what a day!!.. with the weather forecast changing rapidly in the last few days and tsukubas tight pit arrangements i was left a bit wanting in terms of shelter. so i got there early and got a friend with a bicycle to save me a pit in the first race of the morning… the getting a pit bicycle race. he succeeded and a big weight was lifted off my shoulders with shelter from the immenant rain.

a few prospective pit crews had dodged the bullet at the last minute so it was me and the GF. come time for qualifying i was in a quandry. it was wet and raining a bit here and there but drying fast, i made the decision to stay with wets as it started raining again with about 30 minutes to go, with only one set of disks, changing tyres becomes a bit more exagerated…anyway it stopped, dried out and i went out on rains with a dry track, some people had just swapped a rear to slicks others were on full slicks, i ran 8 wild, sliding bucking, laps with a best of 1.04.5 to put me 10th of 18. iwas disapointed but also a little happy that i was even that high. ill post a photo of the tyre tomorrow!! :crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: :crazyeyes:

come race time the weather did the reverse, i had slicks on as it was drying fast again and then just before the warm up lap it started to rain again. i as most others quickly changed to rains. and out we went. the track was definately too wet for slicks. from the warm up start i shot to the front as is my ritual of late. and then putted around trying to save my tyres as the rain was so light it could stop, dry out and id be screwed…

on the grid in 10th the light goes out i get a great start and get into the first corner in 5th, i come out hot on the tail of a ducati and finnish him off coming 2, blast a honda going into dunlop and im in third and following two all japan riders. my race plan was basically get a good start and then do what the guys in front do. the thing is i realised not only were they not gettting away but i could out brake them off the back straight and into 1. on the third lap the second guy went into first and i drifted past the guy as well coming into turn 1. i was now in second. next lap same again coming into turn one i braked later and harder and took the inside line, the leader stayed on my outside but coming out i let it drift wide to cut him off I WAS IN FIRST!!! :!exclaim: :!exclaim: :!exclaim: :bday: i was finding it hard to believe. i just focussed and kept my head down and i hung onto first until the 15th lap, by then my tyres were really starting to shred, i was having truoble getting them hooked up down the back straight as the track had quite a dry line appearing. i made the decision to start conserving my tyres, the rear kicked out once coming out of the first hairpin and made me remeber it was still wet. then coming into 1 a honda drifted by, i couldnt hang with the guy, but held onto second until about the 18th lap when another guy passed me, by then id dropped about 2 seconds off my best of 1.06.5. the rear was spinning the entire way down the back straight, i had to baby the throttle all the way around. anyway i rode out the race in 3rd position!!

WOW!! I couldnt belive i was in third and that i had actuially led the race for the majority of it!!

so i get 17 points to add to my 9 to move me to the top of the table in area JSB and only 14 points from my goal of an international race liscence!!!

also picked up a few prizes. a new tyre, 10,000yen coupon, about 5 tshirts, other stuff assorted bike related goodies and a 5kg bag of Tsukuba rice!!! ha ha ha!!!

so it was a very difficult and stressful day, and luckily for me a few mates (other JSB mates) chipped in to help me with last minute tyre changes!! 8) :mrgreen: and made it possible for me to compete!!!

…..
i cant say it felt great really, i as just a little shocked to tell you the truth. there were 4 guys in this race all with recorded race times in the 58s. but it seems they dont like the rain!! at one point as my tyres were really starting to lose grip i loooked back to see if i had any clearance. and the sight i got was the nose of a CBR right on my tail, i knew then that winning was going to be tough. but i did my best to keep them at bay, riding really tight entries and trying not to leave any room up the inside of the two main overtaking spots the back straight and turn 1.

i guess im used to riding with a bike all out of sorts so going in hot with the front and rear squirming isnt too diferent to normal… maybe those guys dont like it?? anyway the guy who came 4th has my division record at tsukuba of a 58.2 and he ended up about 26 seconds behind me. i dont understand really because i know i could have gone faster but maybe not without increasing my risk of crashing, and a few times throughout i remebered last years TC crash and just reinforced the DO NO CRASH OUT mantra i was carrying. in very changable and unpredictable conditions like these i guess everyone was feeling the same, and i guess everyone has different willingness to put there bike and themselves at risk.

TC 08-09-07
nice shots!!! i guess ill write the report here!! (maybe you can put that in the title solo!!)

well a day of ups and downs.
first of all let me say a HUGE thanks to you guys that made it out there. CRAIG and MIKE, man you guys are awesome. really i cant thank you enough for your support. SCOTT and KARL excellent, thanks so much for showing up, lending a hand and all the good vibes..

OK…

my mate had got a pit for me so we piled in, shaken, ready for qualifying. im always real nervous before qualifying. so i was pacing around, wringing my hands, and generally wondering about the relentlessness of the clock…

Craig took my bike to go around and onto the pit lane, i waited…. and waited….. and where did he go??? turns out i was a sound check short of a shaken!! eventually he showed up, i got on and blasted out of there…. new tyres so took it easy in the first lap, then let it rip….

to cut a long story short (well 15 minutes of long story), the bike was exiting like a wild bronco, all i could do was hang on. unfortunately i couldnt get on the gas 100% as a result, and was getting destabilisation of the chassis entering corners where the straights werent long enough for it to settle…
anyway i ran a 1.00.9 and was very happy with that, it had me gridded 7th of the field of 17.

relaxed, chatted, waited, wondered about the relentlessness of time further as it marched onto race time…

sighting lap, warm up lap, start…. i sucked, didnt get on the gas quick enough, lost a few places, was a little to polite entering the first corner. lost a few more, i dont know where i got em back, although i do remember pushing a ducati off his line entering the back sweeper up the inside at insane speed :badgrin:

people started to spread out, i kept view of the front runners for about 8 laps, then they started to slip away, i was running consistant low 1.01s with a best of 1.01.0 and the worst of 1.01.6 then BANG, lap 12 in exactly the same place i lost the front in exactly the same way i lost it last time i lost it again (entering the back hairpin). last minute chattering and down she goes, i slid, she hit the gravel and flipped over. i ran up to see if i could get back on, the levers were in place, but there was water pissing out of somewhere. so in the interests of safety i retired.

i was very disapointed, i was running comfortably in 8th, which would have put me in the points….

in reply to the suspension queries,

as you may or may not have read, the main problem that i am having that i can attribute to the suspension is my major chassis destabilisation. here is when it happens

usually at about 12000rpm in second gear. it can either be set off by
1) a small bump in the track ala. victory straight at tsukuba
2) shifting gear to 3rd while the bike is still leaned over ala midway between dunlop and the back hairpin.
3) rear end wheel slides, when it hooks up again, the bouncing commences ala anywhere.

what happens is the back end slides a little, or compresses a little and the bike generates too much momentum for the valving to effectively control it.

So….

i originally thought i needed a heavier spring, and the heavier spring i think helped, but as my speed correspondingly got faster i again ran into the same problem. so now you have the heavy spring and the extra force generated by the extra speed causing sometimes severe destabilisation and always slight to medium destabilisation.

result…

well the first thing to try is heavier valving, so i have sent some emails of to several lower level manufacturers looking for support and they seem interested. nothing firm yet but positive responses to my initial emails. fingers crossed. the make im hoping for is MATRIS. they are a european manufacturer of shocks, internals and dampners. and have been getting very good reports about the quality of their gear. anyway they are having an “in house” meeting this week to decide what kind if any of supprt they will give me.

i also have a K6 front end with OHLINS 25mm cartridges built and shimmed by the Aussie yoshimura team. itll come with some triples set to 28mm offset, which is the same as my current offset. that should settle my front end and bring me off the stoppers and hopefully stop the bike running so wide on exit. as i will be able to run much lighter springs 0.95kg to start. compared to the 1.05kg ones i have in there now.

Once that is done hopefully my woes will be over and i can get on with breaking that 1.00 mark at tsukuba.

oh well, when i get the suspension sorted out, i know i will be able to run with the front runners… so with that almost certainly being my last race of the year, its time to get things sorted out for next year, and have the bike ready to go so i can do some serious times….

thanks again for your support fellas!!

…..

you are right, a lot of it is due to tyres.

the slicks make a huge difference. primarily because of the amount of grip they generate, thus the front end chattering that bridgestone are renound for.
that was also why i went up 2 steps from what is already a heavy standard spring from 10.5kg to 11.5kg.

i have run several different pressures on the front and rear, but the pressure i was told that came out of HRC was 165 on the rear 180 on the front. i have run the rear up to 175psi.

it is the problem with slicks, they generate so much more grip that the spring rates and settings are totally different than dot tyres. when i ride with dot tyres i dont get any of the problems i am refering to.

and…

yes, i ride with a steering dampner. and its very stiff. but you are confusing front end wobble with rear end wobble.

TAKUMI class at tsukuba.
takumi is tsukuba tourist trophys top division.
i arrived nice and early, pitted with a friend. my pit crew showed up. i was really nervous before qualifying. i think friday had given me a bit of a shock in terms of how lacking my fitness, and prep was.

anyway i went out with a good attitude, and on my second lap i had dropped into the 1.02s where i stayed for 8 laps. i pitted and my friend from Aus who was pit crewing (one of last years motetai crew) suggested i tighten the rear compression to help with the running wide i was suffering from. back out, it helped and i finnished off the session with a storming 1.02.0 that gridded me third in a tight field of 13 riders. the first 8 or so were in the 1,02s.

i was happy but a little disapointed that i couldnt hit the 1s i was hoping for.

we chatted and generally had a good time. my nerves had settled after qualifying and i was ready for a storming start.

i got a great start from the warm up lap. just nailed it and sailed into 1 first…..ha ha ha
around we come for the real thing. as usual the flag caught me unawares and i gave a little hesitation, then got on it with a long low 2 gear wheelie i though id snuck into second but then the pole guy slammed accross and i was in third. there i stayed, repeating the morning performance of a warm up 1.03 then straight into the low twos. the guys out front werent making a great deal of headway and i knew i could stay with them until…. coming out of one the rear cut loose, it kept sliding, sliding then caught, i flew up in the air but hung on to the bars, it went one way then the other under me, i headbutted the screen and landed on the tank but didnt let go. and slid down and back on the gas….phew
i chilled a bit then, ran a 1.03.1 then back into the 1.02s. the bike was starting to slide more and more and i was toning down my exits accordingly. i kept an eye behind me and nobody was gaining. and thats the way it finnished.

the guy who came first ran a 1.01.2 in the race and qualifying
the guy who came second ran a 1.01.5 in the race and qualifying
the guy who came third (me!! ) ran a 1.02.0 in the race and qualifying!!

we could have skipped the race altogether!!

anyway lowered my PB a little and best of all my ability to run consistantly in the low 1.02s and got to spray the champagne around, and do the podium thing… so i didnt quite get to the times i was hoping for, but i had a great day never the less.

thanks to my GF, my Aussie mate, and a japanese racing friend for the pit crewing. my mate who i shared the pit with took out the GSX-R CUP with a 1.02.6 so our pit was happy GIXXER land!!….

another great day, and ill post pics as soon as i can!!

now onto moving house!!

FRIDAY PRACTICE
i show up at tsukuba do an oil change before heading out for the first of my 2 scheduled practices. i was really looking forward to it. putting the oil plug back in (with the torque wrench) i strip the thread and cant tighten the plug, thus oil is leaking everywhere the guy in the bridgestone shop says he can re tap it so i pull the radiators, exhaust and then the sump off. he gets it done, and back to me in time to go out for the last session i run a few laps and the bike is just bouncing from the rear out of every corner. i pull in only to find that the top bolt is missing off the rear shock height adjuster and the shock has been floating free, becoming wedged against the swing arm and at a distorted angle in the hole it was designed to go through wonderful. that explains the rear unstability anyway!!! so i pull into the pits and get it back in its place. unfortunately for me now not only is my rear ride height screwed my rear setting have been adjusted to fit the free floating style

oh and did i mention that the newly tapped bolt was still leaking oil???

SUNDAY RACE

i siliconed the bolt so it doesnt leak anymore, and figure ill ride with what ive got and just do the best i can and make whatever changes i can after qualifying.

now let me backdate two weeks. I dont read the 30 page kanji heavy rule book so well, so 2 weeks ago while at tsukuba i went to the office and asked if there was anyone there who could check my bike out for regulations. they pointed to fella who came out with the book and carefully went over my bike rule book in hand and proceeded to tell me that my bike was legal for the race i was entering. I thank him for his time and think nothing more of it.

so i get to shaken on race morning and what do you know?? my triple clamp is illegal. i say but one of your guys said i was ok. they run off to the office and i wait around. to cut a long story short they would still let me but wouldnt be eligable for any prize, or podium etc. we have a discussion in the office and everything is cool.

QUALIFYING
like a bull to a gate i head out, they had turned off the lap timer device so you couldnt see your lap times as you went around (or my lap timer is broken ) but i knew i was running hot, the tyres were sliding all over, the back and front bouncing!! and lots of wheelies for the crowd
anyway i come in feeling good, i ran a 1.03.00 putting me clear of the next rider by 2 seconds. considering the traffic i was having to deal with i was very happy with that time.
pole position who could ask for more than that….

RACE

as we line up for the pre race check what should happen but the rain started to fall. then stopped, people where putting rain tyres on…then off..then…. as we get out onto the grid the track is wet. im feeling uncomfortable about it but figure ill just see the way it pans out. photos with the suzuki race queen it is the GSX-R cup after all. warm up lap and the grid…

its a flag start and i was on the far outside…..the flag drops and we are away…off well– then a little wheelie– a guy appears beside me then slips back as we enter turn one. then hes beside me on the outside as we come out and gets by, hes pushing a fast pace for the conditions and im content for now, to stay behind him because in my mind he isnt going to last… sure enough as we enter bridgestone he washes the front and slides off. i then have the lead, and focus on straight line speed, the track is greasy and my mind is still on low siding in the sweeper in similar conditions a few months ago. so im being very careful of my entry speed, and corner speed. focus on getting around then pushing the bike away from me and letting it rip. laps go by, i glance behind me and there is no body in sight, then i start catching up to the tailenders.
then its the checker and im home, with about a 7 second gap to the next guy. i ride around the victory lap for the race i didnt win with mixed feelings, pull into the pits and watch the podium celebrations from afar. its all cool. they called me into the office and gave me a couple of shirts as a gomenasai/ consolation prize. i should have been running the takumi class anyway (i still would have been illegal) it was a race that i would have had to fight to win.

well another day, another drama in the Blobs race diary…..

although the class was clearly wrong and you’d probably have been more embarrassed to be accepting the prize than letting somebody else take it who had to struggle more for it.
what are you talking about Juice. do you think i wasnt riding at 100%. have you ever known me to tool around on the track?? the fact is that the GSX-R cup is a race just for suzuki’s it has a graduation onto the NB class at 1.05, the NB class has a graduation onto the TAKUMI class at 1.04. if you graduate TC gives you a coupon for your next race to race for free.
i checked the last results and the winner got a 1.03.5 a time not disimilar to my own. the fact that i showed up this time and ran a 1.03 is testamant to the fact that i was running faster not that i was struggling less. in fact maybe rather the opposite is true, i have struggled more to overcome the barriers that stop us all from reaching the peak of our performance capabilities.

so,

im disapointed that i couldnt get the prize and the free next race tantamount to a 15,000yen prize. because now i have graduated straight into the TAKUMI class with nothing. the takumi class is within my range however, with pole being set at 1.02.1. a time i am more than confident of reaching in the near future. and if i was to, and if i was to win that race should i be embarased about that??

Quote:
woulda been nice for the first inspector to point out that aftermarket triple clamps were illegal for your class. Or maybe he is even now still laughing at the joke he played on the gaijin?
actually everybody was quite sorry and embarrassed about it. i have made quite a few friends amongst riders and staff there with my inane banter, good attitude and competative times.
__________________

It was the first round of the Area Championship today. This year one track has been removed from the schedule essentially robbing 3 races from the series. So now it’s down to a 6 race series. This, while making things cheaper for the riders also means that not only is each race more important points wise but also experience wise.

Todays grid was a decent turn out with around 20 riders signing on. Including a few of the All Japan privateer teams. The other noticable and enjoyable part of today was the variety of bikes on the grid. The standard Japanese makes, but also a few Ducatis and a KTM 1198 and MV Agusta.

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