How much work do you have left?

[r1owner]

I just have to bed in my new brake pads and I am ready.  

My first race isn't until May 16th! :(

[Zac]

Man, this season I've already done a race school, raced at (and crashed at ) the CCS southwest season opener, put my bike back together, and raced at the ASMA season opener.  What's taking you guys so long  ;D ;D ;D ;D

I love living were it dosn't snow  :P

-z.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Were we supposed to start yet? :o ;D


Racebike STILL is in teh storage area.:D:D Gonna get it ready this weekend.:D

[smoke]

Smoke,
I was being serious... I mean...and anybody else
chime in too....are club racers getting closer to factory performance? I think that the line is getting thinner and thinner don't you?  I keep thinking of my Daytona experience...which don't get me wrong turned out pretty good...but I literally got "Smoked"
on the banks..and I have a Super Sported motor.
These were 600's passing me like I was on a Moped.
Shorter tracks are a different story for sure, but, depending on your financial situation, a great rider
could be left in the dust by a well funded lackluster
rider with big brakes and lots-o motor. Skill still plays
the biggest part of it all, but back to my original question:
Are club racers slowly closing the gap on factory type
performance? And, with all of the big HP numbers coming off the assembly line, will we have to buy new to stay competitive?  Nevermind, I guess I know the answer to that already...YES.
so does practice even matter as much anymore when you have to compete against guys with 10-15 more HP.
I need to race.

You are right a club racer with deep pockets can buy the bike and HP  he needs and not have the skill to ride.  

Can't we take pride in the fact that we don't cheet? Make mods to our bikes that are not allowed all for the sake of a wood? or is it all in the chance to get a factory ride?

I know I can't buy a new bike every year so I have to do the best I can with what I have, take classes, track schools with people like "SD" and go out and do the best I can.  If I go out and buy a motor with more HP I am still going to be slow because I don't have the skills yet to use it or control it.

In the EX class you have almost not choice but to spend the money for HP to keep up. You have the skill! u have/are a national champ.
When u won was it the bike or your skill?  From what I have heard about you and from reading some the items that u have wrote I think u won because of your skill. I can't imagen how frustating it may have been for u at daytona.

[cornercamping]

Skill is aquired not bought.  Regardless, sooner or later, it will simply be a money match, just like everything else.  Take a look at what bikes are coming out.  Here's the perfect cheater bike:

2004 Ducati 749R

Supersport LEGAL.

Stock, 118 HP.  Slip on, 122 HP, Full System, 127 HP and you run it against 600's.  It has all the goodies right from the factory.  Lighthened Machesini wheels, Ohlins suspension, carbon fairngs, and everything else.  $20K and your at a huge advantage of standard supersport 600's.  Now, you put a super fast skilled rider on that thing, and a championship title is on it's way.   Show me a 600 that can give you 127 HP that is SS legal?  That bike was built for that exact reason.    

Ducati, and the rest of them know this.  It's not even a bling bike.  It's a "I have a big bank account" advantage bike.  BUT... lose him in the corners, and there isn't much straigtaway to use the HP on.  How do I know, I USE to be one of these guys.  I've learned I need to ride what will make ME FASTER, because I control the bike.  My prior bikes:

2003 Ducati 749s
2003 Aprilia Mille R
2004 Yamha R6
1999 Yamaha R6 (bastard bike)

Current Race Bike: 2004 GSXR600

Why?  Spending $20K and getting SMOKED doesn't do for me.  Believe it or not, I'd rather place 10th and earn it, than pay for it.  ;)  and guess where I learned it... believe it or not, the WERA board, and I can't stand 95% of those pricks, but... they were right.  I should have started on an SV or similar, and learned the corner speed, and how to ride.  Instead, I started out camping the corners, and blowing the doors off everything on the straightaway.  Then, I learned where most of the track is, and that isn't on the straight  ;)  Yes, your gonna have to get with the times, because as faster guys pick up newer models, they get huge advantages, but the slow guys will still be there.  

[smoke]

Thats all I want is corner speed. "SD" made a few changes to allow it to turn in quicker. I felt so much better.

Yes I have thought about a new motor with tons of HP. I even know where there is one already to mount in my bike.  But it just would not make me feel good.  I don't mind working hard to develop skill.

But for others like thorny they have the skill already and need the HP to be competative what then?

[lil_thorny]

You are right a club racer with deep pockets can buy the bike and HP  he needs and not have the skill to ride.  

Can't we take pride in the fact that we don't cheet? Make mods to our bikes that are not allowed all for the sake of a wood? or is it all in the chance to get a factory ride?

I know I can't buy a new bike every year so I have to do the best I can with what I have, take classes, track schools with people like "SD" and go out and do the best I can.  If I go out and buy a motor with more HP I am still going to be slow because I don't have the skills yet to use it or control it.

In the EX class you have almost not choice but to spend the money for HP to keep up. You have the skill! u have/are a national champ.
When u won was it the bike or your skill?  From what I have heard about you and from reading some the items that u have wrote I think u won because of your skill. I can't imagen how frustating it may have been for u at daytona.

It was frustrating on the banks, but also exhilerating
to close the gap on everylap of the infield. I guess
I'm not too worried you know??  When we race against the heavyweights, they still have the challenge of putting all that HP and torque to the pavement, and we(600's) still beat them anyway...
so more power doesn't bother me so much as cornercampers with straightaway speed...getting in the way ;)  Man, I need to race!!!

30.

[lil_thorny]

The cheaters know who they are...I could name a few... and they are friends that I will compete against
for sure. But, I wouldn't stoop to tearing them down..
for a slice of wood. I think that the cream always
rises to the top and it will continue to do so. I just need to race. Super Dave gave me alot of advice last year as did my cousin. Both of them were very
constructive concerning my riding skills...I was not pretty. But I improved. practice does make perfect...
I crashed alot. In practice. I improved the most by practicing with the 750's... I got alot smoother by trying to keep up with Mike Shallcross and Mike Roeser during Daves schools and practice. Watching those guys(750's) pull away from me out of the corners, forced me to be smoother and make less mistakes. Consistency and being smooth is what was
drilled into my little brain by Super Dave and PJ (THORNY)...All that stuff equates to quicker lap times
and longer lasting tires and brakes.  All 4 guys are riding R6's this year with big HP numbers, so I'm anxious to battle against them on my Suzi.