GP Motorcycle Racing

[George]

As some of you may have noticed in Erik Warrens thread about what he is spending all his time doing, I have also been bitten by the racing bug again.

I have decided to start my own thread about this endeavour back into racing motorcycles on pavement and feel that because this is my first love in competitve sports, it deserves to be in the What I Like forum. To that end, I have realized that this will soon become my "new" hobby and that competition shooting may very well take a back seat to this Real Soon Now. I do not expect to become totally inactive, but I may only participate in a couple matches per year now. I plan on continuing to spearhead the multigun program at my local club, but those few matches per year will probably be my total involvement in competitive shooting other than maybe one bigger match a year.

I am in that totally excited point of a new sport where you are completely engrossed with gearing up and sorting out the details as you day-dream of the first time out at some point in the near, but all too far future. I took a big hump first approach to my method of getting back in (it's been 30 years since I raced a motorcycle) and bought a ready to race dedicated GP bike first so everything else is now downhill to getting onto the track.

BTW, this is a racetrack only machine. No lights, no mirrors, no license plate, no nuttin' It desn't even have a battery or a speedometer. Tach and temp gauge only, just rap it out until you bury the tach and hang on until the race is over, or the temp gauge flashes, oh yeah! ;-)

To bootstrap this effort, I cashed out a $10k bond and bought a 2000 Yamaha TZ125 purpose built GP racing bike. This bike went for just about $12k when new. I paid $5.5k "cash in fist" for it along wth a ton of spares and new/specialty parts. It was owned by a racing team in Japan and sold off to the USA after three seasons. It was bought and rebuilt by a racer in MA back in 05. After racing it in 06 and then freshly rebuilding it for the coming season, he realized he didn't have the funds to keep this bike going along with his other road racers. End of story, I get a screaming deal on a screaming fast little bike that is ready to go a whole season as is. It only has two heat cycles on it since the rebuild and it's already suspension tuned and has the controls set for someone my height and weight. Big plus having a fresh and strong running engine along with already being in the ballpark on handling and rider setup with a bike as specialized as this one is.

I will have the bike in about a week. It is being crated and shipped as I type. It is ready to gas and race with a spare set of wheeels with a set of slightly used Dunlops mounted and brand new Bridgestones on the bike. It also has a complete spare set of in the white bodywork and a freshly black painted tank. These two images show it before the newly painted all black parts were installed and it still has the slightly scuffed white bodywork and the spare black tank on it. The new finish is all black in screaming glossy lacquer. I will post more photos after it is in my hands next week.

Specs for the TZ125 have it at 160lbs dry weight. 50 horsepower and a top speed of 140+ if you can get a straightaway long enough to get it rapped out in top gear to the full 14k rpm it will do. It's no blazing giant killer, but there isn't a 600-700 cc super street bike it won't beat up on in a head to head run through a chunk of curvy road and it will probably munch quite a few even larger ones for lunch whenever it's about fast you can go through twisty and fast sweepers. This one comes with a few trick extras like a Battle Works speed shifter and tire warmers, hot stuff

I sent in my application to the AFM (American Federation Of Motorcycles) for a racing license this morning. If I can get geared up and get a track day in real soon, I can make a NRS (New Racer School) in either late September at Infineon Raceway, or in late October at Buttonwillow Raceway. Even if you have racing experience, no one gets to race until they have completed a NRS if they have been inactive. I expect to have my racing number in a couple of weeks and can get it painted onto the fresh bodywork professionally.

With the large lump of cash I have left, I am now gearing up for the rest of the racing package. Safety gear is my number one concern and I have decided that this is where I will spare no expense. I also figured that the cash outlay warrants making it look good too. So with the basic black bike as my style starting point I commenced purchasing my riding/safety gear today with the ultimate in protection being the first order of business and style coordination being the second.

The helmet is the star of the safety package and where I started. I went with the HJC Carbon -12 in th Elbowz style. After talking with Erik, I realized the ultra lightweight of the carbon fiber helmet compared to the others would be a large factor in reducing "rag-doll" flailing in the noggin' area. A helmet weinging half as much will torgue your head and neck less under rapid accelerations and decelerations and when a spill happens, the whiplash effect will be lessened.

I went to local dealer today to fit one and paid cash for them to special order the Elbowz paint style they don't have in stock.

http://www.hjchelmets.com/ac12_carbon.htm

Tomorrow I go in search of Sidi Vertigo Air boots in red and Held Phantom gloves in white and red.

http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Sidi_V...-34-SIDI-7.html

http://www.heldusa.com/phantom.htm

The leathers are being designed right now and I will close the order with Vanson Leathers in MA later this week. I will be getting a custom fitted Mark III (Volante) race suit with every possible piece of kevlar/carbon fiber/CE gel armor I can get stuffed into it along with their CE certified back protector and the obligatory Aero Hump that one must have to be considered "fast" nowadays.

http://www.vansonleathers.com/product_page...s2/mk3_suit.htm

I will post the leathers design image when it is done and you will see how the above items will completely color coordinate with the racing suit and the black bike (the wheels will be anodized, or powder coated to red). Why dump 10k into a lot of gear and not have it match perfectly to a pattern you like/designed

Stay tuned for more as this new/old hobby of mine develops further.

[revchuck]

Geoff - Good luck! It's good to see that I'm not the only one here who remembers when Kenny Roberts, Mike Hailwood, Yvon Duhamel et al were still racing. Now you get to show the youngsters the truth about the "olde age and treachery" adage.

Just remember - the rubber side goes down.

[Front Man]

And this guy.

FM

[tightloop]

Good luck with it...be careful...

[Gameplayer]

In September I get to see in person what this GP stuff is all about. I hope they put on a good show here in Indy.

Edited August 14, 2007 by GamePlayer

[Front Man]

In September I get to see in person what this GP stuff is all about. I hope they put on a good show here in Indy.

I thought that was supposed to start in 2008?

FM

[George]

I thought that was supposed to start in 2008?

Yeah! 08 is what I understand on that 2!

BTW just finished the fitting for my leathers and ordered the boots and gloves. Went and upgraded to the Sidi Vertigo Corsa Air for the extra level of ankle flexure protection it offers over the plain Vertigo.

http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Sidi_V...34-SIDI-19.html

Looks like Vanson will have the leathers ready for me by middle of September. Might just get in a track day for practice before the new racer school in October.

Woohoo! Way over half way there :-)

[George]

BTW, some of the other guys I saw race back in the seventies had names like Aldana, Springsteen, Nixon and Lawwill. They all raced flat track and TT as their first and foremost specialties, but were superfast on pavement because they could slide the bikes like no one else in the world could back then. Watching Nixon, Aldana, et al bumping handlebars on pavement just like they were out on the mile ovals sure was sumthin! When Kenny first showed up in the real early 70's these other guys were the gods of the tracks and he was just the new young whippersnapper who was kinda' fast

[Gameplayer]

In September I get to see in person what this GP stuff is all about. I hope they put on a good show here in Indy.

I thought that was supposed to start in 2008?

FM

You're absolutely right. Sorry for giving the wrong info.

[revchuck]

They all raced flat track and TT as their first and foremost specialties, but were superfast on pavement because they could slide the bikes like no one else in the world could back then.

With the tires they had back then, they didn't have much choice.

(Am I the only one who remembers when French K81s were the hot setup?)

[George]

(Am I the only one who remembers when French K81s were the hot setup?)

You are not. I ran any old K81's on my R5's and RD-350's when I started street racing in 75, then became picky on the pedigree after I started thinking I could tell the difference

When I started AFM racing in 77, I went to a rounder profile tire combo on my production race bikes to get a smoother rolling transition into the corners compared to the way the V profiled 81's "dumped" you into a corner.

In the end I settled on the KR-91 in an oversize profile on the rear and the Michelin S41 in PZ4 (super soft) compound. The round profile of this combo gave me better lean angle transition in S's and was more stable in changing radius stuff comared to the 81's that alway seemed to want to dive right to their V flat anytime you levered it into a corner.

Even back then, if you weren't pushin' the rear, you might as well park it.

[Front Man]

Great stuff Geoff!

Are you going to get one of those Hans (SP?) devices to protect your neck like I see the National Motocross guys are running these days?

Good Luck!

FM

[EZ Bagger]

Don't know, I can sure understand the desire to experience that level of adrenalin, but if when I want to go sliding through the corners again I'll do it on 4 wheels.

[George]

Are you going to get one of those Hans (SP?) devices to protect your neck like I see the National Motocross guys are running these days?

Nope, but I chose the HJC Carbon Fiber helmet for it' incredible light weight which will help keep torque on the neck down in "rag-doll-flail" situations. I also went with the top of the line back protector Vanson makes installed into the racing suit.

The way the modern racing suits cup your shins, knees, shoulders, forearms and hips in gel cushion backed hard armor plates, it's kinda like climbing into the Batman suit Christian Bales used in the last Batman movie. I asked Matt Silva at Vanson what level of protection I could expect from this suit and he gave me two responses. He told me the story of a recent getoff at 150 mph plus that involved lotsa' sliding/rolling/tumbling on asphalt and the runout area. The end result in the Vanson Mark III suit was he stood up, dusted himself off and was able to go to work the next day with no real pain and no actual injuries at all. The other point he made was that the armored points on these suits can take a hefty strike from a small sledge hammer and not let you feel much at all.

I am really liking this modern safety gear compared to the old leather bags of the 70's that just kept the blood off the asphalt and the bones in one place so the turn workers wouldn't have to hunt for them I also like that the tracks have cleaned up their acts in the runout areas on the outside of corners. Lotsa' clear space out there nowadays compared to the 3-4 foot gaps to the Armco barrier and cyclone fence that used to be present at some facilities ;-/

[valkabit]

Congrats on the new/old hobby. That's a sweet looking bike you've got, she looks fast just sitting there. I've been wanting to try out my bike on the track (just a track day), I'm no racer, I'll be 42 in 2 days, and I've only put 7000 miles on my sport bike, a 2003 SV650 (naked, no fairing). The SV650 is supposed to have a very good frame, (I won't pretend I could tell the difference) while the stock suspension sucked (even I noticed that). I had a shop set up the suspension for me, and after the suspension work, there is a major difference in the way the bike handles the twisty roads. It's so much fun to climb on that bike. I'm envious of your upcoming track time, have a blast.

[valkabit]

George, how much is that suit going to cost if you don't mind my asking? I don't know if I'll ever really get my bike onto the track, but I'll need a suit if I do decide to try it. There is a new track being built about 15 mile from my house (Millville NJ) so I hope to get regular use out of a suit if I do buy one.

Thanks

[George]

I haven't gotten my estimate back after the measure and design session today, but my initial discussions with Matt Silva at Vanson Leathers put an average custom Mark 3 Volante suit at $1600 to $1700ish. I consider this cheap at the price considering the level of protection it offers compared to street oriented stuff. They can make any of these suits in two piece zip together so it doesn't have to be track only stuff. A full zip-around suit is legal in AFM and WERA if built properly.

BTW, I think that if you call Matt Silva at Vanson and ask him nicely, he might talk to ya' about some custom suits that were built, but not bought. I heard from a buddy of his that they could be going out the door at around half price. Good deal if you are a fit for the sizes they have available. They can probably do a little altering for you too. I am totally sold on Vanson, especially after looking at the off the rack stuff from Joe Rocket (total crap), Dainese and Alpinestar (both OK if they fit ya' but clunky and low in style points because of the way they are cut to fit a variety of folks sizes and tastes).

Here is a copy of the Vanson ordering sheet so you can see how far they go to get the fit perfect and the styling just like you want it.

Vanson_Custom_Suit.pdf

I figure I am putting a couple hundred into style stuff beyond the basic armored suit.

Just for fun and as a warning to anyone that thinks this is a cheap pursuit, here is a pdf copy of my present costing spreadsheet where I am tracking costs and listing my expected purchases. I have yet to run an extrapolation on race fees, track day fees and transport/hospitality costs for actually attending track days and races. The spreadsheet is only tracking gear and expendable purchases needed just to get onto a track once. Then we start tracking the running costs

Racing_Budget_Rev01.pdf

[valkabit]

Expensive hobby.

[schmitz]

I can see the challenge! Way to go Geoffrey...Take care and enjoy!

...only four wheels for me...

Edited August 15, 2007 by schmitz

[George]

Expensive hobby.

Yes, but at this point, it is looking no worse than gearing up for multigun for the first time with top of the line stuff

I can see the challenge! Way to go Geoffrey...Take care and enjoy!

Thank you Henny! You can bet I will take good care and that I will enjoy :-)

Update on safety gear. I woke up this morning with something nagging me about the Sidi boots even after upgrading to the Vertigo Corsa for a higher protection factor. When I tried them on at the stre, I noticed that the metatarsal area bent fully and to beyound the foots limits there. I remembered another design I had seen and did some looking. The Oxtar TCS Evo RX boot is now my new foot protection candidate:

http://www.motorcyclegiant.com/Oxtar-TCS-E...p/ox_tcsevo.htm

These have a hinged exoskeleton that prevent torsional flex of the ankle in any direction beyond a preset limit and the same thing for the metatarsal area. This is giving me much better warm fuzzies than the Sidi was

Looking at the black/red to go with my bike/leathers color schema.

[George]

Update: Just got my AFM racing license application approved and now have a bike number: 665

I am still a FY rider (first year) as is anyone who has been away for more than five years, or brand new. This means that I must take NRS (New Racer School) and participate in the Saturday Clubman race for my Novice period in addition to regular Sunday races. I also have to sucessfully complete 6 regular Sunday races to get my expert license back again.

http://www.afmracing.org/

Vanson Leathers has just confirmed the 3rd week of September as a guaranteed delivery date range for my armored racing suit. I already have the helmet, gloves and boots. The shipper just confirmed that the crated/containered bike has been picked up and is slated for delivery in 5-7 days. This is getting imminent folks. I might actually be going racing soon :-)

[George]

Update: Bike is enroute and will arrive in 4-5 days.

My custom Vanson race leathers will be done 3rd week of Sept (final cost for them = $2150). Gloves, boots and helmet are in my hands and almost all of my tools and pit supplies are taken care of already.

The spreadsheet is showing near $12k when I have it all said and done. Total cash out so far is $9700ish and climbing! But I don't care, I'm going racing again

Here is the design image for my leathers that I just approved from Vanson. I will be adding sponsor patches and other crap later, for now I'll keep it clean and simple.

Custom fit to be skin tight (kevlar stretch panels make sure of this) and with every hard and soft armor option known to man installed :-)

Oughta' at least look like $2150 bux

More later.

[SLM]

Nice looking leathers! Sounds like you are really getting into this. Enjoy and be safe (seems like you have good gear for that too)!

I saw on your spread sheet that you are looking to get a generator. Just wanted to suggest that you look into the (can't believe I'm gonna type it) Honda line. Pricey but some of the quietest portable generators I've almost not heard running.

[George]

Yeah, I have been hearing the Honda recommendation from more than a few folks already. After the rest of the purchasing I might settle on the Champion 4kw from Kragen for $299 out the door. It has an 85db sound rating and will be $3-400 less than the comparable Honda unless I find a screamin' deal on a used one. I have looked a bit and the Honda's seem to hold their resale value pretty well. Decisions, decisions :-(

One thing I am not going to scrimp on is pit accessories as far as comfort goes. It will be a 10x20 canopy with pole weights and rolldown walls that runs full length next to the 16' box truck with lift gate I will be using to transport all my gack and then using as a camper shell at night.

Also mandatory will be several 6' folding tables and 3-4 really comfy folding chairs that you can sit in comfortably with full gear on. A couple of high cfm fans to stay cool when it get's too hot and some decent food/refreshment handling arrangements will also be in the mix.

I am spending my time right now getting all the goodies together that will not only make my pit area luxurious, but pretty darned slick to boot. I expect to get a lot of pit visitors who may not want to go back to their own pit areas after sampling the good life. Why bother doing something like this if your time off the track is not as comfortable as frickin' possible. At my age, I am in it for the fun of racing, not the hassle level it can become without a certain level of organization and gear-up.

Plan is to travel to the track the day before any riding is done and setup that evening. Then it's all chill and ready to go first thing in the morning instead of lotsa' hustle, hurry and bustle like I usta' go through on race weekends when I would head up at 4am on Saturdays with a pickup load of crap and only about half what I would wind up needing by the time the weekend was over!

BTW, the main reason I am getting back in is how comfortable I can afford to make it and how good the safety gear has gotten.

I found a photo at the AFM archive site that was taken from the hot pit lane at Sears Point (I cannot call it Infineon) back in 1978 for the AFM 4 hour endurance race. The attached photo must have been taken by someone standing right next to us because the team in the photo was the next team down from us. We ran a Yamaha R5 350 engine in an RD 350 chassis to get a reliable torquey motor in a better handling/braking frame. We placed 2nd in 410 production and beat quite a lot of other bigger bikes in the larger classes to boot :-)

Note the plain leather bags with out much protective armor racers wore back then. They did a good job of keeping you in one bag for the corner workers to easily pick up, but that's about all ;-/

[SLM]

I hear ya on the comfortable pit thing. On the hot summer weekends we tow the dirt car with the motor home for the A/C! We also haul a fan or two so there's moving air outside.

TIP: Charge "admission" to your comfy pit... a cold soda or water before the races, a cold beer after!!