redkow97

If they're paying him, or providing free/discounted services, I'm impressed. I assumed that 614 Paintworx and 35 Motorsports are just vendors he feels good promoting. Just like ORDN doesn't give me any money, but I will put the sticker on my bike IF BEN EVER RETURNS MY GODDAMN SASE

to put things in perspective, guys on SV's have passed me on the outside of T6 at Nelson, and also on the outside of the carousel. I was surprised by how hard it was to catch them on the back straight. I stopped re-passing them and tried to keep up through the turns after a lap or two. Better to learn from them, rather than just piss them off.

On facebook, Autobahn is advertising this as a car event. are they doing 30/30 between cars and bikes? Looks like the car event will be a 3-group format, based on their registration page. http://www.sportbiketracktime.com/-10-10-11-_Autobahn_Country_Club_North_Course_Track_Time.html

don't 100% piss on the guy's cheerios... How many people in this thread have actually approached a company about being sponsored? I'm betting it's zero, and you're all just assuming it won't happen. Yes, most "sponsorship" at the club level happens on a contingency basis (i.e. you use Michelin tires, put their sticker on your bike, and they send you a debit card for more Michelin product if you place high enough). Nearly every parts manufacturer has a contingency program. Those are the standard sponsors that everyone has on their bike (unless they're like me and pretty much plan on not finishing high enough for it to matter). But less traditional sponsorship opportunities are out there. I probably won't be racing next year, but when I make it back to the track, I plan on approaching the local automotive accessories place. They do a lot of window tinting and other low-level customization. I don't know if they have any interest in doing motorcycle paint, but if they do, I think I can make them a compelling pitch. - they professionally paint my bike in any color scheme they want (that does not interfere with the number plate regulations, or contingency-based sponsors). - my bike is on display in their shop, or out in front of their shop to draw people in during the week, and on non-race weekends. - they buy me x sets of tires, or contribute $x toward entry fees. In return, I hang their banner in my pit setup, distribute their business cards, and participate in x rounds a year, at an agreed-upon list of tracks. In their case, a local business doesn't care about gaining exposure at BeaveRun, Mid-Ohio, Putnam, Grattan, etc. Frankly, the hardest part of the pitch is going to be convincing them that Nelson Ledges is close enough for it to be worth their money. If that's the case, then maybe I can still get a free paint-job and a few bucks out of it, and they get to use my bike as a show-piece to draw people into their storefront. The bottom line is not to go in ASKING people for sponsorship money, go in SELLING what you can provide them with for $X or discounted service.

ding ding ding. Winner. They'll wait for some hot-head to assault someone, and then they're the victim, "being discriminated against for their religious beliefs." And they'll be right. (technically) Then it's more media attention. Pauly's got it right. Act like they're invisible. Any reaction is just feeding into their game.

The fact that people kept drowning trying to win drunk bets about who would swim from one bank to the other probably didn't help. a stronger police presence would have corrected some of that, along with reducing crime; but that takes funding. How many Clevelanders are voting for higher taxes?

Actually channel 5 is reporting that a guy was kicked out of the game last Sunday for "standing too much." officially, the Browns do have a fan conduct policy that says excessive standing (and blocking the view of those behind you) is cause for removal.

paying it is the least painful option by design. $130 isn't that bad, considering that you were at fault... your insurance rates shouldn't go up that much on a small claim like that. Now if you were drunk... Insurance companies LOVE men in their 30's and 40's who get 1 DUI. Odds are they have a job and a family to lose, and won't repeat. But they can charge them more forever. Sweet gig.

sucks that you went down, but glad it didn't end your day. You guys totally lucked out with the weather. I'm betting a lot of people stayed home because of the forecast and gave you even MORE open track. I know Todd was running the event, but did anyone catch which CR's were doing the fly-by rides?

A buddy of mine was arguing with me about this, and I flatly asked, "what else would you EVER buy that depreciates as quickly as a new car?" it's just simple economics. The exception would be if there's a ridiculous warranty on the new vehicle, but bikes typically don't get ridden enough for that to really be a good deal.

^ look at the Z750 for sale for $3500 here. Then you'll have PLENTY left over to really go nuts with the F2 if you want, but also have a fantastic street bike to ride while you're working on it. the difference between a 1997 GSXR 750 and a 2005(?) Z750 is... well, let's just say that if you liked the power on the old suzuki, the newer Kawasaki will be a revelation.

Just did the conversion, and even if this is horsepower at the crank, 47 hp out of a liquid-cooled 250cc single is damn impressive. that's propelling a 190 lbs bike...

Got an email from Honda pimping the new 1000RR, but this link in the bottom left of the email is impressive. I am surprised they included it. Factory built race bikes! all this can be yours for $28k! http://powersports.honda.com/md250h-nsf250r.aspx

I agree 100% with Pauly's earlier post. New bikes are a ripoff. Especially if you have cash in hand. I've owned a '93 F2, and I currently own an '03 600RR (which is almost identical to the '05 era Pauly suggested). The 10 year difference in technology is HUGE. You'er talking 15 more horsepower, in a package that's 40 lbs lighter. Combine that with a vastly improved chassis, fuel injection, and much better brakes, and it's a different world. Any 600 is going to need to be revved to get power, but you should be used to that from the F2. The only difference will be that a more modern 600 won't stumble (FI) when you down-shift and twist the loud handle. I get that you like your F2, but sinking that much money into it is a losing proposition. That's money you'll never get back. Keep the F2 and enjoy it for what it is. I'd do a "light" version of the total overhaul you were looking at. Have the suspension rebuilt, powder-coat the frame, and get the engine tuned back up to stock. Repair and repaint the stock plastics. Then you save yourself the cost of the engine work and new fairings (probably $1,000 or more?), and you've still got a bike you can enjoy. Then use the other $13,000 you've got left over to pick up something more modern. You can't beat the extra torque of the '05 636. If you want something less aggressive, the FZ6 is a fantastic street bike. put $1,000 into the suspension, and it's an AMAZING all around bike. Oh, and you'll have $6k left over still...

no room to swing it. I think what i really need is one of those slide hammers they use to pull dents out, but with some kind of vice-grip attachment, or sling that I can wrap around the exhaust cap. plus the hammer doesn't do much good of the lead-pipe just moves instead of actually transferring the force to the joint I'm trying to loosen up :-/

I'll try to keep this short: my last crash left my exhaust can in 2 pieces. I broke all the rivets on the end-cap where it connects to the lead pipe. I think this can be repaired with a little bending, some JB weld, and new rivets. What I need help with is separating the lead pipe from the end cap. I removed the 2 springs that hold it together, but the cap isn't budging. I hit it with penetrating spray, and still no joy. The only other thing I can think to try is heat, but that should make it expand, and actually tighten the tolerances, no? it's a titanium system if that matters... I want to just start getting rough with it, but it's a weird angle, and I don't want to ding it up any mroe than it already is, if I can avoid it.

yo. i'm right down the road. enjoy the ridiculousness.

At one point, my family had 6. 4 standard trombones, and 2 with "F" keys. I used the crappy ones for marching band, and had 2 nicer ones that I would use for jazz band or wind ensemble. my brothers both played, and my sister still plays. Let me see what they've still got around. I'm sure some of them were sold, and some are beyond craptacular...

blue lights are asking for trouble period. I put christmas lights on the luggage rack of my mom's van when I was in high school, and got a fix-it ticket for it (basically). there are lot of things you can HAVE, but cannot actually use. I can buy a crown-vic and make it look a LOT like a police car. Lights, crash bars, black/white paint job, etc. and not be breakign the law. ...until I turn on the blues. Then I'm impersonating an officer. You also can't write "POLICE" anywhere on it. I think LEDs are dumb, but I can see how they'd be potentially useful for night time visibility. stick to ambers unless you want LEO's up your butt.

I disagree. how about, "I have to follow the laws, so you should have to as well. Being on a motorcycle doesn't make your appointment more important than mine." If it were legal, then fine - but it's not. Splitting lanes says, "i don't have to follow the rules." in my mind, THAT'S the wrong attitude to have.

so what is it? I wish I was in the market for that SV...

Practice setting people up for passes. If you're on their ass when you enter the turn, you're allowing them to dictate YOUR corner-speed, and the more powerful bike will always win the drag-race from the apex. it's counter-intuitive, but (using beaverun as an example), BACK OFF before the kink on the back straight, and let the R1 guy go into T10 at whatever speed he wants. Then you want to go through at YOUR pace, and catch them as you all exit the turn. By that point, you should already be 10-20 mph faster than them, because you carried more speed through the turn. The R1's power advantage may allow him to catch you, and maybe even pass you on the front straight, but you should be close enough to get him back on the brakes into T1, and then gap him big-time in turns 1-7.

Everyone goes fast on the straights though. corner speed is what makes a lap. I don't care what bike he's on, if I can do 70 at the apex of the carousel, and that guy can only do 50, he's got a lot of ground to make up before he ever rolls on the gas. I passed a guy on an FZ1 on the back straight at Nelson when I had my F2...

haha - good luck w/ that. Troy is the only CR I know who runs slicks. Randy does too, but he's not at Beave very often. Id' give it a try to say i've done it

The ZX2 is definitely faster than a neon. Actually, the ZX2 was a pretty fun car, IMHO. My brother still has his (i think). I drove it a lot before he had it on campus. Definitely not a powerful car, but pretty damn light. There's a guy on another bike forum who auto-crosses his ZX2. with better rubber and stiffer springs, it does shockingly well for very little money. I just looked it up. Ford claims 130hp and just over 2500 lbs. Just under 20 lbs. per horsepower. 0-60 in 9 seconds (felt faster than that to me!) The 2003 neon was almost 500 lbs heavier, and only had 2 or 3 more horsepower.