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.