Auto S recap & Right Gears on SV 15-47 gearing (3.13)

[SV88]

Had my second race weekend - formula 40 lw and gt light.  Slightly more successful than my first (2nd to last for the 40 and 8th out of 11 on the GT - Key lapped me twice once again but just before the checkered flag!!  Thought I was keeping up to Hawk (Paul O)  finishing behind him when he Slilly pointed out that he completed 13 laps to my 12.

Want to check shift pattern on Auto S.

Turn 1 & 2 2nd gear - up a gear while flipping into turn 3 -  up two gears before 4, slight brake b4 T5, roll on slight brake before 6, shift up just after 7, down 2 gears, grab 3 gears after T10, down 2 or 3 before T11 (on back straight), up 1 -2 gear before 13, up one at 14.

Does this sound right?  I'd riden 3 track days earlier this year on stock gearing and my times were slightly better???  Dragging the s@#$%%y Pit-Tek  fairing was a little unerving which may have slowed me down a little.

Trying to decide whether to buy pilot power or tire warmers???

[Super Dave]

You using stock suspension?  I'm betting that you need to shorten the gearing yet, but somone will put something up.

[SV88]

Dave: No - ZX6D cartridge up front and GSXR-750 rear revalved.   Are you serious about the gearing?  I know Key is running 14-44 which is 3.14 (v close to my 15-47).  Kept hitting the rev. limiter so I'm buying an aftermarket tach.  Sawed off the rear section on the SV this morning -not requred!

STeve.

[Super Dave]

I think if you ask Ed what he's running, he'll usually preface it with the fact that his bike is lighter and probably makes more power.  You might be in the ball park, but an additional consideration is what tire you are riding on.

[SV88]

I'm running Dunlop Qualifiers with 5 track days and now 4 races on them.  Will install some newer pilot powers for next race weekend.

[JonGu]

I can't say this is right or not, but this is what I did, I'm using 14-45 gearing on a 2nd gen SV

3rd gear going into T1
4th just before turning in for T2 and carry into T3
5th for T4
Down to 4th for T5 and T6
Up to 5th, sometimes 6th all the way through the fast kink T7
Down to 3rd gear for T8, carry all the way through until the back straight
Up to 6th on the back straight
Down to 3rd for the chicane
Up to 4th, at exit of chicane and carry it through the next 2 corners until I reach the front straight
Up to 5th on the front straight
Back down to 3rd for T1

[SV88]

Jon: 
Well, it is undoubtably more right than me given that you're clearly a lot faster.  You are running around a 3.21 ratio to my 3.13 which makes sense if your power peak is at higher revs than mine; suspect that you are probably carrying a lot more speed in the corners which brings your revs up anyway.

I probably need to increase my cornering speed significantly since I never slid the rear Friday or Sat; so I should be able to ride faster until the tires are at their limit - right???

Steve.

[Super Dave]

Tire limitations can be manifested through chassis limitations.

I know the GSXR shock change is common, but some of the more knowledgeable suspension people I know have rolled their eyes at it.

Depending upon your set up, the bike might be sliding but the chassis might not be giving feedback that it is.


Don't forget, more bike lean angle will also bring up RPM's at the same ground speed compared to a bike with less lean angle.

I don't think that Jon has a big budget for motorwork to make any real changes to his peak power.

[JonGu]

I wish I did... I'm still running with a stock exhaust hahahahaha

[SV88]

Dave: 
Got the shock done at SVracing in Iowa ( if I remember correctly).  The forks are good - Brian Baker (Trx.Dyn).  Given that I'm unwilling (OK ok I feel that I cannot afford) to drop close to $1K on a new shock - is this the best cost: performance alternative?  We all know that the stock shock is mush....  Don't think that the rear is slidding without me being aware - once had the bike completely sideways during a PTT track day at Auto S (T3) earlier this summer and somehow managed to keep it up.
I'm concentrating on fitness, track time, tires, brakes (need to bleed fronts) and suspension in that order.

Steve.

[Super Dave]

I see where your logic is...

Fitness...nice but fat out of shape guys guys can beat thin in shape guys.

Track time...if it were the key to being faster, smoother, etc...Honda would have had Nicky Hayden doing laps and laps and laps to win the championship the past two years.

Tires...yes, very important.  Fresher is faster, and fresher is safer.  Some are better and more appropriate than others.

Brakes...yeah, important.  Proper usage is important. 

Suspension...it's a component and can be bought.  But your best set up is based on knowledge and work.  I've worked with racers that have purchased race bikes with the components, but they lost confidence because the previous owner only knew how to bolt on the shock, nothing about ride height, spring rate, dampening, and so on.

Knowledge is potentially the most important.


Given that Jon is using a gear higher almost everywhere, even though he's geared slightly shorter and it probably accounts only for 500 RPM's, I'd surmise that you're riding off the feedback that the bike is giving you.  And based on your gear selection and chassis set up, I'd shoot in the dark and say that you have an issue that doesn't keep your CG up high enough, so you often have to keep the bike in a lower gear to generate anti-squat to make if feel like it can turn, brake, etc.

Shot in the dark, but since I haven't worked with you or seen what the bike is doing...Might be pretty close, but you'd have to make changes to see the difference.