Back from Track Day! - Dec 8th-9th 07

Killer · 12th December 2007, 23:19

Well what can i say, another one under the belt. As with all times the run up to this track day had been pretty hectic and getting both the R1 and Apache down to track mean't putting in more time, effort and ofcourse money. I hadnt ridden the R1 on track for a while with all my time being spent on the indian class championship so i didnt want to miss another opportunity to do so. The bulk of my attention though was focused on off season testing on my Group D Apache and after the encouraging results at Chennai i was keen to test at Coimbatore. This would be the last time on the old Apache before moving to a new bike for 2008 (most likely the Apache RTR). Racing with sponsorship in 2008 also meant that things had to be taken much more seriously now and every opportunity to test before the start of next season had to be fully utilized. We just about managed the 30 rider count we needed for the track day and after working out the logistics for transport etc a bunch of us left friday afternoon to Coimbatore.
The ride down left much to be desired, Henna, myself and Motorbreath (Suresh) in our WagonR followed Anand and Rajan in their Scorpios. They decided to take the Mysore -Dimbam - Sathyamangalam route to Coimbatore, we realized our mistake in following them mid way through when dodging giant potholes no longer became an option. The Scorpios happily ran along leaving us in the dust and after much antics and cursing we arrived in Coimbatore with 2 bent wheels and a dented front fender. The horrendous trip had the threee of us exhausted and Henna was especially upset about the dog we hit as we entered the city limits. The weekend was just beginning

Saturday morning we were uncharacteristically late to the track and even the sleepy heads were already there unloading the bikes. We got on with the business of setting up the bikes and then it was time for the briefing. Anand told us track officials were working on some portions of the straight and hence there would be a chicane setup in the middle of the straight as a detour. I was devastated, this meant that laptimes would be different and i would have no way of really knowing how much i had improved from last time. Thankfully though the officials agreed to give us back the old layout by noon and finally the real testing could begin. The beginners had gotten a feel for the track by then it looked like everyone was having fun. I normally would have been more involved with helping the new guys but somehow this time it was different and i was very focused on the job at hand.

The first session had me scrubbing in the new tires as i gradually worked my way into the groove. The improvements we had made to handling felt good and overall performance was very encouraging. I finished off my first couple of sessions timing in the 1:27's and by late afternoon the tires were scrubbed and ready to take on full abuse. Poor Motor (Suresh) had a toss on the RD and improper riding gear left him with painful reminders. Motor was whisked away to a hospital for treatment briefly and in the interim we continued with our sessions albeit in a little less organized manner, everyone was adviced to take it easy since there was no ambulance. Beginners and advanced riders were out on track for a bit and it was a little difficult to get in hot laps during that time. The Superbike boys turned heads as they thundered down the track, I joined in for a few laps here and there to setup the suspension but time spent riding the R1 was very brief. I also had a brief stint on Henna's RX and ended up seizing it, Henna was having a crap weekend and i hated to be contributing to his woes. Joel and gang arrived late, as he needed to fix some issues on his bike, but he was quickly out on track having fun with Anil, Subash and Kushanth whos ZMA was pretty impressive with a true top whack of around 135kph. Joel rode well to clock 1:29s on both Kushanths ZMA and Anils RX. Dinesh was doing very well on his RTR timing in the 1:28's if i recall right. Back on my Apache a few different things were tried and the end of the day i was lapping consistently in the 1:26's and dipping into the 1:25's. In the evening we all relaxed at the hotel over beer and planned for the next day.

We had decided we would leave the track by 3pm sunday in order to cover most of the distance back to bangalore in daylight, so when we arrived at the track sunday morning i was anxious to get out and make the best use of time. Unfortunately in my anxiousness to get things done i highsided out of the bowl on a very hot lap that would most certainly have been in the 1:24's. Fortunately aside from a couple of bruises i wasnt hurt and the bike came out unscathed too. I spent a little time in the pits to re-group and then it was back out for a fast session of 1:25's. Motor was feeling lots better from the previous day and hung around in the pits with Mukand taking pics and timing the riders, he even contemplated going out on track but decided against it. Later Anand helped me setup the suspension on my R1 to fix some handling glitches and i threw in a few laps to test it, didnt bother timing though. After lunch I had just enough time to throw in some more fast laps on the apache before getting caught in traffic again. I concluded my weekend with a best time of 1:25.2, the RTR for 2008 would most definetely be faster by atleast a second so the results were very encouraging, Henna was anxious to get going so we packed and left by 4pm.

The drive back was not particularly fun, considering Henna had a crap weekend we allowed him to play his blend of exceptionally irritating rap. A couple of beers helped me relax and Mukand dozed away oblivious. Traffic was again playing spoilsport though and this meant we arrived in Bangalore very late and very tired. Its all part of the game though another weekend done and dusted with many more to look forward to.

Some pics:

Click on thumbnails for larger image

.

Killer · 12th December 2007, 23:20

More Pics

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redrage · 12th December 2007, 23:46

Thats a nice report Killer, 2 q's though

1) what mod's is Kushanth running on his ZMA?
2) 1:29 best for the ZMA compared to 1:25.xx of Apache?

Killer · 13th December 2007, 00:03

@redrage: Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by redrage

1) what mod's is Kushanth running on his ZMA?

Stage 4 racing cam amongst other things

Quote:

2) 1:29 best for the ZMA compared to 1:25.xx of Apache?

Hes a beginner, I race bikes

ssjr0498 · 13th December 2007, 00:40

Dilip kushanth's bike is also ported.. and the bike is fast! but Joel's bike is faster!

redrage · 13th December 2007, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssjr0498

Dilip kushanth's bike is also ported..

but Joel's bike is faster!

You dont say...
How is the braking in the ZMA? Is it able to handle to power? 135 kmph and all. Thats really good, must meet up with this guy. Sorry for going OT.

Coming back to topic what is the fastest time set on the track?

Shan2nu · 13th December 2007, 12:40

Wow, those are some impressive lap times. Were you guys using the whole straight?

Shan2nu

kuttapan · 13th December 2007, 16:46

Impressive, Killer.

<And another twenty character to cheat.>

Killer · 13th December 2007, 16:52

@redrage: If you mean fastest time this track day its mine for the indian bikes. Fastest time on track in general depends on what class of racing you're talking about

@Shan2nu: Yes, the whole straight.

redrage · 13th December 2007, 17:20

@killer - I meant the lap record.

Sankar · 13th December 2007, 17:31

Hey bro nice pics and the R1 got some much needed track time!

Technocrat · 13th December 2007, 17:40

Thats a Good report Killer. Good to see some trakc event pics aftera a long time.
Btw I wasn't aware that you are racing on Indian Bikes as well as In I thought since the R1 you are only in SBKs.
Anyways hows the Apache I mean you running her with what kind of mods ?

Could you post the Best timings Bike wise ?

Steeroid · 13th December 2007, 19:10

Great action photos there! Looks like you had a lot of fun, Unnikrishnan

ssjr0498 · 13th December 2007, 19:18

Sorry once again for going OT, but Dilip the zma brakes can handle those speeds with ease, cuz joel's bike is way way faster than the zma, it will eat a ported rx for breakfast but it still has the standard tvs fiero disc brakes. So if his brakes can handle tht much power the zma brakes are bigger in dia.

Cheers
Shrey

Quote:

Originally Posted by redrage

You dont say...
How is the braking in the ZMA? Is it able to handle to power? 135 kmph and all. Thats really good, must meet up with this guy. Sorry for going OT.

Coming back to topic what is the fastest time set on the track?

Sankar · 13th December 2007, 19:40

@Techno: The apache is being raced in the stock class in national championship. Except the weight reduction there's nothing much you can do to it. Even the air filter has to remain stock you cannot even pull out a sponge layer.

12th December 2007, 23:19	#1
Killer BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 168 Thanked: 16 Times	Back from Track Day! - Dec 8th-9th 07 Well what can i say, another one under the belt. As with all times the run up to this track day had been pretty hectic and getting both the R1 and Apache down to track mean't putting in more time, effort and ofcourse money. I hadnt ridden the R1 on track for a while with all my time being spent on the indian class championship so i didnt want to miss another opportunity to do so. The bulk of my attention though was focused on off season testing on my Group D Apache and after the encouraging results at Chennai i was keen to test at Coimbatore. This would be the last time on the old Apache before moving to a new bike for 2008 (most likely the Apache RTR). Racing with sponsorship in 2008 also meant that things had to be taken much more seriously now and every opportunity to test before the start of next season had to be fully utilized. We just about managed the 30 rider count we needed for the track day and after working out the logistics for transport etc a bunch of us left friday afternoon to Coimbatore. The ride down left much to be desired, Henna, myself and Motorbreath (Suresh) in our WagonR followed Anand and Rajan in their Scorpios. They decided to take the Mysore -Dimbam - Sathyamangalam route to Coimbatore, we realized our mistake in following them mid way through when dodging giant potholes no longer became an option. The Scorpios happily ran along leaving us in the dust and after much antics and cursing we arrived in Coimbatore with 2 bent wheels and a dented front fender. The horrendous trip had the threee of us exhausted and Henna was especially upset about the dog we hit as we entered the city limits. The weekend was just beginning Saturday morning we were uncharacteristically late to the track and even the sleepy heads were already there unloading the bikes. We got on with the business of setting up the bikes and then it was time for the briefing. Anand told us track officials were working on some portions of the straight and hence there would be a chicane setup in the middle of the straight as a detour. I was devastated, this meant that laptimes would be different and i would have no way of really knowing how much i had improved from last time. Thankfully though the officials agreed to give us back the old layout by noon and finally the real testing could begin. The beginners had gotten a feel for the track by then it looked like everyone was having fun. I normally would have been more involved with helping the new guys but somehow this time it was different and i was very focused on the job at hand. The first session had me scrubbing in the new tires as i gradually worked my way into the groove. The improvements we had made to handling felt good and overall performance was very encouraging. I finished off my first couple of sessions timing in the 1:27's and by late afternoon the tires were scrubbed and ready to take on full abuse. Poor Motor (Suresh) had a toss on the RD and improper riding gear left him with painful reminders. Motor was whisked away to a hospital for treatment briefly and in the interim we continued with our sessions albeit in a little less organized manner, everyone was adviced to take it easy since there was no ambulance. Beginners and advanced riders were out on track for a bit and it was a little difficult to get in hot laps during that time. The Superbike boys turned heads as they thundered down the track, I joined in for a few laps here and there to setup the suspension but time spent riding the R1 was very brief. I also had a brief stint on Henna's RX and ended up seizing it, Henna was having a crap weekend and i hated to be contributing to his woes. Joel and gang arrived late, as he needed to fix some issues on his bike, but he was quickly out on track having fun with Anil, Subash and Kushanth whos ZMA was pretty impressive with a true top whack of around 135kph. Joel rode well to clock 1:29s on both Kushanths ZMA and Anils RX. Dinesh was doing very well on his RTR timing in the 1:28's if i recall right. Back on my Apache a few different things were tried and the end of the day i was lapping consistently in the 1:26's and dipping into the 1:25's. In the evening we all relaxed at the hotel over beer and planned for the next day. We had decided we would leave the track by 3pm sunday in order to cover most of the distance back to bangalore in daylight, so when we arrived at the track sunday morning i was anxious to get out and make the best use of time. Unfortunately in my anxiousness to get things done i highsided out of the bowl on a very hot lap that would most certainly have been in the 1:24's. Fortunately aside from a couple of bruises i wasnt hurt and the bike came out unscathed too. I spent a little time in the pits to re-group and then it was back out for a fast session of 1:25's. Motor was feeling lots better from the previous day and hung around in the pits with Mukand taking pics and timing the riders, he even contemplated going out on track but decided against it. Later Anand helped me setup the suspension on my R1 to fix some handling glitches and i threw in a few laps to test it, didnt bother timing though. After lunch I had just enough time to throw in some more fast laps on the apache before getting caught in traffic again. I concluded my weekend with a best time of 1:25.2, the RTR for 2008 would most definetely be faster by atleast a second so the results were very encouraging, Henna was anxious to get going so we packed and left by 4pm. The drive back was not particularly fun, considering Henna had a crap weekend we allowed him to play his blend of exceptionally irritating rap. A couple of beers helped me relax and Mukand dozed away oblivious. Traffic was again playing spoilsport though and this meant we arrived in Bangalore very late and very tired. Its all part of the game though another weekend done and dusted with many more to look forward to. Some pics: Click on thumbnails for larger image .... .... .... .... ....
	() Thanks

12th December 2007, 23:20	#2
Killer BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 168 Thanked: 16 Times	More Pics .... ....
	() Thanks

12th December 2007, 23:46	#3
redrage BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 553 Thanked: 106 Times	Thats a nice report Killer, 2 q's though 1) what mod's is Kushanth running on his ZMA? 2) 1:29 best for the ZMA compared to 1:25.xx of Apache?
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 00:40	#5
ssjr0498 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Blr-Ccu Posts: 860 Thanked: 516 Times View My Garage	Dilip kushanth's bike is also ported.. and the bike is fast! but Joel's bike is faster!
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 12:40	#7
Shan2nu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hubli - Karnata Posts: 5,533 Thanked: 125 Times View My Garage	Wow, those are some impressive lap times. Were you guys using the whole straight? Shan2nu
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 16:46	#8
kuttapan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,155 Thanked: 22 Times View My Garage	Impressive, Killer. <And another twenty character to cheat.>
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 16:52	#9
Killer BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 168 Thanked: 16 Times	@redrage: If you mean fastest time this track day its mine for the indian bikes. Fastest time on track in general depends on what class of racing you're talking about @Shan2nu: Yes, the whole straight.
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 17:20	#10
redrage BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 553 Thanked: 106 Times	@killer - I meant the lap record.
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 17:31	#11
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,766 Thanked: 9,054 Times	Hey bro nice pics and the R1 got some much needed track time!
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 17:40	#12
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	Thats a Good report Killer. Good to see some trakc event pics aftera a long time. Btw I wasn't aware that you are racing on Indian Bikes as well as In I thought since the R1 you are only in SBKs. Anyways hows the Apache I mean you running her with what kind of mods ? Could you post the Best timings Bike wise ?
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 19:10	#13
Steeroid Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A Posts: 7,046 Thanked: 2,751 Times	Great action photos there! Looks like you had a lot of fun, Unnikrishnan
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 19:40	#15
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,766 Thanked: 9,054 Times	@Techno: The apache is being raced in the stock class in national championship. Except the weight reduction there's nothing much you can do to it. Even the air filter has to remain stock you cannot even pull out a sponge layer.
	() Thanks