Summer rocketeering so far

In the beginning of June the weather was freaking great. So I put in the PTO request for a Monday to go to PIR for MotoCorsa Monday. Naturally the rain kicked up and the trackday got scrubbed. The first MotoCorsa TD they've scrubbed in 8 years apparently.

As a consolation prize I decided to go to ORP with MotoFit Group the following weekend. Never been there. Its roughly four hours out from Albany. I met my buddy Tyler and his friend Dennis out there with Dennis' toy hauler. That Saturday we ran Clockwise.

Since it was a new track to me, my first TD of the season, and tires that I'd never tracked before I slummed it in C group and attended their track school. The school and coaches helped me realize some things I was doing wrong and improve my smoothness.

Some maniacs even took their Valkyries  on the track.

June was over and July came along. I still had  MotoCorsa day paid for so I requested the PTO and loaded up. This was different since nobody I knew was going. I bought a easy up canopy for the occasion, which saved my bacon during the 90* temperatures. MotoCorsa puts on a good day, and they even feed you.

On a side note I now have two trackdays on the Michelin Pilot Power Pure rear and Pilot Power front and I'm loving them. Good predictable turn in, quick heat up, and great grip.

Pictured: my stamp collection so far.
Properly mutilated 2CT logo on the chicken strip.
Lunch

My piece of the paddock

Now I need some more coaching to sort out my problems with freaking out going into corners hot, and with down shifting. Also maybe a steering stabilizer and SS brake lines...

Wherever I may roam pt 2

My Dad came up with the idea of certain "bucket list" roads he wanted to ride. One road is HWY101 from the top of Oregon to the bottom. He proposed that we take a road trip.

HWY 101 SUCKS on a sport bike. Getting to the top of Oregon involves some cool roads, but 101 is slow, straight, lots of RVs and did I mention slow? Remember dear reader how I'd been kicking around the idea of buying a Bolt?

So yeah. Did that. My credit score is pretty good so I financed a big chunk of it and rode home on a brand spankin new 2014 Bolt R-Spec, the first vehicle I've ever purchased new. I quickly racked up 500ish miles in a few weeks and took it in for the $300 oil change (first service). I should be able to mount my Airhawk-2 and my Coretech luggage to it and she'll be ready for the tour!

So anyways, pics:

Kendon trailer

There comes a time in every enthusiasts life when he has to choose whether or not to buy a trailer. After four seasons of tracktime and having to coordinate with other people or rent a trailer I decided to buy a trailer. First I did some shopping around in the lower price range.
-Harbor Freight trailers tow badly. No way around it. Requires some effort to set up right, hard to load.
-Single rail trailers. Either the trailer has horrible reviews or the company who sells it can't be reached.
-Trailer in a bag. Not sure I'd trust it for any distance on the freeway, company went out of business.
-5x8' yard work trailer. You can ride the bike up into it, its cheap, but storing it takes up a lot of space.
-U-Haul trailers are heavy as fuck and the last time I rented one I crashed my car partly because it was too heavy.

Well damn, anything under $1200 has some problems.

Next I looked at Kendon trailers. Their designs are pretty unique and purpose built. They are made in the US, use full size wheels and hubs, and the single bike version weighs 350#. The downside is they run about $2500-3000 depending on the model. I ordered mine from a dealer in Texas and it dropped shipped from Tucker Rocky. It arrived two weeks later on a box truck.

Unpacking it was straightforward, it was wrapped in plastic and crated. Initial setup was easy too, all I had to do was mount the wheels and attach the lights. The wire harness it well made, but the lights are cheap and don't have a good way to attach the wires, you just kind jam them in the holes.

Loading was scary the first time since you have to walk/run the bike up the ramp and into the chock. Unloading takes some muscle since you have to push the bike out of the chock, catch it from falling then walk it down the ramp. I'm getting better at it, so its not much of a problem.

The trailer has easy sensible tie down points for the bike (as a side note, I highly recommend Canyon Dancer straps) and a place where the ramp stores. While folded it doesn't take up much room in my garage.

On the highway with a CBR600RR it tows very nicely. It doesn't bounce around or wander. The trailer's suspension handles imperfections in the road well.

Trailer + sportbike weighs about 800#. Behind a Pontiac G6 with a V6 engine it tows well. I got 24mpg on an 8 hour round trip where I was at 55-65mph the whole way. The hubs got warm, but never hot. Try touching Harbor Freight hubs on an 8" wheel after 4 hours on the freeway.

A very good purchase. I am pleased with the Kendon BB107.

Southern Oregon Run June 2014

For the second year in a row Two Wheel Podcast has organized a suspension tuning and seminar day with Dave Moss. For those who don't know, Dave is an AFM racer/champion, tuner, and all around great rider.

Being that I do work for 2WP I had to go. Also since I had just had my forks serviced, seemed like a good time to get my suspension tuned and learn how to do it myself.

Friday I loaded up my luggage and blasted down Territorial hwy, I-5, then up 138 to Diamond Lake for lunch with my brother and dad. I pulled into the park and narrowly missed an OSP that had just pulled someone else over. Territorial is chewed up but scenic. 138 is a great road if you can avoid the RV traffic.

We swapped bikes around at a viewpoint. I got my dad's bike up to (redacted) indicated, and my brother got my CBR up to (redacted), and really liked it. The rest of the ride back to Eagle Point was uneventful, slow, and legal.

Saturday was the big day. I zipped down to KTM in Phoenix. Dave taught seminars in suspension setups and tire wear between bouts of bike setups. We took a run up hwy 66 to test out suspension setups (mine was a huge improvement). Then we explored carcass types and wear patterns to see what means what.

Something something something, run up through Williams and the back way into Grants Pass. Coffee at Dutch Bros, talking to bikers. Downtown full of meth heads. Then dinner with family, drinks, mild hangover.

Then we ran Hwy 227 on Sunday. It was hella chewed up at the top.

The rest of 227 was cool though.

Then lunch at the world's worst indian casino buffet. Probably the hangover didn't help.

I ran I-5 up to Springfield, then Marcola rd up to Lebanon (hella cool). Then the shitty, but direct, route back to home.

Good weekend. Have to tear down the bike in prep for a trackday in a week.

Last minute pre-season prep

My credit card is getting a workout. :) :(
The last few items I needed for my bike before summer were fork oil/seals (I didn't know the condition of mine, better to do it now than chance it), new brake pads, and a new chain.
Superstore was running a clearance on Avon Ultrasport tires from 2012, so I picked up a set of those for $130 also.
Thursday I spent the afternoon riding then dropped off the CBR at Independent Motorcycle Repair in Philomath to get all the work done. I should have it back next week, then I can have Dave Moss set the suspension for me first week of June in Southern Oregon at the suspension clinic we (Two Wheel Podcast) organized.
The last two items I suppose are to change to summer tires (the D616 isn't a track tire, I'll wear them until after my S. OR trip), and get a trailer. Today I ordered a Kendon trailer. Expensive, but I figure it'll last a helluva lot longer than the Northern Tool trailer, I can actually get in contact with the seller unlike the USA Trailer Store/Trailer in a Bag people, and takes up less space than a cargo trailer.
I wonder if I can claim the trailer as a business expense?
Pictured: Avon 3d Ultra Sports, and Michelin Pilot Pure/Power

Pictured: Flyer I made up for the suspension clinic: