A bad workman blames his tools....

[Racey Rider]

Frustration!

a word that sums up the first two rounds of my Vic club winter series this year..

For the first time, (after riding back to pits after race three of Saturdays Manfield round), I felt like throwing this bike on the ground and kicking it till I could kick no longer!

For two years I have been trying to get this KR to run well in Legal Streetstock trim. And it does run ‘ok’ and now reliably.... but why do those other bikes find it So easy to out drag me down the straights!

I feel (and tell me if you have seen it differently), that I am riding well (for a streetstock rider ). That I attack corners just as well, and better than some of those in front of me. yet they are constantly pulling away from me out of the corners and are faster down the straights.

Are the RG150’s really that much faster than a KR150? I’m beginning to wonder as when I first started out with two race days in 2003, I had a RG150 and I felt it would lift the front wheel far easier than this KR. And on that RG I did a BT of 1.33 when I didn’t even know how to ride Manfield. Since then I have never got close to that time on my KR even thought I’m a better rider now.

For instance: in race two on Saturday I made what felt like the perfect start off row two of the streetstock grid. within the first 50m I had my front wheel about 2nd place, but then got swamped with 6? bikes passing me on both sides down to the first corner.

Is there any RG around I could use for one race to check my theory?
Or could someone take my KR out and show me what time it’s capable of?
Who can help me?!

This motor has done less than 7000km, but I guess a new piston kit is the next thing to try.

(Not so) Racey

[Meekey_Mouse]

Sorry I can't help ya there... such a newb so I don't know any thing but I hope you figure out what's happenin!!

It was nice meeting you yesterday, thanks for comin up and sayin hi

Jas

[cowpoos]

Hey mate...I think you should have a talk to glenn...sketchy schahil or wat ever he calls him self on here now...he raced a kr150 with really good sucess...and should be able to take you bike out and tell you if its slow or if its rider,as he's become a very capable fell on two wheels of late...

[Sketchy_Racer]

Hey Alex.

I can understand the feeling you are having. Its not much fun to work so hard, yet not achieve much.

I can't help you with a RG, but if you like, I would gladly take your bike for a ride and see what i can manage without really pushing it.

-Glen

[Racey Rider]

Thanks to those who took time to read/comment on my little meltdown moment.

Having had a few day to sum things up I think I've found the answer....

Forget about where I'm placing...
and just strive to be the best KR150 rider I can be!

Having looked at a couple of the photos of me, I still look very 'pedestrian'.

Yes Glen it would be good if you could put the KR through a few laps sometime to show me what it's capable of.

Till then I will just have to try, braking a little later, and throttling a little earlier.
and who knows.... I might learn something about riding.

1:35 is my BT to beat on this KR.

Racey.

[Ivan]

Alex,

In the weekend you look like you are pushing hard in the corners who cares if you look pedestrian so long as your getting round the corner fast,


My advice,


In my first few seasons on the 125 I rode like shit, what this came down to wasI was so hard on myself and not concentrating,

You need to relax dont think about the RG's being faster and think about what your doing when your riding, And alot of practice just doing this is all it takes,

If you guys havnt noticed when I had my break from racing last year I sat back and thought about everything and why I wasnt having fun, I came up and watched my bike being ridden round saw what it was capable of watched adam and james and studied there break points etc,


THen I came back for a Test day made sure I was first out the gate and did this and ever since I have been improving my pace each round,


Racing is a sport of concentration and when you concentrate on the wrong things the good things wont come I hope you understood this,


Cheers,

Ivan

Keep atr it

[FROSTY:Me]

Mate Ive been reading ya reports for months/;years now.
If ya don't mind Id like to offer ya a bit of advice or two.
1)FORGET lap times and placings and just remember what its all about--Having FUN.
2)Invest in a tutorial track day -Have an instructor (preferably on a similar bike) do some one on one with you.
3) DO have an experienced racer take your bike for a few laps andadvise you on it
For the record--I diddn't takemy own advice and it cost me an entire season of frustration before SHAUN and Dougal got me nad my bike back on track

[BigG]

How much weight training do you do and how heavy are you, I dont no you and have not seen you ride yet but on the smaller race bikes weight has a lot to do with straight line speed. It seems you are good at atacking corners and you are looseing it on the straights, cheer up and enjoy the catch up mode anyone can go fast in a staight line but its the skill in the twisties.

[Racey Rider]

Thanks all for the advise.
All gratefully received.

I'm 80kgs on a good day, Reasonably fit for someone pushing 40 next year.

Is it's all about Fun?.... ( if it is, I'm sure I'll be having MORE fun on the day I cross the line in First place!)
How do you align the Fun aspect, with a competitive spirit?
... with the drive to always do better?

If i went out there just to have fun, my lap times would be slower still.
Surely if you want just Fun, you buy a dirt bike and trail ride.
I spend three hours driving to the track to put a little Risk in my life. To push myself harder.... to achieve some satisfaction from riding the best that I can in a measurable invierment(sp). To compare myself to others. And yes,, maybe even,, to be the best!

So maybe I need to re-asess what outcome I desire out of racing this year?
Not make This years goal too big so that it not obtainable. Then it might be 'more Fun'.

[Sketchy_Racer]

I find setting myself goals that are hard but achieveable are a great way to get satisfaction.

I normaly do it on laptimes rather than results. Other peoples riding can be incosistent, and give a false sense of achivement, whereas lap times will alway be the same.

I always aim for 2 seconds faster than what i am doing at the moment.

so i did a 1:17 this round, next round i wanna try my best for a 1:15. Although thats really pushing the limit as to what is possible with my skill level.

The whole aim at the end of the day, is to have awesome fun, so we gotta find out how to get that fun back!!

Cya round mate,

Glen

[FROSTY:Me]

RR mate trust me on this one. Iffn you take the pressure off yaself and just say fuckit I'm gonna have FUN you will initially go a lil bit slower then you start to get faster.
Throw your stopwatch away for a meeting or two and dont worry about how fast you are going AND also don't go seeing how ya placed.
Think about each corner or sequence of corners --Figure out how to beat them into submission. Your battle is NOT with the other riders its with the track.
As a side note dude--with a low HP bike like the 150's you will ALWAYS loose out in straight line acceleration over the guys with 50kg bodys

[MementoMori]

Hi, this winter series is my first racing season and as such, I have startlingly little experience, knowledge or skill so in this case, my opinion doesn't really amount to much, but I just thought I'd mention that I'm also on a KR and also find it near impossible to keep up on the straights and I weigh less than 50 kgs.

For instance, I found myself on the tail of an RG coming out of the hairpin and maintained close proximity until around half way down where the RG slowly began to inch away.

But to reiterate, this is my first attempt at racing and can't rule out the possibility that I was somehow slowing the bike down. For all I know I could have been sticking my elbows and knees out down the whole straight. But yeah, that's my two cents, fwiw.

[sAsLEX]

I weigh less than 50 kgs.

I think she is calling you fat RR?

[FROSTY:Me]

MM--No offence meant but I'd suggest your issue is different.
You'll find as you get experience you will have that happen less and less.

[Toast]

If i went out there just to have fun, my lap times would be slower still.
Surely if you want just Fun, you buy a dirt bike and trail ride.
I spend three hours driving to the track to put a little Risk in my life. To push myself harder....

Remember dude, it's not just you in the equation, there's a bike underneath your arse too.

'Pushing' yourself might get the adrenaline up, but once you start getting tense, holding on to the bars too tightly, fighting the bike all around the track, it won't like it. Being relaxed and smooth will more often than not see the bike going around the track quicker than you clinching your cheeks in the hope of going faster.

I make the same mistake. I only get to ride once a month, and when I go out there, I get so fired up from the thrill of speed, sound and competition, that I ride like shit. It's very hard to maintain that relaxation and focus on the things that matter while you're on the bike.