redkow97

I've waffled on this issue over the last couple days. I do think it's disrespectful to Peter and his family to debate this in the same breathe as reporting his death, but it IS a question that should be asked: How young is too young? In the riding community, we understand more than most that the Rossis and Spies of the world were competing on the world stage before they were 25. To reach that level of skill by such a (relatively) young age, you simply HAVE to start riding before your 10th birthday. Period. Steven Strausberg is (was) pitching in the majors at 22. LeBron James was playing in the NBA at 18; the only difference is that their sports involve a lower risk of life-threatening injury. Socially, I agree that it's the parents' right to decide what their child can and cannot do, but I have to admit, I'd get pretty upset if I saw an 8 yr old on the back of a goldwing... I think that's pretty irresponsible, and totally unnecessary. Is racing any more necessary? I'm not sure. Quite a few people have brought up that "kids who race understand the risks involved." I'm not sure that should matter. The fact is; in several other examples, our legal system rarely cares if minors know the risks of their actions. Minors are incapable of consenting to sex with an adult (statutory rape). Minors are not allowed to enlist in the military (I believe it used to be 16, with parental consent). Minors are not allowed to gamble or drink. In each of those cases, there is a STRONG argument to be made that we deny kids the 'right' to do a lot of things, even when they fully understand the risks and consequences. Why SHOULDN'T we do the same with something as dangerous as racing a motorcycle? ...or should we stop being so puritanical about sex, booze, and combat, too?

i just assumed that was the front getting light under acceleration and me pulling on the bars too much. when it doubt, throttle out!

it just wasn't an appropriate bike to be there unless Danny Eslick or one of the Wymann's was in the saddle... The guy was hitting his apexes and on the proper line, but he just couldn't carry corner speed at all. Eslick was draggign the hell out of the pegs through the esses at Mid-Ohio. I didn't hear this guy touch anything down all day.

there are some bumps exiting turn 8 (back straight), but I think what you experienced on the front straight (i was right behind you) was from the transition from the right to left side of the bike. It's easy to pull the bars to get you up and over the bike, and that can upset things pretty quickly. I was glad you rode it out, because I would have plowed right into you.

...or I could check the Fasttrax website. Jbot with a best lap of 1:05.941!?! nice job man - you're riding a 7 year old bike with stock suspension faster than I can ride the same bike with Penske and GMD computrack valving. Those tires must have done more for your confidence than you think!

race results??? also, who wants to talk about the guy with the beard on the XR1200 in the "race" group? At least he was easy to get around.

What exactly did the track have to do with this incident? Peter was a good kid, and a great racer. My heart goes out to his family and friends. The strength his father has already displayed in dealing with this tragedy is as remarkable as Peter's skill on the race track. I heard about Peter's death from one of the Bostrom brothers (via twitter) and it totally knocked the wind out of me. I was just about to start the Moto2 race, and couldn't even bring myself to watch it.

actually it's more like 193 or something. Bone stock. But all the horsepower in the world doesn't mean anything if you can't put it to the ground. The OP asked for fastest quarter mile time, not whose bike had the most horsepower.

I don't know the law in WV, but in OH, that would be illegal. Passengers must be able to reach the foot-pegs.

i am pretty tapped out, but my brother's graduating in December. With someone to take on half my gas costs, I'm in slightly better shape. The van/trailer/etc. is probably 3 years off, after I finish law school; but if we were to find a great deal and split a van, the cost would be really minimal. I also recently changed jobs. It's creating some short-term instability with finances, but in the next 12 months, it should (knock on wood) improve considerably. I'm just sick of setting up a damn tent at the track...

Ben's got a much dryer sense of humor. did anyone try to give him a key-chain?

yeah, I saw him "instructing" last time I was at Mid-Ohio. Fast rider and a nice kid, but I didn't see him doing any instructing at all. Looked pretty good in the AMA round at Mid-O though. I'd prefer to have a plain jane van if possible. The cargo trucks have double axles that increase toll prices (i think). Plus I could probably fit a standard van in a storage unit.

yeah... Pretty sure i've got a buyer lined up. Offered me $1500 sight unseen, and asked if I have a local notary that's open on Sunday (when he's coming to take a look at the bike). Guy's only got a temporary permit; at least I assume as much, because he asked me to ride or trailer it to his house because he "can't take the highway." crossing my fingers that he doesn't change his mind.

this is essentially EXACTLY what I would want, and just remove all but the first seat behind the driver http://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?t=256952&highlight=van

but what kind of gas mileage does your tow vehicle get? That's a big factor for me. And I don't do 15 days a year (although i'd like to get to that point). My wife's Tucson (v6 - i'm not a total pussy) gets 20-22mpg pulling the open trailer. I doubt mileage would suffer with a second bike on it. (w/o the trailer, it'll get 26 hwy) having a V8 as a daily driver ups gas money considerably over the life of the vehicle, and I'd really only need a V8 when towing... That's what's most appealing about the van. Like the trailer, I can park it when I'm not using it. But unlike the trailer, I don't need a V8 as a daily driver. And vans are shockingly cheap. if you're willing to get a late 90's or early 2000's model with 100-150k miles on the clock, they're comparable to a used 6x12 enclosed trailer. $3k - $5k. There is a lot less space inside the trailer to "pimp," but I still think it's the cheaper option. the only real draw-back to the van is that you can really only seat 2 adults. Fine for now, but not forever. I'm really REALLY crossing my fingers that with the extended length van, you could leave the first row bench seat in behind the driver. That's a kid-sized bed as far as i'm concerned.

I'm cheap. There, I said it. I have a 4x8 open trailer and sleep in a tent for almost every trackday. But ultimately, I would like to get my brother to be at 90% of my trackdays (riding), and some day routinely bring the wife, dog, and (hypothetical) kids. with that in mind, I've given some thought to transport and sleeping options: OPEN TRAILER + HOTEL Pros: - inexpensive (trailer, not hotel) - good on gas - no packing a bed - shower/toilet - family friendly Cons: - Hotels aren't always cheap - not staying at the track - security of bike on open trailer PIMPED ENCLOSED 6X12 (or larger) Pros: - stay at the track (convenient & fun) - can sleep in it/no setting up tent - better security than open - can fit 2-3 bikes and 'stuff' - family friendly with big enough setup and right layout. Cons: - need large® vehicle to pull it. - worse gas mileage (due to larger vehicle) - still no toilet/shower - fairly expensive. I figure $3k-$5k when all is said and pimped. (that buys a lot of hotel rooms...) TOY HAULER Pros: - sleep at track with toilet/shower(?) - no hotel expenses! - ability to cook real meals Cons: - expensive as hell! ($16k-$30k) - need very large tow vehicle - terrible gas mileage - need large tow vehicle CARGO VAN (+ small trailer?) Pros: - sleep at the track (fun & convenient) - not much more expensive than an enclosed trailer. ($5k) - secures 2 bikes - wouldn't be a daily driver, so bad mileage isn't all the time like having a large tow vehicle as daily driver. - could add open trailer to transport third or fourth bikes Cons: - not a lot of space - can really only transport 2 people (not family friendly) - is cost of vehicle more than just paying for hotels? So that's where i'm at. The bottom line is that hotels seem to be the most practical choice, but the one I'm least inclined to like. I really enjoy hanging out at the track, but like I wrote above, $3k spent on a trailer buys 30 hotel nights. I can't imagine my family would be coming to the track that often, so that would take a few YEARS to rationalize. the van is the next best option. split a $5k van with my brother, and then we sell the open trailer, or keep it around for occasional use. Sleeping in the van eliminates the need to pack and setup tents. I'm sure we could rig AC, and we get the bonus of better security for our stuff. Am I crazy to think this is the cheapest way to 'upgrade?'

internet says I shouldn't worry until the bike hit's 230, turn it off at 240, and cause damage at 255. if you're routinely hitting 230 (fan's supposed to come on at 220), there's likely a thermostat issue. that's for '03-'06 600RR's. I've heard RC51 owners report 240 degrees ON TRACK AT PACE. that's nuts to me, I only recently noticed that my bike was over 200 at pace.

what temp does everyone's bike operate at while on track anyway? I'm running almost straight distilled water. Ran out of Water Wetter. on track, I seem to remember the bike running between 209 and 220. Never seen it get any higher than that.

I've been trying to find something like this as well, and it's a lot like trying to find an all-purpose motorcycle; you're going to compromise somewhere. Unfortunately, there is no hyper motard of the bicycle world (which compromises on power, aerodynamics, etc...) The best I've been able to come up with is a hardtail mountain bike with decent front suspension, and then invest in a second set of rims with street-friendly tires. swapping bicycle rims only takes a couple minutes, and I think you'll probably find that you end up leaving the street tires on 90% of the time.

Totally agree. my comment was directed at whoever posted something about applying for a job and getting it because they lied about their qualifications. Military honors certainly set you apart in a pile of resumes. Legally, that situation is actionable, but it's not criminal.

in this case, the kid admitted he just got his temps; which I was expecting given that it's an EX500 i'm selling... He said he had to find a friend to come with him so the friend could ride it. I'll happily ride up and down the street in front of him and take the bike through the gears.

Be careful not to cite (potential) CIVIL damages. This is a criminal charge we're talking about. If another soldier is ACTUALLY (monetarily) damaged as a result of the liar claiming he has all these military honors, the damaged party can bring a civil suit.

I guess i'm still waiting for an answer as to WHY lying about military honors should be a crime, or under what circumstances? you don't have to convince me that it's a douchey thing to do; just why it should be criminal.

I'd never purchase a bike I hadn't ridden, but at the same time, i'm very hesitant to let some yahoo who just got his temps take off on the bike i'm selling... What's your policy? hang onto their license? have a "you break it, you bought it" agreement pre-written before they show up? cash-in-hand before you let them ride? If so, how much? I totally expect that the sale price will be below my asking price... When I sold my F2, I had seen the buyer ride his 636 at a trackday, and the F2 wasn't street-legal, so I knew he wasn't going far (or fast) on the street. He'd also seen me take the bike through its paces at the track more than once, so we were both pretty comfortable with the situation. \ This is way different.

but why should lying about government orders be criminal? How does it hurt society as a whole? we do NOT want to revert to a society where the court punishes every act that's "unwholesome" or amoral. We tried that. It resulted in people wearing a red "A" on their clothing when they cheated on their spouse.