| Author | Message | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2737 Registered: 6-2001 |
Jim: I've watched both Roberts and Rossi. I'd put my money on Rossi every time. It's like putting someone from the NBA, say one of the great centers from the 60s against Shak, maybe Wilt. No contest, the athletes have gotten better, built on the performance and standards set by these great riders. This doesn't mean I'm knocking Kenny, I'm not, but the standard has indeed moved, and by quite a bit. There are times when I get stupid and ride with guys I've sponsored. When I was in my prime, I was a 5th to 10th place finisher at the Nationals at best. The guys I sponsored finish about the same now. They are quite a bit faster than I am, or was. The standard has changed. Art | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
Junior Member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 119 Registered: 9-2003 |
I think if Kenny and company had the modern bikes a couple of them could still kick some butt... | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2735 Registered: 6-2001 |
Robert: My friend, and client, David Aldana actually was the first to practice that techique, but although he was terribly fast, he didn't have Robert's consistency in that class. Kenny was, and still is, a great rider, but I put an awful lot of credit for his career on Kel Carruthers, who coached him, mentored him, and kept him under control, when he rode for Yamaha. Kenny was one of the greats, but the current crop is faster than us old guys ever were. Art | ||
| Robert McNair (Rrm)
Member Username: Rrm Post Number: 713 Registered: 5-2002 |
Art you are right on the money Kenny Roberts was indeed 'The King' and one of the things he mastered was sliding both ends. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2733 Registered: 6-2001 |
If you're going to go fast, you have to slide BOTH front and back. Kenny senior was the first guy who could consistently slide both tires, and he raised the standard for those going fast. The proper set up is to make the rear slicker than the front, move the seat and weight forward, so that went you enter a corner, you get the front sliding first, once its loose, and you are starting out of the corner, apply sufficient throttle to get the rear end sliding also. As to those that'd try this: my money is on you're crashing 2, 3 times before you get it right. Any takers? Art | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 201 Registered: 5-2003 |
Art, Thanks for the info. It is greatly appreciated. I am going to email him today. | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
Junior Member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 99 Registered: 9-2003 |
Ryan I agree with the joys of a controled power slide One of the coolest things I have ever seen is following a friend of mine around a "green" corner that had been paved about a week before. He was on a RC45 and I was on a ZX-7RR. I looked down and could see his back sliding just a bit and thin ribons of fresh pavement were lifting just a bit from the back tire. It was early in the morning with no traffic and the road was just perfect. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2731 Registered: 6-2001 |
Ryan: You've got mail. I sent you the email address of my friend in England, Steve Wynne, whose pretty well known in Ducati circles. An absolute great guy who can help you tremondously. Art | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 200 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hugh, I have had some extended track time on a 999 race bike and in my humble opinion, it's inferior to the 998 for track. It really feels like a street bike converted for track as opposed to the other way around. The 999 seating position is so low and flat compared to the 998 that it is very hard to have your weight sufficiently over the front wheel to get a good feel for the front end or corner best in the middle of the turn. There are some other things about it that detract from it's track appeal but that's the big one. Also, I don't want a street bike since spirited street riding has lost much of its appeal to me. It's not like a car where you can push it around sharp curves on deserted roads with little worries. On a bike, all it takes is a tiny bit of gravel, a squirrel in road, or some other unseen obstacle and you're pushing up daisies. So I prefer to keep my fast riding on the track. Besides, it's cheap enough that I usually go once a week or so. | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 637 Registered: 10-2002 |
Ryan, It's 500 to hit Formula 3 I believe. | ||
| Hubert Otlik (Hugh)
Intermediate Member Username: Hugh Post Number: 1543 Registered: 1-2002 |
Talking about pavement dropping away. There's a street here in San Diego (laurel) that has a number off crests, and I, on "occasion," got the front wheel up. By "accident" of course. Ryan, have you looked at the 999R? Looks awesome, and comes w/ spare exh., ecu , stand, etc. to convert it to a track bike, but comes out of the crate street legal (unlike the previous R and RS bikes). | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 199 Registered: 5-2003 |
I just noticed my post count. Does anyone know if I move to Formula 3 when I hit 200 posts? | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 198 Registered: 5-2003 |
Art, You have mail. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2729 Registered: 6-2001 |
Ryan: Those customer bikes are a bit different than the works machinery. There are more than several differences, most of which are dreadfully expensive. If you truly want a works version, I can get you a contact to get one. I wouldn't pay a lot for a ex-customer bike, without a complete teardown and internal inspection to make sure that the engine has not only the HP parts but the special rods, crank, injection, etc. If the bike is in Europe, I can get you a pretty good inspector to look at it. If these are US racebikes, I may know their ower. Are these from a now-defunct USA racing team? If so, drop me a line, I know the people selling them. Art | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 197 Registered: 5-2003 |
Art and John, It looks like the bikes that I have been looking at are actually RS bikes, which are customer bikes for race teams. They have most of the WSBK parts on them but they are not the true WSBK bikes. I will have to do some renegotiating, it looks like. At any rate, keeping on the bike/track theme, no one has mentioned how cool it is when the pavement is dropping away beneath you on a slight downhill after a crest and you have wide open throttle but not that much grip and as the bike flies toward the apex of the next turn the back wheel is laying down a thin but solid strip of black for 400m until the road levels back out. That's the coolest. | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
Junior Member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 67 Registered: 9-2003 |
MovieMoments of "Jumping" like that poor Mustang in Gone in 60... By the way Drove one of the Shelby GT500E Elenore cars and I would not think of jumping 80K of shelby but you sure felt airborne | ||
| Mark Eberhardt (Me_k)
Member Username: Me_k Post Number: 788 Registered: 5-2002 |
"Why can't airborne cars land on their back wheels first--like cycles?" On a bike, the wieght and position of the ride are a big part of the total weight and CG. When a bike leaves the ground, the rides natural instinct is to sit up, that significantly changes the CG and imparts a moment, plus at high speed the air drag on his upper body adds to the effect. So he lands on the back wheel or flips on backwards.....cars follow simple projective motion, although I've seen cars fitting with long travel suspension and almost no rebound keep the back wheels on the ground long enough to supply the required moment to make the back wheels land first, wouldn't be much of a road racer though | ||
| Lee Hamner (Tennlee)
Junior Member Username: Tennlee Post Number: 241 Registered: 2-2002 |
Remember the old TV show "Dukes of Hazzard"? The cars in it would be jumped, and they obviously were going to hit either front wheels first- or land with the front bumper touching down first. But at the last minute the camera angle would switch and the cars landed rear wheels first. They must have had a lot of car repairs to pay for. G | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
Junior Member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 62 Registered: 9-2003 |
Ben It is a wonderful thing except when the nose is still up a touch and a squirrel decides to play a game of chicken with your Apex line into the next corner.... Just happened to me while out on two wheels... ouch | ||
| Ben Cannon (Artherd)
Intermediate Member Username: Artherd Post Number: 1051 Registered: 6-2002 |
""Problem was that at that speed, the road dropped off quicker than gravity would keep you down."" Holey christ, that's awesome. Just saw a Corsair being restored at a hangar at Santa Rosa (SRS) this last weekend. Really amazing structure in that airplane. There's not a straight line to be found. Best! Ben. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2714 Registered: 6-2001 |
Ryan: There are substa ntialdifferences in the World Superbikes from the US versions. I'd make sure that you can get the appropriate non-leaded gas, since what you're getting is built to run on that. You can change the valves, etc. if you have to run our local race gas. I can't recall the name, but we used the purple stuff, 128 oct, and it was always good for an extra 4, 5 hp on the dyno. This should make a great track bike, but I'd race it. Are they still running the through the streets race in steamboat springs, Colorado? Art | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 193 Registered: 5-2003 |
John, I am working on it like you wouldn't believe. I am not sure I will race it or not. Most likely I will just take it to the track every couple of weeks and enjoy it. As soon as I get it, I will email you pics. | ||
| John B (John_b)
Junior Member Username: John_b Post Number: 69 Registered: 5-2003 |
Ryan, That's awesome. I need pics! I have a 998R that I race a little, but Bostroms WSBK 998F02 - Thats the real deal!! | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 192 Registered: 5-2003 |
Art, Actually, I can choose from a couple and will choose one. It appears that one was Bostrom's 998F02 and one was Bayliss's 998F02. I am trying to get that verified right now. They were both passed to other teams for '03 and when they can part with them, I will pick up one of them and bring it here. Hopefully I will have it here within a month. | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
New member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 36 Registered: 9-2003 |
Not the P-51 yet but the offer is on the table from the owner to go up in one or all of his collection. Did do a hop in an Percision Flying team from the Canadian Forces (Snowbirds) and that was a great deal of fun. Made it out the otherside without using the puke bag... Rather Proud of my self for that. Also have done a bunch of Chopper work at different times but the most HP and fun was on a ride with Richard Branson when he decided to set a new Trans Atlantic Speed Boat Record. Was on the Virgin Atlantic Challanger II during shake down Great Guy ONE HELLOFABOAT | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2703 Registered: 6-2001 |
Jim: Did you get to fly the P51? That should have been a real trip. Plenty of HP there. Art | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2702 Registered: 6-2001 |
Ryan: Whose bike? A good friend of my, Steve Wynne (used to be the British Duck distributor) built a few of these. I raced his stuff in the 80s, won a couple of races with them (15 of 16 one year). Have fun with it. Art | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
New member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 33 Registered: 9-2003 |
Ahh it is soooo nice to be among so many like minded speed freaks I usually get glassyeyed looks from some when I talk to people about this stuff | ||
| Ryan Sabga (Sherpa23)
Junior Member Username: Sherpa23 Post Number: 190 Registered: 5-2003 |
Art!! You are the man!! Not only do I that that's a great purchase but it echoes my feelings as well. I should be getting a former WSBK Ducati 998 shortly. As you stated, it will be an awesome toy for track days. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Advanced Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2700 Registered: 6-2001 |
Ralph: Airborne on a bike. Ever been the Isle of Man? Brae Hill is right after the start finish straight away. When I was there, the bikes would get about 150 - 160 on the straight, and you'd go down the hill. Problem was that at that speed, the road dropped off quicker than gravity would keep you down. Lottas of air. Great pics, scary as ••••, right hander at the bottom, about 90 -100 mph turn. You always wanted to get to the brakes, but if you did before you touched down, you'd lock the fron wheel, and you'd go down instantly. No that's not me, but I've got a 03, GSXR (ex-Team Hammer) Superbike coming. Something to play with on track days. The 360 is much toooo slooow. Art | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
New member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 31 Registered: 9-2003 |
Well the H1 is just about the most offensive and Real Deal vehicle I have driven. It is Loud Brutish and useless for interior comfort but TALK ABOUT TOUGH the damn thing clawed its way up a muddy hill that I could not even stand on. Fun Fun Fun but living with one... The H2 is pretty good on all fronts but a little top heavy on the highway. Thursty as all get out. I think I would still opt for a Land Rover if the damn things were a little more reliable. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 7043 Registered: 8-2002 |
LOL, Jim... Is it that much of a beast...? There's a lot of negativity attached to Hummers (at least, around here)... i've never driven one but i'm not all too fond of SUVs... There's been a few threads were someone's stupidity resulted in a totaled Hummer... i thought these things were supposed to be strong... | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
New member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 29 Registered: 9-2003 |
DES Thanks, Just doin what comes natural and trying to keep it clean. here is a little thing from a review I wrote on the HUMMER H1 "when this big boxy thing is parked outside the house I found myself hoping for some kind of biblical event, a storm, tornado, or even plague of locusts so I might come close to testing its capability. Driving the HUMMER H1 is like opening up a fresh box of Testesteronies breakfast cereal every morning....." | ||
| Ralph Koslin (Ralfabco)
Member Username: Ralfabco Post Number: 905 Registered: 3-2002 |
Is that Art on his GSXR-1000 ? He must be heading to Luby's. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 7032 Registered: 8-2002 |
Mitch, physics.
LMAO...! Gotta love the terminology from the journalists; they've always got a way with words... Sanjiv, cool picture, thanks for posting... i took my Sentra airborne in Manhattan last year... The Bird was in it along with our friend, Suicide Joe; she was sitting in the front seat, though... i thought she was gonna have a heart attack... i beat the living crap outta that car and it kept coming back for more...  | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
New member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 27 Registered: 9-2003 |
Having left the ground on more than one occasion on both Car and Bike the reason is simple. cars do it is the same as why bikes want to but the driver is able to shift the weight balance while airborne on the bike. If you could get the mass of the car to stand up on the pegs like you can on a bike the car would handle the landing the same. Got to admit That would have been one nasty feeling on landing. kind of makes me wince like watching someone get tagged in his luggage | ||
| Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Intermediate Member Username: Mitch_alsup Post Number: 1176 Registered: 4-2002 |
Why can't airborne cars land on their back wheels first--like cycles? | ||
| Andrew Menasce (Amenasce)
Intermediate Member Username: Amenasce Post Number: 1534 Registered: 10-2001 |
Nice pic ! I hope the 360 beat that bike | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Advanced Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 2510 Registered: 10-2002 |
Airborne 360 reminds me of the airborne 355 in the last Bond movie. Anyway, cool picture! | ||
| Sanjiv Menezes (Simplysanj)
New member Username: Simplysanj Post Number: 11 Registered: 2-2002 |
This is a little old but I haven't seen this here before, cool regardless. Orignally found at: http://www.sportbikerider.us/index.cfm?fuseaction=displayit&Picture_ID=37891  |