David,
I've been watching and learning a lot about proper suspension setup. I'm still practicing my bounce technique (ha,ha), but definitely see & feel a big difference in how the bike is responding. Great job on putting together such an informative and educational product. I keep your DVD's close by and learn something new every time I watch them.
The only challenge I've had so far is the factory setup measurements for my bike. Do you have any recommendation on who would have this information? Current ride is a 2005 GSXR 1000 now running Michelin Pilot Powers. You stressed the importance of starting with the proper geometry, and making changes based on the new tire diameter.
Stephen T. Land
REPLY:
Hi Mr. Land,
Dave Williams from OnTheThrottle.tv sent this email on to me for my reply, so we can help you along with your quest :)
The Pilot Powers are great street tires, and you should be running 36 psi front an rear to get the best blend of grip and longevity.
Can I safely assume that you are running the 190 rear and also have the stock gearing that came with the bike? What size front tire? It would be very useful to have your weight too, so I can provide you with settings to try that I would know to be accurate.
In terms of geometry, the ride height of the rear of the bike really depends on the axle position and the circumference of the rear tire. Normally, most of these 05 GSXR 1000's are run with the shock at stock length, and many times a link is added to the chain or the front sprocket is dropped one tooth to lengthen the wheel base. This provides more rake and trail in the front of the bike, making it finish a corner better.
In terms of SAG, for street riding you need 40-50mm of sag in the forks and 32-37mm of sag in the shock (remember to chek free sag in the shock) depending on what type of roads you ride on, how hard you ride etc. I can give you compression and rebound settings to try but I need the questions above answered first.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
CRST DVD reviews by magazines
The Vision Wells 'Twiddling Knobs' DVD and OnTheThrottle's 'Introduction to Sportbike Suspension' DVD have been out now for several months and as part of the marketing plan to grow audince awareness in different segments of the motorcycling community, we regularly send out copies for review to forums, web sites plus print and online magazines.
In general, the DVD's have been very well received with glowing comments from all that have bought them along with constructive comments that we will incorporate into the next DVD due out in the Fall of 08.
Motorcycle.com's online reviews:
http://www.motorcycle.com/products/dvd-review-twiddling-knobs-suspension-tuning-for-sportbikes-69245.html
Roadracing World has a 2 page review in its 2008 Track Day issue. A copy of that will be scanned and placed on the web site once RRW has given us permission to do so.
DVD's can be purchased through the CRST web site, and the investment is definately worth it based on what you will learn, and how you can help yourself sort out handling problems by creating methodical tests.
In general, the DVD's have been very well received with glowing comments from all that have bought them along with constructive comments that we will incorporate into the next DVD due out in the Fall of 08.
Motorcycle.com's online reviews:
http://www.motorcycle.com/products/dvd-review-twiddling-knobs-suspension-tuning-for-sportbikes-69245.html
Roadracing World has a 2 page review in its 2008 Track Day issue. A copy of that will be scanned and placed on the web site once RRW has given us permission to do so.
DVD's can be purchased through the CRST web site, and the investment is definately worth it based on what you will learn, and how you can help yourself sort out handling problems by creating methodical tests.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Bike Geometry Question via email
Dave,
I recently purchased your two videos through onthethrottle.tv, twiddling knobs and introduction to suspension. They are by far the most informative suspension set-up videos I have ever watched. I learned more about suspension set-up in two hours (and understood it)with your videos than I have since I started riding motorcycles.
Which, brings me to a question that I had for you. I have a 02 CBR 954 that I use mainly for trackdays and I am having the forks reworked with new springs and a penske rear shock. The thing that I dont know or missed in your video is where do you start as far as bike geometry. What is a good starting point for rear ride height and how far the forks should stick through the triple clamp? Is there any rules of thumb on this or all trial and error?
Thank You
Dan
REPLY:
As to your questions re the 954:
As to your questions re the 954:
Everything depends on the tires you choose, and you need to leave the bike in stock geometric configuration to evaluate the tires. All brands even though they have the same size embedded in the sidewalls have different circumferences. Therefore, once you find a brand that you like you can then methodically play with geometry to work on certain aspects of the bikes handling - turn in, mid corner stability, corner exit.
Once the geometry feels good, then play with hydraulics with the key being balance of the chassis on rebound so the pogo front to back is elimated (tire reading will help immensely with that).Once this process is complete, then you need to stay ontop of servicing intervals for forks and shocks. Six months max between services!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Daytona 200
We spent all day Thursday stripping the bikes and meticulously preparing every facet of the motorcycle:-
- every bolt received a healthy dose of loctite and all were retorqued to specs
- fairings were taped and zip tied
- dry brake tanks were tested
- all oils changed (engine and brakes) and coolant checked
- rear wheel spaces were glued into place with green loctite to make wheel changes faster
- specially constructed swing arms installed with new chains
- quick change components polished and checked for operational issues
- radiators were cleaned, backflushed and blown out with pressurized air, and all dings were straightened out to ensure maximum airflow through it
- all wheels and rotors tested for straightness, all cush drives prepared with gearing
- all new tires including one spare set per bike installed and numbered for installation sequence
- spares list compiled to replace commonly damaged parts from crashes and boxed for the pit
Once the bikes were completed, everyone stepped back to look at them from a distance. No visual problems with Gabor's bike, but the rear Arata exhuast can was fraying due to Bobby's boot rubbing on it during the race, so it had to be replaced with an aluminum can.
When we were sure everything was done, we practiced pit stops outside the garage with rear wheel only changes. We started at 25 seconds and by the time we had everything solidified and procedure running smoothly we got it down to 15-17 seconds. Happy with that, we got the pit area set up. The wind was blowing so hard that all the factories and privateers at the east end of the speedway hot pit either lost or took down their canopies. There was no practice or racing in the morning due to airfence floating in the air so we all stood around waiting for 1st call for FX warm up. That eventually came at 12.20 and we had 20 minutes to have both riders find us in our new pit location, match gear and rpm for hot pit speed limits and practice a live pit stop at least once. Everything went smoothly, new tires were put on the wheels and marked, and the bikes sat on the hot pit with warmers on as the race was running the scheduled start time.
Everyone was in place, pit boards set correctly and all staff had radios tested and on the same channel. The race got underway and unfortunately for Gabor he was hit from behind by an as yet un-named BMW rider going into the Horseshoe on the first lap, who then lowsided his HP2 megasport which took out Gabor even though he survived the initial impact. Sadly the engine did not turn off and was oil starved from laying on its side so a couple of laps later the motor let go. We were all stunned and saddened by this for Gabor, who had cleary shown his ability to all with his 1:41.2 lap.
Bobby got through the opening laps okay and then slowly started making his way forward. By his first pit stop we were in a solid 10th place, and during the second stint we got to 8th. Bobby came into the hot pit on time and drove right by the pit, so he had to do another lap. That put us back in 15th place but during the final stint, attrition reared its head and we started moving forward due to crashes and mechanicals and all of a sudden we were back to 8th spot. Given where we had been, that would have put us in 6th place!
All in all a great effort for a team where 65% of the staff were new and strangers to each other. Kudos to them for working well together and for all of Team Owner Kevin Hanson's manic work in getting bikes and engines ready in time when it was clear the 08's would not make it.
Michelin has some new front tires to test, so we need to find time to evaluate them before Barber. There are a few options, so we will see what happens :)
POSTSCRIPT:
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=31709
Josh Hayes was disqualified for illegal crankshaft modifications and Josh must be devastated by that, not to mention how Honda as a brand will be affected by this announcement.
Given this information, that moved everyone up chain so this validated my verbal comment and prerace views about Chaz Davies winning the 200 and we moved up to 7th (and could have been 5th).
- every bolt received a healthy dose of loctite and all were retorqued to specs
- fairings were taped and zip tied
- dry brake tanks were tested
- all oils changed (engine and brakes) and coolant checked
- rear wheel spaces were glued into place with green loctite to make wheel changes faster
- specially constructed swing arms installed with new chains
- quick change components polished and checked for operational issues
- radiators were cleaned, backflushed and blown out with pressurized air, and all dings were straightened out to ensure maximum airflow through it
- all wheels and rotors tested for straightness, all cush drives prepared with gearing
- all new tires including one spare set per bike installed and numbered for installation sequence
- spares list compiled to replace commonly damaged parts from crashes and boxed for the pit
Once the bikes were completed, everyone stepped back to look at them from a distance. No visual problems with Gabor's bike, but the rear Arata exhuast can was fraying due to Bobby's boot rubbing on it during the race, so it had to be replaced with an aluminum can.
When we were sure everything was done, we practiced pit stops outside the garage with rear wheel only changes. We started at 25 seconds and by the time we had everything solidified and procedure running smoothly we got it down to 15-17 seconds. Happy with that, we got the pit area set up. The wind was blowing so hard that all the factories and privateers at the east end of the speedway hot pit either lost or took down their canopies. There was no practice or racing in the morning due to airfence floating in the air so we all stood around waiting for 1st call for FX warm up. That eventually came at 12.20 and we had 20 minutes to have both riders find us in our new pit location, match gear and rpm for hot pit speed limits and practice a live pit stop at least once. Everything went smoothly, new tires were put on the wheels and marked, and the bikes sat on the hot pit with warmers on as the race was running the scheduled start time.
Everyone was in place, pit boards set correctly and all staff had radios tested and on the same channel. The race got underway and unfortunately for Gabor he was hit from behind by an as yet un-named BMW rider going into the Horseshoe on the first lap, who then lowsided his HP2 megasport which took out Gabor even though he survived the initial impact. Sadly the engine did not turn off and was oil starved from laying on its side so a couple of laps later the motor let go. We were all stunned and saddened by this for Gabor, who had cleary shown his ability to all with his 1:41.2 lap.
Bobby got through the opening laps okay and then slowly started making his way forward. By his first pit stop we were in a solid 10th place, and during the second stint we got to 8th. Bobby came into the hot pit on time and drove right by the pit, so he had to do another lap. That put us back in 15th place but during the final stint, attrition reared its head and we started moving forward due to crashes and mechanicals and all of a sudden we were back to 8th spot. Given where we had been, that would have put us in 6th place!
All in all a great effort for a team where 65% of the staff were new and strangers to each other. Kudos to them for working well together and for all of Team Owner Kevin Hanson's manic work in getting bikes and engines ready in time when it was clear the 08's would not make it.
Michelin has some new front tires to test, so we need to find time to evaluate them before Barber. There are a few options, so we will see what happens :)
POSTSCRIPT:
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=31709
Josh Hayes was disqualified for illegal crankshaft modifications and Josh must be devastated by that, not to mention how Honda as a brand will be affected by this announcement.
Given this information, that moved everyone up chain so this validated my verbal comment and prerace views about Chaz Davies winning the 200 and we moved up to 7th (and could have been 5th).
Friday, March 7, 2008
More updates from Daytona FL
Thursday was certainly our roller coaster day, and one where the team pulled together to get things done quickly and correctly in order to end up smiling at the end of the day!
Bobby was sitting waiting at the end of pit row after a red flag in Supersport practice, and he was directed back to the pit by an AMA official with water in the belly pan. The engine temp reflected the boil over, so this bike was out of use for the rest of the weekend. That required us to sit down, see what are options were as per AMA rules and then move forward with good forethought and execution. We could use the remaining bike in both classes as it was suspersport spec, so that created optimism as Supersport was our only class for 08 to focus on.
The prior day the FX bike had a flat sport in the rpms at full throttle. We tried changing the throttle body settings, chasing other ideas but still the problem was not resolved. We then changed to a stock tank, and all was well so the tank was getting too pressurized causing a fuel delivery problem. In pre practice engine warm up today water was found in the belly pan, so now we were really under duress. Mike and Rich removed all the hoses for new ones and put a new radiator and cap on the bike. In conjunction with that we had to go find a dyno to load test the engine to check for any further leaks as we did not want a repeat of Fontana. Dyno jet was for those riders with Power Commanders only, so we managed to find another tuner at the track who had his mobile dyno rig wiith him and who very graciously gave us 10 minutes on the dyno with repeat load tests to make sure we had no leaks. We got through that okay, so now we had a good bike that we could use.
Bobby then decided to test a 180 rear tire to see if he could get better drive off the corners, so we had to make some significant geometry adjustment calculations as the rear tire is a lot smaller than a 190. In conjunction with that we also had front end problem due to the changed geometry so with FX qualifying upon us, so I had to make some educated "guesswork" and used FX qualifying as practice to make all the changes we needed. By the end of qualifying the overall chassis worked fairly well, with the front end problem significantly reduced and the bike performing well mid corner and through corner exit.
Very shortly before the race Owen and Bobby talked about the bike, and they called me in to chat about a few possible changes to the bike immediately prior to the race. Not an uncommon situation, but one that creates a little duress as you are changing the bike again and therefore to some extent rolling the dice as the changes will be untested. As a result of that discussion, the forks were lowered to raise the front end and rear ride height was taken out of the bike to provide better corner exit control.
The net result of the changes were indicated by the race results, with Bobby fighting with Danny Eslick for 10th place all race. All things considered, we had a hell of a roller coaster day but when all was said and done there was a happy ending :)
Bobby was sitting waiting at the end of pit row after a red flag in Supersport practice, and he was directed back to the pit by an AMA official with water in the belly pan. The engine temp reflected the boil over, so this bike was out of use for the rest of the weekend. That required us to sit down, see what are options were as per AMA rules and then move forward with good forethought and execution. We could use the remaining bike in both classes as it was suspersport spec, so that created optimism as Supersport was our only class for 08 to focus on.
The prior day the FX bike had a flat sport in the rpms at full throttle. We tried changing the throttle body settings, chasing other ideas but still the problem was not resolved. We then changed to a stock tank, and all was well so the tank was getting too pressurized causing a fuel delivery problem. In pre practice engine warm up today water was found in the belly pan, so now we were really under duress. Mike and Rich removed all the hoses for new ones and put a new radiator and cap on the bike. In conjunction with that we had to go find a dyno to load test the engine to check for any further leaks as we did not want a repeat of Fontana. Dyno jet was for those riders with Power Commanders only, so we managed to find another tuner at the track who had his mobile dyno rig wiith him and who very graciously gave us 10 minutes on the dyno with repeat load tests to make sure we had no leaks. We got through that okay, so now we had a good bike that we could use.
Bobby then decided to test a 180 rear tire to see if he could get better drive off the corners, so we had to make some significant geometry adjustment calculations as the rear tire is a lot smaller than a 190. In conjunction with that we also had front end problem due to the changed geometry so with FX qualifying upon us, so I had to make some educated "guesswork" and used FX qualifying as practice to make all the changes we needed. By the end of qualifying the overall chassis worked fairly well, with the front end problem significantly reduced and the bike performing well mid corner and through corner exit.
Very shortly before the race Owen and Bobby talked about the bike, and they called me in to chat about a few possible changes to the bike immediately prior to the race. Not an uncommon situation, but one that creates a little duress as you are changing the bike again and therefore to some extent rolling the dice as the changes will be untested. As a result of that discussion, the forks were lowered to raise the front end and rear ride height was taken out of the bike to provide better corner exit control.
The net result of the changes were indicated by the race results, with Bobby fighting with Danny Eslick for 10th place all race. All things considered, we had a hell of a roller coaster day but when all was said and done there was a happy ending :)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Day one at Daytona
A busy day of course with 4 bikes to prep, parts in transit, a garage to sort out, tire allotments to discuss, bikes to tech and team processes and details to iron out. There's more than that of course, but the "two veg" can be set aside - only the meat is needed.
Wednesday is a transition day with the final day of AHMRA (I wish I had more time to look at and get up close to some of that remarkable pristine racing heritage, not to mention the spectator bikes that show up!) and the pits filling up with the late arrival AMA privateers and the odd motorcross competitor. It is truly a cacophany of sounds, sights, rushing bodies on pit bikes and mules and personalities wandering around absorbing the scene and limelight.
Safety First Racing had a lot of work to do. All bikes had to be completed with full rebuilds, new swing arms for the FX race bikes with quick change parts, new exhausts from Arata fitted and bikes put through AMA tech. With two lead mechanics and back up mechanics, there was a lot of help on hand and all the parts arrived on time. The first bike went through tech by noon, so that was very reassuring.
Michelin tires were an all day deal with rims needing to be detailed, stickers put on them per rider, balanced, and then consultation wit riders and lead mechanics for tires selected for mounting re slicks or DOT selected for Supersport or FX bikes. In the end by 4pm, all wheels and tires were done, so that was a huge bonus! That gave us all the wheel and tires for Wednesday's practice.
Two other bikes went through tech by late afternoon but one problem child decided to be obstinate and throw an electrical tantrum that by the end of the day was still unresolved much to the chagrin of all. Perhaps the course of action selected for the morning will resolve the problem and the good news is that the bike won't be on track until the afternoon. We will of course still apply the K.I.S.S. principle to keep heads level and not loss simply objectivity.
By end of day, the garage was swept, closed and we left amidst a typical FL cloudburst or two, one unfortunately soaking Mike who was riidng on the of the Supesrport bikes that was leaving to be mapped. I had to go find the local blue blocker sales booth to purchase the ZZ Top 'cheap sunglasses" as I realized I had left then in the truck in CA..... DOH!
Wednesday will be a very busy day. Supersport practice in the morning, FX practice and Supersport Qualifying in the afternoon. All hands on deck from 6.30am until close!!!!!
Wednesday is a transition day with the final day of AHMRA (I wish I had more time to look at and get up close to some of that remarkable pristine racing heritage, not to mention the spectator bikes that show up!) and the pits filling up with the late arrival AMA privateers and the odd motorcross competitor. It is truly a cacophany of sounds, sights, rushing bodies on pit bikes and mules and personalities wandering around absorbing the scene and limelight.
Safety First Racing had a lot of work to do. All bikes had to be completed with full rebuilds, new swing arms for the FX race bikes with quick change parts, new exhausts from Arata fitted and bikes put through AMA tech. With two lead mechanics and back up mechanics, there was a lot of help on hand and all the parts arrived on time. The first bike went through tech by noon, so that was very reassuring.
Michelin tires were an all day deal with rims needing to be detailed, stickers put on them per rider, balanced, and then consultation wit riders and lead mechanics for tires selected for mounting re slicks or DOT selected for Supersport or FX bikes. In the end by 4pm, all wheels and tires were done, so that was a huge bonus! That gave us all the wheel and tires for Wednesday's practice.
Two other bikes went through tech by late afternoon but one problem child decided to be obstinate and throw an electrical tantrum that by the end of the day was still unresolved much to the chagrin of all. Perhaps the course of action selected for the morning will resolve the problem and the good news is that the bike won't be on track until the afternoon. We will of course still apply the K.I.S.S. principle to keep heads level and not loss simply objectivity.
By end of day, the garage was swept, closed and we left amidst a typical FL cloudburst or two, one unfortunately soaking Mike who was riidng on the of the Supesrport bikes that was leaving to be mapped. I had to go find the local blue blocker sales booth to purchase the ZZ Top 'cheap sunglasses" as I realized I had left then in the truck in CA..... DOH!
Wednesday will be a very busy day. Supersport practice in the morning, FX practice and Supersport Qualifying in the afternoon. All hands on deck from 6.30am until close!!!!!
comments from the other side of the globe on CRST
Suspension By Remote Control
I bought the Catalyst Reaction suspension set up video from "On the Throttle Tv". Once I watched it especially the set up of the bikes I realized I was onto a good thing and that my bike was way out of adjustment for me and my weight. I tested the suspension as per the video and found my 07 R6 had very poor damping control in the forks. Not content with this I tested a brand new 07 R6, a Triumph 675 as a reference as per the video, 07 cbr1000 and a 05 ZX6R. Some were good some bad, both R6's were bad.
I thought I could fix this myself by going up in oil weight but alas crashed in the process :( I then bit the bullet and fitted Catalyst Racing Suspension. The bike was transformed:- much more stable and easy to ride with great feedback. My lap times dropped and tire wear was reduced considerably. Having suspension with a wide range of adjustment is just the icing on the cake.
The best part though was I could get good help from the other side of the World as I'm Perth Western Australia. Hence the heading "suspension by remote control". I would recommend using Catalyst Suspension even from a remote location as the work is First class and the results second to none.
Thanks Dave and Jim
Kind Regards
Martin Calley
I bought the Catalyst Reaction suspension set up video from "On the Throttle Tv". Once I watched it especially the set up of the bikes I realized I was onto a good thing and that my bike was way out of adjustment for me and my weight. I tested the suspension as per the video and found my 07 R6 had very poor damping control in the forks. Not content with this I tested a brand new 07 R6, a Triumph 675 as a reference as per the video, 07 cbr1000 and a 05 ZX6R. Some were good some bad, both R6's were bad.
I thought I could fix this myself by going up in oil weight but alas crashed in the process :( I then bit the bullet and fitted Catalyst Racing Suspension. The bike was transformed:- much more stable and easy to ride with great feedback. My lap times dropped and tire wear was reduced considerably. Having suspension with a wide range of adjustment is just the icing on the cake.
The best part though was I could get good help from the other side of the World as I'm Perth Western Australia. Hence the heading "suspension by remote control". I would recommend using Catalyst Suspension even from a remote location as the work is First class and the results second to none.
Thanks Dave and Jim
Kind Regards
Martin Calley
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Crew Chief Position for AMA team Police Safety First announced!
Police Safety First Racing - Crew Chief announcement 2/22/08
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=31547
It is out in the open:- I have been officially ‘yoked’ with a season long contract with PSFR. In over a decade of being involved in this sport as a freelance writer, racer, tuner, addicted enthusiast and now TV host with On The Throttle, this is certainly as a professional a pinnacle of responsibility and opportunity provided to me by Team Owner, Kevin Hansen. After months of discussions, emails and negotiations it is clear to me that Kevin has amassed a great deal of individual experience, commitment and depth of talent within the core crew that will be at every event supporting Bobby Fong and 1-2 other riders.
I have to say that I am proud to have been considered for this role late last winter, and I can certainly draw on all the experience I have had to date to be a team leader and motivator. There will be a lot less time to be social with everyone I have been fortunate to meet all over the country, but I will make as much time as I can to say “hi”! Don’t stay away though from the PSFR canopy:- Bobby certainly appreciates all his fans and the local support from his California homeys :)
I have worked with Bobby in the past at AFM and at track days, but this will be another ball game altogether. In the few outings together so far, he has very quickly come to grips with a new engine with revised cam timing, a radically different chassis from last year and different suspension settings we have given him to try for his 07 bikes (guessing that the 08’s wouldn’t be ready for Daytona). He and I need to get on the same page in terms of communication to make sure that universal terms (push, chatter, runs wide, head shake) all mean what we both believe them to mean. Bobby will be getting his first homework assignment prior to Daytona to this end. We don’t have time to lose with poor communication!
There’s a great deal of optimism in the PSFR camp for good reason. There’s a lot we can achieve together and everyone realizes the opportunity in front of the team. There will be several hiccups in the first couple of events, and that’s a good thing – to get them into the open right away so we can see what needs to be changed or how better to do something together, building interactive precision as per Swiss watch. We will all work as efficiently and effectively as we can and I will have to be very observant and willing to critique processes, space arrangements, location of parts, tool boxes, chemicals and keep completely on top of inventory.
“At this level, the devil is in the details, and preparation is everything” Chuck Sowerds, 1996.
Advice I have followed every time I have gone to the track and words of wisdom I would encourage others to adopt who want to succeed and achieve.
There are a myriad of items/criteria that combine to make the bike handle well: chassis geometry, fork springs, oil levels and valving, shock springs and valving, gearing, tire size, pressure and compound to name but a few, so here’s an insight into preparation when dealing with one item:- new for 08 Penske shocks that will be on all the bikes:
- All shocks are individually numbered and serviced prior to each race event with the service date annotated on the shock.
- Internal piston type and valving are coded and noted on each shock.
- Any shock that seems to have a problem will be tagged with blue tape with “inspect” and immediately removed to the trailer to be stripped and evaluated.
- Spring rates need to be clearly visible to the eye while on the bike and all springs will be tested for rate accuracy and relabeled if needed.
- All shocks will be installed in the bike with the same ride height, same installed preload and same hydraulic settings to expedite practice time.
- Lead mechanics will record all that information onto the specially designed data sheets prior to bringing the shocks/sheets to the hot pit during all practices.
- Designated crew will work in synchronization on shock removal and installation with all tools and stands ready prior to the bike coming into the hot pit.
- Springs with rates not being used will be removed from the pit space, re-boxed and put on the trailer.
- Any defective shocks will be removed, boxed, and placed on the trailer ready to be returned to Penske for evaluation on the Monday after the event.
That will get us through the first 30 - 40 minutes of testing in evaluating the shock amongst everything else – then we begin dialing the bike in geometrically and hydraulically. That leaves about 90 minutes to get the bike as good as it can be in every aspect of chassis and suspension tuning.
We are only a few days away from Daytona now, so I have to make sure I have as much of the process figured out as possible and then meet regularly in down time with all lead mechanics, support staff and Kevin to get the Swiss watch working as quietly as possible.
I need to be sponsored with Vitamin B injections – wonder if Pfizer is interested?
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=31547
It is out in the open:- I have been officially ‘yoked’ with a season long contract with PSFR. In over a decade of being involved in this sport as a freelance writer, racer, tuner, addicted enthusiast and now TV host with On The Throttle, this is certainly as a professional a pinnacle of responsibility and opportunity provided to me by Team Owner, Kevin Hansen. After months of discussions, emails and negotiations it is clear to me that Kevin has amassed a great deal of individual experience, commitment and depth of talent within the core crew that will be at every event supporting Bobby Fong and 1-2 other riders.
I have to say that I am proud to have been considered for this role late last winter, and I can certainly draw on all the experience I have had to date to be a team leader and motivator. There will be a lot less time to be social with everyone I have been fortunate to meet all over the country, but I will make as much time as I can to say “hi”! Don’t stay away though from the PSFR canopy:- Bobby certainly appreciates all his fans and the local support from his California homeys :)
I have worked with Bobby in the past at AFM and at track days, but this will be another ball game altogether. In the few outings together so far, he has very quickly come to grips with a new engine with revised cam timing, a radically different chassis from last year and different suspension settings we have given him to try for his 07 bikes (guessing that the 08’s wouldn’t be ready for Daytona). He and I need to get on the same page in terms of communication to make sure that universal terms (push, chatter, runs wide, head shake) all mean what we both believe them to mean. Bobby will be getting his first homework assignment prior to Daytona to this end. We don’t have time to lose with poor communication!
There’s a great deal of optimism in the PSFR camp for good reason. There’s a lot we can achieve together and everyone realizes the opportunity in front of the team. There will be several hiccups in the first couple of events, and that’s a good thing – to get them into the open right away so we can see what needs to be changed or how better to do something together, building interactive precision as per Swiss watch. We will all work as efficiently and effectively as we can and I will have to be very observant and willing to critique processes, space arrangements, location of parts, tool boxes, chemicals and keep completely on top of inventory.
“At this level, the devil is in the details, and preparation is everything” Chuck Sowerds, 1996.
Advice I have followed every time I have gone to the track and words of wisdom I would encourage others to adopt who want to succeed and achieve.
There are a myriad of items/criteria that combine to make the bike handle well: chassis geometry, fork springs, oil levels and valving, shock springs and valving, gearing, tire size, pressure and compound to name but a few, so here’s an insight into preparation when dealing with one item:- new for 08 Penske shocks that will be on all the bikes:
- All shocks are individually numbered and serviced prior to each race event with the service date annotated on the shock.
- Internal piston type and valving are coded and noted on each shock.
- Any shock that seems to have a problem will be tagged with blue tape with “inspect” and immediately removed to the trailer to be stripped and evaluated.
- Spring rates need to be clearly visible to the eye while on the bike and all springs will be tested for rate accuracy and relabeled if needed.
- All shocks will be installed in the bike with the same ride height, same installed preload and same hydraulic settings to expedite practice time.
- Lead mechanics will record all that information onto the specially designed data sheets prior to bringing the shocks/sheets to the hot pit during all practices.
- Designated crew will work in synchronization on shock removal and installation with all tools and stands ready prior to the bike coming into the hot pit.
- Springs with rates not being used will be removed from the pit space, re-boxed and put on the trailer.
- Any defective shocks will be removed, boxed, and placed on the trailer ready to be returned to Penske for evaluation on the Monday after the event.
That will get us through the first 30 - 40 minutes of testing in evaluating the shock amongst everything else – then we begin dialing the bike in geometrically and hydraulically. That leaves about 90 minutes to get the bike as good as it can be in every aspect of chassis and suspension tuning.
We are only a few days away from Daytona now, so I have to make sure I have as much of the process figured out as possible and then meet regularly in down time with all lead mechanics, support staff and Kevin to get the Swiss watch working as quietly as possible.
I need to be sponsored with Vitamin B injections – wonder if Pfizer is interested?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
