Saturday I went for my first track day, it's a vintage track day so I took my '84 Yamaha XJ Maxim parts bike. which isn't really a parts bike anymore, as it just needs turn signals to be complete. It was lots of fun.... Here's a timeline...
A week to track day - SOCC 09 - Have dragged the bikes up to Ross's place for the SOCC to try and get them running, both bikes aren't starting. turns out one is fouled plugs and the other is just poor electrical contact. the parts bike which is now becoming a track bike sounds pretty good even with one muffler off. It's alive muhahah. Learned that there is a design flaw with the bolts that hold the back plate of the generator in. The one that is closest to the cylinders likes to seize. Ross is a man that won't be beaten by a mere bolt though. Btw does anyone have any of those torx bolts from behind the generator? I can use one. Ross gives me a Vstar muffler that some one left behind, his only request is pics of it mounted.
Tuesday - dropped the bike off at P&D North to get the muffler Ross gave me put on.
Thursday - tried to get the bike running after the exhaust swap - wouldn't start. I know the plugs are getting gas and electricity, we had the bike running last saturday.
Friday - bike still won't start, I call Ken "Kneedragger88" McAdam to see if there is something that he can do to make it run.. I pack up the truck with my camping gear, dog and food. I'm in such a hurry I forget my grips, gas can with gas and leave the front door wide open. oops.
Unload the bike at Ken's place and the damn thing fires right up. WTH... Well at least it runs now. Yay! While hanging out for a minute after the bike is running, his wife Tracy says I can free Shadow for a bit. Shadow is a hit with the kids, and he's in heaven with the attention. Tarah stops in with her leathers to see if they fit me. They don't. I'm kicking her out of the fat club because she's skinnier than I am. Ken and Tracy loan me Ken's leathers which while a bit loose they'll protect my ass in a crash. Ken doesn't know me or who I am, so I'm surprised at this generosity. I am a little hesitant at borrowing them as I couldn't afford to replace them I don't need the leathers to ride (ballistics are allowed) but I'm going to wear them because Tarah, Ken and Tracy insist. Ken jokes that I might want to duct tape over his last name on the seat of the leathers because some of the vintage racing guys don't like him for some stupid jealousy reason.
Hrrm looks like I'm just in time to hit friday night rush hour traffic through Toronto. I take back roads until Oshawa where the express lanes start, manage to maintain 80-100km/h on the 401 to Weston road where I pop off to visit Rosey Toes for some grips and then a couple blocks later I'm in Etobicoke at my parents where I check on the place, grab a few tools and head off to Cayuga.
Make it through the weekend traffic leaving Toronto, snag a can of gas on the way and get into TMP after night fall. I get the truck unloaded, dog tied up, tent raised and I unload the bikes (I brought my street bike because I can steal parts off it if required. After I get set up this guy comes over and says that his generator is going to go on about 3am when his batteries die. Suggests that I move my tent around the side of my truck.... I don't see the difference it makes but i figure what the hell, there's nothing in the tent.
Everything is set up, time for a beer and to start heating a can of what ever chunky soup i brought. Try to fire up the bike, it kind of wants to start, but doesn't. more grumbles. Check on the soup, it's not getting warm with that gel candle thing. Poke more at the bike. People in the next camp site over are singing... I'm too lazy to make a fire but in hind sight I probably should have. Got my soup warmed up, fajita something or other, it's rather tasty. I decide it's time for bed. This will be my first time camping with Shadow and I don't know what to expect. Hopefully he won't burst through the tent in the middle of the night.
It's midnight and those damn people are still singing. Am a little chilled in my feet. Although my sleeping bag is good for keeping me warm my body isn't good for getting the warmth to my feet. Shadow is settled in nicely, I've brought his blanket in from the truck for him to sleep on, I find it chilly and he doesn't seem to mind me wrapping it around him. I manage to get some sleep but wake up every so often.
3am my feet are cramping up big time... who's idea was it to come up friday night and sleep in a tent in september... oh ya.... mine. hey i've got hot pocket thingies in my bag.. Why didn't I think of them before. Ahh that does the trick.
6am suns up and I'm not sleeping any more. Feels like I might have caught something. Take the dog over to the showers. There is no where to tie him up inside the shower area, guess he is getting tied to the pole out side. sorry buddy, mommy will be not far and not too long. Mmmm hot water, warms the body up, that feeling like I caught something goes away.
Saturday Breakfast. cooking with gas, forget trying to use the gel pack. Perogie, bacon and eggs are served. Hey where's the utensils... damn... I steal a fork from the food stand. Yummy. Food tastes better when cooked on the tail gate of a pickup truck. Back to poking at the bike. Still won't start. ^&*%$#%@# and @#$#^(#@*!!! Plugs have gas, the coils work great (tested them last week and they read "9")
Now I know the plugs aren't the best so I try swapping them for new. Well, look at that. Damn thing runs! Hey look at that, previous owner had the wrong plugs. they're supposed to be BP7ES not BR7ES. Sounds pretty good too. A little test ride, oops guess I went too fast in the pit, I didn't get out of 1st gear. Now on to tech. Only complaint is the muffler is a little loose. My ratchet takes care of that and we're good to go. I'm in beginner so we're the first to go out. Time to gear up.... handling the one piece leathers is like half wresting and half dancing with a drunk partner... I tango around the campsite. Ok geared up and the MC boots look kinda like ninja feet but backwards. Lets go.
We're being shown the track a couple laps and then we're on our own. Vroooooom no speeding tickets here! Take the right corner.... that exhaust could be higher, it's rubbing on the turn... oh well I didn't pay for it. ok so we know the lines but my exhaust prevents me from taking the right handers properly. If I want some speed through these corners I'm going to have to hang a little off the right side... that's a bit better... I wonder if this is like monkeying for a side car.... left side now.... I guess I don't have to be so extreme on the left corners because it puts me too quick for the right corners... Hey there's the photographer, should I wave or just concentrate on making the corner.... let's make the corner and not give the photographer a nice crash to get on my first track day, there will be other track days to crash at.
Shadow is behaving pretty good though he does get upset when I leave him. The event organizer's wife (there's so many names and I forgot all of them) brings him a treat and says she'll bring her dog after lunch. Shadow is picky about his treats, he likes the junk food ones. He doesn't like the two strokers either. Wants to lay in the truck except it's too warm for him (or anyone). Some one walking by comments on how well I'm riding. Sweet. A few are surprised that it's not only my first track day but I've only been riding for a year and 3 months. Some of it is natural ability but some of it I can attribute to the miles I put on the bicycle when I was a teen/young adult.
There are for groups, beginner, slow, medium and fast. It's my first track day and really I don't know what I'm doing other than going around the track in circles. My exhaust is holding me and the odd person up, though I can take most of them on the straight away. I have my camera mounted but only turned it on for two sessions. I ask when lunch is... no lunch, these people are hard core, that means every hour I get 15 minutes of riding. sweet.
Shadow meets a new friend (a husky whom I've forgotten the name of) and he gets one of the treats he likes, a whole beggin strip. Shadow took too long to eat his strip and the other dog decided she wanted it too (she already had one of those bone marrow treats). Ouch there's a bit snout and tongue, that other dog isn't very nice is she. Shadow isn't in the best mood the rest of the day.
Heat up a can of chunky soup for lunch, Shadow is still sulking, I give him a bit of the juice from the soup on his kibble but he's not that interested in his food or in his treats. It's gotten cooler so I leave the truck door open so he can go in it.
Finish up the last couple sessions, only 2 off road incidents, kept the shiny side up during them. Now I have to pack everything up... why did I bring all this stuff? (I did end up using most of it).
Driving back to my parent's place in Etobicoke I was beat from the long day and chilly night, traffic isn't too bad, though I require two redbulls to make it there. I thought I might make it to see Agave in Uxbridge but that's not going to happen, I got in the house and realized that if I try to go anywhere I'm gonna pass out while riding the bike or when I get there. Off to the showers and then to bed for me....
PS Sunday Shadow was feeling much better, he got into the bag of marrow treats and ate them all when I was outside. |
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