Uh I need a runway, really let me explain

[rhody]

OK, Rhody. I apologize for insinuating that... a.) I know fuzzyfelt b.) she likes flyfishing c.) she would ever consider flyfishing with Coopster d.) there is room for a sense of humor within this thread e.) all of the above. Answer: e

Thanks, nimrod (fly fishing pun intended)... Now how about contributing something about cycling/racing, etc... to this thread... that would be cool.

Rhody...

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Pleased that's all sorted, thanks.

 

[rhody]

2011 http://www.youtube.com/v/zzXoyvvLWo4?version=3&hl=en_GB" all in lovely 1080P, and I must say decent audio. Enjoy...

Rhody... :tongue2:

P.S. I am stating here and now, next year will be the year for me, one more thing off my bucket list, taking the "beast" too, just for a wee bit of fun. hehe...

 

[rhody]

Wow,

I found this on my other bike forum, it hadn't quite sunk in till now.

Full power in 4th 5th and 6th in SPORT and RACE
Full power in 3rd as well in SLICK

This means if I understand it correctly that you never get full power in the first two gears, because the bike would wheelie too easily, if that is true, then this motor is even more incredible than I thought is was already.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

I just checked post #283 above I posted the wrong link, it is a duplicate. Here is the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hhFiIsl338", the race action starts from about 1:45 on, sorry about that...

Rhody...

P.S. If you find a bad or duplicate link, let me know and I will fix it pronto... Thanks...

 

[rhody]

Here's our car on a runway.

Howler,

I watched this for the second time today, that Ford is really off the chain, almost impossible to put the power to the ground in the first four gears, just spins the tires, nice comment too, "Johnny driving like he is drunk", trying to put 1500 HP to the ground must be tough, and to shoehorn it into a Ford GT must have been a monumental engineering challenge. This was an evolutionary process right, over a number of years ?

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

Since there are some cars invading your bike thread, Rhody, here is a good friend of mine. I have made numerous trips to Epping, NH and Pennington, NB with him. People would line up at the box-office to buy pit-passes to come look at his 340 Duster, only to see ... A 340 engine instead of a Hemi.

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Gear-Bangin-Video-Steve-Clukey-Pulls-Levers-and-Adjusts-the-Rear-View-At-140mph.html

 

[rhody]

Since there are some cars invading your bike thread, Rhody, here is a good friend of mine. I have made numerous trips to Epping, NH and Pennington, NB with him. People would line up at the box-office to buy pit-passes to come look at his 340 Duster, only to see ... A 340 engine instead of a Hemi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zx54zjDU4s&feature=fvwrel

That is just sick Turbo, at the end of that video, there was another http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSxUm2mYOpE", passenger rear view from inside the car. A Lenco tranny, huh, quite nice... I must say. Must be a hoot to put down the strip.

Rhody... :tongue2:

 

[turbo]

That Lenco is really sick! Bracket-racers who compete against Steve compare him to a human automatic transmission. He is that good.

 

[turbo]

Steve is a perfectionist. I remember when he was living in a house-trailer, and he'd borrow my Dremel tools to grind the skirts off the pistons and grind the flashing off the connecting rods. He paid to have the rods shot-peened to harden them, and took his crankshafts to a specialty-machining outfit (another friend) to get them turned. Whenever he was out in the country, if he saw Mopar stuff in a yard, he'd want to stop and see if there was a small-block hanging around out in back of the barn. When he heard that my cousin's Li'l Red Wagon was totaled out after the fool crashed it, he was pretty upset that the W2 heads were not salvaged off that truck.

 

[rhody]

Steve is a perfectionist. I remember when he was living in a house-trailer, and he'd borrow my Dremel tools to grind the skirts off the pistons and grind the flashing off the connecting rods. He paid to have the rods shot-peened to harden them, and took his crankshafts to a specialty-machining outfit (another friend) to get them turned. Whenever he was out in the country, if he saw Mopar stuff in a yard, he'd want to stop and see if there was a small-block hanging around out in back of the barn. When he heard that my cousin's Li'l Red Wagon was totaled out after the fool crashed it, he was pretty upset that the W2 heads were not salvaged off that truck.

After watching that video, I am convinced that an engine (durable like Steve's) could not be had without his special touch of perfectionism. I prefer to call it "quality" but we both agree on the result. One very cool, balanced car, it wheelies but not too much, makes a lot of power, not too much. I am sure it was an evolutionary process for him, and I would bet he learned a ton of things creating what you see in his video's. Cheers, Steve... very cool indeed.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

After watching that video, I am convinced that an engine (durable like Steve's) could not be had without his special touch of perfectionism. I prefer to call it "quality" but we both agree on the result. One very cool, balanced car, it wheelies but not too much, makes a lot of power, not too much. I am sure it was an evolutionary process for him, and I would bet he learned a ton of things creating what you see in his video's. Cheers, Steve... very cool indeed.

Rhody...

Oh, yeah. Small-block Chevys can turn up some crazy RPMS, but the pistons, rods, etc are tiny compared to the Mopar components. Steve had to get really inventive to get a Mopar small-block to turn up like that without ripping itself apart. He used to use digital scales and use my Dremels to balance every rod, end-to-end to make sure that they were as identical as possible before reassembling the engine. Originally, he used some modest slicks, but after getting the engine hot and strengthening the rear differential, he moved to big slicks and then had to go to some extreme shocks on the front end in order to avoid smashing the oil-pan on the rebound from the wheelies.

 

[rhody]

Oh, yeah. Small-block Chevys can turn up some crazy RPMS, but the pistons, rods, etc are tiny compared to the Mopar components. Steve had to get really inventive to get a Mopar small-block to turn up like that without ripping itself apart. He used to use digital scales and use my Dremels to balance every rod, end-to-end to make sure that they were as identical as possible before reassembling the engine. Originally, he used some modest slicks, but after getting the engine hot and strengthening the rear differential, he moved to big slicks and then had to go to some extreme shocks on the front end in order to avoid smashing the oil-pan on the rebound from the wheelies.

There is good, really good, great, and every once in a while, rare that it is... there is perfect, and with perfect comes that most elusive thing... quality.

Rhody...

P.S. and to think that the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine" released when I did a track day, would obliterate for the most part, my OCD symptoms, who could have guessed that. hehe... I am NOT suggesting this will happen to others. Happily it did in my case. It sure broke the brain lock...

 

[rhody]

I just ran into this, an old http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5n4WqfUvg8&feature=related". Makes me feel a bit nostalgic.

Rhody...

P.S. How about a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7zujbKhJS8&feature=related" as well, a little corny, but man, that kid could ride, taken when he was 19, just a kid, I believe...

 

[HowlerMonkey]

Fast freddy was the guy who brought a big change to motorcycle road racing.

Before Freddy, there were two schools of thought concerning cornering.

1. slow in = fast out

2. fast in = slow out

Freddy came along and decided he wanted both.

Another large change was originally instigated by Bubba Shobert when he moved in from circle track racing.

He was experimenting with techniques that have only been fully realized by Valentino Rossi and it's possible that the equipment of Bubba's day was not capable of what he was trying to do...as well as his road racing career being cut short by a coma inducing collision.

As far as the ford GT, that is a stock block engine in it's original location and the car still has all of it's creature comforts such as A/C, full interior, and stereo system.

It would have gone faster (but less dramatically) if the guys had left alone my settings on my boost by gear system because it would have hooked up instead of spinning the tires.

The car now has at least 600 and possibly up to 1000 more horsepower than it did then and is noticably faster but we have to be progress carefully because nobody else has taken this aero package beyond our 267mph testing.

 

[rhody]

Fast freddy was the guy who brought a big change to motorcycle road racing.

Before Freddy, there were two schools of thought concerning cornering.

1. slow in = fast out

2. fast in = slow out

Freddy came along and decided he wanted both.

Another large change was originally instigated by Bubba Shobert when he moved in from circle track racing.

He was experimenting with techniques that have only been fully realized by Valentino Rossi and it's possible that the equipment of Bubba's day was not capable of what he was trying to do...as well as his road racing career being cut short by a coma inducing collision.

As far as the ford GT, that is a stock block engine in it's original location and the car still has all of it's creature comforts such as A/C, full interior, and stereo system.

It would have gone faster (but less dramatically) if the guys had left alone my settings on my boost by gear system because it would have hooked up instead of spinning the tires.

The car now has at least 600 and possibly up to 1000 more horsepower than it did then and is noticably faster but we have to be progress carefully because nobody else has taken this aero package beyond our 267mph testing.

Howler,

So when you were away, you crew played and it hurt the car's performance, I must say that is the most brutal sounding acceleration I have ever heard out of a street legal car anywhere. Is it just me, or do you need a longer safer run off area once they shut down after reaching the end of the mile ? It looks pretty sketchy to me (the bike video a few posts ago). Good luck with your next attempt, for a safe and hopefully record setting ride. What you do scares me exponentially more than what I do. There is such little margin for error in your domain.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

Florida man tops 311 mph at the former Loring AFB in Maine.

http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=165975

 

[rhody]

Florida man tops 311 mph at the former Loring AFB in Maine.

http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=165975

Turbo,

I couldn't find an on-board view, I found this, launch view, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_ZJuSS2s7k". The guys stand around and the announcer makes the call, first motorcycle in history to go over 300 mph. I would like to see the on-board view. I hope he had more run off room that his 278 run where he barely got the thing stopped. I have to believe we will be seeing the on-board version soon. Keep your eyes posted. Whoever finds it first wins, hehe...

Rhody... :uhh:

 

[turbo]

I hope he had an on-board camera. Scary!

 

[rhody]

I hope he had an on-board camera. Scary!

This thought crossed my mind, maybe he crashed, let's hope not. What he did, if he pulled it off, borders on the truly insane. So many little things can go wrong and in an instant, you are toast. Let's wait and see if the video pops up in a few days. If he has one I am sure he will post it.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

I can't imagine 300+ mph on a bike. 120+ scared the crap out of me, though I was pretty confident in the mechanical condition of my ride. 2-1/2 x that is just out of my imagination. I have always been a risk-taker, but that guy is insane! One little bump in the very old runway, and bye-bye!

 

[rhody]

I can't imagine 300+ mph on a bike. 120+ scared the crap out of me, though I was pretty confident in the mechanical condition of my ride. 2-1/2 x that is just out of my imagination. I have always been a risk-taker, but that guy is insane! One little bump in the very old runway, and bye-bye!

Speaking of 300, woo hoo, this thread just broke that mark too... I never dreamed that this would go this long when I first started it, looking back I am glad it did.

To be honest 120+ on a track really doesn't feel that fast (you get used to it after a number of times at the speed) when you are tucked in behind the bubble and there is nothing to fear other than the track and other riders. The wind is another story however. Plus, engine noise is so loud it almost drowns out the wind. Three things assault your senses at that speed, wind (cross winds can be scary), sound (wind noise and engine noise) and finally suspension movement (shaking and shuddering). Then on the brakes you get all the pressure on your forearms, and need to grip the tank to keep from unsettling the bike and your, err, well you know what. That's why practice is so vital. After awhile your brain automatically judges when and how much to apply the brakes for turn one corner entry, in the case of Loudon, about 60 mph or so. It just clicks and you link the next corner with the next and so on. You practice at 60 mph until you feel good, then up turn one entry to 65 mph (all by feel, you don't have time to look at the speedo). It is really hard to describe unless you do it time and again, but it does work and your brain and senses and reflexes react and adjust. You get into trouble when someone zooms by you and you try to ride outside your comfort zone. The best thing is to let them go and up your pace at your own pace.

Let's hope Bill Warner our 311 mph record holder is in one piece and he posts his record run soon.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

Yeah, I can see track-conditions being at least a bit predictable and see how you can gain comfort with repetition and incremental increases in speeds in and out of corners. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to push the limits on these rural Maine roads, with cracks, patches, bumps, etc. At least I survived the "need for speed". There were times that I could have been hamburger.

Mostly, I wore work-boots and denims. Custom leathers (if I could have afforded them back then) would not have been all that much protection, since Maine roads are commonly lined with rock walls and big trees.

 

[KrisOhn]

I just ran into this, an old http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5n4WqfUvg8&feature=related" of Fast Freddie Spencer, amazing, even with older technology and tires, he riding style and "feel" for the bike and track and his timing is superb. I love how he lays a perfectly formed "darky" on the pavement, as if he were drawing it with his hand (he is, his throttle hand) instead of a writing instrument.

Lol, the reason he and the darky he lays are so perfect in that video is because that video is of a video game. :tongue:

 

[rhody]

Kris,

Lol, the reason he and the darky he lays are so perfect in that video is because that video is of a video game. :tongue:

Facepalm, thanks... I appreciate the dope slap, but others should have noticed too, I thought I posted or saw the real thing. I was mistaken, obviously.

This post is not exciting, it already got off on bad footing with me having to eat crow above. Over the years, when riding any motorcycle, I have learned that timing is everything, sometimes leaving earlier or later can make a huge difference in what you encounter on the road, and your choice of which roads to take. Today was a perfect example, and how I employed a survival strategy (what I call Bike sense) that allowed me to return safe.

First, a car pulled from the side of the road into my lane, I had room to spare, didn't beep the horn, but that set the stage. Second, on a curvy section of road I know like the back of my hand, I took it a normal pace, good thing I did, a small deer ran in front of me, wasn't spooked but the timing was close. If I was at my usual brisk pace, it could have been ugly. Third, later on a guy in a pickup with a canoe sticking out the back about 6 feet attempted to back out canoe end first from a driveway, but my lights and horn did the trick, again at a normal pace, so no drama. Finally, thunderstorms were moving in and I picked up the pace just enough to make it home safe to the garage before the hard rain. This is a perfect example of what I call "Bike sense". When things one after another go wrong, or about to go wrong, you use common sense and either turn around or as in this case, drive super aware at a slower pace. This bit of advice I would recommend to anyone who regularly rides in a street environment except deserted areas. It saved me once again, and I am grateful for listening and heeding that voice inside.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

Turbo,

I couldn't find an on-board view, I found this, launch view, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_ZJuSS2s7k". The guys stand around and the announcer makes the call, first motorcycle in history to go over 300 mph. I would like to see the on-board view. I hope he had more run off room that his 278 run where he barely got the thing stopped. I have to believe we will be seeing the on-board version soon. Keep your eyes posted. Whoever finds it first wins, hehe...

Rhody... :uhh:

Turbo,

I win, here is Bill Warner'shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyIvaVroxRM", too bad there was no telemetry. He had ample stopping room, so no drama there either. Hard to get a true sense of speed, because nothing is close to him on the track except the 1000 foot flags. Pretty amazing though, and as the video's last graphic states, "Stupid Fast". 132,574 views so the news has certainly gotten around. This video was posted 6 days after the original.

Rhody...

P.S. Kris, this is the real deal, no video game this time, lol.

 

[turbo]

Turbo,

I win, here is Bill Warner'shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyIvaVroxRM", too bad there was no telemetry. He had ample stopping room, so no drama there either. Hard to get a true sense of speed, because nothing is close to him on the track except the 1000 foot flags. Pretty amazing though, and as the video's last graphic states, "Stupid Fast". 132,574 views so the news has certainly gotten around. This video was posted 6 days after the original.

Rhody...

P.S. Kris, this is the real deal, no video game this time, lol.

Wow!

 

[rhody]

With all the wrong that is going on in the world right now, somehow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4snkUUolJ0&feature=related" always gives me relief, pleasure. Enjoy...

Rhody...

P.S. Freeze at 0:50 seconds...

 

[rhody]

With another Track Day looming in October, it is time to sell the FJR and buy a used Yamaha R6 sport bike. I am going to meet a local guy who has a 2006 model at the bike shop the end of this week. He has a Honda CBR1000 and really doesn't need two sport bikes. My salesman friend at the shop gave me this tip so I owe him. The bike is in perfect condition. Spoke to the owner briefly on the phone, He races motocross as well so there are other bikes lurking in his garage, not just street bikes.

If we can work a deal, then it will be just about time and $$ to get it ready for the track. Not sure what will need attention until I ride and compare it with the "beast" that has endless mind numbing power at your disposal and a first rate Ohlins suspension to boot. My thoughts are that with only a little over 100 or so RWHP, that it will be more psychologically forgiving to ride, with a wider margin for error. Will report back after the ride.

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/9230/06r6.jpg

Rhody...

P.S. Another Stoner MotoGP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBeS9mUImd4&feature=related". This time drifting, check out the beautiful darkie he lays down coming off the apex, sweet, and guess what, no video game this time either, lol.
Here is a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfOBY01uL1c&feature=related", some neat pictures of Stoner when really young to current times, has been riding all of his life, basically.

 

[turbo]

Rhody, are there no used Ducatis around to audition? The only reason I ask is that when I was seriously considering what ride should replace my H-D, it seemed that the Ducatis were easier to throw into turns and emerge from them than the locally available in-line 4 cylinder bikes. I'm not going to open the "gyroscopic" can of worms, and perhaps it was just a matter of Ducati managing to match frame geometry/suspension/engine to come up with really responsive machines. Still, I was quite impressed with the Ducati models' performance in tight corners under hard braking and throttle-twisting.

 

[rhody]

Rhody, are there no used Ducatis around to audition? The only reason I ask is that when I was seriously considering what ride should replace my H-D, it seemed that the Ducati's were easier to throw into turns and emerge from them than the locally available in-line 4 cylinder bikes. I'm not going to open the "gyroscopic" can of worms, and perhaps it was just a matter of Ducati managing to match frame geometry/suspension/engine to come up with really responsive machines. Still, I was quite impressed with the Ducati models performance in tight corners under hard braking and throttle-twisting.

No, turbo, the gyroscopic effects (for me anyway) are not an issue, if I was trying to bend the thing (R6 or the Beast) into a continuous radius sweeper at 140+ it may be. As far as your comment about stability coming off corners under power, a subtle hand and sensitive ear works wonders on an inline 4 like the the Yamaha's, but the Ducati can put the power down better, more forgiving.

I can't tell you from experience because I have not ridden a Ducati on the street or track, but I watched them both on the bowl turn at Loudon, and I can say without hesitation that the Ducati's V twin ridden by a good rider was more than a match for the inline four bikes (Yamaha's), at least in the corners, 2nd gear getting on the power and transitioning from full or near full lean side to side. One of my long term goals is to acquire a http://www.ducati.com/bikes/hypermotard/1100__evo__sp/index.do" like these sweet things, sometime in the future.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

I shouldn't be trying to sway you one way or the other, since when I was thinking of going the sport-bike route the choices were Ducatis (well-engineered in all respects, even the street-y Monsters) or Japanese in-line 4's that were cosmetically similar to racers, but that were seriously lacking in suspension, stability, etc, IMO.

Things might have changed a lot since then, but I was mightily impressed by the Ducatis, and would have bought one if my my wife's aversion to the the passenger seating/stance wasn't anti-sport and pro-cruiser.

 

[DoggerDan]

Comparing a Kaw 6 to a Beamer 1000?

 

[rhody]

Comparing a Kaw 6 to a Beamer 1000?

No Dogger,

It is not about that, I suggest you read the last half dozen posts, really read them instead of trolling, the bike I am talking about is a 2006 Yamaha R6, not a Kawasaki.
Then, if you like, ask a relevant question.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

One of my long term goals is to acquire a http://www.ducati.com/bikes/hypermotard/1100__evo__sp/index.do" like these sweet things, sometime in the future.

Rhody...

While I prefer the stripped look and simplicity of the Hypermotard (very Monster-like), it's awfully hard to argue with the torque and HP of the Streetfighter.

I was *this* close to pulling the trigger on a Monster, since my friend was going to drop the Ducati line and offered me a killer deal, but to keep peace at home... Ah, well, she might have saved me from a premature death. I was bad enough on hot Harleys, and transitioning to a bike that was super-strong in the "tight-and twisties" might have been the end of me, since road conditions up here in the sticks are spotty, at best.