Updates from Will Martin

The winter is here, work is still slow but not as ...

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:17:47 GMT

The winter is here, work is still slow but not as slow, and there's now time to start thinking about the 2010 season and maybe even getting ready for it.

Staying Involved

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:40:12 GMT

During the past season, I have done what I could to stay involved with WMRRA and motorcycle racing. My involvement has come as a technical inspector and corner worker. The most recent round was no different, although it provided an example of why I corner work when I can't race.

On Saturday morning, I did technical inspections on a number of race bikes, including going to a few paddock locations to tech bikes at the riders' pits. These inspections were generally for teams or riders who have been racing for a number of years and can be counted on to be well prepared. They were as meticulous as ususal, and I only found one set of pinch bolts which needed to be wired up. One of the teams I visited for technical inspections was a husband and wife team who race 125 GP bikes, a 250 GP bike and a 160 vintage bike. The wife rides a 125 and the 160, while the husband rides a 125 and the 250. Both are excellent riders and very fast. We got into a discussion about how a 2-stroke can lubricate itself just with oil in the gasoline. I can understand how premix lubricates the top end, at least up to a point, but I'm still at a bit of a loss to understand how the crank keeps from siezing up. It's some research I have to do, and they both laughed about knowing it works but not being sure how or why either.

During the 125 race, the wife fell off in the corner I was working. She lowsided, and it would have been a fairly routine get-off, except she went headfirst into the air fence. The air fence did it's job very well and prevented major injuries, although she was clearly in need of medical attention even before I got to her. As a person with some CPR but no medical certifications, I could only open her visor, make sure the ambulance was on it's way, talk to her, and hold her hand while it got called in on the radio. She had a very sore wrist and ribs, but seemed OK otherwise. Without the air fence it would have been ugly, but it was there. She could move everything and had her wits about her, so going into the air fence, even head first, was a whole lot better than the alternatives.

The EMTs got to her very, very quickly. I have a lot of respect for the whole organization, because the safety aspects of things are first rate. She was able to explain what hurt and managed to convince the EMTs not to cut any safety gear off of her. They usually cut everything up, from gloves to racing leathers, so keeping everything in one piece was a huge victory.

She was at the track on Sunday with her arm in a sling. It was a bit of better living through modern chemestry, as she put it, since the pain killers were keeping a whole lot of soreness at bay. She had a compression fracture of her right radius bone and some bruised ribs, but was otherwise just sore. She said it really helped to have a familiar face get to her after the crash instead of a stranger. Having her say that made my day.

I'll be doing the same thing at the end of the month, during the next round of racing.

What to do when out of town

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:00:20 GMT

WMRRA round 5 was in Spokane over the weekend, and I went across the state for tech and to corner work. It's pretty tough to inspect bikes and then just watch all weekend, but at least technical inspections and corner working get me to the track.

I headed over early on Friday morning, since I was meeting with an entrepreneur who wanted to discuss his latest venture. It was a worthwhile meeting and his venture is fascinating, but it was all done with by a bit after 2:00. So, I checked email and got a few things done sitting in a Starbucks near the track in Airway Heights, then headed over to the track to spend the next couple of days.

The previous round at Spokane was the first time I had ever paid much attention to drag racing, and it was fascinating. So, instead of hanging around, telling lies, and drinking beer all evening, I decided to try it. The van hauls bikes, hauls band equipment, serves as a hotel room at the track and is my work vehicle. It's now my drag car, too, and I have the Spokane County Raceway Park license to prove it.

I didn't expect to get so keyed up at the start line, but it was exciting every time. The van amused just about everyone who saw it, although there were a few who didn't seem to get the joke. Too bad, since I had a blast. My last run was finally against another guy who was there on a lark. He had an ancient 4WD Toyota or Nissan pickup. Even it was a bit quicker than the van, but we were both laughing all the way down the track. The van is very, very consistent. With a bit of practice on starts, I think it would be an outstanding bracket racer. Consistency is all that matters, and as long as nothing breaks, it should run about 20.15 second all day and all night. I don't drive it much more than 65 mph on the freeway, and 65 is it's top speed in the quarter, too.

So, now I have another way to burn gasoline in the pursuit of having fun. I would like to thank all my sponsors for putting up with me. It's not exactly what they were expecting, but I'll advertize any way I can.

More of the same

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:28:04 GMT

I made it to the track for WMRRA's round 4, but didn't race. The project I'm working on is in start-stop mode, and I'm not sure what they are really going to do. So, cash flow isn't happening. No cash means no racing. It's temporary, since the economy will pick up, but it's been a pain. I keep saying the same thing, and it's true, but it still gets old. I'm not the only one, and it hurts everybody.

Enough whining. Just being at the track is great. A couple friends are getting much faster every round, and I'm going to have my work cut out for me to keep up with them when I get back out there. it's fun seeing people's abilities progress and improve. The new (to WMRRA) AMB timing system has had a few bugs to work out, but it's a whole lot better than the old system already. Technical inspections have been an interesting way to keep involved, since I get to inspect the condition of everyone's bike. There sure are a lot of different ideas on what's OK! Most bikes are so clean you could eat off of them, but a few look like they just crawled out of a pig sty. It makes me want to disassemble my bike completely and clean everything, just so I'm one of the clean bikes, not one of the ones you want to throw back into the mud.

Fresh air, finally

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:54:24 GMT

The magneto is still in limbo. How could this be? Customs isn't user friendly as far as I can tell. It's somewhere in the US, but probably buried in a warehouse. Oh, well. The bike is worth the wait, but it's getting very frustrating.

There's a reason I haven't been doing much updating lately. I haven't had any work, like a whole lot of other people. The first few WMRRA rounds have been sparsely attended, including the Spokane round. I went to Spokane to do technical inspections and to corner work, but it was frustrating to watch some great racing and not be out playing on the track.

Fortunately, things change. I picked up a few months of work at the end of last week, and already have close to 70 billable hours in. By next Friday, the number of billable hours should be more like 100, and even though I haven't been paid yet, I'm probably going to sign up for a track day on Friday and race at least a couple classes over the weekend. My son graduates from high school next week, so my plans may get changed. Not showing up to his graduation because I went to the track wouldn't go over too well.

If I make it there, it's going to take quite a bit of work in the mean time. I still haven't completely assembled the bike, and I don't have a fairing stay which works properly yet. Sharkskinz bodywork on a 1999 SV650 takes a very specific fairing bracket, and I don't have an unbroken one. If I can find one, I'll pay for air freight in order to get out on the track. The bodywork is painted and finally looks great. Last year's tires still look OK, and the brakes are all reassembled. I haven't torqued anything down yet, nor have I bled the brakes properly. This will be a busy weekend to get the bike ready, but I'm very excited to think about getting back on the track. Even if I can't get it together in time for this round, I am sure to be out racing this season. I had almost given up on the idea, but now it looks like it's going to be possible.

Magneto!

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:29:41 GMT

I just talked to George at Uptite Husqvarna. He says the computer is telling him the magneto is in shipping. He's as skeptical as I am about how much to belive what a computer says, but if it really is on it's way, the Husqvarna might be running again soon. It would make me very, very happy, since it would also mean I can start thinking about motard racing and dirt riding again. It's the perfect Swiss Army knife of bikes, although it's hardly perfect for anything. I sure hope I haven't lost anything critical in the long wait.

On an unrelated note, I spend about half the day yesterday reprepping the SV's paint where it wrinkled up badly. It's still misbehaving in spots, but I don't know why. I guess it has to be sanded down once again, reprimed once again, and then shot. One of these days, I'm going to be an outstanding rattlecan bodyman. For the time being, it's not happening yet. I have decided rattle can cheapness is preferable to spending money, especially if I can get it to eventually turn out OK. There was some pretty awful looking paint at the track last weekend, so I'm not going to have the ugliest bike in the paddock, no matter how ratty it is. It's not going to be ratty at all if I can help it. Rattiness is my leather's job now.

One last thing I have come to understand. The reason I didn't get along with the Gixxer was most likely a tweaked swingarm. It would fall into left handers but resist right handers. Once I dropped the front down far enough to get it to turn right, the front got really sketchy turning left. It felt like riding on a bucket of greased ball bearings to me, and another (really fast and slightly nuts) guy rode it and said he noticed it's resistance to right turns as well. He's crashed everything he ever touched, so nothing bothers him somehow. It treated him OK, but he could understand why I had problems with it. It's kind of nice to find out the problems I had all season last year weren't entirely due to bone-headedness!

Website

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:48:30 GMT

This isn't exactly about racing, but it's what's going on. I have spent the last few weeks working on getting the company started. I now have a company website, and I'm signed up for all kinds of lists with local governments who use construction management services. Being a pathological optimist, I'm convinced the economy has hit bottom and there will be work again soon. The website, chipman-martin.com, is still in the development stages, and it's probably going to evolve quite a bit over the next few days. It's probably going to change again completely soon enough. But, for now, it's what I do and the kind of work I'm pursuing. I haven't figured out how to work motorcycle racing into it, but I'm open to ideas. Risk management, perhaps?

I'm really happy with the logo, too. A friend who is a graphic designer did it for me, an did some really great business cards, too. I don't see a way to put it here, so if you want to see it, you'll have to look at the website. And, if I can start generating work, it's a built in sponsor. Can't beat a built in sponsor!

I expect to miss the first half of the season getting off the ground. If I manage to pick up some billable work, I may be able to salvage at least part of the WMRRA season. Endurance racing is absolutely going to happen, although it's all in Oregon at PIR. I like the track. It's not ideal for an SV650, but racing against other SVs evens things out. There aren't too many endurance teams who are serious about it anyway. Hooptie Corsa will be using my bike, since Jason's is still in multiple pieces and Jerome's season is a bit sketchy due to outside obligations. His bike is the pink Hello Kitty bike, and I'm not convinced Jason would ride it anyway.

Being a technical inspector means I'll be at the track flying the flag for sponsors, one way or another. I'll take the bike to the track as a display, if nothing else, and my van is well decorated. Motard racing is still a possibility, assuming I can ever get a magneto for it. I picked up some wiring diagrams, so I'll be able to repair the butchered up harness over time. None of it ever saw the inside of a Husqvarna factory, at least not as it is now. It's another adventure, and I love it.

Real Paint

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:09:42 GMT

I have gotten massively frustrated with rattle can paint on the bike. It can be done and done well, but I am out of patience and plan to take the bodywork to a shop recommended by a friend for professional paint. It will be whatever the darkest blue they have is. I'll do the paint for number plates, since I'm certainly capable of doing a decent paint job. I have done it in the past, but I don't have proper respirators, the fuel resistant clear coat I found is extremely toxic, and I don't feel like doing something really dumb to save a few dollars and have a decent looking, fuel resistant bike. The costs for rattle can paint start to add up to the same price as a professional paint job fairly quickly anyway. The plastic and tank have all been repaired, so all the shop has to do is scuff it, do the final filler to make sure there are no residual pits or scratches in the substrate, and shoot it. They can use fuel resistant paint in one shot, eliminating the need for clearcoats and any other messing around. It won't be quite as nice as a clearcoated paint job, but considering what the bike is intended for, it doesn't matter too much. I'll get a nicer job on the ceremonial plastic I plan to save for display purposes. That way, I'll always have a good looking set to put on the bike for shows and the like, no matter what happens to the plastic use on the track. The idea is to make sure the bike has the chance of being shown as much as possible, along with all of my sponsors' logos. I have to do something to make sure all of them get something for their support this season, since I'm still not sure how much racing I'll be able to do.

The Husqvarna magneto is STILL hung up in customs. What an amazing saga this whole winter is turning out to be! Good thing it's spring. Things always get better when the sun starts to come out and the daffodils bloom.

Reassembly begins

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:26:43 GMT

The brake calipers are back together again, and the bodywork is in primer. It doesn't look too bad, and filling the dents in the tank turned out better than it had any right to. It's flat gray primer for the time being, so it may not look quite as good once it's shiny, but it's better than it was by light years. The white background for number plates is started, but I'm not completely happy with the way it covered or the texture, so I may do some more sanding and redo it. More sanding means smoother, so it will look better. It's a theory, anyway.

Once the bodywork is done, it will be time to finish the front end of the bike, get all the dust cleaned off of everything, and then put on the bodywork. Round 1 is coming up, and my intention is to have the bike ready to go whether I can race or not. I'll be taking it to the track with me as long as it's ridable. If the first round includes the traditional snow, hail, and a downpour, I'll do technical inspection duties and then just hang out at the track. I probably won't even unload much of anything. Maybe the canopy and a couple chairs, but I don't see the point in spending the money for rain tires so I can freeze my tail off and risk a crash which would end the season immediately due to the cost of rebuilding anything at all. When I start landing clients or find other work, it's a different story, but for now, caution is the unfortunate and uncomfortable order of the day.

More Brakes and Quality Garage Time

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:47:07 GMT

I finally got the chain sorted out and squared away. I was beginning to doubt my competence. The brakes are completely apart now and soaking in Simple Green. I thought the Gixxer's brakes were a mess when I got them apart, but these are worse by a whole lot. The pistons had rust inside and were scored on the outside. The rubber was OK, but it's out now anyway. There was crud UNDER the rubber on the outer seal. I don't know how it got there, but it can't be good. The calipers were clean outside, so somebody cared, but once they were pulled apart, it was pretty obvious the inner parts hadn't been cleaned in a very, very long time. Everything was baked on and will take a good soaking and a good scrubbing to get as clean as they should be. The pins looke a bit worn, so it's only a matter of time before I replace both front calipers.

I also pulled off the old front fairing stay. It was pretty well twisted up from my one crash on this bike last year. It's going to be a challenge to find a way to mount the choke so it's easy to use, but really, once the bike is started, it doesn't matter much for the rest of the day. So it takes three hands to use the choke and start the bike. It takes about eight hands to deal with all the spacers, the chain, the brake caliper and the rear wheel. I probably should pull off the rear caliper as long as I'm doing all this, since it will get a new brake line anyway.

With the front of the bike disassembled, I cleaned the headstock which didn't look too bad. It wasn't the same kind of mess the swingarm was. Next cleaning stop will be under the airbox. Then it's time to refinish the bodywork and put it all back together. I have a goal- get it ready for the first round in April. I may or may not race, but I would sure like to be ready to race.

Customs - go figure

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:06:42 GMT

The magneto is hung up in customs. It is waiting on some kind of Italian paperwork about what kinds of materials it's made of. What a pain in the neck! The brake rebuild kit is in, so I'm going to pick it up today. I found out how the Regina chain's riveted link is supposed to work, but now it's all screwed up and I'll be buying another chain. Chains are also hung up in customs. I guess this is one way to encourage domestic manufacturing by making it such a hassle to get anything into the country. It never ceases to surprise me what else can happen. It is probably a reaction to the melamine and lead problems in certain imports from China, but like everything else, it suffers from the laws of unintended consequences.

Last night was a coordination meeting for WMRRA's volunteer technical inspectors. I'm looking forward to it, since it's going to be a learning experience and a way to keep involved even if money is too tight to race much. I'm sure there will be work sooner rather than later, and I will be kicking myself if I can't race this season. The grids are likely to be pretty thin, especially early in the season, meaning I would be able to get some points before the real fast guys start coming out with the sunshine.

So, now I'm going to pick up the front brake rebuild kits from Aurora Suzuki. Once the brakes are completely clean, rebuilt, and have new lines, they should work even better than before. Then it's just a matter of reassembling everything, prepping the bodywork, and making sure everything is put together properly and adjusted. I'm looking forward to riding this season!

New Brakes!

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:56:10 GMT

The big news for me today was ordering brake rebuild kits at Aurora Suzuki. They told me it would take about a week for the parts to come in. I had expected two weeks, so I am pretty happy. The economy is tough on them, and I really like the shop. I had a long chat with Randy McAllister, the owner, and he's got concerns regarding future land use issues on top of everything else. Nothing is ever easy for anybody, so we all have to stick together as motorcyclists and enthusiasts.

A racing friend was at a trade group meeting this morning and gave me a tip on where I might be able to get my bike painted for a whole lot less than I had expected. I might actually be able to get my bike painted professionally after all. Having fought the rattle can mess for a few years, the thought of professional paint makes me pretty happy. I'll probably have to do the prep work, but having it sprayed out by somebody who knows what he's doing will make a big difference.

As a final note today, I'm in the process of writing business plans and getting the start of a company together. Instead of finding one job, like a sane person would do, I'm seriously considering trying to find a bunch of jobs. Smart? Probably not. But being smart limits your fun and your opportunites sometimes. Pathological optimism is far more productive for me, and, once I have a company logo, I can advertize on my bike. Beats me how motorcycle racing has anything to do with construction management, but there's got to be a link somewhere.

Continuing to be Slow

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:12:59 GMT

New brake lines arrived, as did a new chain and sprockets for the SV. Still no sign of a magneto which will work for the Husqvarna, so I'm likely to miss the entire indoor flattrack season this year. It's probably just as well for money reasons. I like the Husqvarna, but road racing is what I really like best. The chain has been a royal pain to get sorted, since Regina doesn't seem to make any kind of rivet type master link for the one I bought. It makes no sense, and if I can't get a master link, I'll use the chain on the Husqvarna and just buy another chain.

Next on the list of maintenance items for the SV is rebuilt calipers at the front end. If the bike were a dirt bike, I would rebuild the rear caliper, too, but as long as the rear brake works when called upon, it's not high on my list of priorities for the road racing bike.

As the economy continues to slow down, I really wonder how much racing I'm going to be able to do this season. The three endurance rounds are a given, as far as I'm concerned. I'm committed to those three rounds no matter what. Other rounds may see me doing tech inspections and corner working. The second WMRRA round is already victim of a scheduling conflict, and the first round always requires rain tires or even snow tires. Considering work prospects, I would rather skip the rain tires for the time being. The endurance rounds are in Spokane and Portland. The early round is in Spokane, so it's likely to be cold but dry. Later in the summer, Portland is more likely to stay dry, making tires less of an issue. The SV's current tires have plenty of life left in them, once scrubbed back in, so they are likely to stay on the bike until mid-summer. Once they are toasted, the bike will get new Bridgestones. Bridgestone makes BT003s for the front, but SV racers on Bridgestones use BT090s on the rear, since BT003s are not available in 160 sizes. No matter, since I probably won't be using all the tire's capability anyway.

The Impact Wrench

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:10:00 GMT

Have I mentioned what a great tool an air impact wrench is? It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. You can remove the torqued down nut for a Husqvarna flywheel without all kinds of exotic braces to keep the assembly and motor from turning. You can also remove the countersprocket nut from an SV650 without anything more than putting the bike in gear.

So, the countersprocket is off and new sprockets and a chain are ordered for the SV. They will be coming from Vortex, along with frame sliders and a replacement for the cobbled up and damaged fairing stay. On Tuesday, when George is in at Uptite Husqvarna, I will be ordering a magneto for the Mad Max bike, in order to get it running again, too.

Putting the SV back together will be very satisfying. I will still need to rebuild the brakes, install new brake lines, and probably a few more things I am forgetting now. Paul and I have been talking about putting new paint on our race bikes, and I am certainly planning to do it. The bike needs a bit of bondo work to really look good, and there's time to do it. The biggest problem so far has been finding a decent day to do anything outside.

With the exception of my street bike, the bikes live in my brother's garage, along with his Moto Guzzi, his KLX 400 in proper offender green, and his housemate's KTM 525. Needless to say, it's a crowded garage. A trailer would sure make for an easier time of things, although it wouldn't be heated either.

Last year's Pirellis seem a bit dried out in the garage for some reason. I hope its just dust, since I was planning to run them for another round or so.

It wouldn't be right if I didn't put in a plug for More Power Racing www.morepoweracing.com, since they supplied me with a replacement for my old textile street riding jacket. Getting back on the bike on a regular basis is going to keep me a whole lot saner during the job search.

More Time

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:52:52 GMT

The economy got me. I got laid off last week, but it means I have time, if not as much money. After a while, you learn to see the good part of everything. Since looking for work eight hours a day, every day, would eventually make my head explode, I have been spending a bit of time on little projects I hadn't got around to. The first one was adjusting the van's carburetor, a whole adventure of it's own, and one not worth writing about. It was one of those mechanical comedies of errors which come out well in the end that we have all had.

The next project is the SV650's swingarm. Removing it required removing the exhaust and taking apart the back brake. The brakes really should be rebuilt anyway, so it's not a problem. The exhaust was a bit more of a challenge, and I'm not sure how easily it's going to go back togther. The swingarm was filthy! I don't know how long it's been since anybody had it apart, and the swingarm axle's white lithium grease had turned into powder. The bearings were OK, but the axle was a mess. After cleaning everything fairly thoroughly, I have been reassembling it all with red synthetic grease and a little polishing. It has a lot of scuffs and dings, but it looks a whole lot better clean than it did all filthy.

The next project will be rebuilding the brakes. The brake lines are some indeterminate age, so they should be replaced as well. I will be doing all that work in the next few weeks, especially if I continue to have time. Then, before the beginning of the season, I plan to repaint the plastic and make it look a whole lot better than it does now. I'll be helping with tech inspections, so I had best have a decent looking and especially clean and well prepped bike. It's difficult to fail people's bikes if your bike doesn't measure up.

Which leads to why I do all these things. Some people like golf. I like motorcycles, all aspects of them. Actually, I like machinery, especially fast, powerful machinery, but bikes are much more satisfying than cars, since they are smaller, and you can accomplish much more with them by yourself. Their relatively low cost doesn't hurt either. There's a kind of zen you get into cleaing the caked grease and dirt of ten years racing out of the back of an old racebike. I am looking forward to getting it put back together so I can start the same process on the old Husqvarna. A new, unmolested bike wouldn't be as satisfying to maintain and upgrade. For example, I found the rear brake light switch on the SV. It was still there after almost ten years, all on the track. It was probably there because it was on the inside of the frame and nobody had bothered to take it out. I found it and removed it. There was no reason for it to be there. It's a small thing, but it made me happy. Nuts? Maybe, but I think golfers are really nuts.

A Few Days Later

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:01:42 GMT

It's good the season is a few months off. There's a lock nut on the swingarm which requires a special tool to take apart. It's amazingly expensive from Suzuki, so I bought one on eBay. They guys at Aurora Suzuki thought it migh not be all that important, and the man in the parts department I spoke to said his bike doesn't have any of the oddball locknuts on it any more, but I am kind of anal about making sure nothing comes apart at speed. After last season's crashfest, I don't feel like taking a whole lot of chances. There were not mechanical failures as causes of crashes, but it's still something I don't want to mess with. The last thing I want is to ride the CYA Crash Bus!

People who don't spend a lot of time on the track have a hard time understanding how much time it takes off the track. It's a level of committment I wasn't clear about when getting started, but I wouldn't want to miss a moment of it now. You don't just take the bike to the track and ride it. You think about jetting, bearings, necessary spares, repairs, refreshing things like seals, and tires all the time. The bike is going to be ten years old this summer, and it's really old for a race bike. I don't know for sure how long it's been since the motor was rebuilt, but I have been told it's relatively fresh. If it lasts the season, I'll be happy.

I had a long conversation with the local engine builder whose sponsored rider took the #1 plate in WMRRA for the season. Dale Zlock builds Kawasakis and SV650s. It's an odd combination, but he's one of a couple really top notch SV builders in the area. He says most of the SV650 motors he builds go to the east coast these days, and he thinks continuing to rebuild really old SV650s is nuts, since a rebuild will cost about the same as what I paid for the bike. The crank will probably get replaced, along with a whole lot of the rest of the engine's internals. The gearbox will likely need a whole lot of new parts, too. That's OK with me, as long as it's reliable for a couple seasons and I can continue to "waste" money rebuilding it indefinitely. I feel the same about the Husqvarna. There's something about quirky old machinery which makes it more fun to monkey with than newer, better machinery.

Suspension Bits

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:40:11 GMT

Paul and I headed down to GP Suspension North/ KFG to pick up our forks and shocks. The freshly polished and rebuilt parts make the rest of my bike look pretty ratty. Motivation to take the rest of the rear of the bike apart is getting bigger looking at a freshly rebuilt Penske shock. Cleaning and polishing the swingarm won't make me much faster, if any, but it will make the bike look like somebody cares more about it. As time goes on, I seem to be getting more interested in having the bike look good. Someday, it may get to the point I replace my well rashed leathers with a better looking, fresh suit.

The rain and snow have kept me mostly off bikes for the past couple of months, and I don't like it too much. The Husqvarna's magneto came in finally, and it doesn't fit. I figure it was 2008's departing shot, since I ordered it in 2008. It will be a couple weeks before Uptite has the parts I need, so the Husky stays in the garage, disassembled. The good thing is I found out Krylon plastic furniture paint works well on dirt bike plastic, so there's hope for the Husqvarna's looks.

Bring on 2009!

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:12:22 GMT

It's the last day of 2008, and 2009 looks to be an improvement in all ways. I have already signed up for another WMRRA season, and I am much more familiar with the SV650 starting out than I was last season with the GSXR. The suspension is down at KFG waiting for me to pick it up and reassemble the bike. It was badly in need of refreshing, and with the temperatures the way they are in the Northwest most of the year, putting somewhat lighter fork oil in the forks made sense. The forks have been built to the extent allowed by Supersport regulations. Before the season starts, I plan to rebuild the front brakes and replace the brake lines.

Jason Talley offered the use of his bike as the endurance bike for the season, and I am pretty happy about it. His was just rebuilt, so it's a whole lot less likely to go bang than an unrebuilt motor. I had some transmission issues at Thunder Hill, but those might have been caused by overfilling the crankcase. Panolin makes great oil, but great oil doesn't solve bonehead moves.

The Husqvarna is still out of commission with a backordered magneto. The oddball exhaust is going to become a wall ornament, since I found a good replacement on eBay. If the replacement fits OK, it's going on the bike permanently. So, for the time being, everything is on hold with it.

The battery is out of the Triumph and is charged up. I plan to put it back in and start riding the Triumph daily again. Riding to work gets me there awake and happy. Driving the van gets me there, and that's about it.

The IMS a couple weeks ago was a whole lot of fun. I enjoy catching up with motorcycle friends even more than looking at bikes. The More Power Racing t-shirt I wore got some amusing reactions. I haven't had people reading my t-shirt in a very long time! Bony old guys like me aren't ususally the kind of person anybody stares at.

Not much else except signing and sending off paperwork. Thanks again, Panolin and Vortex. CYA and EvoMX are new for the season. I am really looking forward to trying the anti-slosh foam in the SV's fuel tank. The Husqvarna's fuel tank is so small it hardly matters, but I will use some in it as well. I have to reapply for Lockhart Phillips sponsorship. Aurora Suzuki is, as usual, a great resource. Power Stands gave me a two year deal, and I am very pleased to continue on with them. More Power Racing will once again be my primary sponsor. I can't thank them enough for everything they do.

Quality Garage Time

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:52:46 GMT

It took a few tries to find the right puller to get the flywheel off the Husqvarna, but I finally had to get one made. Once it was all apart, it was pretty obvious why the bike wouldn't run right. The magneto's stator was rusted all to bits. There's a new one coming and with any luck, I can have it back together by January and start learning how to flattrack. I will get smoked! It's a big bike, so it's going to be a little like learning to ride on a ZX10 or something, but it's what I have. So, it's what I'll be riding. With its odd looking exhaust and ratty looking plastic, it's a memorable bike.

Forks and shock out of the SV went down to GP Supension North. Barry Wressell does excellent work on them, and unlike me, he's set up to do it well and do it efficiently. The suspension felt pretty good, but I never raced the SV, so it never got tested. It's going to be interesting to find out what's inside the forks. The shock is a Penske, and there's no mystery to it, but the forks could have almost anything in them. I suspect they are well set up, since next season will be the tenth year the bike has been a race bike, but I really don't know for sure. As always, it's an adventure.

Next weekend is the IMS in Seattle. I signed up to work in the WMRRA booth on Sunday morning. The plan is to go over for a look around on Saturday afternoon, then work the booth Sunday morning. I will be signing up for a 2009 WMRRA membership and putting in my license application on Saturday.

Silly Season

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:21:52 GMT

Here it is, mid November. We are all either ignoring the bills from last season or arguing with each other about upside down commas in the rule book. The SV has it's supension on the floor next to me in the house, waiting to be rebuilt with new oil, seals, etc. It's never been set up for my weight and I don't know what kind of internals the forks have. Whatever upgrades I can do to them and keep them supersport legal is going to happen sometime this winter. Paul and I have been talking about heading down to GP Suspension North together since it is way off the beaten path. I am also debating whether to race the SV's bodywork as-is or spring for new paint. Both the old plastic and the plastic I just picked up are close to the same blue. The details are different and they are not an exact match, but close enough is close enough. It isn't like this is a factory effort. Eventually, I would like to powder coat the wheels all the same color. The yellow front wheel looks good, so they will all be yellow someday. Likewise, the frame and swingarm are due to come apart in a year or two. If the motor lasts this season with no problems, I will be very happy. Next winter, it's going to go back to Zlock for a complete freshening up or even a complete rebuild. Then will be the time to replace bearings, get the frame coated and all that. I have never seen an SV650 with a yellow frame and swingarm. It would look great with the blue plastic.

Mad Max the Husqvarna is in pieces, too. The magneto seems to be fried. Either it's got a melted stator or the key sheared. Both mean the flywheel has to come off, and I am having a tough time finding the correct puller for it. It has a 1998 motor, supposedly, and the magneto is a Swedish SEM unit, not the higher quality Ducati unit. There's a switch- Italian is higher quality than anything else, but it's the way it is. I have the fourth puller to try. I expect to have to try at least one more to get the right size, but it will be worth it. In addition to doing daily commuting duty, the Husqvarna will be a flattracker and motard. It's going to play in the dirt, too. I can't believe how many different things you can do on a big thumper. It makes sportbike seem a little effite. I will be keeping all of 'em, but the world is full of all kinds of bikes doing different things. It keeps it fresh.

The Motorcycle Show comes to Seattle next month. It will be a great respite from being wet in the dark. I haven't seen much of my motorcycle friends since coming back from Thunder Hill a couple weeks ago. There's been plenty to do, but I am looking forward to doing more bike stuff.

Thunder Hill!

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:05:18 GMT

To end the season, a couple friends and I made the trip down to Thunder Hill to participate in a couple of Keigwins track days. I had never been to Thunder Hill or ridden a Keigwins event, but both are first rate in all ways. The organization is outstanding, the people are friendly and helpful, and the track is a complete blast. The combination of fast sweepers, tighter corners, blind turns, off camber challenges, and grippy pavement makes it an outstanding track to ride. I have never experienced the corkscrew, but I understand the Cyclone at Thunder Hill is like a miniature version. It sure is a lot of fun.

The trip was intended to do a few things besides have a whole lot of fun. I needed to regain some measure of confidence after the up and down season I had, I wanted to try some new safety gear and see how it works, and I wanted to make sure the bike's adjustments were where I want them so I don't spend too much time messing with it in the spring. All of those goals were successfully achieved.

The confidence factor came during the first afternoon and the second morning. By the second afternoon, my legs were done and I could only lap about half of each session. The sessions were thirty minutes each, making it good practice for endurance racing. It's going to be a priority to get in shape for endurance racing over the winter.

The gear I tried out was a Crash Pads hip and tailbone pad, and a new Force Field back and chest protector combination. The back and chest protector fits differently from the Helimot I am used to, and it is better under the suit. I don't know how it works in a crash and hope to avoid finding out, but it is flexible and comfortable in a way the Helimot wasn't. It protects a bit higher on my neck, too. The Crash Pads were a problem. They were too bulky under the suit and conflicted with both back protectors. Because back protectors don't protect your tailbone, finding some way of armoring it is going to be a priority.

The bike ran beautifully all day both days, with a few missed shifts. I think the shifts were operator error, since there was no specific pattern to the problem. SV650 transmissions are excellent, but this bike has been a race bike long enough it probably has very few parts that ever saw each other on the inside of a Suzuki factory. It doesn't have the most powerful engine, the most powerful brakes or the fanciest suspension, but it works very well to make a rider- me- very happy on the track. The brakes faded over the course of each day, and they are going to get rebuilt along with the suspension this coming winter. The swingarm will probably also come off for some cleaning and lubrication. Wheel bearings and paint also need attention. I want it to look good at least for a while at the beginning of the season.

Tires are going to be an interesting decision next season. I was happy enough with Bridgestones on the GSXR in spite of all the problems I had. On the SV, Pirellis have been working well and lasting very well. It is going to be a very tough choice between Pirellis and Bridgestones. I may go with Bridgestones simply because the two guys I am planning to endurance race with are currently on Bridgestones on their bikes.

It's been a sometimes challenging season, but it has all been worth it. My sponsors have earned my thanks many times over for helping make it happen. Vortex, Panolin, Power Stands, CYA, Lockhart Phillips, and Aurora Suzuki all make great contributions and I hope to continue the relationship in the new year. My main sponsor deserves the greatest thanks. Andy Johnson at More Power Racing has a great range of products, great service, and provided me with great support all season long. I can't thank him and More Power Racing enough for everything they did all season long.

Now a 'tard!

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:24:57 GMT

I haven't been in the dirt for 35 years. Apparently, that's too long and something had to change. Last night, I found out there was supermotard racing at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds today. So, I called a friend who had been talking about going motard racing for a while, but hadn't done it yet. I loaded the Husqvarna this morning, headed for his house to pick him up and load his new KTM. The Husqvarna still doesn't run quite right, but it wasn't going to stop me, especially after the road racing season I had. This was going to be a brand new adventure.

So, for the record, the last time I rode in the dirt was about 1973 or 1974 on a Yamaha 80cc enduro. I have never jumped a motorcycle before, and I haven't got a feel for how a modern dirt bike works. Sure, the Husqvarna is a 1991 bike, but it is far more modern than any dirt bike I had ridden before. This was going to be learning experience. My goals were to keep all body parts intact and finish. I didn't care whether I was last or not as long as I started to learn how to ride the bike properly.

The atmosphere is laid back, to say the least. The ornanizer helped me tremendously and actually follwed me in practice, shouting instructions. It made a big difference in my confidence. It hasn't translated into anything resembling speed yet, but it will in time.

During the first practice, I was riding the bike as if it was a road race bike. That just doesn't work at all, especially when the dirt gets deep ruts, and then gets tracked onto the asphalt. I tucked the front coming out of the dirt and lowsided the bike. Unlike road racing, all I had to do was push the bike out of the way, find neutral, and then restart it. There were no broken bits, although the rear brake lever got jammed a bit and I didn't have any rear brake for the rest of the session. The next session, Ron followed me and shouted directions. I started understanding where to sit on the bike, how to lean off the uphill side instead of the downhill side like a road race bike, and when to be forwrard and back in the seat. Or above the seat, since you don't sit down much in the dirt.

We then had a heat race, and I got my patented terrible holeshot and let the rest of the pack head into the dirt in front of me. The rest of the race was uneventful until I stalled the bike coming off the berm. It took until the entire pack was past me again to get the bike restarted, but I finished. The main was very much like the qualifying heat. I got a lousy start, and then motored around the track, staying out of the way, and figuring out how to ride the bike. As Ron put it, every lap was clearly an experiment, since I was doing something different every time trying to figure out how to ride the bike properly. It didn't help that the throttle repsonse is sketchy, but the real reason I am slow is pure lack of skill due to having pretty much never done anything like this before.

It is the end of the day, and I can't get the grin off my face. The Husqvarna is a big heavy beast relative to the new KTMs on the track, but it is my bike and I plan to learn how to ride it well. The first order of business is to make some kind of heat shield over the exhaust pipe, since I melted the inside of my road race boot. More Power Racing is going to get a call pretty soon. I didn't plan to replace my boots just yet, but the entire plastic puck on the inside of the left ankle is a melted mess. I also knocked the toe sliders off the right boot. That's the only casualty, though. It was a complete blast all around.

My sponsors didn't know I was going to do this when I signed with them, but now there's another venue I can get the word out about them. They have been great all along, so it's the least I can do. More Power Racing, Aurora Suzuki (dunno what they would think about me riding a Husqvarna), Lockhart Phillips, Panolin, Vortex, CYA, and PowerStands all have my complete thanks for making all this possible.

I may try flattracking the old Husqvarna this winter. Gotta try everything once, and flattracking would be a good way to get used to sliding around. I am looking for a front wheel hub to lace up a 21" front wheel so I can go riding in the dirt, too. I feel like a whole new world just opened up to me. It's great!

Late September update

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:22:56 GMT

I have just received and accepted a sponsorship offer from CYA, a provider of all kinds of safety equipment. Considering the season I had, it is a most welcome sponsorship!

Away from the track, the engine blew up in my van, meaning I bought an engine and won't be racing in Round Six. I wil be at the track to corner work, and I can already say it's going to drive me nuts watching instead of participating. But, there's karma involved now, and corner working is a way to build up some good karma after getting picked up out of the gravel four times this season.

The season isn't completely over, though. I traded the GSXR for cash and a 1991 Husqvarna 610 set up as a motard. It has some fairly serious carburetor adjustment problems, and the wheels are out of round, but otherwise it is a blast. There are motard races in Monroe, and one of the final rounds is on Sunday. I am seriously considering going up to try it. I haven't ridden a dirt bike in about 35 years, and I have never done any motard style riding. I sure hope I can get the bike sorted enough to make it.

The other season extender is a planned trip to Thunder Hill with some friends for a couple of Keigwins trackdays. We are signed up for the last week of October. It will still be decent weather in California. At least I hope so, since I don't have rains for the SV. The track has been repaved, so it's going to be a great way to get in a few laps and get some confidence back. Smooth asphalt makes a huge difference in mental state. As much as I enjoy riding at Pacific, the asphalt isn't the best and it got into my head a bit this season.

It wouldn't be right unless I mentioned the sponsors who have been with me all the way this season. More Power Racing, Aurora Suzuki, Lockhart Phillips, PowerStands, Panolin, and Vortex all have my complete thanks. Soon, I will be testing products from CYA but just for comfort, I hope.

Back to looking for work. Construction is a great...

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:48:29 GMT

Back to looking for work. Construction is a great industry most of the time. Now? Not really.

Graduated

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:39:47 GMT

WMRRA Round 5 included the sixth novice heat I participated in and finished. It wasn't pretty, but I graduated. I rode the GSXR on Friday for a track day, and spent the day on continued sorting. I thought it was working pretty well, but it had other ideas in the morning.

Because the endurance races were on Sunday, both heats were on Saturday. I was set to be observed for graduation during the first round, so I was even more nervous than usual, especially since I just haven't got the bike to where it works for me. The rebuilt brakes work great, the motor is working well, and the suspension finally feels pretty good. But, the mental damage has been done and I really don't trust the GSXR very much. No matter, I was going to race anyway, and it didn't matter where I finished. My plan was to pass at least a few people, and get passed by fewer people.

My starting position was about midway back, so I had a big wad of bikes to contend with going into turn one at the start. I got an OK start. It was pretty good relative to some other starts I have had, but I didn't pass too many people on the start. Several people passed me as soon as I tried to shift into second. In my adjustments, I managed to get the shift lever where it felt perfect, but now it was hanging up on the shift rod. So, I fought the shift rod and had trouble shifting the entire race. There were several places on the track I had an especially hard time shifting, for whatever reason. It probably cost at least two seconds per lap. But, the race was uneventful, I passed a few people, and a few more passed me. I didn't get lapped by the really fast guys on liter bikes, so I considered it a qualified success.

Between heats, I adjusted the shift lever again, to make sure it wouldn't hang up on the rod. The only problem with this brilliant idea was it now was impossible to find the shift lever while riding the bike in a tuck. I got a great hole shot and beat all kinds of people into turn one right away in heat two, but thats when I started having problems even finding the shift lever. I managed one lap and then completely lost contact with the lever in a pack of bikes. Rather than take anybody out, I decided to pull off the track and take a DNF rather than risk causing a crash because I was riding oddly and in the wrong gear. I was a bit nervous that pulling off would cost graduating from the novice ranks, but it didn't.

The endurance race the next day was a complete blast. I corner worked, and you would think it would be boring, but it turns out to be a thrilling strategic race rather than an elbow to elbow race. A friend was racing in the lightweight category and had about a one lap lead near the end, but he crashed in my corner, costing his team the victory. I felt really bad for him, but worse because he appeared to be hurt. I thought he had broken his collar bone, but his shoulder popped out. It popped back in, and he rode the bike back to the pits, got it reteched, and his teammate finished the race.

So, from my perspective, the whole weekend had its ups and downs, but it was absolutely worth it. As always, my sponsors make it all possible. More Power Racing, Aurora Suzuki, Lockhart Phillips, Vortex, Panolin, and Power Stands have all been there with me, and I really appreciate their help this season.

As a postlog, I sold the GSXR 600 and will be racing the SV 650 from now on. My van blew up yesterday, and if it is just a head gasket, I may manage to race in round six. If it is more severe, I am not sure what's going to happen, but the chances of my being able to race again this season are limited. I sure hope it is just the gasket, since racing sure is a lot of fun, even when it is frustrating.