There's a huge gap between my scheduled races at Firebird East (semi-tight track) and Ultra Lightweight Superbike falls right in the middle. If I brought along my CRF450 and geared it pretty tall I'm wondering how much fun it would be to ride against the other Ultralightweights? ;D
I honestly don't have any idea BUT, I'd bet money if nothing else it would help you with corner speed on your normal ride. What the heck it'll cost you $30 or so. If I had one I'd do it for sure.
I don't know, I've only seen those things at a Jennings track day, but I'll tell you the guy riding it was fast as hell. It's not my style so it looks crazy, but he was definitely fast enough to be running in UNLWGP, go for it. At the very least you'll scare the crap out of everyone you pass !
I've seen several guys over the part year. They are very fast. Get you gearing down.
Jon
I will hopefully bring along my 426 to some events this year to do exactly that race ;D
QuoteI will hopefully bring along my 426 to some events this year to do exactly that race ;D
second that ;D
At Mid America for CRA races a guy showed up and won the race handily on one.
Yea that guy at Jennings beats most all the SV650s in the LTW classes too. I think he can do 1.22s-1.23s on that thing, its a older KTM 520 i think. One time during LTWGT I saw him stall it on the starting line. He was at least half a lap down when he finally got it started. Ended up repassing all the AMs and getting back up to 3rd in the ex by the time the race was over. Its crazy how fast you can ride them. :D
Shane Myers would take his Husky CR500 (or 450 or whatever it is) to BHF and to Gateway and do QUITE well... You'll crush the ULW bikes off the line, and they'll spend the next 8 laps gaining you on whatever top-end straights they have. Corners & infield will be pretty close...
QuoteI honestly don't have any idea BUT, I'd bet money if nothing else it would help you with corner speed on your normal ride.
Actually cornerspeed is likely slower; the supermotos are more point-and-shoot. Just ask Rob Waddell about the problem with differing lines between the supermoto and the GP bikes... :-/ ;)
QuoteActually cornerspeed is likely slower; the supermotos are more point-and-shoot. Just ask Rob Waddell about the problem with differing lines between the supermoto and the GP bikes... :-/ ;)
True, my lines on the motard are more like big bike point-and-shoot lines in the slow stuff. The bike accelerates sooo hard in the first few gears (it is a somewhat worked over CR500). The bike likes to go in real hard and deep on the brakes, park it, flick it, then romp the exit. Very effective to block pass the 'priller 250s. As for top speed, on most of the southwest tracks with fairly short straights (NOT FB Main) my 500 will stay in the draft of a 'priller.
If the schedule gets changed (to uncombine ULWSB and LWGP) I'll be running the CR in the southwest races. Even if I can't run ULWSB I'll still probably run it in LWSB and GTL.
-z.
QuoteActually cornerspeed is likely slower; the supermotos are more point-and-shoot. Just ask Rob Waddell about the problem with differing lines between the supermoto and the GP bikes... :-/ ;)
Nope, corner speed is as fast as anything else out there. Depends on rider and setup as to how fast you can corner.
QuoteNope, corner speed is as fast as anything else out there. Depends on rider and setup as to how fast you can corner.
I compare the corner speed of my CR to that of my TZ250. Similar weight bikes with the same size tires, yet there is no possible way I could hold the corner speed of my TZ on the CR, short of putting the CR engine into a TZ frame (which I would call being beyond "bike setup").
If the CR could carry the corner speed of any other bike, I would be able to kill the 40hp 125s on my 60-some hp CR, which is not the case. I only kill the 125s with slow riders ;D
-z.
I raced an SM two years ago, as mentioned above.
Longer the straight, the more trouble you have. Here at MAM (2300 ft straight) I'd lose a couple of bike lengths to the 500s (ex, gs) and numerous bike lengths to 125s and SVs. You just don't have the aerodynamics and/or hp to overcome it. You're sitting there arms out and a lot of frontal area like a big barn door. OK, I'm the big barn door (I'm kinda big guy), but you get the general idea. I would lay down across the seat and tank putting one arm behind my back or on the fork leg. It would still seem that you would just hit a wall on top speed. And I had it geared as tall as it would pull.
Shorter or tighter the track the better you'll fair. As speaking of Jennings (I was just there this last weekend) there is very limited amount of straights and is a smaller track. Smaller bikes in general can have good lap times compared to more powerful bikes. We were just talking this last weekend about the SM guy being spoken of above. He is very, very fast, but other SM'ers are not as quick (still get around very well though). In other words, I think he's got a lot of talent. Your results, just like any bike, will still be very dependent upon 'skill'.
As friend of the owner of Jennings, he would tell me about Mike Smith (two years ago when he was doing Supermoto) coming there and spanking riders left and right on his Yamaha SM. It also had serious HP. Bottom line, Mike Smith is going to spank "most" people on a "less capable looking" machine anyhow do to the 'skill' factor.
Cornerspeed; have you guys watched the SM stuff on speed or OLN or maybe even the x-games? They drag the pegs all over the place. In reality you can lean that ole' bike over quite a bit, but it really doesn't have the ground clearance of a good sportbike. Hence, that's why the method of backing it in is used by the SM guys. Square the corner off and just as spoken above, point and shoot. You let the torgue of that big thumper shoot you out at the next turn. Not as dependent on momentum.
I'm a hack and would rountinely drag the footpegs. Suspension was firmed up and was not lowered. If you lower it, then goes away more clearance. The European guys don't rountinely lower the bikes like you see done here in the States.
I needed to develop better point and shoot skills. But, that is more easily done starting on a smaller or tighter track (go kart track) like they use for typical supermoto events. On a "big" track with wider corners and higher speeds the skill set is harder to attain and not as easy to do. MAM in general with it's flowing nature is not the best format for SM racing. It just does not have many sharp corners. The track record is held by an R6. The rider also races an R1. Cornerspeed has made that R6 faster up to this point. (I know he recently lowered the Jennings unofficial lap record on his R1, up until that point he was faster there as well on his R6)
Good luck!
QuoteI compare the corner speed of my CR to that of my TZ250. Similar weight bikes with the same size tires, yet there is no possible way I could hold the corner speed of my TZ on the CR, short of putting the CR engine into a TZ frame (which I would call being beyond "bike setup").
If the CR could carry the corner speed of any other bike, I would be able to kill the 40hp 125s on my 60-some hp CR, which is not the case. I only kill the 125s with slow riders ;D
-z.
Sorry to say but its the rider not the bike!
I raced against some of those dirtbike M%39F$** on my Supersport SV a couple of years ago at Firebird East. I think it was in LW GP or GT Lights, i don't really remember. I'm not the fastest guy in the class, but mid-pack or better.
I could motor them on the front straight, but they got me on the brakes into turn 1 every dang time. I could hang with them in the faster corners, but the bus stop and the "on ramp" were tough. With the new configuration - the bus stop is gone - I might have the advantage now. (but we'll never know, the SV is long gone).
Frickin frackin dirtbike M$%&**F#^&**!!
Thanks for all the insight guys! I'm not really looking to be super competitive in ULWSBK, just to have some fun between my races and introduce myself to a new style of riding. I definately think that I'll try it out at Firebird East (even with the bus stop gone) and let the other ultralights hear what a real bike sounds like!
QuoteI definately think that I'll try it out at Firebird East (even with the bus stop gone) and let the other ultralights hear what a real bike sounds like!
What does a real bike sound like? Usually the little 450 thumpers run and hide from my wife's 686cc MZ single with the full dual exhaust with big megaphones and stubby little silencers that you can almost stick a fist down. You'll get to race her at Firebird.
Now my CR500 is just plain annoying sounding...
-z.
QuoteWhat does a real bike sound like? Usually the little 450 thumpers run and hide from my wife's 686cc MZ single with the full dual exhaust with big megaphones and stubby little silencers that you can almost stick a fist down. You'll get to race her at Firebird.
Now my CR500 is just plain annoying sounding...
-z.
Ha! My 450 is definately the loudest dirtbike I've ever heard...and definately has more grunt than the ultralights I've heard, but against an MZ single it might have a run for its money. I have to have at least one redeeming quality out there since I've only ridden the bike once! ;D
QuoteHa! My 450 is definately the loudest dirtbike I've ever heard...and definately has more grunt than the ultralights I've heard, but against an MZ single it might have a run for its money.
My MZ may be loud, but in the pits Zac's CR500 is annoyingly loud. The ring dingy noise just grates on the nerves a bit more than the thumper noise. I recommend that anyone pitting near us wear ear plugs. ;)
See you there! I'm just happy that there's another ULW bike coming out! :)
Ahhhhhhhh......
Mental checklist for ULWSB...
1. Bigger earplugs.
2. 10 more horsepower.
3. Tow rope to keep me in ya'lls draft. :o
QuoteSorry to say but its the rider not the bike!
Darn. Win an expert championship your first year,,, and you know everything. :-X ;D ;D
I look forward to trading some tire rubber with you this year. :) I still got your rubber mark on my pipe for motivation purposes. See ya out there. ;DGoing to Daytona?
Hey Trey, havent heard from you in awhile. No Im not going to Daytona, i dont like the place, I will start at Jennings the first of April. I have a shinny new M4 this year you can try to mark up too. ;D I got some new motor mods as well so I wont be in SS, i will be in the rest, thunderbike, f40, SBK, gp, maybe GT lights if I can get some endurance. What about you, we gonna see you this year? BTW I would have had 2 class championships if I hadnt have left my transponder on my Ducati during the SS race at Roebling. :P
I am running at Kershaw on March 2-3 then leaving there and going to Daytona and running on March 7-8th. I am going for the AHRMA Dixie Cup this year. Plus I want to run some different tracks this year with AHRMA like Mid-Ohio, BeaveRun, Barber. I am also gonna run some WERA so I can hit Road Atlanta as well. Basically running all three (ccs,wera,ahrma) and run where and when I want to. I will definatly see ya at VIR. ;D
Formula 40??? I had no idea. :-/
QuoteFormula 40??? I had no idea. :-/
Yea I look pretty good for 40, dont you think? :-*