86GSXR's Winter Series

[86GSXR]

I've been meaning to write a report for ages but got a little sidetracked. So here goes - with apologies for the length.

I've been riding bikes since the 70's (yes, I’m an old fart) and have had a long love affair with the first generation GSXR750's :yes:

I got my first 85F model from WMC back in 1988, really loved that bike. Unfortunately I had to sell it and 11 years later I got an 86G model, hence my user name, and then another G in 2006. I've had a hankering to get one of them onto the race track for some time now, as a way of honouring such a legendary machine :yes:

So I started to strip the 'older' (80K) one down, but it soon became obvious that it needed a lot of mechanical attention, ie engine and gearbox rebuild. This was a bit costly so I decided to use the 'newer' (50K) bike as the engine was nice and tight and most importantly, dry.

Due to time constraints and lack of expertise I took it to Neil at Palmerston North Motorcycles and had it brought up to a safe standard. Strip, clean and balance carbs, service brakes, new pads, plugs, and fluids, sort an ignition issue, and new Pilot Road 2's.

I swapped the old rough fairings and tank over from the other bike, removed all the unecessary bits and pieces, swapped a few more things around and finally, the night before Round 1 I had a serviceable race bike :woohoo:

Round 1.

Together with my lovely partner Michelle (Monamie), who has been working the start/finish line, we loaded the bike into the horse float and headed to the track first thing. Missed out on a stall but never mind, the float made an extremely good shelter from the rain.

I managed to get signed in and issued with a transponder, and thanks to everyone who showed me the ropes :yes:

I'd done a few track days but really had no idea of what to expect from the real thing but got out and did it qualifying 18th in Post Classics with a 1:41 in the wet.

Race One.

This was a bit nerve wracking but I got around the warm up lap and completely stuffed up my grid position as I couldn't see the numbers on the ground :doh:

AJ sorted me though and I managed to get going without any major issues. I then discovered that I had a problem with my exhaust pipe which was obviously waaaaay too low and scraped on every right hander. This unnerved me a bit but I kept going and finished 16th with a best time of 1:28.

Back at the pits I whipped off the side covers and deduced that my rear shock was way too soft. Murray Cross and Cowboyz kindly helped me out here and we hardened everything up.

Race 2.

The suspension tweaking helped and the bike felt a lot better but I still had a few scrapes. Nowhere near as bad though and I finished 18th with a 1:27.

Round 2.

Got to the track nice and early and missed out on a stall. I didn’t have the horse float this time so got changed and hung around in the car. It was pretty damn wet but I was very keen to try out the long track for the first time :yes:

I really enjoyed the long track as it had dried out quite nicely and I had no major moments although it was quite gnarly in places. Qualified 16th with a 2:24.

Race 1.

Just as the race was called it started pissing down. Still very much getting used to the environment and had a thoroughly enjoyable race in the wet finishing 16th with a 2:36.

Round 3.

By this time my good friend Cowboyz had got his 98 ZX9R ready for the track and so we loaded both bikes onto the trailer the night before and headed out nice and early just in time to miss out on getting a stall lol. But the sun was out by this time although the track was damp, cold and covered in lime from the test day before.

Unfortunately Cowboyz crashed in Clubmans qualifying and the damage was not able to be repaired in time for the race – bugger!

This day was by far the best of the series so far as the track dried out by the time the racing started, everything ran very smoothly and as the races were 5 laps, there was plenty of track time.

I qualified 12th with a 1:35 on a damp track.

Race 1.

Had an awesome time, the race seemed to fly by and the bike was running very nicely. No major moments although two bikes went down in front of me but the race continued and both riders thankfully relatively uninjured. Finished 9th with a 1:26.


Race 2.

Another very enjoyable run and by now I was getting used to the tactics for getting a good start. Had a fun dogfight with No 51 during this race and it was great being so close to another bike while cornering :yes: Finished 12th with a 1:26.

Race 3.

I decided to try for a 1:25 this time and I got off to a pretty good start. I now realize how important this is as turn 1 comes up very quickly. Had a great time chasing Martin Peck around and kept the gap pretty evenly. Finished 11th with a low 1:25 and was very pleased with that!

I need to work on braking later and getting on the gas earlier and can’t wait until R4. If I can achieve a 1: 23/22 by the end of the season I’ll be a happy man :yes: And I don't think the race leaders will have to start worrying anytime soon lol.

A massive thank you to all those who helped me out on the race days, Monamie and Roberytdog for the pics, and to the Vic Club for a truly amazing experience :2thumbsup

Al








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[robertydog]

Good stuff Alistair. You doing good and im envious that your out there.:yes:

[sugilite]

Great stuff, glad to see you made it out there! :yes: Gaylene will be smiling

[cowboyz]

nice! Awesome to see the ol' gixxer out there. Round 4 will be mint!

[sinfull]

Good write up mate !!!

1.41 , 1.28 , 1.27 , 1.26 , 1.25 , I see a pattern forming here ! Good shit Al, coming together for ya nicely for sure !!! Next thing we'll see ya tearing suspenders off and revamping em, to gain that extra second or two (once your pb's start dropping in the tenths)

[NZsarge]

Mint Al, good on ya getting out there and thrashing that ol' Gixxer...
Next season it'll be the Daytona in F1..

[Duke girl]

Great report Alistair and its so Awesome seeing you out there enjoying your racing. The smile on your face at the end of the day said it all.
Goodluck with the remaining rounds and enjoy your time out on the track.

[banditrider]

Awesome Al! Bike looks great out there doing it's thing. Must come over and watch you at it next time. :niceone:

[chanceyy]

good to see the report finally getting done !!

great to see you have done it aye .. after yrs of talking about it just getting out there & doing it has been so worth it.

congrats Babe good results & yeah the smile says it all :) :hug:

[scracha]

Good to see someone new giving it a crack. 1.25 is pretty damn respectable in the damp on one of these old rocketships and you'll keep getting quicker.

[Monamie]

I'm very proud of you :yes::love:

Good to see you enjoying yourself and looking damn good out on the track too!!
:first:

[86GSXR]

Thanks all :yes:

Well, an interesting days racing yesterday. Woke up to heavy drizzle and low cloud, picked up Cowboyz and headed out to the track.

Qualified 11th in Post Classic with a 2:49 in pretty wet conditions. The bike felt quite stable though and the tyres (PR2's) seemed to be coping OK.

Race 1.

Got off to a reasonable start with a bit of wheelspin. Braking for turn one the rear got a small snake going but it didn't get out of control. I put it down to cold road tyres in the wet and kept going mindful of the potential to wipe out if I pushed it too hard. Got a couple of slides at Higgins as a reminder as well.

Kept focussed and tried to relax as much as possible but can't say it was that enjoyable. Had a major moment on the white lines coming out of Dunlop, man they are lethal in the wet. Kept well clear of them after that. Passed the white flag at a reasonable pace and as I downshifted the rear lost grip and started snaking. This one was nasty and I was sure I was going to lose it :shit:

The bike just wanted to go over but I was determined that it wouldn't so I just concentrated hard on keeping it straight and upright. Went into the gravel pretty quickly still swinging. Had to work a bit harder to stay upright but thank god I slowed down and stopped without going down.

Couldn't remember if I could rejoin the race or not so I just stayed put until he track was clear and then made my way in. Got a DNF but a best lap of 1:37 so I guess if I'd finished I would have been 11th.

Had a big chat to Murray Cross afterwards and learned more about wets in 5 mins than I'd ever known before. Highly essential investment but apparantly very difficult to find in an 18 inch.

Race 2.

The track was much wetter this time and I had already decided to take it very easy and treat it as a practise and had absolutely no desire for a repeat experience. So I did exactly that and had a quite pleasant but slow race just working on lines and body position. Finished 13th overall with a 2:56.

So not the quickest day out but a huge learning experience about wet racing.

Got changed in time to see some AMAZING riding in F1 :niceone:

[cowboyz]

good effort keeping it upright! Ill put some photos up soon

[86GSXR]

good effort keeping it upright! Ill put some photos up soon

Sweet, thanks! Wouldn't have needed a fast shutter speed eh, lol.

[chanceyy]

slow n right beats fast & crashing :)

good decision not to push it, be plenty of time to do that later :)

[86GSXR]

slow n right beats fast & crashing :)

good decision not to push it, be plenty of time to do that later :)

Oh hell yes, PR2's are pretty good in the dry but no match for a cold wet track. I was surprised at how easily they let go really. Or maybe it was just me :blink: :yes:

[cowboyz]

pics...................................21626921627 0216271216272216278

[KiwiKat]

It was definately interesting watching even the fastest riders, with wets, slipping and sliding out there on occassions.

You did really well considering the state of the track. Didn't see much shaking afterwards but heaps of cigarette butts.

[dogsnbikes]

Oh hell yes, PR2's are pretty good in the dry but no match for a cold wet track. I was surprised at how easily they let go really. Or maybe it was just me :blink: :yes:

Good stuff Alistair oh and you too Lance,glad to see you boys out there....I'm not allowed out there:bye: have just been told no way am I taking the daytona on the track :angry:or the bold'or:rofl: or even norman


Keep it up guys for now I will just have too read'n'weep:yes:

[Clivoris]

Dude,
it's huge fun seeing you at the track and seeing your learning curve. You can't be far off spending ridiculous money on your post classic baby.:yes:

[86GSXR]

pics...................................

Thanks! I've got a couple of good ones of you which I'll get up. I think I may need a new router to go with this laptop, it's still a bit slow on pics................


It was definately interesting watching even the fastest riders, with wets, slipping and sliding out there on occassions.

You did really well considering the state of the track. Didn't see much shaking afterwards but heaps of cigarette butts.

All the shaking went down going into the gravel Gary - eek. Good to see you guys there and yes, there were a few nervous ones going around there for awhile lol


Good stuff Alistair oh and you too Lance,glad to see you boys out there....I'm not allowed out there:bye: have just been told no way am I taking the daytona on the track :angry:or the bold'or:rofl: or even norman


Keep it up guys for now I will just have too read'n'weep:yes:

There's only one thing for it then Barry, you'll have to get another bike :D Failing that, come and watch round 5 :yes:

[86GSXR]

Dude,
it's huge fun seeing you at the track and seeing your learning curve. You can't be far off spending ridiculous money on your post classic baby.:yes:

Oh man, never a truer word spoken Clive :yes: I'm trying very hard to banish thoughts of more rims, wets, stands, compressors and slicks. To start with.......:niceone:

[dogsnbikes]

There's only one thing for it then Barry, you'll have to get another bike :D Failing that, come and watch round 5 :yes:

Yes your right,just as well she forgot about bike number 4:innocent:

[yungatart]

You did really well to keep it upright, Alistair! Looked like butt clenching stuff from my vantage point!

[cowboyz]

Thanks! I've got a couple of good ones of you which I'll get up. I think I may need a new router to go with this laptop, it's still a bit slow on pics................



resize everything before uploading it. esp now you got a 10M camera! you can use piasca (which is just magic for photos) from http://picasa.google.co.nz/#utm_campaign=nz&utm_source=en-ha-apac-nz-google&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=picasa

or if you dont wanna do that then get a image resize like this one....

http://www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/

resize everything to 640x480 and you will save a HEAP of time on uploading.

[86GSXR]

Yes your right,just as well she forgot about bike number 4:innocent:

Yes, I wondered if you may pull out bike number 4 heh, heh :shutup:


You did really well to keep it upright, Alistair! Looked like butt clenching stuff from my vantage point!

Thanks Janet, it was pretty sticky alright. Reminded me of an incident on the Desert Rd in 1988 at night in the snow. My legs were so cold I couldn't feel them and couldn't tell how much pressure I had on the rear brake. Same thing happened on one of the 3 sisters and I nearly ended up down the bank. But kept it upright then too :sweatdrop


resize everything before uploading it. esp now you got a 10M camera! you can use piasca (which is just magic for photos) from http://picasa.google.co.nz/#utm_campaign=nz&utm_source=en-ha-apac-nz-google&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=picasa

or if you dont wanna do that then get a image resize like this one....

http://www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/

resize everything to 640x480 and you will save a HEAP of time on uploading.

I've found a way to resize on the laptop!

[cowboyz]

nice.. sowhere the pics???

[t3mp0r4ry nzr]

good on you dude! hopefully I will be joining the postie class next round and having some fun

[ynot slow]

nice.. sowhere the pics???

Ditto,my camera forgot to add film(well I did),and leaving eftpos card at photo shop aint intelligent for last week.

[FruitLooPs]

This really makes me want to put mine out on the track, but I know how hairy those 18's can be in the wet. I've got stupid dual compound's on mine since I mostly commute and I've had those spin up on me once or twice on the road unexpectedly :blink:

If you're conscious of budget but want a better shock I'd recommend getting a 2005era R1 rear shock, the standards are like a soggy spring in comparison. Boosts the rear end a height bit, turns in faster doesn't overheat and go mushy like the stocker - all it needs is the bottom eyelet bush machined a few mm. But yeah if you found a vintage ohlins that could be rebuilt all the better. You have stacks of 17" swap out options too, not sure on the rules though.

Then I spose if its for track only ditch the airbox, pods + get a factory pro stage 3 jet kit + decent exhaust for more top end, maybe ignition advancer, better cams :yes:

[86GSXR]

good on you dude! hopefully I will be joining the postie class next round and having some fun

Did you make it to R5? At least you didn't have too far to go home after the cancellation. Bring on a dry R6, would be a great way to finish!


Ditto,my camera forgot to add film(well I did),and leaving eftpos card at photo shop aint intelligent for last week.

Tony, you ought to go digital, way less hassle.


This really makes me want to put mine out on the track, but I know how hairy those 18's can be in the wet. I've got stupid dual compound's on mine since I mostly commute and I've had those spin up on me once or twice on the road unexpectedly :blink:

If you're conscious of budget but want a better shock I'd recommend getting a 2005era R1 rear shock, the standards are like a soggy spring in comparison. Boosts the rear end a height bit, turns in faster doesn't overheat and go mushy like the stocker - all it needs is the bottom eyelet bush machined a few mm. But yeah if you found a vintage ohlins that could be rebuilt all the better. You have stacks of 17" swap out options too, not sure on the rules though.

Then I spose if its for track only ditch the airbox, pods + get a factory pro stage 3 jet kit + decent exhaust for more top end, maybe ignition advancer, better cams :yes:

Get it out there :yes:

I'd love to really kit out mine with lots of goodies but I'm really trying to resist the temptation to spend big bucks. However, I do have a WP rear shock which is pretty good as far as I can tell. Feels really stable and the stock front hasn't given me any grief either, except once on the road a few years ago. In the dry, the PR2's are pretty good but getting a dry track hasn't been easy this season :( They were brand new at the beginning and have done maybe 250kms since then. I'll be interested to see how they hold up heat cycle wise tho.

My main issue lately has been the bike cutting out at 5-8000 rpm - arrgh. I think it's electrical but it's intermittant and frustrating. I got a multi meter yesterday and am going to check out coils, HT leads, plugs etc tonight. Pulled out the ignition unit last night and it was pretty dirty but looked serviceable, but hard to tell. If everything checks out it'll have to be work backwards time to see if there is anything else obvious.

Got a couple of weeks so should be sweet!

[cowboyz]

. Bring on a dry R6, would be a great way to finish!

IT HAS TO BE!

Tony, you ought to go digital, way less hassle.

For sure! I take 1-200 photos and keep 20! Costs nothing to hit the button!

Get it out there :yes:
yes yes yes yes!

They were brand new at the beginning and have done maybe 250kms since then. I'll be interested to see how they hold up heat cycle wise tho.

have to go fast to put some heat into them first :bleh:

My main issue lately has been the bike cutting out at 5-8000 rpm - arrgh. I think it's electrical but it's intermittant and frustrating. I got a multi meter yesterday and am going to check out coils, HT leads, plugs etc tonight. Pulled out the ignition unit last night and it was pretty dirty but looked serviceable, but hard to tell. If everything checks out it'll have to be work backwards time to see if there is anything else obvious.

Got a couple of weeks so should be sweet!
that problem come back? I got a feeling its going to be one of those headache problems!

[86GSXR]

that problem come back? I got a feeling its going to be one of those headache problems!

God tell me about it. As you know it ran up on the dyno and a test ride just fine. I get it home and it's coughing and cutting out and blowing flame just like it did at the track day. Next day its going just dandy. I can't trust it to behave on the track so I'm working my way through the ignition system, just hope I find something conclusive!

[cowboyz]

God tell me about it. As you know it ran up on the dyno and a test ride just fine. I get it home and it's coughing and cutting out and blowing flame just like it did at the track day. Next day its going just dandy. I can't trust it to behave on the track so I'm working my way through the ignition system, just hope I find something conclusive!

well the next raceday is on an odd day of the month so you might be right!

[86GSXR]

I think I may have it sorted. Luckily I have a Haynes manual so what could go wrong :shit: Removed and tested coils and HT leads. All within specs. Took out IC unit, looked pretty corroded. Swapped coils, HT leads and IC unit from the other bike. Seems to run just fine now. Fingers crossed for R6!

[cowboyz]

awesome!!! you planning on doing the motott day???

[86GSXR]

Seriously considering it, it'd be great to test it before R6. Don't want to discover it still has an issue then! You?

[cowboyz]

nope. too sick.. will be doing the one after R6 though!....

[86GSXR]

That was a thoroughly enjoyable series :yes:

It felt great to wake up to a fine day for Round 6 and it was the first drive out to the track on a dry road. I'd been really looking forward to trying the bike out on a dry track after it's electrical repairs as I hadn't had a chance to see if it would run properly under load.

Got to the track and must say a big thank you to Garry for saving us a space in the stalls, it's great to have somewhere to put all the gear. Thanks Garry.

By the time Post Classic qualifying rolled around it had just rained heavily :facepalm: and I was buggered if I was going to crash it on the last round so just took it easy and qualified 17th with a very sedate 1:41. However, the bike showed no signs of bad running so that was a big relief.

R1 was interesting starting from that position and was restarted after a big crash out of Dunlop. Not very nice seeing two bikes down, one of them a Gixxer.

Underway again and its now obvious to me how bad my starts are. I'm too polite (read pussy) and let myself get smoked off the line. I have the power available to do better but tend to hang back til the first turn, partly out of a caution about collisions and partly because of not wanting to overcook it and crash on the corner. Must work on this.

I didn't really get a good flow going and was mainly on my own in the long race as it had been awhile since I'd been on the bike. But I finished 13th with a 1:27 and had ample opportunity to practise braking later and accelerating sooner.

R2. This felt much better although again my start wasn't the best. With only five laps I thought I had better pick up the pace and it's funny how the laps seem to get faster but the results showed a best lap of another 1:27 in 12th place. Although I did manage to improve on my passing and later braking, still sooooo much to learn :yes:

Thank you Vic Club for an awesome experience, and thanks to my partner and all my mates who have helped out in one way or another, racing is great! Bring on the Summer Series!

[cowboyz]

good stuff. bit miffed I missed your first race cause I was mucking round with my tyres but the second was a minter. esp after the restart you got a real good run in with tash. bring on the 3 hr!

[quickbuck]

Nice work 86GSXR,
Work on those things you have identified, and I'm sure there will be vast improvements....
Oh, and dry weather will help.