Whatever episode it is, it was full of drama and action, but ZERO romance... lol
Shennandoah Circuit at the Summit Point facility in WV was on the schedule for pretty much a points thing for me. I would have muuch rather been at the MOA rally. The weekend started off with a Friday practice. 2nd lap of the whole weekend was a doozy! As I aproached T1, I released the clutch as I backed the gearbox into 3rd. INSTANT lock up of the rear wheel about 80 or so. frantically double clutching and trying to work the gearbox, nothing. The violent hopping of the rear wheel and the lock to lock slow slap went in the end 60 yards of tire marks on the surface of the track. As i realized the out come slowing down that there ould be no smooth stop with feet resting on the ground, I was rather content knwoing that the grass was coming up and I was attempting to steer towards the airfence (its was running out and then bare concrete wall). The last 2 feet of track before the grss then was suddenly occupied by a GSXR 750 that Toned me and sent me into the air fence sooner! lolYadda, yadda, the final outcome, (is everyone sitting down), NO GEAR OIL IN THE TRANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the Supersport (stock) R1100S that had the slave cylinder failure at Summit about a month ago. That one was bad enough, 7 second lead, last lap slave cylinder went and got cauht in 4th gear, hairpin 180 degree turn, woop over the other side... lol, oh well!This particular incident I can just say that is the epidomy (spelling?) of my season. All I can do is chuckle inside and look at the people clapping and shaking their heads at the same time.
Saturday, I knew the track record for this concrete zoo, was 1'32.067, literally all concrete walls everywhere. Largest run off is 30 feet. We started the first practice off at a 1'35.312. from there I switched the 6 inch rear that came on my R1200S to an RT's 5.5 rear wheel. 2nd practice then ended at a 1'34.700. Then I put on my old suit (so I could move around a bit more, new one was just a bit snug) and went down to a 1'33.920 for the 3rd practice. After lunch I felt bad for the R1150S Thunderbike that had been sitting for a bit, and she went out on slicks and gave me a 1'33.402!!! Just awesome considering my heart rate was a bit higher as it was tougher to change directons on her. The GT Lights race was the only race of the day and the heavens just opened up, so very wet track. So I can say I was getting the jitters back from my get off in the rain at VIR, missed the warm up lap due to logistics, and did not have the crucial warm up lap to see track conditions. Practically stalled it off the line and went to dead last. Each lap I got my confidence back and ended up catching 3rd on the last lap 2 turns from the finish line. Sunday, I entered all the races I could due to free entry fee's. I won the Summit Point Track Championship last season and that allows you to have free entry fee's the following year.
So I entered the 600, 750, and my usual 1000 class (Unlimited). That morning I was able to get out there and turn another 1'33.300 and really had to think about what it was going to take to get into the 32's. Unlimited Grand Prix qualifying was just after practice. 12 minutes to turn the best time possible. Now this track is literally 1.6 miles with an average speed of 60 mph. I think like 14 turns or something rediculous. Very narrow and the most dangerous track I have ever ridden. It is very entertaining though for spectaors as you can see 3/4 of the track. Very technical and it is the furthest thing from a big bike track. A 2005 yamaha R6 had the current record going into that day, 1'32.067. Well, we fitted the R1100S with new slicks and I left the R12S with the rains on it just in case it rained. (Are you sitting down again?) Something clicked and posessed me, I went slower in order to go faster and ripped off a 1'31.704 for the track record!!! The R1100S stock drive is just a hair shorter than the R1200S's, but still doesnt flick as well, but hey, ol' girl pulled it off and was on the pole!
That day was crazy. 4 back to back races 600 class first. This is where we just all stood in dis beleif. The opening lap I passed the old record holder on his new R6 into T4 and then he repassed on the little straight and I was so target fixated... I totally payed no mind to the juggs sticking out and smacked the 10 inch tal rumble strips at this crap hole of a track and where I hit the strip was already a jagged edge from another incident, we went back and did CSI Shennadoah lol, and it put a 1 inch hole pretty high up the head. The bike was slipping on the next right hander and then finally saturated my boot and rear wheel with oil. Very small slide for me as I seperated at full lean, but the bike cart wheled width wise into the concrete wall and stayed up side down!!!!!!!!!!!! That was all she wrote. We went back cause lunch was next and could see the edge we smacked with the cylinder head and actually took a 2 inch chunk more of "crumble" strip off. After lunch I won the LW Superbike race, sat out the LW Supersport race (had no supersport bikes left), at the line finished .03 in 3rd to a ZX636 in the Middleweight Superbike class, 2nd in Unlimited Grand Prix, won Unlimited Supersport on my buddies Aprillia Mille R (I had tires being put on my R1150S), and on the last lap, LW Grand Prix, with a 14 second lead, the ol girl R1150S broke her shaft drive! Aw man is all I could say! To everyone on the bridge that was clapping all I could do is say thanks and then answer questions at the end of the day on "how did that darn thing (BMW) compete with 600's..?" It was fun regardless of the drama and I cant thank the members (Elsie, George, Don, Mike, DannyLeo, of the BMWBMW.org of DC area) enough for their amazing support!
I am off to BMW of Atlanta early to get the parts and bikes together for the National ASRA Thunderbike/CCS weekend Aug. 11/12/13th. It will be the turning point hopefully for our national championship hope!
N8! Kern
Shennandoah Circuit at the Summit Point facility in WV was on the schedule for pretty much a points thing for me. I would have muuch rather been at the MOA rally. The weekend started off with a Friday practice. 2nd lap of the whole weekend was a doozy! As I aproached T1, I released the clutch as I backed the gearbox into 3rd. INSTANT lock up of the rear wheel about 80 or so. frantically double clutching and trying to work the gearbox, nothing. The violent hopping of the rear wheel and the lock to lock slow slap went in the end 60 yards of tire marks on the surface of the track. As i realized the out come slowing down that there ould be no smooth stop with feet resting on the ground, I was rather content knwoing that the grass was coming up and I was attempting to steer towards the airfence (its was running out and then bare concrete wall). The last 2 feet of track before the grss then was suddenly occupied by a GSXR 750 that Toned me and sent me into the air fence sooner! lolYadda, yadda, the final outcome, (is everyone sitting down), NO GEAR OIL IN THE TRANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the Supersport (stock) R1100S that had the slave cylinder failure at Summit about a month ago. That one was bad enough, 7 second lead, last lap slave cylinder went and got cauht in 4th gear, hairpin 180 degree turn, woop over the other side... lol, oh well!This particular incident I can just say that is the epidomy (spelling?) of my season. All I can do is chuckle inside and look at the people clapping and shaking their heads at the same time.
Saturday, I knew the track record for this concrete zoo, was 1'32.067, literally all concrete walls everywhere. Largest run off is 30 feet. We started the first practice off at a 1'35.312. from there I switched the 6 inch rear that came on my R1200S to an RT's 5.5 rear wheel. 2nd practice then ended at a 1'34.700. Then I put on my old suit (so I could move around a bit more, new one was just a bit snug) and went down to a 1'33.920 for the 3rd practice. After lunch I felt bad for the R1150S Thunderbike that had been sitting for a bit, and she went out on slicks and gave me a 1'33.402!!! Just awesome considering my heart rate was a bit higher as it was tougher to change directons on her. The GT Lights race was the only race of the day and the heavens just opened up, so very wet track. So I can say I was getting the jitters back from my get off in the rain at VIR, missed the warm up lap due to logistics, and did not have the crucial warm up lap to see track conditions. Practically stalled it off the line and went to dead last. Each lap I got my confidence back and ended up catching 3rd on the last lap 2 turns from the finish line. Sunday, I entered all the races I could due to free entry fee's. I won the Summit Point Track Championship last season and that allows you to have free entry fee's the following year.
So I entered the 600, 750, and my usual 1000 class (Unlimited). That morning I was able to get out there and turn another 1'33.300 and really had to think about what it was going to take to get into the 32's. Unlimited Grand Prix qualifying was just after practice. 12 minutes to turn the best time possible. Now this track is literally 1.6 miles with an average speed of 60 mph. I think like 14 turns or something rediculous. Very narrow and the most dangerous track I have ever ridden. It is very entertaining though for spectaors as you can see 3/4 of the track. Very technical and it is the furthest thing from a big bike track. A 2005 yamaha R6 had the current record going into that day, 1'32.067. Well, we fitted the R1100S with new slicks and I left the R12S with the rains on it just in case it rained. (Are you sitting down again?) Something clicked and posessed me, I went slower in order to go faster and ripped off a 1'31.704 for the track record!!! The R1100S stock drive is just a hair shorter than the R1200S's, but still doesnt flick as well, but hey, ol' girl pulled it off and was on the pole!
That day was crazy. 4 back to back races 600 class first. This is where we just all stood in dis beleif. The opening lap I passed the old record holder on his new R6 into T4 and then he repassed on the little straight and I was so target fixated... I totally payed no mind to the juggs sticking out and smacked the 10 inch tal rumble strips at this crap hole of a track and where I hit the strip was already a jagged edge from another incident, we went back and did CSI Shennadoah lol, and it put a 1 inch hole pretty high up the head. The bike was slipping on the next right hander and then finally saturated my boot and rear wheel with oil. Very small slide for me as I seperated at full lean, but the bike cart wheled width wise into the concrete wall and stayed up side down!!!!!!!!!!!! That was all she wrote. We went back cause lunch was next and could see the edge we smacked with the cylinder head and actually took a 2 inch chunk more of "crumble" strip off. After lunch I won the LW Superbike race, sat out the LW Supersport race (had no supersport bikes left), at the line finished .03 in 3rd to a ZX636 in the Middleweight Superbike class, 2nd in Unlimited Grand Prix, won Unlimited Supersport on my buddies Aprillia Mille R (I had tires being put on my R1150S), and on the last lap, LW Grand Prix, with a 14 second lead, the ol girl R1150S broke her shaft drive! Aw man is all I could say! To everyone on the bridge that was clapping all I could do is say thanks and then answer questions at the end of the day on "how did that darn thing (BMW) compete with 600's..?" It was fun regardless of the drama and I cant thank the members (Elsie, George, Don, Mike, DannyLeo, of the BMWBMW.org of DC area) enough for their amazing support!
I am off to BMW of Atlanta early to get the parts and bikes together for the National ASRA Thunderbike/CCS weekend Aug. 11/12/13th. It will be the turning point hopefully for our national championship hope!
N8! Kern
posted by nate_kern at 6:37 AM
1 Comments:
Sounds like you need a stable of a dozen matching bikes to ensure you'll always have one to ride :-) Elsie
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