Qualifying / Racing PICS ADDED

[China_Racer_1]

A shot from the top of an over pass I am setting up for the right hand /Entry of the “S” turn. Body is coming off the seat and I am just starting to pop up from behind the bubble.

I did totally lousy in Qualifying. I was not last but not far from it. I finished the bike yesterday and got one practice on her. Today I got another in the morning and then qualifying soon after.

So suspension was the issue. I got the front dialed in but the rear was and partially still is out of whack.

I got the rear shock adjusted now and I am almost finished changing the ride height but I ran out of time so I will finish that in the AM.



Here is a pic of me about mid way of the 2nd part of the “S” turn which is a nice sweeping left. Notice how much I have to counter steer to make this biatch turn left. I should be counter steering less and leaning more to get through here faster. The suspension changes I made should fix this. (I hope)

I will end up going out on the track for the race basically on a bike that will not respond to things like corners, for instance. Man I was all over the place today. I could not get the bike to do a damned thing.

Dave Sadowski was at the track and being Mr. Yamaha he came over and gave me a real short quick lesson on what was going on and what I needed to do so I did not have to play the guessing game.

I know Dave fairly well and trust his ideas and reasoning so I will just go out on blind faith and know its set up miles better than it was today either way.
I felt like I was ice skating out there today.



Here is me in a left hander that cuts back a bit at the exit.



Still got a bit of edge left on the tire but harder than hell to get her over ther today. Again the adjustments made should fix that.

[ragedigital]

What changes do you make to get the steering to work better for you? There are times when my bike just will not turn, especially in hairpins.

[China_Racer_1]

Rage,

I concentrated mainly on the rear end. My ride height was way out of whack, the rear shock was so out off on its setting I could not get the bike to stick in a corner and as you know something need to hold the tarmac in order to get the bike to turn.

The ride height though I think is the main issue. The swign arm needs to be down past a certain degree of angele to get the bike to function properly. Say 12 or 13 degrees below the pivot point. less than that and you get an effect that when you crank the throtle you put a lot more downward force on the ass end which brings the front end light making the frotn feel squirly

When I was in a turn I coasted through for fear that I would wash out the front end I could not get on the throttle well after the apex and in fact at the turns exit or the bike would feel like it was ready to tuck also the ass end just seemed to be over loaded in a noticable manner.

I got the ride height up, transfering more weight to the front in a more correct balance. (No more lowrider chopper look)

I adjusted the shock that will allow the bike to hold the road now in proper manner as well. (It was so far off setting I am embaraased to even say)

I am hoping that this will get me close to where I need to be.

it rained last night the temp dropped a lot and the track will be cold this morning. Chance of rain is 20% today so we will see what happenes.

It will be an interesting day to say the least. I am 25 of 27 on the grid and have no hopes of winning so I will use the race to test the bikes handling and see what else needs to be adjusted. I have a chance to go to the F-1 track later this week so I can fine tune her there as well.

I figure now if I get i n the top 10 I will be doing well. But again its a new ride and adjustments are needed to tune her in.

[China_Racer_1]

Some of these are qualifying and some are race day. I can not figure out what is what pic from what day.



I just dropped into the right hander in the "S" turn. Its a right hander but you can keep the bike upright quite a bit if you enter the corner just right its actually hardly a right with a straight shot to the entry of the left hand turn in the "S"


Part 2 of the "S turn is a nice smooth left hander. If you got balls you can pass here. Most try to hang on. It decreases at the exit so it gets a bit hair ball at times. I like to pass here it freaks people out.



Exiting the "S turns you have a 75 Meter or so run to the next Left hander.


Like Isaid a lot don't like this corner to pass. I think ther is plenty of room.

So when the guy in front exits and begins to drift out I go under him right after thid photo was taken. But he did not like that.


I guess I un nerved him a bit and he went off the track....opps!


Warm down lap after the race


a bit of traffic


Focused


A few fellow racers in their own battle


Two more sets (CD's) of pics on the way later next week. They are for MY photographers. These pics are from a friend of a friend.

[China_Racer_1]

I liked the artistry of this picture.

[China_Racer_1]

What changes do you make to get the steering to work better for you? There are times when my bike just will not turn, especially in hairpins.

I got the r-6 front end and it was ok though could be a bit stiffer. I will put in some heavier oil when I drain the old stuff out.

The rear end ride height was too low

The rear shocks rebound was crap and I cranked it to the 15 of 30 spot which i later chaged to the 13 click. It seemed to help but I am still not 100% there yet.
Before that I was all over the track and the front end wanted to to keep going in the wrong direction arghhh!
now she is ridable but needs fine tuning.

[ragedigital]

Love the pics! Looks like it's a blast! Isn't it getting cold over there yet?

As far as I'm concerned, pass were you want, just keep it clean... that's what I tell myself anyway. I am constantly going wide to pull the inside line after a lot of tight corners. Freaks the riders out, but they are so inconsistent, I have to get around them.

darrin

[yamaha_george]

What changes do you make to get the steering to work better for you? There are times when my bike just will not turn, especially in hairpins.

I got the r-6 front end and it was ok though could be a bit stiffer. I will put in some heavier oil when I drain the old stuff out.

The rear end ride height was too low

The rear shocks rebound was crap and I cranked it to the 15 of 30 spot which i later chaged to the 13 click. It seemed to help but I am still not 100% there yet.
Before that I was all over the track and the front end wanted to to keep going in the wrong direction arghhh!
now she is ridable but needs fine tuning.

The guy at Yamaha who gave me a basic run down on suspension told me that if you are working blind ie without previous notes on the bikes suspension set everything to the middle setting, alter one setting at a time first 2 up on middle send the rider out now go down on middle and so you work. until all are set to where the rider is happiest MAKE notes.

These days there are loggers that tell you what gear you are in on a corners so note making is easier, the thing is that you have to compromise the settings to get best overal not just 1-2 corners wonderful the rest very sloppy.

The settings are very much track to track & according to tyres compound / tyre pressure and weather

[WSM]

I liked the artistry of this picture.

Thought the same thing before I read your comment.
Great shot.

[yamaha_george]

I liked the artistry of this picture.

Thought the same thing before I read your comment.
Great shot.

I used the shot to replace Rossi & Ago at this years IoM for the 2nd graphics console, far more atmospheric bikewise.

[China_Racer_1]

George,
Thats pretty much what did.

I set things up about middle of the road adn adjsuted form there.

I will get my note book together.

Agree the track I just raced on takes a different suspension set up, and tire compound than over at the F-1 track which is a much higher speed track with only one hard braking hairpin.

Normally I set up the gearing so its maxing out at the last moment of the fastest part of the track. Then if need be I will adjust but generally I leave it alone and deal with it else where. Not always teh case as every track is different but generally thats how I start the whole process out.

Suspension wise its a different animal. You need to compromise and make it OK here.. OK there.. Great here.. so so there.

Never a perfect set up.. Just .... "OK I can make it happen with it like this, as long as I have it right for the other 4 turns" sort of a thing.

I just talked to my photographer and I get the 2 CDs with all his pro pics on Tuesday. So more pics of a lot higher quality are on the way. Dragan has been a sports Photographer longer than most of us been alive ha ha. He used to work for United Press International and being Serbian he covered the war as a war photographer for 6 years in the Balkins so he got his shit together pretty well.

We were joking the other day about war (If thats jokable) and found out he one upped me on getting blown off our feet by artilary blasts. He had it happen 2 times me only once. I ended up with a sprained ankle which I never treated due to the situation I was in. He landed flat face down and crush his cameras both times ha ha. Those Serbas are some tuff S.O.B.'s

[yamaha_george]

Steve,
The note book is an absolute must, with suspension & carbs if you are to be consistent in your racing efforts.

As to your Serbian friend they are very tough & very loyal as friends but the worst kind of enemy as they think nothing but getting even at any cost.

[China_Racer_1]

Steve,
The note book is an absolute must, with suspension & carbs if you are to be consistent in your racing efforts.

As to your Serbian friend they are very tough & very loyal as friends but the worst kind of enemy as they think nothing but getting even at any cost.

Yeah I keep all known Serbs as Friends. Some of the things this guy tells me about.....Man oh Man. Glad we are pals lets put it that way.

I laways take notes. Not just whats up with the bike but also after session notes about the track whats up with my riding wher I want to improve where the bike needs adjustment temp humidity etc...etc...etc....

If you don't do this then I agree, its not really worth being out there in any sort of serious manner.

[China_Racer_1]

I love this corner.

here are a few showing the full entry to it from the begining of the "S" turn



right hander. I am about on my line.


Same corner different angle.
I am comitted to the turn - getting ready to stand her upright and flick her left for the 2nd half of the "S turn.



basically out of the turn now - flicking her over. A little slide in the ass end gets me straightend out for the short throttle up to part 2 of the turn. I did an endo in this corner once when I accidently hit the front brake too hard. My fault of course - ass off the seat back end off the ground.... ahhh. but I landed her in time to recover and make the next turn. total seat of the pants driving. DOH!


Throttle up then hold until the apex. - flicked upright setting up for my turn in point


Turn in point reached - Dropping in


Knee down - now I know where the ground is and I can adjust my lean angle


Lean angle adjusted down - holding throttle - holding on you can see the white scrape mark on the track. now look at where I was in the last pic and where I am now. In the space of about 5 feet I have touched my knee down and gotten into the right lean angle and body position.


Fully into the turn I start to throttle up a bit as i Apex. The exit is decreasing but very wide on the exit so you get a little slide when you exit but you can hammer the throttle pretty early on this turns exit with no worries really of running off the track.


Exit of the "S" turn is plenty large enough so good chance to pass here if you can carry your speed in the turn and get a good drive out.


Out of the turn, throttling up hard. If you look at the left side of the rear tire and follow it back, you can barely see a bit of rubber I left down as I exited.

I allow a wide drift to the outside to help set up for the next turn. this short chute to the next turn is a thrill as its all about how much you can hammer the throttle and get past someone before you shut her down for a hard left turn at the end.

I see from this series I need to stay off the bike and hang lower for a bit more after the exit. With such a short straight before the next left I can just stay hung off and not upset the bike. I will try this next time.

[shredex]

vroom vroom