[Phenix_Rider]

This is from another board, so if you don' get the references, TOUGH! NO WAY IN HELL am I retyping that! Photobucket link is incoming. I'll post a pic of my fugly tail as soon as they upload.

Okay- everyone saw the tailsection thread, but you didn't see was all the ordering weeks before hand, the Dzus fasteners that didn't arrive with the bodywork, the surgery that kept me off the bike for nearly three weeks, the unloading of truck parts from the trailer, and reloading of bike, the fouled up trailer wiring on my truck, and the 2am trannie line repair. I ended u pwith one day's commute and a 50 mile reacquainting ride before I had to tear down and fit race glass. 2.5 hours of sleep, and I overslept .5 hours. Rush to pack gear- making damn sure to get everything, then a 2 hour drive to the track.

I did make it to the track though, and that was 90% of the battle. Got there late, registered just before the riders' meeting, teched right after. Minor issues in tech- throttle sticking because of the tie downs- simple fix; slid the throttle grip toward center. Rainwater in the bellypan- simple fix; mopped it out with rags. Misaligned Dzus fastener- simple fix; just yanked the culprit and had 2/3 on the right lower. Not enough chain slack- easy fix; adjusted more slack in beyond the street spec. Todd didn't say anything about no numbers, but I markered them on the tail. In the process of adjusting the chain though, my tired brain forgot to lock down the adjuster nuts- during the course of the day I lost one adjuster plate. (Different setup than an SS- my axle doesn't hold the adjuster on)

My first session (second of the day) was fucking terrifying. Coming out of corners at elevated street pace and getting blown away- getting passed on both sides. NOT COOL. Bastards. Whatever- long as they don't hit me, I don't give a damn. Like Madski said, I took an off-road tour first time into the Carousel. Too fast, wrogn body position so I couldn't get the lean angle. Decided before hand I'll crawl before I crash, so I took it into the grass upright, rode it out, and went back on the track- never had another excursion. After this one, I talk to Lenny, and he shows me "the dance." Subsequent sessions result in extremely sore right calf- but not left. WTF is up with 8 rights and 3 lefts?

My third session (I think- too tired to keep count) I got to work with a CR. He had me follow him around 3-4 laps, then pointed me ahead to see if I could maintain a line without his reference. I was a little vague, but seeing someone else for more than one corner helped immensely. Slowly picked up speed with each lap and each session, started hitting more apexes, kinda getting a handle on 6 and 7- big triumph there. That blind rise into 7 is a lot of fun once you figure out how to hit the apex. 1, 2, 3 I'm okay on- still completely suck at 4, 5, and the Carousel. I love the feeling after each corner clicks, and then hitting the apex every lap after that is incredible!

Biggest comment I got after fixing my feet was "Use more throttle." I'm just not used to wrapping it on the street. I see too much livestock and stupid human tricks out there. Looking at my pics in the BSImage trailer, I noticed I was stiff as hell. Hulking out on the bars. I felt it on the track- way too much tension. But now I have a reference for what it does to my position on the bike. I just couldn't relax out there- too much stress all at once. I know what it feels like on the street to really relax on bike, and I've felt that gascap right under my armpit, ass way over the side- just wasn't happening yesterday. I'll work on it, and I'm sure my pace will pick up as I relax.

I sat out the next to last session of the day. I could just feel fatigue setting in, my eyes were dropping, and I couldn't concentrate. Got back out for the last session. Had to wait for the crash in 7 to be cleared up, and the marshall said we might not get to run B- chance that the ambulance would have to leave. After probably 20-30 minutes waiting in the hot pit, we got the go-ahead for a full session. I gridded behind the chick on the 600RR, and chatted with her while we waited. We were running the same line, and I could hold her in the corners, but she just walked away with that extra 30+ horsepower. Funny thing is, when I worked with the CR earlier, she was behind me, but never passed. I wouldn't mind riding with her more often. Only other guy near my pace would brake far too early, and crawl through the corners- but I followed him in my first or second session before I had a clue. The whole last session, I was just trying too hard. Ran my fastest on the back straight, but everything was wrong. Eyes kept hitting barley one cone ahead, and I couldn't keep them farther up.

In the end. I survived, and apart from the left side chain adjuster, the bike survived. So it was a good day. I stuck around for a while sunday. Watched a lot of good riding- B didn't look that fast, but those guys sure made me feel slow. Watched the A guys through the Carousel makin' it look like nothing. There was much peer pressure to run the second day. I woke up and felt fine- until I got to the riders' meeting. Squatted down and immediately felt pain in both legs- but mostly the right. Between a fatigued mental state and being in pain in a crouch, I would have crashed. The lunchtime trip around a track map and watching the A line through the Carousel should help a lot next time.

So maybe I'm not addicted, but I will be back! :rockwoot