I couldn't give up my bikes, way to big a part of my life. I ride around 30 -35k miles a year, all kinds of weather. I ride to work, Sunday mornin' rides, and I absolutely love competition. I race my TLR in Superbike, Formula, and Heavyweight Twins, I take my Repsol to track days. I wanna take my Vette to TWS next year, oughta be fun. I'll probably try some autocross events too. I started riding on the original Honda Hurricane, bikes have come a long way since then. My street CBR is faster than my formula one bike was just 7 years ago!(and now it's modded and even faster!)

 

Bikes are fantastic, but I too gave them up "for the duration" shortly after I was married, when a friend was badly hurt. I really love the technology, but, since they would be only a part of the year thing up here in NY state, its not too much to give up.

 

I understand what you mean about a friend getting hurt. I've lost 2 friends to racing, but they were passionate about it as I am.A friend of mine just recently got into sportbikes in the last couple years. We've been friends since junior high and did the SCCA stuff in the 80's together. He has started getting interested in racing bikes. I related the danger aspect to him: you do everything you can to minimize your risk, wear the best gear, keep the bike in top form, learn, learn and learn some more-and be prepared to hit pavement. If you race, and I mean race, not circle the track, you will crash. Crashing can kill or permanantly hurt you. If you don't love to ride enough that after recognizing the very real risk you take-DON'T DO IT! Stick to track days. For me just getting on the bike and riding to work puts a smile on my face, but the challenge of competition, using your body position and "listening to what the bike tells you is absolutely beyond description. I love playing w/the cars but bikes are my first love.

 

Ahhh, this isn't fair. You're making me miss bikes too much.

 

It sounds like I'm the only guy here that has never been on a bike before. Just about everybody on my job rides some form of bike (either Harley style or Crotch Rocket). They all tell me there is no other experience, but I'm going to stick to cars for now.

Yeah, I've seen a few pretty badass Trans Ams out there. Even seen some Vettes lose to them. I am definitely looking for my first encounter with one to be pretty interesting. Either way you look at it (win or lose) I'm in better position driving the Vette then trying to race them in the Mustang.

 

Compared to a bike even fast cars are slow. You gotta spend 6 digits plus before you find a car that'll compete. The C5 ZO-6 was compared to the GSXR 1000 a couple years ago and got smoked. The NSX was paired up against the CBR900RR and got smoked. This wasn't just straight line stuff either, both road course and straight line-absolutely no contest. My CBR1000 runs low 10's mid 140's, 15 secs to 150, tops at 180 or so depending on the wind, how you hold your mouth and the position of Jupiters moons.... at TWS, in street trim, with me riding, it turns a 1:57 lap without hesitation-all day long.I guess what I'm getting at is the absolutely unreal performance that is available in the new bikes. Even the "small" 600's are in the 10's in the quarter and over 160 on top end now. Truly though, to harness the abilities of these bikes takes a lot of training ,practice, and more practice, I've been riding since '91 and have been hooked ever since. I started racing in late '92, but had already racked up 60k street miles and as much training as I could get. Now I'm hooked. I'll ride and race till I can't walk or maybe even crawl! I love cars and driving my Vette is a blast_it definately keeps me smilin', but the bikes are my first love.

 

wow.........some serious cars.

 

bikes are a blast. I started out on bikes too. I remember a little Yamaha FZR(I think)600 I had back in the 80's and a gsxr after that. what fun. never did much drag raceing on the bikes but did a lot of road raceing and also dirt bikes, ever heard of "Seebring" or "Gator Back". still have a bad *** 85 KX500 ditch digger. Always wanted a '85 V-Max. Yes they are dangerous but pushing it to the edge for the rush is what makes great riders great riders. Knowing that at 180+mph if a beetle crosses the track you could die or if the guy last in the corner developed an oil leak makes it that much more fun. After all you have to die of something. I remember when I fist got the FZR, I had it for about 2 weeks and had been learning the bike. I went out for a run on a nice flat twisty road just outside of Gainesville Fl. in the summer. the pavment was hot and held the tire good. I came to a nice little straight and twisted it up to 140+ when a rabbit ran accross in front of me. no use touching the breaks, just hung on and fought the front tire. when I hit the rabbit it lifted the front tire ever so slightly and it began to wobbel some thig fierce. I can't believe I am still here to type this. wasn't time to get scared untill after I stopped. I can't believe I didn't soil my leathers either. but that's the things that make it fun. serious riders do it for the rush. poor little rabbit didn't even know what hit him. after my heart slowed back down I went back to see where it happend. the tire literally ripped him in half and left him right where he was. it was as if the poor little thing had been laied in that spot and cut with a knife. maybe I'm crazy or stupid, but running fast on the edge is a great addrenalin rush. Be it a fine car or a fast crotch rocket. fun is fun. just know your ride. Cheers

 

Yes, it does very high speeds for the times. Doesn't launch well, even with 345 drag radials (which i run at the rear all the time). I am not going to put slicks on it until I get a new, hardened rear end in it. Vettes this powerful have a reputation for dropping the rear end (in pieces) when launching with slicks. (There was a picture of a Lingenfelter C6 in Car and Drivers top speed shootout issue this year with a hardened rear end that shattered when Lingenfelter put slicks on it and turned up the boost to try for truly heroic 1/4 mile times). I have my shop trying to find a 3.15 rear end ratio as the basis to build up a heavy duty rear end (hardened shafts, girdle, etc.).

I'm going upstream in gear ratio (from 3.42 to 3.15) in an effort to cut wheelspin and maybe the need for the 4-5 shift at the end of the 1/4 if and when I can get a good launch. And, 6600 RPM in 5th with a regular C5 gear set will give me 201 mph at the top of 5th gear, which I know it has the power to pull. Would be nice to have a car that is actually 200 phm capable (Trying to do 200+ mph runs in 6th is problematical since the gear is not designed for full torque since the stock engine can never pull up to the torque peak in 6th). I think I may have hurt my 6th gear running up to an indicated 192 in it last Sunday morning (shifted into 6th at 175, it was still pulling hard, even in 6th). It's making a bit more noise at 75 mph than I remember it did in the past).

 

oh man that sounds scary as hell but i bet it was worth every nerve