Lightweight Lap Times at RA

[grasshopper]

Just wondering what kind of lap times the fast LW guys do around Road America. I was there all day yesterday for a track day and was doing some 2:44's on the SV. I geared tall. Put a 16 on the front and had a 44 on the rear. Worked out pretty good. I never ran into the rev limiter. I was just about a grand below red line in 6th gear going into 1, 5 and 12. I had a good time. I was giving people hell on the 1000's. They'd buzz past me at 50 or 60 mph over my top speed and then I'd out break them in the corners. I'd still be full on the gas one some of them started to brake.

So what's a good LW lap time at RA?

What's Ed Key and Brian Lacy doing out there?

[spyderchick]

Not quite sure what those guys were doing, but low 30s is fairly respectable for an expert, most AMs will be several seconds behind.

Remember that guys like Ed and Brian (Paul James, Rhiannon) have pretty tricked out machines. They've lightened them up and optimized them for their riding style (suspension, ergonomics, etc)  Your mileage may differ. 

[grasshopper]

Not quite sure what those guys were doing, but low 30s is fairly respectable for an expert, most AMs will be several seconds behind.

Remember that guys like Ed and Brian (Paul James, Rhiannon) have pretty tricked out machines. They've lightened them up and optimized them for their riding style (suspension, ergonomics, etc)  Your mileage may differ. 

Alexa, I highly doubt any of those riders can do a low 30 on a lightweight machine at Road America.

I look foward to getting out to a race weekend this year.

[eeky]

The ASRA Thunderbike lap record set this spring is 2:30.2. as published by RRW volume 16 Number 7 page 118. My SV SB was running with an additional 20 lbs of lead to meet the hp to weight requirements.

Ed Key

[Monkey_Star]

Alexa, I highly doubt any of those riders can do a low 30 on a lightweight machine at Road America.

most of the faster LW guys will be anywhere between 1:30-1:35 or so. You better get on it young Nick or your dreams of securing 15 million and going to MotoGP won't happen.

[spyderchick]

The ASRA Thunderbike lap record set this spring is 2:30.2. as published by RRW volume 16 Number 7 page 118. My SV SB was running with an additional 20 lbs of lead to meet the hp to weight requirements.

Ed Key

Hey Ed, Thanks for the chapter and verse. 

Nick, you gotta get up early and get the lead out (literally) to beat those guys. 

[grasshopper]

BLOODY PISS!!!!! WOW!!!



Me ----> <---- Ed Key!

[grasshopper]

Thank you for the replies guys. I truely appreciate it. 

[ScubaSteve]

BLOODY PISS!!!!! WOW!!!



Me ----> <---- Ed Key!

Ed is a hell of a rider for a old timer with a FAST SV! Man do i miss racing!!

Steve Servis

[grasshopper]

I wonder how much faster Ed would have gone without that 20 pounds of lead strapped to the bike.

That brings up a question I have. How does one go about strapping the weight to a machine to meet the HP to weight requirement? Do you have to strap the weight to a certain part of the machine or certain spot or is that the decision of the rider/team?

Ed, did you have to bring out the old bathroom scales to make sure you were legal before you brought it back to tech? Or were you ready to go before you got to the race track that day?

[spyderchick]

Ed knows the bike pretty intimately. I think he sleeps with his machines.

Nick, If you're real nice to him and buy him a few beers and tell him how great he is, he might even give up a secret or two. 

[EX_#76]

I wonder how much faster Ed would have gone without that 20 pounds of lead strapped to the bike.

That brings up a question I have. How does one go about strapping the weight to a machine to meet the HP to weight requirement? Do you have to strap the weight to a certain part of the machine or certain spot or is that the decision of the rider/team?

Ed, did you have to bring out the old bathroom scales to make sure you were legal before you brought it back to tech? Or were you ready to go before you got to the race track that day?

Ed runs only as fast as he needs to.  I think he was actually slower when the 20# were not on the bike. 

We weigh and dyno the bike before and after qualifying on the ASRA scales so we do not have any discrepancies.  We usually cut it pretty close on the power to weight ratio.  Ed' s increase in speed during ARSA races can make the weight calculation tricky, he has used 3/4 of a gallon more fuel than we expected on several occasions.

Weight can be placed wherever we choose.  We use plumbing pipe that is filled with lead and we have custom sized spyder leatherworks bag to hold lead shot.  We have preferred locations for a few of the weights, but we have to add so much weight that a few of them are in less than ideal spots.

Guy