My Introduction (A bit Long)

[Nate R]

OK, well, I've been posting/lurking for about a month now. I still never really intro'd myself.

My name is Nate. I live in Milwaukee, and I am a Senior in High School.

Just about everyone on my Dad's side of the Family has been riding at one time or another. So, motorcycling is in my blood. My dad rode, but sold his bike when I was about 7. He was looking into getting back into riding before his death due to cancer in June of 1998.

 I started going to watch CCS races in April of 2001. I was hooked from the start. In August of 2001, I took the Learning Curves school on my Ninja 250. It was a rainy day, but I passed. At that time, I was looking at racing an EX500 in 2002. But, I soon made the decision to wait another year and get an SV. That way, I could actually be competitive if my skills ever got good enough, and have a bike a little more up to date.

In March of 2002, I bought a 2001 SV650S that had seen some track time, and some street time. I had my first and so far only crash on it about 4 weeks later. It still had some Pilot Race Soft Take-Offs on it. I was planning on putting on some proper street tires that weekend. Well, it was about 45 degrees out.  After work one night, on the way home: Tankslapper, then highside. NOT fun.

Anyway, the bike wasn't too bad. Since then, I've added a damper, and learned my lesson about race tires on the cold street.

Anyway, I will start racing at Blackhawk and Road America in 2003. I've been doing tons of reading and thinking, as well as tons of working to get some money together for this expensive sport. Of course, there's been plenty of street riding, too. I've put on over 12,000 street miles since June of 2001. Making racing possible is tough to do on a high school student's income. But, with some small sponsorships, I should be able to do it.

I got my license this year just in case, and then even though I didn't race this year, renewal will be a snap. I'm #548. I chose that # as my Dad was born in May of 1948, and I think of it as a way of having a reminder of him at the track. There's no replacement for the real thing, of course. Sadly, he'll never get to see his son reach a dream. He also had a huge interest in racing in general, so he naturally would have loved to see me race.      

So, when you see me next year on my Yellow or Sky Blue SV, (Haven't decided on a color yet) stop by and say hello. I've already made some great friends at the track, and I wouldn't at all mind meeting more people.

So, there you have it.

Also, if you hadn't noticed from other posts, I started a LLC in August. http://www.motosliders.com
So far: Frame sliders for the Naked SV, and Bar End Sliders for the SVS, TLR, Busa, and SRAD GSXRs coming soon. Also in the works: Footpeg Sliders for WoodCraft Rearsets. Save $$$. 8$ for a pair instead of $52 for a pair of pegs.

Any Questions or Comments?

Now you know a little more about me.

[SliderPhoto]

Welcome Nate! For a senior in HS you seem to have a very level head. That's great! As you've probably found out, most of the people at the track are very willing to help out, just ask.

Have you done a few track days?

See you out there!

[roadracer797]

Welcome Nate
I can relate to not having your dad there to see you race, but hey my mom comes and enjoys the fun so it is worth it.
Craig

[Super Dave]

Hey, Nate...

Nice note about your dad...

Why did you have a tank slapper?  Now you're gonna get a steering dampener to cover the problem?  If you don't have an aftermarket rear shock, you'll probably pile again.  This time with a steering dampener.

Talk to me...

[TZDeSioux]

Nate,
I think we took learning curves school on the same weekend.  I recall it raining pretty bad for the mock race... and I do recall a fella on a ninja 250... was wondering if that was you... I was the really slow guy on the only twostroke bike in the school. My trusty red TZ250 that is just about sold..
 :)

[TreyBone]

Welome aboard  and Good Luck to ya next year.

[Nate R]

Dave, from my understanding, the SV is notorius for having not enough weight up front. The ratio is something like 47/53 F/R instead of 52/48.

I hit a series of largish potholes at about 45 MPH while accelerating fairly hard. The last one hit the tire off center. This is on the street, BTW, not on the track. So, this is related I think more to the geometry problem on the bike. Thoughts?

I've heard of this happening to several people at about that speed on the stock SV on the street as well.

I have a GSXR rear shock that I will be putting on. I'm also putting in Race Tech .85 springs up front.

But, for now, yes, I got the damper to "cover" the problem. There's no way in Hell that I'd use the stock shock on the track, though.  But, I figured it'd last me the rest of the season on the street.

I think in my slapper, there were a lot of factors:

Old Pilot Race Softs
Cold
Dark
No Damper
7th day on SV for me --- First 3 weeks were prepping for street
Not enough respect for power of the bike and such
Not enough knowledge about the bike to know about the front/rear weight ratio.

Why are you saying that the aftermarket rear shock would cure the problem? The oversprung/underdamped probs with the stocker, or the extra ride height from a diff shock?

Brian, Yeah, that was me. Slow as hell with a 26 HP bike, and even slower in the rain, and ever SLOWER because my only goal that day was to NOT crash. I succeeded. Many did not.

I don't remember your bike. hmm.

Is it in either of these 2 pics:?






Nate

[TZDeSioux]

Nate... bottom picture... second to last guy... that is me!  ;D I was so scared man. That weekend was my first time on a motorcycle in 8 years.

[Dawn]

I hit a series of largish potholes at about 45 MPH while accelerating fairly hard. The last one hit the tire off center. This is on the street, BTW, not on the track. So, this is related I think more to the geometry problem on the bike. Thoughts?

I've heard of this happening to several people at about that speed on the stock SV on the street as well.

I think in my slapper, there were a lot of factors:

Old Pilot Race Softs
Cold
Dark
No Damper
7th day on SV for me --- First 3 weeks were prepping for street
Not enough respect for power of the bike and such
Not enough knowledge about the bike to know about the front/rear weight ratio.


Nate

Nate:

The other factor is getting on the throttle hard on a road that you obviously were not familiar with.

Dawn   ;)

[CBRman93]

Welcome Nate! Glad to hear a high schooler is getting in to the sport. I wish I had the chance to then.

BTW...where are those pictures from? They look awfully scary. Are those trees as close to the track as they look in the pic? {shiver}

Well be safe and post often. These BBS's are encyclopedia's!

[Dawn]

BTW...where are those pictures from? They look awfully scary. Are those trees as close to the track as they look in the pic? {shiver}

Welcome to Blackhawk Farms Raceway.  This is a picture of turns 3A through 4 and heading into 5.  Yes, the trees are close, but they have lots of tires in front of them.   :o

http://www.blackhawkfarms.com/

Dawn   ;)

[Nate R]

Dawn,

I was familiar with the road. But, on my Ninja 250 with 27 degrees of rake, the potholes were not something I ever really thought about in the past.

Either way, there were a lot of rider errors here.

Nate