BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

sept the 4th I will taking my GSXR750 to poconos for a track day! my son inlaw is coming with his BUSA but next time I will be alone and will take the R1150R also. I think she will do ok but for now I will learn on the Gixxer..... i think I should take her also even though she is not a sport bike so I can feel what the limits are on the R. I am very exited about track day,,,cant wait to follow a control rider thru the turn....the only thing thats is freacking me out is having to put tape on my lights,,,,is going to be a pain to remove and clean..any ideas

Hey pardner,

The tape is no problem at all - use the blue painters tape made by 3M and available at any hardware store. If you can locate a fuse which controls your headlight and doesn't affect anything else on your bike take it out, but even if you don't the blue tape should peel right off when you are done.

Good luck at track day - remember that track day is not race day - just take your time, learn the track, and ride within your limits. If your first track day is on a sport bike and then you shift to your R1150R, remember that the handling and experience will be completely different, and you need to really take it easy on the Roadster. I took my RT to a track day earlier this year. I rode it much slower and used much earlier braking points than on my Ducati - I still had a lot of fun and learned a lot about the bike, even though my sppeds in the straights were about 40 mph slower than on my Ducati and 60-70 mph slower than my rice rocket.

Oh yes - on the street bike I would recommend the "slowest" group, even if you are in a faster group on your GSXR.

Good luck, have fun. Watch those tire pressures, use visual directional control, and watch your lean angle ground clearance - you will have a blast!

Solitaro,
I will look forward to trying to find you, as I will be there that day, too. Do what Bob said re the tape. You can get the stuff at any hardware store and it comes right off.

The course we will run that day is counterclock wise, quite technical and there is only one real straighaway to speak of. I have run it several times and have liked it. In fact, I will be there for two days next week, then again when you are Sept 4.

NESBA is a great group. Very organized, good control riders and nice folks.

Just ran the Pocono F-USA course which has a banked turn and long straight. How long? Well, 144 mph at the braking markers (for me, anyway) on the back straight.

Just in case anyone wants a chuckle, here is a link with video of me running one lap at Pocono F-USA last weekend. Click onto the video that says F-USA lap behind Jeff (or something like that) which is the upper left hand corner video link. I am in the black and white leathers on a blue R6.
http://www.ithacasquash.com/steve/moto/

I will look for your R....don't expect to see more than one at a track day. I will be on a blue R6, #24. See you at Pocono on the 4th!


Bones

Hey Bones:
Looking forward to meet you at the track..thanks you and Bob for the advise! I will be with my son inlaw ( he has a BUSA) so we will be easy to spot!
PS. talk about an overkill,,too bad becasue he is a super rider and should have something like a 750 or 600.

Hmmm....a Hayabusa on that track will be, uh, interesting. It is a technical track that is not considered particularly fast. The last time I ran there I was on a Kawasaki 6R (636 cc engine) and that track can be run in second gear with only a brief period of time in third on that bike. So he certainly won't be testing the limits of his Busa there.

There were some guys running 1150R's there.

Should be fun. I am sure we can find each other. Blue R6, #24.

See you there.

Bones

oh well, the first turn was a nightmare!! New leathers new bike (GSXR750K4) and first time on a track! I was being passssssssss even by the flag man..I was terrified, ready to go home with my tail between my legs! ( first time should be a class type of track) second time I said the F%^# it and I when for it! I was dragging my boots and was still being pass but manage to pass 2 fellows. back at the pit I was call by a Control Rider. he came over and say YOU HAVE TO GET OFF THE BIKE, so I said its my bike and I pay to be here so bite me! he back up and said,,,sorry but I mean you have to get off the seat and hang becasue your at the limit and cant go any faster unless you hang and give you self more tire to work with ( I was ambarress for my agressive actitude but I really dint know what he meany but get off you bike! We became buddies after that little incident! LOL that help alot, but still I was having problems with hanging off the bike,,my 230lb dont help any and the new leahters held me so I could not really move. the bike was wasted on me sorry to say,,, she coulnt do any thing wrong,,, she was clearly one of the fastest bike there! in the one straight no one could touch me but the trully race bikes there would pass me in the braking but thats was probably my foult also,,, CANT WAIT FOR NEXT TRACK DAY!!!!!
ps. dint see any R1150R but there was one K1200R that was off the pace ( pass it),,,I am sure it was rider error!..she look too big and heavy for the track, you could see that the wheelbase was way to long.. I think my R1150 would had been fine! with R braking and suspention and the torquy engine I would had been probably faster and more confortable for sure! well a diet we most go and practice,,I dont know how to practice in the street but I will find a parking lot and practice hanging..
ralphie (humble)

Rafael,
Didn't see you there, but I was preoccupied with getting it all together myself. I was in the group (Intermediate) with the K1200R. The rider was very smooth and flowing, but for sure, that is one long bike. Plenty of power on the straights. I think he was riding pretty easy as his K was new and he didn't want to bung it up.

I found the control riders to be quite helpful. I would try to post a pic, but an still having problems doing that.

Anyone want to post a fun picture for me? I can email it.

[email protected]

Thanks.

Bones

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoView.j ... 773757205#

Hey Bones you got the hanging off the bike down pack dude! Awesome pic!

Hey, thanks for posting the pic of me on the R6. Indeed, the body position thing was working well that day.
Yeeehaaa!

Bones

Rafael, ahhh, thanks again!

Bones

Doing a track day allows you to push your bike faster thru high speed corners than you might ever do on the street. As a consequense, if your suspension is not set up correctly you could hi-side or low-side unnecessarily because of the wrong tension/rebound/preload settings. I just retired from my career as a wrench Aug 18th, but my shop partner still has our suspension Doctor, Pappa John, do suspension set-ups . I'm not allowed to do self promotion, so ask all the Pocono control riders and racers there where they had their bike's suspension set-up and are they pleased with the improvement.

Great pic Bones...

DJ

Dr. Bones! I am very impressed with your style. Your weight bias looks to be very nicely placed and your vision iswell ahead to the end of the apex.

Comparing these pros to your pics, I don't see much difference. They may have their elbows tucked in slightly more, but every turn is different.

Awesome riding!

Thanks guys.
CycleRob.....where is the shop? I will gladly visit if it isn't TOOO far.
DJ, thanks. Had a blast that day.
New2: the main difference is THEY go fast, I don't. Thanks for the props.
The on track skills are coming along. Riding schools are VERY helpful even if you never go to the track.

Bones