I see a lot of people on here talking about track days and AutoX in cars, and a lot of people talk about stunting on motorcycles, but I'm curious if anyone else is into riding curvy roads on motorcycles. If you are, share some pics!

I spend a lot of time on US-421 through Shady Valley, which is about 45 minutes from my apartment up here in TN. It's a great road with a country store that encourages bikes to hang out. There's one particular turn known as "The Playground" where a lot of people hang out and practice, and last weekend a photographer buddy of mine got some good shots of me. I can't wait to get this thing to a track and really get a knee down!









All these pictures were taken by my friend Devin Lefevere. He's into motorsports photography and gets some awesome shots. Check his personal site out at http://DevinLeFevere.Net, and his US-421 site at http://www.shadyphoto.net

[Edited on June 15, 2006 at 1:08 PM. Reason : Added photographer link.]

6/15/2006 1:05:47 PM

during the daytime i would ride with high beams.. shit i ride with high beams all the time. better to blind a car then for them to not see u.

[Edited on June 15, 2006 at 1:08 PM. Reason : specially with that rr single lowbeam crap.]

[Edited on June 15, 2006 at 1:09 PM. Reason : jeff's gonna give me shit, but u can get off the bike more.]

6/15/2006 1:08:06 PM

ITS LIKE HE'S WINKING AT US

6/15/2006 1:09:05 PM

hey lets all make a trip out to TN.

6/15/2006 1:09:49 PM

I do always run with high beams, actually. I turn them off for his photos, as per his request. There's about 15 bikes on this particular stretch of road practicing at any given point, so visibility isn't a big deal.

6/15/2006 1:11:11 PM

Jek, btw, most of us are in Raleigh area... Where we don't have access to good twisties. btw, what gear is that? is it a 2 piece or 1 piece? and how much did you pay for it?

6/15/2006 6:30:27 PM

Deal's Gap a couple of years ago

6/15/2006 6:33:14 PM

I-40 right before u get into TN, where the speed limit goes down to like 50 would be fun as shit i bet, i atleast had fun in the car

6/15/2006 8:04:15 PM

haha did you actually took the time to blu out the licence plate?
no but really we do go riding twisties every once in a while but no one ever wants to be the one taking the picture

6/15/2006 9:32:07 PM

^JBaz: Yup, that's why you guys need to make a trip up here one of these days...eastern TN doesn't have much, but the roads rock. It's a Frank Thomas one piece suit, I got it at Cyclegear in Charlotte...~$550. Boots are A*, around $250. Gloves and back protector are Dainese. I went for the best, working full time is nice. I highly recommend going to a shop like Cyclegear for a suit so you can try it on and make sure it fits. I also highly recommend a 1 piece...I've heard way too many horror stories about two pieces ripping apart.

^theDuke866: Nice, that's why I'm holding off for a while, I freely acknowledge that I'm too new to hit the Dragon yet. Plus it's so damn crowded. Do you still ride at all, or do you have to stop until after flight school?

^SbTeAeTrE: Interstates can be fun as hell in spots, long sloping curves are fun...but to really enjoy them you have to do 2x the speed limit, not always a good idea.

^Nah, my photographer buddy blurred the plates, which I don't really care about but it's a nice thought. It's definitely nice to have a dedicated photographer around.

6/15/2006 11:01:17 PM

I got my 2 piece leather frank thomas last year for 250, on sale. But I'm def looking to get a back protector.

6/15/2006 11:42:12 PM

^Cool, another Frank Thomas wearer...seems like nobody has heard of them in the US. Makes for nice cheap prices since everyone else wants JR or A*

Here's the back protector I wear, Dainese Bap 1-2. It's really comfortable, and in fact I like riding with it better than without it due to the back support it provides.

6/16/2006 6:56:48 AM

fuck that, i got me one made by icon, it's the shit. and off the subject, i heard on the news this morning that some guy died running from cops on a bike. some time this morning.

6/16/2006 7:36:36 AM

i have a frank thomas as well.

damn that sucks. the police were trying to pull me over outta my work last night. the cop was waiting 5 minutes for me to leave. i said fuck that and waited for him to go after 10 min. of clear road.. then i took the highway home haha

crotch rockets get a bad rap from kids like this runnin and dyin etc.

i never get any shit on the hawk. fuck the cops wave at me on it.

6/16/2006 8:57:42 AM

i gotw wilsons fake motorcycle jacket, 20 dollar motoboss gloves, a 70 dollar helmet and a pair of timbies. havent had any serious injuries yet. but then again i used to ride in flipflops at one point

6/16/2006 9:05:05 AM

Just don't be these people... poor bike. Sorry no after shots.

6/16/2006 11:16:01 AM

PWNT

6/16/2006 11:29:01 AM

hehe saw that on my hawkgt forum. about 2 weeks ago.

6/16/2006 11:42:16 AM

yeah, it was on sports bike forum last month in our captions section. We do believe now that the girl is single, but with skin graphs...

6/16/2006 12:43:44 PM

bet she is missing some toes too

6/16/2006 1:03:01 PM

Your username is so appropriate for that comment.

6/16/2006 1:17:57 PM

kekekekekeke

6/16/2006 1:28:06 PM

What cracks me up about that wreck is how she's wearing big heavy gloves...with sandals. It's like a guy I saw at our hangout last weekend wearing full leathers, armored boots, helmet, back protector, and no gloves

I mean, I know I blew a lot of $$$ on gear, so I don't judge people for going for the cheap stuff...you really don't need what I wear if you're not riding canyons and trying to drag knees. But you can get decent gear that'll last through at least one fall for pretty cheap

6/16/2006 2:37:51 PM

some ppl dont care for gloves.

6/16/2006 2:46:37 PM

you also should note how she's wearing flipflops... heh

6/16/2006 8:52:21 PM

those faggots that ride in flip flops around campus make me laugh

6/16/2006 10:55:55 PM

I rode with sandles one time. I leaned so low in one corner that my sandles hit the pavement, ripped right off, and hits my friend's car behind me. It was a bitch when shifting gears too.

6/17/2006 12:22:49 AM

^ I was up on the Dragon yesterday in the S2000, and leaving the store at one end. There were three squids sitting there on crotch rockets in t-shirts, jeans, and sandals. I heard a comment from one to the effect of "We'll let him get ahead so he doesn't slow us down." I laughed. The only sport bikers that have passed me on the Dragon were dragging knees almost every turn, lol.

6/19/2006 10:32:09 AM

Okay, something you guys can associate with a little bit more. Ran the bike up at the local drag strip last night...it's just a 600cc, so it's pretty pointless from a competition standpoint, but fun nonetheless. It was kinda funny since they changed the rules last night so that you have to have full leathers to run the 1/4mi. So the only people there last night on bikes that could run the full quarter instead of 1/8mi were me and a Hayabusa. Not only a 'Busa, but one who drag races twice a week. Needless to say, he dusted me, lol.

I started out running pretty crappy, but by the end of the night I ran a 12.282 @ 117mph with a reaction time around .45, which I was pretty happy with overall. My reaction time/launch technique definitely needs work though.

Have any of you guys run the 1/4mi on your bikes? The drag strip up at Bristol (25 minutes from my apt.) has nights where you can run whatever the hell you want two nights a week. $10 for all the runs you can get in between 6 and 10. I got about 20 runs in last night, and could've done more if I wanted.

6/21/2006 9:48:53 AM

we went out for the two whell tuesday in duham yesterday, fun ride on some fun roads but again noone really there to take pictures

BTW there was a girl that came along for the ride with i guess her boyfriend so they were riding two-up with tank tops on and no gloves or anything. made me think of those pics ^^ a few posts above.

[Edited on June 21, 2006 at 10:27 AM. Reason : .]

6/21/2006 10:24:54 AM

Jek,

I had a 1998 CBR600 that i took to piedmont a couple times. it's an 1/8 mile and i was able to pull 7.30's You got a good RT but i'm guessing with your 600rr you could be able to pull 11 flat or possibly better. Like most people that drag bikes your 60' ET is where improvement is vital. The rest of the track just comes down to speed shifting. Like you my 600 is no where near competitive with the extended, lowering, and spraying busas and gsxrs , but its still fun to run them.

I'm interested to see what times I can pull with the new VTR1000

6/21/2006 10:35:10 AM

drag racing the r6, i dont feel like blowing out second gear. your rr should be in the 11's 12.2 is slow for that bike.

6/21/2006 11:12:24 AM

anyone know where the closest drag strip is to Raleigh?

6/21/2006 11:28:59 AM

benson 1/8 and rockingham 1/4

6/21/2006 11:35:32 AM

never ran the 1/4 but ive made about 50 passes in the 1/8th on my 900rr

7.15 @ 103.5 mph was about the best i could pull

my buddy ran a 6.98 @ 101 mph on my bike, but he's about 60 lbs lighter than me

fun stuff

6/21/2006 1:12:19 PM

Hmmm...according to Sportrider.com:

Quote :

"CBR600RR ('03) 6/03 10.73 @ 129.7"

Yup, I suck, lol. Still satisfied for my first time out though. I didn't really nail that RT until my last run, I was sucking it up with a .8 RT until then. I think next time out I'll be able to work on my starts since I won't be focusing on RT and learning how the lights work so much. I wheelied it on my 2nd run and got kinda freaked out so I backed off TOO much on my launches. For one thing, I want to try anticipating the green light more...I'm waiting until I see the green light to start letting the clutch out, and I should be start slightly before it seems like.

In fact, I should be competitive with most of the unmodified 600's out there if I get my RT and launch down, I'm way lighter than most of the guys (I'm only about 155lbs) which helps out a lot once the bike gets going.

^

Quote :

"fun stuff"

Damn straight

BTW H8R, I just realized I had a couple of classes with you...never made the connection before.

[Edited on June 21, 2006 at 3:37 PM. Reason : .]

6/21/2006 3:35:03 PM

most155 meh that wont help much. drag racing a 600 get's old foo!

6/21/2006 3:56:13 PM

Just FYI, your reaction time has nothing to do with what time you run. You can sit there for 2 minutes and still get your 10 second slips.
What were your 60fts like?

6/21/2006 6:48:01 PM

kostyaF,

Not exactly true. It depends on the style of tree being used. For example if they are using a full tree then the timer trips on on the last yellow regardless if you have left or not.

Jon

6/22/2006 7:27:30 AM

Do you still ride at all, or do you have to stop until after flight school?quote][/quote]

Don't have a bike right now. Occassionally ride roommate's '05 GSX-R 750. Prob pick up an SV-650 sometime in the relatively near future, then back into the race-rep machines when I get my riding skills back up to speed.

I had a Frank Thomas 1-pc back in the day, too.



That's me with my old YZF-600 at my buddy Mike's house (his Kaw on the left).



and yeah, the Dragon is too tight to really favor a sportbike against an S2000 (I have an S2000). I'm not sure which I'd be able to run a faster time on (assuming my riding abilities from 2 years ago instead of right now). I think it might be close.

6/22/2006 9:44:22 AM

^you'd prolly still out drag me.

6/22/2006 1:07:31 PM

Kostyaf,
The tree they were using had the two yellow staging lights, then three yellow starting lights, then the starting light. I'll have to check whether they factor RT in or not.

My slips are at home, but I'll check my 60' times...that's definitely what I need to work on. RT is more a matter of pride I guess

6/23/2006 10:30:04 AM

do you remember how the lights went off? individual yellow lights going on and off or all yellow on and then green?

6/23/2006 11:25:22 AM

Quote :

"kostyaF, Not exactly true. It depends on the style of tree being used. For example if they are using a full tree then the timer trips on on the last yellow regardless if you have left or not. Jon "

Hmm. Full tree is what I've always ran, other than once, and I know for sure RTs there don't count into ET. I've never been to Bristol, but Fayetteville and Rockingham pretty much always run a full tree. The only time I've seen pro tree timing was at the rock.
I was also under the impression that with a pro tree et's are calculated in the same way. Looking back Jek, you said you were happy with a .450 so that's a pro tree(.4 perfect, all amber at the same time). Try looking at your slips, and compare 2 runs with the same traps. Do the different RTs have effect on ETs?

6/23/2006 3:33:34 PM

Okay, so I've heard from my friends that the strip here doesn't count RT. So that was my newb mistake. Here's my best run for analysis by all you drag experts:

R/T .488
60 2.141
330 5.490
1/8 8.082
MPH 94.57
1000 10.347
1/4 12.282
MPH 116.10

I had a lot of trap speeds higher than that (I think about 119 mph on one) but my 60' was the best on this...so, KostyaF is right

6/24/2006 9:29:33 AM

shit i might take a trip out to tennesee.. not really doing much of anything right now anyhow

6/24/2006 9:37:10 AM

Quote :

"those faggots that ride in flip flops around campus make me laugh"

yeah, like the dumbass i saw yesterday at matison who just bought a new R6. i asked him if he was going to ride in home in his t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops and he was like, "yeah, i don't live far.". then the salesman proceeded to rag him about that but the kid said he has plenty of riding experience even though the salesman had to remind him that 1st was down when he pulled it in 2nd trying to start off.

6/25/2006 1:45:13 PM

hey that was me

6/25/2006 2:38:00 PM

Ran at the strip again last night!

Got my best time down to 11.95, and also was able to consistently run 12.1 (last time I was consistently running 12.7 and that 12.282 was kindof a fluke). Stopped worrying about my RT and focused on launching well for better 60' times, which helped a ton, so thanks for the advice everyone

It was also a fun night because there were other 600's running the quarter this time. One of my riding buddies is on a 2006 ZX6R (636) and we raced a lot. He was able to beat me a couple times, especially if you count RT, but I was far more consistent and had better 1/4mi times on almost all our runs. It was interesting seeing the dynamics of the two bikes too. His would tear me up off the line since the 636 is tuned for so much more torque lower down. As the RPMs climbed and we hit the end of 2nd gear, I would start pulling hard on him due to my bike's better top end and the 50lb weight difference between us. It was cool to really be able to see the difference between a race-replica type bike like a CBR600RR or R6 vs. a pure street bike.

[Edited on June 28, 2006 at 8:09 AM. Reason : .]

6/28/2006 7:41:29 AM

good work,

you'll start to get addicted to the track. Everytime I get back from the track I alway wish I had one more run to see if I could better my time.

a good and cheap investment for the strip is a limiting strap....it's basically a tie down for the front forks. before you stage just reach down and yank on the leash. It'll help keep the front end down. I was able to shave 2 tenths off my time with it.

Jon

6/28/2006 8:48:10 AM