skell15
September 1st, 2010, 08:50 AM
Hey all,
I want to thank all of you with the MRA for being fantastic hosts to the group of us that came down from Minnesota. Overall our entire group had a pretty crappy weekend on the track (only one of us was satisfied with their performance), but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
As for myself, I did the track day on Friday and was able to get decently comfortable on my '04 600RR (#615). I got down to a 1:55 on old tires and was feeling halfway decent with most of the track. Unfortunately my motor isn't tuned for being so close to the sun and my bike was running hot all day. I let a friend take it out for the last session on Friday and it was burning up when he came in.
Once Saturday rolled around, it wouldn't start. My friends tore into it and we figured out that it had something to do with the wiring harness and I was offered my friend's bike to race (#900). I started on the outside of the 11th row in the Novice GTU race and thanks to a halfway decent start on an unknown bike, I was able to catch the back of the first wave by the end of the first lap.
I passed a few people on lap 2 and coming out of the second uphill right-hander (T12??) I stepped the rear out about 8-10 inches, which on my bike this has always been a non-issue as it always does a decent wobble and continues on. This time it gripped and when it started to do it's standard wobble after it regripped, the rear lost traction and I basically spun out and lowsided. I was astonished when I was on the ground because in my mind that issue should have fixed itself instead of doing what it did.
That was the first time I've ever crashed a motorcycle over 50cc's and I was pretty pissed off that it happened in the first race of the weekend. My only timed lap was my standing-start lap which was a 1:57 and I think it would have been an exciting race at the end.
When I fell, my right hand got trapped under the bike and one of my knuckles was ground down to the tendon after a seam in my glove burst. The EMT's took good care of me and I took their advice of heading to the hospital. I've heard the horror stories of bad experiences at hospitals, but the staff at the Rocky Mountain Urgent Care in Aurora was awesome. They even told me it was up to me to decide if I wanted to race on Sunday!
I chose to sit the day out because my ankle was bothering me too much and I didn't want to take anyone out. I know that a particular Lithium rider had an issue with that and I wanted to leave a good impression with you all!
Anyway, my apologies for such a long first post, but we had a great time (even when you include my friend's differential blowing up in Nebraska at about 1AM on Sunday night) and since I feel like I have some unfinished business there, I'm going to try to make it back in October.
Kris Skellenger
MRA #615
I want to thank all of you with the MRA for being fantastic hosts to the group of us that came down from Minnesota. Overall our entire group had a pretty crappy weekend on the track (only one of us was satisfied with their performance), but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
As for myself, I did the track day on Friday and was able to get decently comfortable on my '04 600RR (#615). I got down to a 1:55 on old tires and was feeling halfway decent with most of the track. Unfortunately my motor isn't tuned for being so close to the sun and my bike was running hot all day. I let a friend take it out for the last session on Friday and it was burning up when he came in.
Once Saturday rolled around, it wouldn't start. My friends tore into it and we figured out that it had something to do with the wiring harness and I was offered my friend's bike to race (#900). I started on the outside of the 11th row in the Novice GTU race and thanks to a halfway decent start on an unknown bike, I was able to catch the back of the first wave by the end of the first lap.
I passed a few people on lap 2 and coming out of the second uphill right-hander (T12??) I stepped the rear out about 8-10 inches, which on my bike this has always been a non-issue as it always does a decent wobble and continues on. This time it gripped and when it started to do it's standard wobble after it regripped, the rear lost traction and I basically spun out and lowsided. I was astonished when I was on the ground because in my mind that issue should have fixed itself instead of doing what it did.
That was the first time I've ever crashed a motorcycle over 50cc's and I was pretty pissed off that it happened in the first race of the weekend. My only timed lap was my standing-start lap which was a 1:57 and I think it would have been an exciting race at the end.
When I fell, my right hand got trapped under the bike and one of my knuckles was ground down to the tendon after a seam in my glove burst. The EMT's took good care of me and I took their advice of heading to the hospital. I've heard the horror stories of bad experiences at hospitals, but the staff at the Rocky Mountain Urgent Care in Aurora was awesome. They even told me it was up to me to decide if I wanted to race on Sunday!
I chose to sit the day out because my ankle was bothering me too much and I didn't want to take anyone out. I know that a particular Lithium rider had an issue with that and I wanted to leave a good impression with you all!
Anyway, my apologies for such a long first post, but we had a great time (even when you include my friend's differential blowing up in Nebraska at about 1AM on Sunday night) and since I feel like I have some unfinished business there, I'm going to try to make it back in October.
Kris Skellenger
MRA #615