A cunning plan? Or a monumentally stupid idea? [Archive]

View Full Version : A cunning plan? Or a monumentally stupid idea?

TonyB

19th March 2006, 15:37

Lately I've been looking at getting into another road racing class. I've also been seriously considering selling my road bike, due to a rather shitty ride I had where among other things I found I couldn't enjoy myself because of the heavy police presence. This forced a bit of soul searching "if you can't enjoy yourself without breaking the law, then should you even be doing it??" etc etc. I even experienced an 'intervention' of sorts, where a few of the local crew tried to talk me out of selling the bike LOL

I've thought about Post Classics- but I've been told they're not much quicker than buckets. I've thought about Street Stocks and F3- I'd need to find a wee pile of cash for that. Then after the track day yesterday I had an idea...

Why not put the FZR's rego on hold over winter and then race it in clubmans events? Realistically it's only worth about $3K. Selling it would be pointless financially. It's definitely got the go in a straight line. Despite it's ridiculous weight it can still hold some decent corner speed (compared to other 1000's). Its, challenging to ride, so I'd learn a lot and get pretty bloody fit in the process LOL. Realistically I'd need to find some fibreglass fairings to throw on it- the originals must be damn near irreplaceable. Even just a top fairing and a few crash bungs would do the trick.

The question is- there aren't that many rounds I can play in. Do I fork out for some nice sticky slicks, or do I just put some sticky street rubber on it and therefore still have something for the road and for wet races?

I'm fed up with my feeble riding skills. I want to improve. I learn as much in 100k on a track as I do in several 1000 on the road.

What say you? Slicks or street legal? Or is this just a monumentally stupid idea in the first place?

cowpoos

19th March 2006, 15:45

PM shaun and get some second hand pirelli diabalo super corsa pro's...cheap...race tyre....and road legal.... can't do better than that???

and go hard bro....scare everyone of the track with that bohelmith!!!!!!!

TonyB

19th March 2006, 16:15

Not a bad idea MrPoos! Although I kinda wonder if the somewhat portly dimensions (209kg dry/ 235 wet :spudwow:) of the (once) mighty FZR might be a bit much for the Super Corsa's, which I understand have quite thin sidewalls. I'll PM shaun and see what he thinks.

onearmedbandit

19th March 2006, 16:46

TonyB

19th March 2006, 17:20

Would be awesome to see the old destroyer out there Tony! I've got a set of K3 thou race fairings at home and a pair of slicks, if the time can be found I will try to get out there myself this year, at least the local rounds. Getting a bit ahead of myself though, I haven't ridden this thing on the track yet and I think I'm in for quite a lesson...
I've ridden 30UTD's K4 out there and compared to riding 'the old destroyer' the K4 is a bloody picnic! It stops soooo much easier, corners better- it's just easier in every way. I've ridden with you on the road- you'll be fine!

Tell you what- the destroyer still hussles all right in a straight line too. I think people are surprised at how quick the old girl is. My theory after watching the proceedings yesterday is that initially acceleration is all down to torque. Once the speed climbs and the bike has to start pushing some air out of the way HP comes into play. The old FZR makes decent torque and it has lower gearing than the new bikes- seems to help even out the weight disadvantage.

Kickaha

19th March 2006, 17:48

I've thought about Post Classics- but I've been told they're not much quicker than buckets.

Really, I'll bet Neil can beat your FZR1000 on Black Betty!

TonyB

19th March 2006, 18:22

Really, I'll bet Neil can beat your FZR1000 on Black Betty!
I have no doubts about that at all. Neils a bloody good rider. I'm a bloody bad one. I also bet that if we then swapped he'd beat me by an even bigger margin.

But it would appear that you are going senile- it was you that said "Post Classics are not much faster than buckets" in the first place! :bleh: Hmmm or do I mean Classics?? Remember? I was looking at buying a CB350

dangerous

20th March 2006, 06:23

I'm fed up with my feeble riding skills.

I want to improve. I learn as much in 100k on a track as I do in several 1000 on the road.
Snap out of it man, theres nothing wrong with your riding skills.
Nothing wrong with wanting to improve either theres always room for it.
Yip 100/1000k thing is correct, but we dont ride on the rd to improve we do it to enjoy like doing the rallys.
So you getting down on one ride (which wasn't with the usual crowd as we dont ride that hard on the rd & you didn't leave in the best frame of mind) is you being too hard on ya self 'again'

I know you enjoy touring with us and I know ya enjoy your bike, tour in summer and race in winter... sounds good to me. Get an after market fairings and slicks and go for it. :scooter:

TonyB

20th March 2006, 06:41

Snap out of it man, theres nothing wrong with your riding skills.
So you getting down on one ride (which wasn't with the usual crowd as we dont ride that hard on the rd & you didn't leave in the best frame of mind) is you being too hard on ya self 'again'

I know you enjoy touring with us and I know ya enjoy your bike, tour in summer and race in winter...
Yes Dad. Sorry Dad.;)

miSTa

20th March 2006, 07:13

I think your putting yourself down unnecessarily, and I don't really think your problem is your skill level. From what you've said previously, I think it's more of one of riding time.

If riding time is the issue, then as Dangerous said, touring in summer and racing in winter maybe the answer.

TonyB

20th March 2006, 08:03

Thanks Grandad, I respect your opinion due to your MANY years of experience ;)
Seriously though- didn't write this post looking for people to say "your not as bad as you think". Wasn't the intention.

So- slicks or road legal?

miSTa

20th March 2006, 08:42

FWIW slicks but maybe the answer is to pick up another set of wheels i.e have a set for the track and a set for the road.

XTC

20th March 2006, 08:54

Sell the beast and get a road legal trailie... DR650/xt600/KLR650 etc and find out what all those police free backroads and gravel routes are all about.... I did and I love it. The XT is still a capable road bike and will keep up easily in group rides on the road and can be hussled through the corners on the coro loop just as well as a sportsbike even on knobbies but hasn't the straight line speed to get you into trouble with the law... Will only do 150 or so which is heaps... But you find that you are having so much more fun near the legal limit than you thought was possible.

scumdog

20th March 2006, 10:03

I've also been seriously considering selling my road bike, due to a rather shitty ride I had where among other things I found I couldn't enjoy myself because of the heavy police presence.

Listen ya bastid, I MAY have put on a LITTLE weight but there's no need to drag it out on front of everybody on this forum, OK????:Pokey:

If it helps I won't ride so close to you next time.:laugh:

TonyB

20th March 2006, 12:11

TonyB

20th March 2006, 12:13

Listen ya bastid, I MAY have put on a LITTLE weight but there's no need to drag it out on front of everybody on this forum, OK????:Pokey:

If it helps I won't ride so close to you next time.:laugh:
LOL Maybe thats the answer- lighter cops on Harleys... then they'd never catch me anyway

slowpoke

21st March 2006, 11:21

Tony I faced a similar problem after a bit of a "ground...sky...ground...sky" moment myself. After getting a bit too enthusiastic on a freeway on ramp (trying to get a good run on a couple of mates on a 'blade and a ninja) I found out that race tyres, even though they're treaded and road legal, don't handle the multitude of temperature cycles you experience with a street ridden motorcycle. They tend to "go-off" and harden over time..a lesson my 916 and I learnt the hard way!
After experiencing that...aaah..."opportunity for improvement", I made the choice to get my thrills on the track. To that end my missus had been making noises about getting back on a bike so we went shopping for a dual purpose bike. No, not a GS Beemer but something she could enjoy on the road and I could enjoy on the track.
We ended up over budget, as per usual, and picked up an old R1 race bike with all the road gear included. There was a bit of work to do to make it streetable but we've found the Ohlins shock to be an absolute snap to adjust between her road riding (remote adjustable pre-load and ride height) and me wobbling around the track.
Now to the bit you are interested in, due to having blown the budget we were stuck with the road tyres we fitted to the bike, Pilot Powers. While the guys with slicks and tyre warmers etc are quicker straight out of the box the Powers have been great. They are plenty good enough for a Clubman level rider and you don't have to freak out at the sight of a damp track.

ducatilover

21st March 2006, 14:42

i might try doing some trackdays when i have the bros650 on the road.:doobey: good luck with your racing tonyb and id say get some good road tyres so you can go in the wet aswell, and the lack of grip compared to slicks can always be a usefull thing and you can learn to ride your bike faster than most and youll be even better when you/ if you get some slicks:first:

gav

21st March 2006, 20:51

So you still going to race the bucket? I understand a RG150 is faster around Ruapuna than your FZR1000 :devil2:
Run road tyres, you don't want the hassle of slicks in Winter at Ruapuna, it rains half the time at club days and the Fizzer won't be too much fun on a cold damp track. Oh, don't forget to put your rego on hold over winter too, Oh, it already is? nevermind....

TonyB

21st March 2006, 21:08

Thanks Slowpoke, I appreciate the advice.
As for YOU Gav:moon: I believe the point of racing is to get over the finish line first, and he was NEVER going to manage that:bleh: :laugh:
Anyway, it wasn't my bike that was being thrashed, it was the idiot riding it! Thats one of the many reasons I want to do this- I must've looked bloody INCOMPETENT out there:doh: The only way to fix that is practice, practice, practice.
Yes I'm still racing the bucket. Prepare to be thrashed.

dangerous

22nd March 2006, 06:12

Yes I'm still racing the bucket. Prepare to be thrashed.
Now that worries me... when you put your mind to it Tony you haul arse well, remember Levels last year? you on a sad proddy bucket me strugling to keep up on a moderfied CB... well till you ended up on ya arse but hey my point is you were riding well and umm... I'm not looking forward to taking you on this year now that your bucket will be... a moderfied :apumpin:

TonyB

22nd March 2006, 06:27

Be afraid D. Be very afraid.