blue R6 (like everyone else...), and my buddy Mike will be riding Advanced on an R1. Not sure what color. He just got it over the winter. I may stop up to hang out with those guys. I'll look for you if i do.

holy shit, I agree with Magley... I apologize if the sun rises in the West tomorrow.

I know Craig was joking, but seriously, it sounds like you've got your head on straight, and will get a proper diagnosis before making any decisions. My take? If shit's torn, it ain't getting any worse... If you can play through the pain, go for it. I had some serious shit wrong with my left knee after a skiing injury in February. I have since done serious training for a Tough Mudder, and am racing OMRL... I have a partial tear that will require surgery, so I'm basically holding out until it pops... "if you're gonna hit, hit hard."

Truth. You looked so lonely outside T4, I decided to come visit you. I was just sliding in for effect... (I also subsequently got last place ...for effect.)

Much better turnout today! At least in the classes I was running there was. No matter how many times I turn a wheel on track, the first session always sucks balls and leaves me wondering why I'm there, and whether or not I even want to continue riding that day... Then I ride MUCH better in the next session, and all is well. Same deal today. I sucked ass in practice, then turned a personal best lap in my first race of the day. A pack of 5 novices managed to find each other in the first couple of laps, and then we diced it up until a rider lapping us went down right behind the first rider in our pack of novices. That let the lead novice get away a bit, and sent the rest of us off into the grass to avoid the crasher. I gave up a position in the process, and finished behind a couple of riders I feel I could have beaten, but despite the lost points, that was still some of the most fun I've ever had on a track. We must have turned 5 straight laps wheel-to-wheel, and then spent another couple reeling in the lead novice who got away during the crash. Awesome time. I finished much higher in the second heat, but I wish I'd had to do more battling to get there.

I was just about to say that Continental makes some good low-cost tires for street use. I think Brandon (AFJ Brandon, not Ginger Brandon) may have raced on Conti Race Attacks for a season or two as well. I was told Shinkos are okay for drag racing, but not cornering. Only way to really know is to give them a try.

did you use an air compressor and a spray gun, or can you apply this from an aerosol can?

I only saw the caption this morning. The article I had read was quoting the Marine Corps code left and right, and strongly implying President Obama was the antichrist for ordering two Marines to violate said code. The President's failures and mistakes of the past have little to do with a Marine holding an umbrella... I agree that mistakes were made, just not that this picture has anything to do with them, or is any kind of statement about them. I'm no fan of Barry's, but it's silly to crucify the man for every little insignificant thing. There are more than enough big issues where it's completely valid to criticize the President. No need to invent more.

I posted the article on Facebook last night with the following caption: I'm gonna go ahead and say "boo fucking hoo" on this one. "oh no! The (democrat) President asked for a courteous gesture to a foreign prime minister, likely with ZERO knowledge that he was violating Marine Corps tradition." A gaff, yes. But hardly the blatant disrespect it's being portrayed as... My guess is both Marines who complied with the order had every authority to refuse the order, and no knowledge that they should have. I think the President should acknowledge it and apologize to the Marine Corps, but that out to be the end of it. I wouldn't even think it needs to be a public apology.

Totally practical. I laughed when he tried to turn around in the parking lot. Looked like he was going to drag a peg going straight!

I feel shockingly fine about being a bike-buying vulture