RSV on the track

[Rick Butler]

Hey Guys,

 

I think some you might be interested in see what a RSV will do on the track. But for some past history, a friend of mine got me interested in this a couple of years ago as a means to improve my riding skills.

 

However I didn't start out on the Venture. I decided to buy a smaller bike (Ninja 650R) for 2 reasons (1) a starter bike for my 21 year old neice and (2) a track bike for me until I got her through the MSF training, her license and some coaching from me. However number 2 didn't come about, so I kept it for a bike to take to a track school for 4 sessions. And I'll tell you right now this is the most fun I have ever had on 2 wheels and I've never learned more than I did at the track than I have in any other of my other training and personal experiences.

 

But after 4 times on the 650, I felt it was time to see if all I had learned would translate to takeing my bigger bike on the track. So I took her up to the track, preped her and then took her out. At first everyone was giving me that look like how is that big bagger going to do in the corners and how long will it be before he goes off the track. Well by the end of the day I had made a believer of all of them that this big bike could handle the corners and that I did not hold up anyone by parking it in the corners. Now I couldn't get the lean angle that I could on my 650 because of the ground clearance, but I was able to take it as far as the bike would let me and I didn't grind anything but the plates on the floor boards.

 

Now I will admit that the suspension on my 02 Midnight is anything but stock, with Race Tech cartridge emulators, heavier fork springs, a Works shock, my Leveling Links, and a 130/90 front tire, not to mention 4 piston calipers on the front brakes (to slow me down). So I'm not sure I would have done this with a box stock Venture and had as much fun.

 

So attached are a few pictures of the day,

 

Rick

[Greener]

I like pic #3, lookin' over your shoulder at the "rockets".

[Freebird]

Pretty cool Rick. Wish I could have been there with you. I don't see any sparks though....we will need for you to do it again at night so that we can see the sparks.

[kenw]

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[BoomerCPO]

Last summer I had the chance to run my Venture on the Stafford Speedway track here in CT. It was a Bikers Fundraising Event so I paid my $20,signed the Liability Waiver,and hit the track! My first 2 laps were fairly medium on speed-60mph.....On the 3-10 laps I really hit the throttle. It was a blast!! The track is a banked oval and the scoot handled beautifully through all the turns. Surprising considering I was running the Dunlop 404's on the old girl!

 

I didn't scrape the floorboards but I sure came close!

 

Boomer......who enjoyed maintaining his "pucker factor" on a really great race track.

[Yammer Dan]

Scraped both sides of the "Blue Beast" without boards on her. Makes me remember why I didn't want boards on her. Would have cut down on the FUN!!

[SaltyDawg]

Neat, what's up with the blue covers over the lights?

[Boomer]

I'm guessing the covers are to keep glass off the track...

[flb_78]

That's painter's tape so when you wreck, you don't spray glass all over the track.

 

I'd love to run my Venture on a track like that. I can lay my bike completely over onto the frame and mufflers on the street. It'd be great fun to run it on a track and really open it up.

[BoomerCPO]

I'm guessing the covers are to keep glass off the track...

 

Yep....Blue painter's tape. All the scoots who went on the Race Track here had to use that over their front lights as well.

 

 

Boomer......Responding to another Boomer and I'm sober as a Judge..... and keeping a eyeball on mah sippin whiskey with this other Boomer tip toeing around heah.....

[Condor]

[Snaggletooth]

That looks like a great way to spend an afternoon and every weekend thereafter.

[Monsta]

What was playing on the radio when you were going around the track?

[KiteSquid]

Was the instructor talking to you via your CB Radio???

[mikentinamidnight]

I've had mine around watkins glen several times and the stock rsv does quite well through the corners with avons on.

I even had a couple of crotch rocket riders say that they didn't know you could do that kind of cornering on a full dresser.

Not to mention how much fun it is to pass crotch rocket in the middle the corners.

It sounds like you had a great time.

[Rick Butler]

Ken,

 

They wouldn't let me listen to the radio and made me unhook my cord and put it up. The same went for anyone carrying an Ipod or MP3 w/earbuds.

 

Now what I didn't mention is this was more than a day at the track, it was a RideSmart track school where you spent 20 minutes on the track and then 40 minutes off the track to debrief and attend the class. Then it's another 20 minutes back on the track practicing what you just learned in class. And in their Level I (or beginner) class any bike is welcome, where I had seen many types of BMWs, Gold Wings and other sport touring bikes like the FJR, ST1300, Vstrom, etc. But how they teach cornering is completely backwards to where you start at the earliest exit line from a corner, locating the clip points (apex) in a corner, corner entry points, throttle control and then brake control. By the end of the day you get to put all of these points all together for what I call really smart cornering. And you get to do this on a highway 20-40 feet wide with no oncoming traffic or yellow lines to worry about as you get to spend all day going over these same corners until you get it right.

 

For those of you live in the DFW area, you might be interested in checking out the RideSmart Track school where they hold events at Cresson south of Benbrook and Eagles Canyon at Slidel, west of Sanger.

 

http://www.ridesmart.info/about.htm

 

Thier owner, Dave Wonders has a mission to reach out to more than just sport bikes to help develop skills that may save their life. If any of you have ever gone off in the ditch after doing something stupid, you will appreciate being able to develop a skill set that will keep you on the pavement and out of the ditch (right after you mumble "Oh ****"). I just happen to be one of those riders who is always working toward continuous developement.

 

It's more fun than you will ever know and will certainly make riding the backroads of Arkansas, etc much more enjoyable and with more confidence.

 

But for me, I'm now going to sell my Ninja 650R and buy just a non street track bike so I can now go out there and play with my friends.

 

Rick

[Yammer Dan]

Would love to try my 750 Maxium on a track. Some of these WV twisties used to be on it.