redkow97

based on the picture, I'm guessing this book is about the "2nd generation" GI Joes and not the 18" 'movable action figure' (not a "doll") from the 60's, correct? I know the old ones are worth quite a bit, but the 'new' generation is actually worth money now? I probably have half those figures buried in my back yard somewhere, or living in a "tree base" that my brothers and I forgot about.

There was a rumor circulating at one point that New Jersey Motorsports Park was being considered as the secondary American round. I think that's a pipe-dream, but if they linked "Thunderbolt" and "Lightning" together into a 4+ mile circuit, it could happen. I don't envy Dorna's decision here. They HAVE to ride at that Texas track - it's immaculate and was designed for F1 and Moto GP... But Laguna has the corkscrew, and so much history, they will catch hell for removing it from the schedule (if it ever comes to that). ...I'd go to Texas for a GP race, I guess.

Not shocking. This has been the rumor for years, and there was an article about it (in RRW?) not that long ago. Dorna is hurting from the craptacular world economy, and it wouldn't be shocking for them to ax Laguna Seca from the schedule in addition to cutting Indianapolis. The cost of transporting all the bikes, riders, crew, and support vehicles from Europe to America, back to Europe, and then back to America a few weeks later is insane. Avoiding that second trip back would require either cutting things back to 1 American round, or running them as back-to-back events (2-3 weeks apart). The latter idea would be awesome, but Texas and California aren't that far apart. They'd likely be cannibalizing a portion of their audience for both rounds; your average fan is not likely to attend both. Indy and Laguna drew totally different crowds. I admit I'm disappointed that I won't have a GP race less than 6 hours away anymore, but that Texas track looks amazing, and the Indianapolis infield has never been impressive to me... It would be pretty selfish for me to feel upset about this. I always seem to be riding during the Indy GP anyway... maybe I'll have to change that this year, as it's likely my last chance to see a GP race on this continent. The wife might spring for Jerez or Philip Island some day.

I'll be heading into Indianapolis for the 500 and could meet you along 70 maybe. shipping rubber is only cheap for vendors who do it 50 times a week and have an agreement w/ FedEx

as of 5/31/11, I only have a single rear tire remaining. $50/offer. Pick-up or meet-up only, unless you want to email me a shipping label... THESE ARE TRACK TAKE-OFFS AND ARE ONLY SUITABLE FOR STREET USE. I am a giant pussy and don't ride all the way to the wear-bar, so if you're caught in the rain on the street, you're still going to be totally fine on these tires. I ride right-hand biased tracks, so (despite flipping the rear), the right sides are slightly more worn. You'll never notice on the street though. these tires have 85% or more of their tread on the center of the tire, so they're good for several thousand highway miles. Both rears are 180/55/17 and are in about equal condition: $50 each The front is in substantially similar shape: $30 (i'll throw in worn knee-pucks with a set of tires if anyone wants the ultimate "street-cred" package deal )

no offense Nick, and I apologize if I'm just not knowledgeable with regard to your riding/teaching experience, but what makes you qualified to instruct a new rider? Being able to do something doesn't mean you're automatically good at teaching it. I'm sure you could answer any questions he has, but there is a method to the MSF's madness. I can ride a bike pretty respectably, but I still sent my wife to the MSF course to learn to ride. The only "instruction" i gave her involved motor-off "quizzes" on what the controls did, and what she should do in a given situation. for 99% of that, she wasn't even sitting on the bike...

DELETE THIS THREAD - THE SUIT LINKED PREVIOUSLY WAS A "FRANK THOMAS" MODEL, AND i LIKE YOU GUYS TOO MUCH TO LET YOU BUY SOMETHING THAT SHITTY. sorry for the blue balls...

the pins themselves seem to be hardened metal. I drilled the caliper easily enough, but i've broken 2 bits and spent way too much time trying to drill the pin itself and I can't use my nifty "jig" on them, because I need to be sure the hole will match up with the hole in the caliper housing when I reinstall them.

pretty sure you can just show up with cash, but if you register in advance, they will NOT "credit" you $25 for your walk-in just because you're already registered.

and the MSF's gear requirements are shockingly minimal... basically they don't want skin exposed, but jeans aren't armor.

yes. thank you. Humility and common sense on the internet one day, raining frogs the next. You've just restored balance in the universe.

a cheap fire-proof box is all I use, and really only when we're not home. If the house is on fire when we're in it, I'll chuck my "ammo box" (my old tool box) through the bedroom window and follow it onto the roof anyway. That's the most direct route of escape from my house to begin with.

"capable," sure, just not ideal. Notice how the 14 breaks away very easily from a dead stop, but then is suddenly in the middle of the camera shot once they encounter the first series of corners? flopping that big boy left to right in succession will be where it really slows down a lot. The camera bike also goes wide in 2 turns on the first lap alone. When I do that, it's because the guy in front of me is carrying less corner speed, and i'm trying not to hit them. video cameras don't give very good perspective. What surprised me though is around the 1:35 mark, the front wheel on the camera bike lifts, but the ZX14's didn't. That was essentially a straight line, so my only theory is that the ZX14 was already braking for that section where they run over the black/yellow striping. I wouldn't call that track "sketchy," but it's hard as hell to see where the track's going without grass to define the boarders! the dust really blurs the edges.

No, no, no, no, NO! You're using the internet all wrong. You're supposed to come onto this site and say, "I just got my first bike. Parking lot riding is boring - how can I do wheelies and ride 140mph weaving in and out of traffic on the highway?" Then WE post this: And then you tell us that you're not a newb, because your older brother had an R1 in college, and he let you ride it around the block once. From there the thread spirals into something really entertaining, and we make fun of you until you join that "ourbikesdontleak.com" site, or whatever it's called.

Random question about siliconing brake pad-pins; where can I buy the freakin' silicone online? Or can I just get stuff from my local hardware store and call it a day?

The wife and I got ours a couple years ago when we bought the house. I was pissed she beat me by a few points. Stupid student loans! we were still both in the 790's or 800's for all three rating systems.

I think you're 99% correct here, but the old gen ZX-6 (versus the those badged as teh ZZR) got firmer springs, I think. I looked into these quite a bit before buying my F2 a few years ago. If the price is right on the ZZR, and you can tolerate carbs (for a first bike, you'll never know the difference, and you can work on them yourself...) I wouldn't write it off. A couple of people have recommended an R6, and I have to say that's got to be the least comfortable street bike ever made. Everything that makes it awesome on a race track makes it a pain in the ass (and wrists) on the street. Be realistic with yourself about where 95% of your riding is going to take place. The answer is probably "highway." Now come buy my take-offs, please.

I never came close to dragging a knee on the street, but I admit that it is a bit of a monkey to get off your back at trackdays. While putting a knee down is NOT important (so long as your body position is good), it does give some sense of validation. It's a milestone, whether it should be or not. Part of it was the fact that my old bike wasn't super at home on the track, but I definitely reached like crazy to get my knee down that first time. If I weren't a pretty lanky and flexible guy, I probably would have torn a groin (and my leathers) trying. Now I just use my knee as a gauge. I still reach for the ground a little, just so I know where it is. If I touch a knee on my first couple laps, I know I'm pushing the limits of cold tires and stand the bike back up. But even when I'm up to "race" pace, I usually reach down, touch my knee and then bring it back up again as I continue to lean the bike over. Foot/toe position is probably THE biggest thing with getting a knee down though. Point your toe out, and your knee follows; you can't just move your kneed to the side and get it on the ground. won't happen unless you're lowsiding... I have to get water wetter in teh bike this week and see if I can swing riding on Saturday. Definitely in for May though.

i hate the fact that this woman is living the good life purely because she fucked the right tall black guy... my wife's almost 5'10" - I think I'm gonna go ahead and encourage her to chase NBA dick. 18-year investment.

the report only mentions 1 prior arrest (when she kicked out the window of the cop car). What am I forgetting? I love that this is news, but a "misdemeanor assault" probably isn't that big of a deal... She could have just threatened someone, or yelled at them. Assault just means you've infringed upon another's right to feel safe and secure. If she'd actually hit someone, they would have charged her with battery as well.

For anyone who may find this months or year later: WERA has the best price for new transponders at $415. The best I found anywhere else was $430ish. As far as used, I put up a "WTB" ad on www.weraclassifieds.com and got 2 responses within 48 hours. I ended up paying $200 shipped for an older unit, but it still holds a charge for 3 days. I also got an offer for $200 for the new style, and $100 for an old style transponder. I'd already accepted the other seller's $200 price, so I didn't dig into the second guy's products at all.

I am totally open to running stickers to support friends and shops that have helped me out, but I am going to stop worrying about contingency until I'm actually placing high enough to earn it. in novice classes, that's usually a podium; top-5 if it's a big grid. I've got a lot of work to do before it matters.

after the sedond weekend in May, I'll have class at 8 AM instead of 6 PM every night. Plus it will stay light until 9:30...

I've been reading more about them over the last few days, and I just don't know if i'd shoot it... Seems like it would be a decent "SHTF" weapon to just sight in and then leave in the basement until you need it. By all accounts, they kick like mules and are very loud. but they're cheap to buy, and cheap to fire. That's incredibly appealing to me. If I find one at a gun show for the right price, i'll probably pick it up. I learned a little about what to look for as far as condition and the quality if the trigger. should probably get out and shoot my .22 more before I worry aobut picking up something else though. "fist-sized hole" is an intoxicating draw, but enough .22lr rounds will still take down a deer or an intruder in a worst-case scenario.

hahaha - i have nothing against using premium in sportbikes and high performance cars that are actually designed for it. even my 1993 ford Probe GT asked for premium... And to be fair, it did get better mileage with premium gas, so on long trips, that's what it got. In town though? not unless I had my parents' credit card.