KIWI's Taupo Race Day

Track days, professional racing, amateur racing, or racing in general. Post it here!
Post Reply
User avatar
kiwi60
Help!!! I need a LIFE!!!
Posts: 2105
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:37 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

KIWI's Taupo Race Day

Post by kiwi60 »

This year, our NZPCRA GP meeting was being held on a Saturday, so Duke22 and I decided to take Friday off work and travel the 300kms to Taupo.

Duke came over and we loaded the bike and made our way the a local sign writer to get the speed blocks added to the bike - and they look perfect - even if I do say so myself, then a leisurely cruise down the Island in perfect weather to arrive in time for the Friday evening scutineering, and garage grab.

Image

Saturday dawned with a brisk 6 degrees C, but promised to be a beaut day weather wise, so after bacon and eggs at a cafe by the lake, we headed off to the circuit.

We were using the full track again with a 3.3 km length so there's plenty of variety and fun to be had.

Image

The temp was still in the single figures (there was snow on the mountains in the distance...) so I set the tyre pressiure to 30psi and went out for the practice session.

Apart from needing to regain confidence in high speed cornering, I had a ball and qualified mid pack (man this things has some legs down the straights), two places behind Duke22 on his FZR 911.

Race time, still chilly, line up, lights out, let the clutch out and HOLY SHIT - I'm having a real good look at the tacho and not much else!!!!!!

It would seem that the cable clutch takes up a smidge quicker than the hydraulic unit and as this was my first full on race start, lets say it was a learning experience.

I still got a good start and made up a few places into the first corner.

Got taken by a few bikes on the infeild, but got by them again on the straights, in fact I could even pull the fastest bikes in down the back straight with the hp the FZR is making, it truley is impressive!!!!

The race settled down and according to one on looker, there was a group behind me on the infield, but I kept gapping them any time a straight came into view.

Three corners from the end, one of the fast boys behind me came around the outside of me around the sweeper T11) onto the back straight, so I opened the taps and passed him easily on the straight, only to have him do it again coming out of the last corner (T14) heading up to the flag - so I just opened the ol' girl up again and took the place for a mid pack finish and 5th in the class.

Back in the pits we got the bike up onto the front wheel stand, only to notice the front brakes were binding quite badly.
It turned out that two pistons in the LHS caliper seemed not to be retracting, and after trying everything available in the pits, I elected to call it a day and strip the caliper before the next meeing - discression being the better part of valour.

It was still a successful race meeting though, great fun and no extra scratches on the bike this time :)

There are a few things that have been added to the 'to do list' such as change he pegs to non-folding items as I tend to flick them up when moving around on the bike, and invest in a set of tyre warmers (I've been putting that one off for years), and check out the switch on the quick shifter as it crapped out on me (again).

The falicon cluch basket is working well and the clutch slip is non existant now.

We had a few other FZR racers coming over and having a real close look at what weve done to the bikes, and one or two of them might just pop up on here in the next week or so :P

Next race is on November 14th, so there's plenty of time to get things sorted - I can't wait :banana
“I venture not to cross that finish line in a neat, tidy well ordered bundle, but to slide across it sideways in a shower of spark’s, leaking oil, hissing steam shouting ..Geronimo !!!!! “

2005 SV996R SOLD
1988 FZR750/1040 race bike SOLD
1988 FZR750/1000 - the next project CHANGING THE LOOK AGAIN, BUT STILL ON THE ROAD
Now he's got a KAWASAKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nope - Sold that one too
Dang - he’s got a Triumph now :o

Mike_SS
Veteran Poster
Posts: 407
Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:07 pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Post by Mike_SS »

Nice one kiwi :). No scratches is always good and it sounds like the bike is close to sorted.

(That track layout looks like fun :) )
_________________________

1994 YZF750R Race/Track Bike
1992 FZR1000 Race/Track Bike

spook
Dolphin-headed purple plasma TLR thing?
Posts: 3837
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:12 pm
Location: Melbourne. Australia

Post by spook »

Woohoo! Now that's good news Kiwi.

The speed blocks look great and finish the bike off nicely as well. Heres to happy safe racing! Cheers.

hotcam
Help!!! I need a LIFE!!!
Posts: 1487
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:29 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by hotcam »

Yep bikes look great and it sounds like you had a fantastic time! Good news.
-------
'95 FZR1040 '09 FZ1-S
"And they had a machine, a dream of a machine, with wheels and gears and perfect in every respect, and they lived on it..." -Stanislaw Lem, "Cyberiad"

JasonL
Veteran Poster
Posts: 498
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:25 am
Location: Melbourne

Post by JasonL »

I like that circuit layout, is it flat or does it undulate? Clockwise?

Some encouraging stuff happening race-wise, the bike does look good, I'd always wondered what those Yamaha paint schemes were called, speed blocks, so elegantly obvious!

User avatar
kiwi60
Help!!! I need a LIFE!!!
Posts: 2105
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:37 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Post by kiwi60 »

I like that circuit layout, is it flat or does it undulate? Clockwise?
The circuit runs anti clockwise with the start on the RHS straight (T1 at the top of the map), and is flat as a board, but dam good fun.

The long straight isn't as long as it looks in the picture as I only managed to get the bike wound up in 4th, but that was more than enough for me :roll:

The next race is at my favorite track, Pukekohe Raceway on the 14th :banana
“I venture not to cross that finish line in a neat, tidy well ordered bundle, but to slide across it sideways in a shower of spark’s, leaking oil, hissing steam shouting ..Geronimo !!!!! “

2005 SV996R SOLD
1988 FZR750/1040 race bike SOLD
1988 FZR750/1000 - the next project CHANGING THE LOOK AGAIN, BUT STILL ON THE ROAD
Now he's got a KAWASAKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nope - Sold that one too
Dang - he’s got a Triumph now :o

Post Reply