I chosed to take the CBR to the track today instead of the GSX R. I'm really happy I did and by that got the chance to learn more about the old friend. I was the first to chrash today, after the inspection, when I drove slowly out of the garage, BOOOM, suddenly I layed under the bike []. WTF was going on...The guys in the garage helped me to lift the bike and said, there is water there, it's slippery. No chance I said, the bike was straight and the speed about 2 mph! Then I rode to pay the fee and saw what had happened, when I moved the handle to turn left, the helmet which hanged on the right mirror firmly fully pressed the brake handle, I almost did another dive, goosh...I don't think there will be a big problem to remember not hanging the helmet on the mirror...

Well, the first three sessionsin the morning was OK but I didn't got the softness and rythm right. I had driven 150 km's to the track this early morning and it was a very late night yesterday watching Moto GP qualifying at Laguna Seca. I hardly keept pace with the sportbikes, faster than some but slower than a couple more. There was only sportbikes or other modern bikes at the track, and my old bike was somewhat odd relative the other lighter and stronger ones. After lunch I felt real good and fit, I had no problems to follow the fast guys and did a lot of overtaking on much stronger and modern sport bikes. I felt very confident and really enjoyed the driving which worked at it best, good pace and very stable in all type of corners. Both front and rear tyre where severly scrubbed, so I got a good temperature in the tyres. Before the last session I talked to a guy on a red Ducati 996, he said his got enough and was to brake for the day. I did the last session to, in the middle of a corner the rear sweeped out almost a meter, but it was a soft movment and no problems, so everything was OK. I understood that the rear had got more than it could take and stopped driving after about the half session, when I came to the pitstop. The rear tyre was not only very scrubbed, which they always will be on a track day, but there was also very glossy flat sections on the sides within the scrubbed sections, so the tyre was definitly overcooked. I also knew that I earlier have been driven harder in that turn without any problem, so it was time to break. Afterwards I realised that I can be real happy not laying the bike or be throwed out of the saddle when the tyre gave up.

There was a few chrashes in all groups and I took pictures of two of them where you will get an impression of the track. One picture is on my bike, firts among the other sport bikes.




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Word! You are my hero! It takes a lot of guts to leave your GSX-R at home! LOL about that helmet braking dive Did you get any comments from the other guys about the bike?

 

Nice write-up. What tires did you use at the track?

 

O yeah, initially I was asked if I really wanted to drive in the fast group and there was questions like - hmm hmm how much is the weight on that bike...I just said- I bring what I have and if I could not follow the group that would be my fault, not the bike. After driving a few pass I noticed that I was "in" the gang so to say. The guy with the Ducati 996, which become a good and friendly guy, got more and more tired all the time I runned faster and faster. In fact, I have runned that track a couple of times before with the Suzuki, but everything felt better much this time and I also fixed the sections well that I've had problems with last year. The CBR requires far more presence and comittment to ride than the Suzuki, so I know I've become a better driver than before thanks to the CBR which I use every day. I'm also really surpriced, as the other guys, how tight and agressive it could go in turns. Some people complain it's heavy in town, it isn't except for towing by hand. Gelleråsen is perhaps the most technical track in Sweden with the tightest turns, if it works there which it did well, it will work on any track.

The title of this thread is definitily right

Edit, saw that this is not the thread -CBR for president...

 

I used Michelin Power today which, except for the limited lifetime, are maybe the best tyres on roads if you want maximum grip since they reach high grippy temperatures better than any other road tyre according to tests. The price for that is however that they are known to lose grip at tracks if pushed hard, due to overheating, and the heavy CBR perhaps makes it worse. I guess all road tyres will give up at some point on track, where another type of tyres should be used if one want to go fast and still be on the safe side.

 

You could have really freaked out the other riders by putting the bike on the centerstand in the pits. But I guess you take the centerstand off for the track.

 

Or by putting it down while on the track
I do that to tailgating cagers. The sparks shooting up at thier winshields really freaks them out!

 

A few more pics now in the first post. I stopped and jumped into a beutiful lake in a forrest region to cool down.

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Very cool! Another outing for the old CBR.

For all that's "wrong" with these by current standards and specs, they still prove to be a very rideable and stable platform that results in surprisingly solid performance. More than a few have been surprised by one of these at the track.

 

This is very good information to know. I'm planning to goto the FUSA track at poconos on august 11th with my 96. I have brand new BT014's on it, did the suspension adjustments, and ride as many twisty roads as possible. The thing I like about what R1000 said, what that you had steer the bike more than the newer bikes, but it was able to stay right up there. To be honest, I just didn't want to show up with something and look like the 5th wheel.

Dad, you going to be at the august 11th track day on FUSA?