Anybody race a GS1100E on a road course?

[Guest]

There's a nice race track less than an hour drive from me that is great for bikes. I'm thinking of taking the 1100 there.. Everybody tells me it's "too big or too heavy" and that a 600 is best for that.. I agree it's not the ideal choice for road racing but for casual hot lapping on track days what's the big deal.. I'm just curious if anybody's tried one of these in stock form on the race track and how it did.

[Ecklund]

I would think any bike can be fun to run on an open track day.

I can tell you that when pushing an '81 GS1100e hard down the mountain in CO that the brakes get very hot and mushy even with SS lines. That being said riding any bike closer to its design limits would be a blast at a track day.

My Mostly stock ZRX does not seem to have the same issues. The crappy seat on that bike just hurts my ass.

I'd be interested to hear how your day at the track went...

Tim

[evh]

Well when I do go I will take video of it.. I just have to figure out when were going. I'm trying to get a few guys together. My 82 1100E is pretty much stock except for the 1166cc kit.. stock suspension and stock tire size.. Would be interesting.. I'm used to diving into corners with a motocross bike so turning with a 1100 is going to be a huge difference lol

[tkent02]

It's fun to outrun squids on sportbikes on a road, why would a track be any different?

Maybe a few more of them can actually ride?

Oh well, it would be fun either way.

[Tarbash 27]

This guy does it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvH3WLUfCLw

[Steveb64]

There's a nice race track less than an hour drive from me that is great for bikes. I'm thinking of taking the 1100 there.. Everybody tells me it's "too big or too heavy" and that a 600 is best for that.. I agree it's not the ideal choice for road racing but for casual hot lapping on track days what's the big deal.. I'm just curious if anybody's tried one of these in stock form on the race track and how it did.

I used to - many moons ago... It WAS too big and heavy for a 'street' (closed roads) course, but I still got a third. Only because they kicked out the two 600's that were racing out of their class, and in the F1 class... But I'll still take it! In those days, mine had Yoshi 1135cc pistons, Yoshi stage II cams, and Keihin 33mm CR special carbs, and a handmade exhaust - plus I'd fitted some Koni rear shocks, with heavier springs, and 'firmed' up the front suspension with more oil in forks, preload wound up, and some air (10psi IIRC) in the forks also. It was kinda firm, until +140kph on the road (then it smoothed out nicely), but it gave it a lot more ground clearance than stock...

Race tracks were more fun, but after 100mph, the GSXR1100's (18" wheel ones) CBR1000's and FZ1000's fairings took effect, and they'd pull away from me on the straights.

After I converted it to 18" spokes, and fitted some Michelin radials - they didn't have anything on me in the corners (when not on slicks) - but their fairings were just too effective over a 'naked' bike, and they'd get too far away on the straights.

[evh]

This guy does it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvH3WLUfCLw

awesome video!

[evh]

I used to - many moons ago... It WAS too big and heavy for a 'street' (closed roads) course, but I still got a third. Only because they kicked out the two 600's that were racing out of their class, and in the F1 class... But I'll still take it! In those days, mine had Yoshi 1135cc pistons, Yoshi stage II cams, and Keihin 33mm CR special carbs, and a handmade exhaust - plus I'd fitted some Koni rear shocks, with heavier springs, and 'firmed' up the front suspension with more oil in forks, preload wound up, and some air (10psi IIRC) in the forks also. It was kinda firm, until +140kph on the road (then it smoothed out nicely), but it gave it a lot more ground clearance than stock...

Race tracks were more fun, but after 100mph, the GSXR1100's (18" wheel ones) CBR1000's and FZ1000's fairings took effect, and they'd pull away from me on the straights.

After I converted it to 18" spokes, and fitted some Michelin radials - they didn't have anything on me in the corners (when not on slicks) - but their fairings were just too effective over a 'naked' bike, and they'd get too far away on the straights.

you're right, it's hard to compete with fairings.. regardless its great that you were hanging with them in the turns.. at least you know the old bike works

[Steveb64]

you're right, it's hard to compete with fairings.. regardless its great that you were hanging with them in the turns.. at least you know the old bike works

Sadly - that was about 23 or more years ago... It also required a weird style of cornering with the 18"-ers... (From the original 19" front, 17" rear) ... I'd countersteer into the turn, then as I cranked it further over, the steering would get more 'centred', then I'd be steering into the turn (actually turning the bars into the turn), and feeding on the gas to 'rear wheel steer' through the corner. Definitely not a 'natural' feel - and it took a bit of learning. But it DID turn quick.
The club I was in was a bunch of racers - we used to do some stupid fast road rides - I melted (holed) a piston one day - with the speedo on the stops, at around 240kph (150mph)... Yes, it would go that fast - I got timed at an average of 143mph though a flying 1/4, with an 800 metre (yard) run up, and short (one tooth smaller on front sprocket) gearing at a street 'sprint' meet. And it was still accelerating at the end of the 1/4 mile. The news clipping is in one of my posts - somewhere in here in GSR... I didn't have the Yoshi cams in it by then - I had some unknown things that were probably drag race cams, which had something like 300-320 degrees duration. And it still idled. Just.

[Buffalo Bill]

Not and E but I took it out there…

Well, I got the feelin' last August, but I only had my 1100G.
So whatever, I prepped it and took it for a track day.
It was one of the slowest bikes out there, but I was not the slowest rider.
It was hard to get low with those bars…

[sedelen]

There was another video of a stock '82 GS1100E running on a circuit. It was interesting, but somewhere in the middle of the video this GSXR passed him like he was sitting still. But I can't find that video.

[steve murdoch]

evh, a good introductory to track time might be to try the Vintage Track Day that David Howarth runs at Cayuga. Loosely connected to the CVMG.
Only $125.00 for the day, he has one in May and one in Sept.
Not much info in this thread but just to give you an idea to think about in the spring.

http://www.vrra.ca/board/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17030&p=69808#p69808

[evh]

evh, a good introductory to track time might be to try the Vintage Track Day that David Howarth runs at Cayuga. Loosely connected to the CVMG.
Only $125.00 for the day, he has one in May and one in Sept.
Not much info in this thread but just to give you an idea to think about in the spring.
http://www.vrra.ca/board/viewtopic.p...p=69808#p69808

Hi Steve , that's the track I was referring too.. I'm going to be heading there for track day.

[Bevo]

That sounds like fun!

I also have a GS1100 that I would love to take on a track, I may have to join you as I am not too far from you!

Mosport also has a great track, that would be another fun one!

[Steveb64]

Well, I got the feelin' last August, but I only had my 1100G.
So whatever, I prepped it and took it for a track day.
It was one of the slowest bikes out there, but I was not the slowest rider.
It was hard to get low with those bars…

Yup! I know just what you mean. I had a set of those on my 1100 - for about a week. I reckoned they were called crash bars, because they were more likely to cause a crash, then to save one...

My preference was the flat alloy plate ones (see pic), with a rubber pad between them and the engine. They didn't affect the ground clearance, and due to being alloy (aluminium) - didn't dig into the ground and make the bike 'jump/flip' when they did get used as intended... And still saved the engine! Mostly - depending on just how hard it DID hit the ground...