Team 2F2F @ 8 hours of Grange 1

On 4/25, I will be taking part in the 8 hours of Grange endurance Race. Grange is a go-kart track in Apple Valley CA, and one of the premier mini-tracks, playing host to karts, mini-GP bikes, mini-motards, motards, and the people who ride them. This year's race is the second 8hr endurance race they've hosted in as many years.



An 8hr- endurance race is a little different than your standard sprint race. Endurance races are conducted with a time limit (in this case, 8hrs), and the winners will complete the most laps within that time frame. For reference, a sprint race usually lasts less than 1 hour, so an 8hr enduro requires a fair bit of strategy and a lot of stamina.

I won't be riding the entire 8 hours myself--I don't even think i could do more than 30-40 minutes at a time, especially now that the weather has gotten significantly warmer in Southern California. My team (Team 2F2F: nee 2 Fat 2 Furious) consists of 4 riders: myself, Rudy, Mark, and Rico. Our defining characteristic is that we're all 200 lbs or more, which is particularly funny because we will be riding a 50cc motard around this track, and I think this bike may make 12 hp.
But hey, it's got wheels and a throttle, so it works for me.

The race is in about 4 days, so I will be providing insight on strategy, rider prep (fitness!), diet, and the resulting aches and pains.

Since riding a motorcycle in 95 degree heat is hard work, it will be ncessary to have the energy and be hydrated for this race--but also necessary to be cardio-vascularly fit, and have some core-muscle strength.

Being that our team is predicated on being heavy fat guys, i could have started training a month ago, but I was eating instead. So last night, I dusted off the ol' P90x DVD's and started with the "Core Synergystics" workout, which is about 50 minutes of exotics situps, pushups, calisthenics, and other nonsense. Also, I was pretty sore from sexy-times the night before so I think over the past few days, all the yoga/ab-work/leg lifts/and other non-deep-fried stuff i've been doing will help. Tonight, i'll either do plyometrics or yoga, but i'll probably do plyo because it's shorter--the yoga routine takes like 90 minutes--i don't have time to dance around on a foam mat pretending i enjoy sweating and stretching for 90 minutes. I'll prob have to do yoga at some point though. Maybe friday night to get all limber. Anyway, i think doing core tomorrow, leg/back on thursday, and yoga on friday will be as effective as it gets for my fat ass.

Diet will also be important. So instead of eating jumbo jacks and quarter pounders and those awesome mini-burgers everyone is selling now (have you tried them? they're good! i prefer BK's burger shots to the others, though) for lunch, this week i'm eating chicken sandwhiches instead. Though, last night's del taco wasn't all that healthy, i can at least say that the french fries are a part of my carb-loading program. Plus, i figure i'll just use nonfat milk in my chocolate protein shakes post workout, and/or skip breakfast. JK! i know, skipping breakfast is bad for you!!!

Also, on strategy, my friend Casey gave me some pointers on race starts--Either we start off heavy on fuel and stay out as long as possible or, we go light and refuel, at some point, sometime during the race. I've actually forgotten what he said, but basically he said not to go a lap down. Well, honestly, if I feel like taking a break to eat a cheeseburger, then fuck it, i don't care about going a lap down.

Re-introduction

I've decided to resurrect this blog under a new name: 32 to 1. Taken from my pre-mix ratio for my 1976 Yamaha RD400, it's a bit more interesting than some generic italian sounding blog title, like Moto-something-rreristeria. No offense to the Italians, of course.

I've left the previous posts, which are a motley collection of thoughts on Canyon Riding, or technical ride reports written for my own benefit and consumption. Probably because I'm too lazy to delete them, or think about how long it took to write them and feel like it'd be a waste to erase them. At any rate, welcome to 32 to 1.



About Me
I'm obsessed with motorcycles. It's incredibly unhealthy when I think about how much time and money I devote to this hobby. I like to pretend that I like all motorcycles, but like you, I know I'm just pretending or lying to myself when I say that. The truth is, I don't like all motorcycles--I like fast motorcycles. This is not a blog about chrome, or hard luggage, or freeway-friendly windscreens--this is about machines built for speed and toe-ing the bleeding edge of traction. Tassles and t-shirts, exit stage left.

I haven't been riding long. Roughly 3 years if I round up, though I did log a pretty good number of miles for the first 2 of those years. Much of that experience is described in earlier posts: ACH weekly, Sequoia, Idyllwild, and most of the LA mountain/canyon roads. An accident in september of 2007 has limited my street miles since--ironic because that accident occurred 100ft away from my house--so these days I mainly ride racetracks only. At the most, it means i'm in the saddle once or twice a month, so you can imagine how much pent up MC energy I build up between track days.

I like to think I'm almost fast. I'm not quite there yet, but I suppose I am not slow, either.

About my garage

I've currently got 3 bikes in the garage. Bike #1 is a 2006 Triumph Daytona 675. This is probably my favorite modern sportbike. It's also british, which means it can spontaneously combust, though my own personal experience with this bike and my previous 675 have been mostly positive. It's currently a track only bike, and is fitted with all sorts of crazy things that are supposed to make it go faster, stop faster, turn better. So far, I've only gotten to ride it once, last september at Willow Springs, where it proceeded to bog all the way down the front straight, failing to hit 110 mph (when it should have been going 140+). So, I threw alot of money at it. Hopefully, it'll go faster.



Bike #2 is a 1976 Yamaha RD400. This is a carbureted 2-stroke v-twin that is as loud as it is unassuming. I picked it up about 5 months ago for a song, and have been dicking around with it ever since. And while it weighs about as much as the Daytona, it makes about 1/3 of the horsepower and 50% more noise. Don't let the power numbers fool you though, since this thing will put you on your head in a split second as it hits the powerband. It's a 2-stroke thing, of course. It's street legal, so I ride it around and piss of my neighbors every once in a while. I'm planning on getting it road-worthy enough to do the occasional ACH or Azusa trip, and I'm not too far off.

Bike #3 is a faded pile of shit. 1975 Honda CB750K that hasn't run in years, and is as heavy as it is broken. Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the budget to do anything with the bike, so it sits in the garage, waiting for me or Casey (the bike's co-owner) to do something with it, like melt it down for scrap, or sell it to someone who gives a rat's ass. A few thousand into it and it'd be a cool bike, but no matter what, it'll never be as cool as the RD, if only because it weighs 200 lbs more, and is a 4-stroke. And imo there are already enough 500 lb 4-stroke 750cc I4's in the world...The SOHC guys are gonna kill me for that comment...

Track report 8/2/08 Buttonwillow #13 CW

Weather - sunny/dry
Temps - 110 deg F
Bike - 03 600rr
Tires - Bridgestone BT003pro front @ 28 psi (cold)/BT002pro rear @ 25 psi (cold)
Gearing - -2/+3

Began day in B group, averaging around 2:18 laptimes. Found difficulty with passing, bike shows trouble keeping up on straights, even with good drive. Made most of my passes under braking on entry to turn 9 (sunrise). Leaving some speed on table in back section (grapevine to lost hills) by not being aggressive enough on throttle. Entry to bus stop was much better than usual: little if any braking, rolling off throttle and downshifting to third and keeping more speed through corner entry. Tires feel very rigid and suspension needed to be softened to handle bumps especially in riverside.

After moving to A group, noticed improvement in lap times. 2:12.48 best time of the day ran at 2pm in A-group. Faster through back section, more throttle starting from grapevine exit and all the way through to lost hills entry. Losing time in entry to AFM turn, can carry much more speed into corner entry, and get better drive into esses. Overbraking for turn 1, 2, & 3. should be able to break 2:10 with ease next time out. need to be even more aggressive at grapevine exit and be more conscientious about foot position to prevent toe drag. Left turn body position needs to be more extreme, as body isn't hanging off far enough. felt better under hard braking and downshifting. Physical fitness levels make for much better mental and physical endurance.

Prepping the 750

The wonderful thing about owning a gsxr, is that there are so many parts available for it. Used, new, OEM, aftermarket--and they're all cheap because the market is flooded. There's also a lot of modularity b/w generations, and most of the 600cc stuff can be used on the 750. And perhaps the biggest bonus is that the gsxr is a favorite of amateur racers, meaning that they sell their really cool secondhand stuff, usually for pennies on the dollar.

So, in light of my last post, the suspension is a priority. I managed to find a 3-way adjustable, remote preload adjustment ohlins rear shock for my bike for $450. This is a unit that generally sells for 1200+ new, so i'm pretty excited about the deal I got. Fork modifications look to be around $350 to $700, depending on how much i want done. I also traded my stock fairings and lights for a set of race plastics, which i'm currently in the process of painting. I've also amassed a spare set of wheels, some take offs, and a keyless gas cap.

It looks like i've decided on White/Gold/Blk as the main colors (though Pink and White are heavily insisted upon by my cohorts) but i'm not exactly sure how i'm gonna arrange those colors on the bike. Either way, i'll be in the garage painting all weekend. Hope it turns out well.

On a related note, i'm parting out the F4i. I would keep it if i had the room, but the garage is beginning to get a little crowded. b/w the 750, the other 750 (a 75 cb750 that i picked up last month) and V's 600rr, i'm starting to feel like my garage is becoming a parts bin. I guess it'll get worse before it gets better, since the F4i is about to go from being a complete, running trackbike, to a pile of parts.

Anyway, so long F4i of doom. may your parts help keep your brethren upright and fulfilling. Also, if i fight the urge to be e-lazy, i'll document the painting process for all the would be rattlecanners out there.

3/2 Buttonwillow first thoughts

I've been needing this one. badly. I've been going nuts and the only cure is more trackdays.

Everyone i know that rides bikes made it out for this one. So did everyone i didn't know. the event was completely sold out, and every group was full. As i am still recovering from september, I signed up to ride in C-group, with some friends. As i was riding a brand new bike, on brand new tires and brake pads, i figured i'd need to take it slow and feel out the new setup.

I picked up an 05 gsxr 750 last week for pennies. I ordered some vesrah RJL pads from STG, and picked up a pair of bridgestone BT002 pro's (120/190-55). Needless to say, this is a totally different bike than the F4i. My thoughts on the setup:

1. the OEM suspension is begging for mercy. with sag set at 30mm on both ends, the bike liked to drift wide under power. A friend suggests that the rear is too soft, thereby affecting the dynamic rake under throttle, and causing the bike to sail. This thing needs a rear shock and new fork internals like i need to lose 30 lbs. which is to say, badly. it's priority #1.

2. vesrah RJL's are the most intense braking experience I've ever felt. bite was outstanding. feel and modulation were ok too, considering.

3. the BT002's were pretty good all day. with some heat in them they generate a good amount of grip, though with my current pace, i'm sure i'm far away from overwhelming them. They're much more communicative then the dragon supercorsa pro, but at this point i like the SCP's better. I'm sure i'll have a better idea of what these tires are capable of once i setup the suspension proper-like.

4. having 1.5 arms really challenges my ability to brake deep and hard. i found it difficult to brake AND set up for a turn, since couldn't get my nuts off the tank under hard braking. Also, lower back pain was still an issue at the end of sessions, so i need to make a concerted effort at improving back strength and overall endurance. it's also difficult to toss the bike around on the technical bits with 1.5 arms.

5. Wow, this bike scoots. it really really goes. had my share of mini wheelies, mini head-shake moments (defused by the scotts damper), and moments of sheer terror mixed with exhiliration. It's also much heavier than the f4i, though there is still a good amount of street equipment on this bike. losing 20 lbs shouldn't be difficult. i found myself uncomfortable riding in the upper rpm's (aka the powerband) due to a mal-adjusted throttle cable, and the gobs of torque it makes up there (meaning choppy inputs are rewarded with very choppy bike behavior). In all honesty, at yesterday's pace, i just needed to stick it in 3rd for the entire lap, with an upshift to 4th at riverside. It does have wonderful torque and midrange though.

Throughout the day, i was fastest through Riverside and Sweeper which is certainly no surprise. These are the sort of turns that a Crest rider is built to feel confident in. The slowest corners for me was Cotton Corners, the bus stop, sunrise and sunset.

cotton corners: this is a difficult complex of turns (Right, Left, Right) with elevation change and some beat up pavement. if any corner on the track is going to take someone down, i think this is always suspect #1. i had a hard time finding a non-cowardly entry speed, and with the weak left arm and the wallowing rear suspension, it was hard to find pace through this part of the track.

the bus stop: lack of pace in this turn can always be attributed to fear. which i possess in bulk. i was generally way short of the proper entry speed for this turn.

sunrise: another scary corner. it's wide, cambered, and makes all the difference in trap speed down the front straight. i don't know why i have a mental block when it comes to this turn.

sunset: this is turn 1, at the end of the front straight. closing speeds generally reached 120-ish mph (indicated, so maybe more like 110, actual), but without my ability to brake deep as decribed above, i broke early and too much for corner entry in this turn. like sunrise, it's wide open.

all in all, it was a good way to start the year. i have my work cut out for me though when it comes to shaking off the rust, though. i'm looking at riding 4/4 at SOWS, for which i'll dust off the f4i o' doom.

2008 outlook

It's been about 3.5 months since i broke my arm, and i think it's just about healed. I've still got limited use of my arm, but the bones in one (crooked) piece, so i can probably start light physical therapy work soon. First thing first, it to regain some strength in my left arm so i can do things like apply deodorant to my right armpit, or wash my hair with 2 hands.

I've also gained about 20 lbs since the accident and though i haven't put on my leathers in a while, am pretty sure they don't fit. Size 52 leathers were already tight on me when i was in better shape, so right now i doubt i could zip up my suit. I'm also in miserable cardiovascular health. I've always hated cardio--it's my least favorite thing to do in the world--but the time has come for me to get off my ass and get on a excercise bike and do some walking. I'm looking at losing roughly 25 lbs from my current weight which is hovering around 200 lbs.

There is some other training i should be looking towards doing in the coming months to strengthen my bike-riding muscles--notably lower back and core excercises. Even when i wasn't injured, i noticed that a day at the track put a lot of strain on my back and abs, which cut down on the amount of laps i could get in a 20 minute session. Hopefully i'll be in equal or better shape in time for Buttonwillow on 3/2.

My bike situation is similarly unsorted. It always pained me that i never got to ride the 675 on track before it met its fateful demise. The f4i is a rideable bike and certainly faster than me, but it's for sale (and hopefully sold) this week. I've been on the look out for really nice bikes to make into a track bike, and while i've found a few good candidates, it looks like i'm picking up a 07 675 at the end of the week for pennies. It'll need some new plastics as it was just lowsided, but it's otherwise in good condition.

This year i'm attempting to ride once a month at least. My tentative track schedule looks like:

3/2 Ti2TT @ buttonwillow
4/12-13 SoCalTD @ Pahrump*
4/19-20 FastTrack @ Cali Speedway*
5/9 Ti2TT @ buttonwillow
5/24-25 SoCalTD @ Pahrump
6/5 Fasttrack @ Streets of Willow*
6/28-29 Trackdaz @ Streets of Willow
7/5-6 The Track Club @ Buttonwillow*
8/2-3 Trackdaz @ Buttonwillow
8/24 Ti2TT Buttonwillow
9/27-28 Ti2tt Las Vegas Motorspeedway
10/11-12 Fasttrack @ Cali Speedway
11/1-2 SoCalTD @ Pahrump
12/6-7 The Track Club @ Buttonwillow

Conspicuously absent are any days at Big Willow, or the more distant tracks like Sears Point, Thunderhill, Laguna Seca and Miller Motorsports Park.

A letter to Spring Mountain

Ti2tt tells us that they have recieved no dates at pahrump in 2008. This means that only one group (socaltrackdays) will run pahrump next year, as the track owners decide to shun bikes in favor of cars. This represents nothing short of a catastrophe, as riders unilaterally acknowledge SM as the best track in the LA/SD area, and the open track format of socal trackdays is NOT beginner friendly. I wrote this letter to the owners via their website expressing my utter dismay:

It has come to my attention that spring mountain is turning its back on motorcyclists--I feel that this is not only unfortunate, but tragic. Last september, i rode spring mountain for the first time and had a religious, life changing experience--no other track offers riders the perfect mix of technical and fun quite like SM, and no other venue offers groups of friends the same opportunities to enjoy great riding and the joys of Nevada like SM does.

To hear that cars are taking the dates that orgs like Ti2TT et al. used to get saddens me, as it means I either MUST ride w/ only 1 organization on limited days, or skip pahrump altogether, as I have no interest in driving there at all. The track layout that seems so perfect for 2 wheels would be copasetic, neutered, cramped, on four.

This is an landmark shift on your part, and a mistake--since SM enjoys an almost fanatical devotion amongst virtually every rider i've ever known. It was Mecca for anyone on two wheels, and it breaks my heart that we are now unwanted.

Best of Luck,
C R

As much as i like buttonwillow and consider it home, and welcome the las vegas motor speedway to the mc trackday ranks, neither are adequate substitutes for the best little track this side of laguna seca. I'm not sure how effective a letter writing campaign will be, but any rider who's ever ridden SM will lament the advent of this new business philosophy. Ironic that they move towards catering to cars as the CA Speedway judgement starts to rock the world of 4-wheeled hpde's...

I'm alive, albeit broken.

Reflecting on Canyons

on 9/16/07 there was another fatality (possibly 2) on ACH. In a mundane corner, on a beautiful sunny SoCal day, a horrible accident took another person's life on the crest. My favorite road, my 2-wheeled home, the place where not-too-long-ago i fell in love with the sport of motorcycle riding is also the place where so many venture and fail to return from. Even if the mellow fluid sweepers of the Crest seem harmless or kind, this road bites back--and more often than it should, it bites those who don't deserve the blood and agony.

It's a fact of life that as a rider, the casualty reports will pile up every summer. You have to learn to adjust to the idea that you or your friends might not make it home from your next ride. You get used to the stories of young riders w/ no experience or gear making love to canyon walls, or the stories of riders with 15+ years of experience making a mistake and paying for it. It's a fact of life, like someone here said, riders die, and sometimes you can't do anything to change it.

So often we respond with resolutions to be more careful, or to take it to the track, or deny that our personal behaviors can lead to tragic accidents..."Yeah, i put a knee down on the street, but I'm in control" I've said stuff like that plenty of times. I've seen guys whose opinions and skills i respect say it. I've clearly differentiated my actions from those of the lowsiding masses, as if i'm not 1 pebble away from joining them. And no amount of contrition after the fact will bring a leg back, or an ankle back, or god forbid, another rider back.

It's almost cliche that the local MC community responds to a bad weekend in the local canyon by promising to be better riders. I do think it helps, but at the same time there are so many people who aren't included in the dialogue who end up wadded up against k-rails. and whether or not we become better riders, nothing is going to change the fact that all it takes is 1 tiny rock, 1 unsuspecting cage, or 1 rider coming the other way 3' over the DY to make any resolutions you made a week ago completely moot.

I don't want to give up street riding. I think that there's something to be said about spending saturday morning on the crest with some friends--but i do think we all need to question the way in which we traverse these roads. Get your thrill from the trees, the clean air, the company, and the sunshine--not the speed. Many of us always say that the street is not a race track, but how many of us actually ride that way?

We are in a precarious position. between the insurance companies, the local highway patrol, the general public/politicians, and each other--the next few years could be a crucial moment in the history of motorcycles. and while i believe that people should be free to make their own choices (and mistakes), it's a sad reality that what I do is a reflection on a fellow sportbikers as much as it is a reflection of myself. The same applies to all of us, and since we were given the task to protect the sport in a sensitive time, ask yourself what you're doing for your fellow riders, at the bike night, on the freeway, in the canyons. Whether they come with HP limits, tiered licensing (good idea imo), banning sportbikes altogether, and whether the AMA can stop it are all somewhat irrelevant...

If we don't police ourselves, don't expect the government to do it with the understanding of the important but subtle nuances that define our sport. And if we don't police ourselves, we have little right to complain when we find ourselves persecuted by grandstanding politicians who don't give a rat's ass about whether you're a geared up, responsible rider or not.

Track Report 9/8-9/9 Spring Mountain, Pahrump NV

Looking at a map, Pahrump seems like it's pretty damn far away from LA. Looking at the directions and the unfamiliar roads and freeways, it seems even further. Finally, thinking about Friday Vegas traffic makes it seem like you'll never get there, so you might as well stay home and wash your bike.

But it's closer than you think. 240 miles, which isn't all that far. beautiful, empty, desert highways with nary a soul traversing them and a bright starscape you often forget about when you're under the orange glow of los angeles, and finally a delayed departure time (11:30 pm) means that pahrump is actually less than 3 hrs away, when you put the cruise control at 85.

Made it to the hotel room (Pahrump Nugget) and laid down on the floor and went to sleep. I shared a room w/ 4 other guys and got there last, which means i get the floor. I froze my ass off and woke up at 6:30am, we got ready and made our way to the track. The best thing about a pahrump weekend is that a) you don't feel bad about spending money on a hotel room because you're far from home and can't day trip it, and the rooms are cheap and b) the track is 5 minutes away from your hotel and c) they have a casino just downstairs.

We got to the track and hunkered down, setting up pop-ups, bike stands, generators, misters, fans, and chairs and got ready for a full day at the track. I have never ridden pahrump before, so i was in C-group (which is for beginners) along with a few other guys in the group who were sandbagging.

Pahrump is a 2.2 mile track (which is pretty long) that is a decent mix of fast and technical. Turns 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10 are tough technical corners that require precision and lots of shifter work to properly negotiate. But what makes Pahrump a fun track for me is the great sweepers: turns 1, 2 and 4 are straight out of the pages of AFH. Puck destroying, long, graceful sweepers with great pavement--it's easy to build a rhythm all the way up to turn 9.

So in light of my last post, about reaching the Zen promised land of trackday riding, i didn't achieve it on the first day. Learning the track, battling poor body position, fighting a sore back and left wrist, and a stubborn bike left me distracted and tired. I eventually learned pretty good lines, but by the time i was ready to use them, it was the end of the day and i was ready to collapse.

The second day started off with more of the same. Lots of hesitation, not smooth riding, struggling with body position. But in turn 1, midcorner of my 2nd session of the day, i realized that i was still crossed up, and that i wasn't getting my butt off the seat enough. a 2" shift made all the difference in the world, and i started to get faster and faster. I ground down my pucks (Spidi pucks are made out of butter) so i had to flip them at least 3 times. I started keeping pace with faster friends, and started exploring body position that wasn't so brutal.

Long story short, I felt like i was picking up where i left off when i left my first trackday, and got back on track. I also tried to reach motorcycle zen with mixed results--it's kind of hard to do when you back is killing you and it's hot as fuck, but hey no one said it was gonna be easy.

Mechanically, the bike finally needs new tires, i need to look into a more compliant back protector, i need new gloves, and maybe need to re-gear the bike. The newest toy (penske) performed great, and after 1 trip to the suspension truck the bike felt great all day.