Track Stories 08

[DreamRyder]

I was thinking more along the lines of you using the new fancy lazer tool you were talkin about to recreate the tattoo

yeah that plate holder is VERY heavy duty... real nice peice of work... Tiger Racing makes excellent products.. I have their chain guard as well

E.
still considering a nice paint job by your buddy if I get my hands on this new race bodywork for the front.. we'll see.. it will be a winter project if it happens no money for it now.

[lecroy]

I think they are painting three bikes in the next week or so. Would be a good time to check it out to see his work if your interested.

Ah, I was thinking you wanted a tatoo like the dog. Yea, I am sure I could copy the one you have but would need a better shot of it minimum. Problem is getting that into the laser machine. Once I get mine done, I will have a better idea. My attempt at converting a scanned image was a flop. After I sent it to them, I was told they had tried a bunch of different software to do this and nothing they found was usable. So everything is manually drawn on a computer.... Augh... I have the software to do it but its a major pain in the butt.

[DreamRyder]

I know what you mean about manually tracing...

I do diecut decals as a hobby and the auto trace function is horrible.. give you way too many nodes/anchor points than needed and takes more time to clean up the vector file than it's worth.. so I do the manual tracing as well.

This is the best real live image i have of it... forgot I had it from when the tattoo was first done a year and half ago, if I can locate the JPG version I created for the tattoo guy to copy and the print decal guy for my trailer version I'll post it up... I'd love to get this put on my next clutch cover... (underneath the RCC Turbo one that will already be on it)



Next time I'll be out that way is for Battle of the Bikes Aug 17th if he's not too far from Martin I just might consider doin a side trip on the sat before..

E.

[lecroy]

That's a much better shot. This is the same logo that was on your tail section? Would seem simple enough to do. Sounds like you have the tools already also. If you go ahead and enter it and send me a DXF and a cover, I can get it done. I am guessing that this would be in the $50 range. Maybe you could find a junked cover on eBay we could use so you wouldn't have any down time. They tell me they normally turn parts in a day or two.

You could also just bring the stuff with you when you come up next time.

I hate to say it but I hope we just cancel the all the Battle of the Bikes. Just from what I have seen, it started out pretty good. Then they started to cancel the races before they even started if any rain came in. Then the numbers fell way off. No surprize. Gas being what it is and you had guys coming from out of state just to get turned back home for 15 minutes of rain. They did this same thing at the last one and we were all the way down to 30 bikes. I heard several people say they would not be back.

If your going to hold a bike race, dammit, hold it! The people I know could care less if it rains or not. They would stay till the bitter end. Even if the rain never stopped, people hang out and still have a good time. Bikers I know make the best out of bad situations.

Anything is better than that long drive home after a 15 minute shower and seeing nothing but the sun and blue skys all the way.

[DreamRyder]

I'm not sure if I can trace something that complicated but I guess I could give it a go...

The cover I wanna do will have to wait till I can afford to buy a new one. Mine right now is all silver with the RCC logo .. I want the black ones with teh RCC logo - it stands out much more.. I was in a hurry and couldn't wait for the anodized ones...

So there will be no down time for me ...

Yeah I noticed there ain't been as many turn out for the Battle of Bikes like they use to.

I totally agree with ya on the rain situation.. Hell I use to road race in the rain... a lil wet surface aint' no problem... bring out the big blow dryer and clean 'er off and make a few cautious passes then go for it LOL

but then again if it's the liability they're worried about I can kinda understand...

E.

[RacingJake]

Got a few test runs last night and nothing broke.

With the CV carbs I ran a 6.23 and on the bottle was a 5.91. I'll put the lectrons back on so the times will get better. Been a few years since I ran the CV's.

I'm starting to think that wrist pin had been broken for long time, that would explain why the bike ran slower on the bottle all this time.

Anyhow it felt good to get back to normal.

[lecroy]

Did I miss something?! Wasn't that the FIRST EVER UNDER 6.0000 SECOND PASS WE HAVE BEEN WAITING ON!!!!!????? This is been what, three years in the making?? You think your going to just slip this by us??!!!

Huge Congrats!!

[lecroy]

E, If you have the parts anodized and then they burn through the coating you get a real nice look. Tons of contrast. We have used a plater in South Bend for small runs but its had to get that many parts together to have done. They will do one part but the cost is the same.

I got the belly pan finished last night then we watched a movie. Today, a battery box..

[DreamRyder]

E, If you have the parts anodized and then they burn through the coating you get a real nice look. Tons of contrast. We have used a plater in South Bend for small runs but its had to get that many parts together to have done. They will do one part but the cost is the same.

I got the belly pan finished last night then we watched a movie. Today, a battery box..

Yup exactly.. that's how RCC does his.. they are anodized first then lazer cut for his logo.. I'd be getting his cover already anodized with his logo then look to have my own thing added below his logo.. IF I can get teh artwork done .. I've only done stuff for diecuting.. never for etching so I'm not entirely sure how to trace it so that it comes out right LOL

His cover I have now is lazer cut but I didn't have the time to wait for his next batch of anodized ones .. figured it'd be temporary till I did have time to wait .. my racing buddy wanted my silver cover when I did switch over. He dont' like black ones - so it'd would have worked out perfect BUT now it's all marred up from the wipe out

E.

[lecroy]

Looks like we are on for Wednesday. I sent them some artwork over the weekend and they said it came across fine. I hope I do not offend any of our service members with it. Has a military sort of theme like the flag bike but my computer art skills stink and was limited to using an old version of Sketch to get a DXF file they could read.

Trying to pack all the crap inside the chassis without making a hotel this time. I would like to be able to replace a battery without taking out the nitrous, fuel pump, ignition and 10 miles of tube. Theres a lot of free space in the chassis but only a few good places to mount stuff.

Hope to have all the major parts mounted by this weekend. Just need to find a place to hide my GPS receiver, throttle stop controller and my tree trigger detector... LOL.

[RacingJake]

I sent them some artwork over the weekend and they said it came across fine. I hope I do not offend any of our service members with it. Has a military sort of theme like the flag bike but my computer art skills stink and was limited to using an old version of Sketch to get a DXF file they could read.

24 years in the Air Force Mark and I don't think you'll have any problems...... Flag Bike was awesome.

[lecroy]

24 years in the Air Force Mark and I don't think you'll have any problems...... Flag Bike was awesome.

Thank you for your service and compliment. The drawing is right up your alley.

Spent an hour with the company that has the laser. Laser etching is not all its cracked up to be. The problem is the lack of driving software. I used AutoSketch version 2.1 from 1995. I tried to do some free hand curves but their system couldn't support them. Then there was no way for me to fill a pattern and have it work with their software. There is also no way to define a line width, so any line I drew was the laser beam width, which is nothing. I had them cut the pattern into some scrap metal and it looks like crap with the line width. They are now taking my drawing and hand editing it to get the lines wider, each line is actually two with a fill between. Crazy.

Best thing to do, send them a picture of what you want done and have them trace it by hand with their tools.


This is just what it needs.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ZEX-Nitrous-Oxide-LED-Machine-Gun-Purge-Kit-82370-LOUD_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQitemZ380013957476

Not!!!! Wonder if there are a lot of kids that ride around just shooting the purge.... Expensive and funny.

[DreamRyder]

Results from my first time back out since the wipe out on May 31st...

My whole routine is out of whack however with how I have to reach my whole hand forward to grasp the lever with my good fingers..

First couple passes sucked cuz I was soft off the line thinking I wanted to take it easy incase I couldn't get my hand back on the grip quick enough to be ready to shift... therefore with the new clutch setup I could NOT shift because my rpms were too low... also the first set of gloves I was trying to wear didn't give me enough stretch to reach the lever where I needed to be to have my thumb in the position to hit the shift button ..

so a few adjustsments - Nem's gloves, choked up on the grip a bit more at the line to allow me to reach the shifter button (this made it REAL hard for me to pull in the lever the way I needed to cuz I could not use my middle finger to help grasp the lever), Launch at the higher RPMs and go wide open right off the line ...

after all that I went from a 9.6 to the 8.6 ...

Here were my runs in order:

1st pass:
15 sec ET
couldn't shift the first two times I tried so I backed out and just cruzed down the track..

2nd pass:
60' - 1.967
330 - 4.473
1/8 - 6.447 @ 125mph
1000 - 8.149
1/4 - 9.605 @ 154mph


3rd pass:
60' - 1.928
330 - 4.388
1/8 - 6.306 @ 128mph
1000 - 7.966
1/4 - 9.396 @ 156mph
(after this pass Nem checked my clutch pack... feeling like I had trashed them with my two majorly slow launches and inability to shift... sure enough they were FRIED! the fibers were shreaded literally... that was it.. it was WIDE OPEN or not at all)


4th pass:
60' - 1.517
330 - 3.747
1/8 - 5.610 @ 131mph
1000 - 7.247
1/4 - 8.661 @ 158mph


5th pass:
60' - 1.464
330 - 3.696
1/8 - 5.562 @ 131mph
1000 - 7.199
1/4 - 8.613 @ 158mph


6th pass:
60' - 1.512
330 - 3.730
1/8 - 5.567 @ 134mph
1000 - 7.142
1/4 - 8.485 @ 167mph


7th pass:
60' - 1.484
330 - 3.672
1/8 - 5.510 @ 134mph
1000 - 7.077
1/4 - 8.406 @ 168mph


As for boost levels:
Passes 1 - 5 were all just off the Gate 8#
Pass 6 we put 2 # in 3rd and 5# in 4th
Pass 7 we put 4# in 3rd and 7# in 4th

I still have a ways to go to get my sixty's back down where they use to be low 1.4's - At the end of the night Nem tells me my suspension looked too soft at the launch and was absorbing too much of my slingshot motion... but failed to tell me earlier in the evening so we could adjust for that WHILE at the track LOL.. he tells me instead I told you that yesterday I felt it was too soft in the garage.

My reply was I wanted it soft as a starting point and from there we adjust... but I guess he failed to remember the "adjust from there" part

Traction was nice! I def wanted to push it more as I got more comfortable with the new routine of my clutch lever motion.. just ran out of time....

burnouts I'm still not comfortable with because of the extra reach I have to do, makes it hard to have a nice quick release while standing ...

My battery also died on me just before the last pass... Jason and Nem had to push start the bike so I could make my last pass.. the track guys were nice enough to give us that extra time to do so and the ZX14 fella lining up next to me came over to help them push it as well...


All in All it was a great evening and I feel comfortable in saying I'M BACK!


E.

[rosco15]

Well for the first round last week I was at the back of the line. Up comes an old turbo KZ that had just arrived. I had never seen it before. I start taking a good look at this thing and start praying I don't get lined up against him. The rear tire looks like it's got about 30lbs of air in it. The motor is covered in fresh oil. The disk brakes are totally covered in surface rust. As far as I could tell the body was not fastened to the frame. They kept messing around with the bike and I was later told they were trying to super glue a hole in the gas tank closed to stop a fuel leak.

I mean the thing looked scary and darned if I didn't get lined up against him first round. Lucky for me it wouldn't make any boost so I was no where near him as he went down the track. I'm guessing he came so late that tech never took a look at the bike.

I ended up going out in the third round due to a missed shift. I knew I shouldn't have tightened the chain.

[lecroy]

Hey Ryan, that was me showing up for a surprize visit... I put the KZ body on so you wouldn't suspect it was me.

Dang E, I guess I don't need to be spending time on the junker bike after all. Very happy to hear your back on the bike again. We are not running in the Northern Nationals this year. I may go up to watch and hang out.



Rule #1 on laser etching, never etch on plane jane aluminum. It doesn't show up very well.

I have no idea why Koenig used the F16 name for the chassis but it seemed like a good reason to put a Fighting Falcon on it. Sorry for the poor drawing Jake. Does not do the real machine justice.


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Turns out Star used a standard thread size so I picked up a couple of fittings for it. Bit larger line than I used on the flag bike.
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