Moto Holiday

[stimacsays]

Week 1. 9-1-08
Got as far as Tooele Monday midnight after 12 hr in the truck. Candice, me, George, and Bill Mc. spent the night in the Wall mart parking lot.
We got to Wendover about 11 am. Watched them run to get a feel for how thing were going and to see how the salt conditions looked.
My Dad and Mom meat us in Wendover for dinner. My 73 year old Mom doesn't want to be there, but is afraid I am going to die, so feels she must.
Wednesday we were on the salt as the sun came up. I got up to pre staging about 9 am and started my wait. Around 11am I got to stage at the start line, and waited another hr or so to start my run.
I thought we would have good traction, as the salt was hard and dry this year, but a thin film of salt was just like a sand on concrete.
In the run watch ya brung class we start at mile one and AMA starts at mile 0 and get a 2 mile run at the timing lights. As I started to accelerate, I hit the rev limiter in the 1st 4 gears faster than I could shift. In 5th, I waited for the 1st shift light to blink. In 6th and the throttle on the stop, I start to look for the mile 2 marker. Its still 1/2 mile ahead?
I have some time, so I give a look to the gauges. 160, 170, still spinning. I shift as far back on the seat as I can. Still a 1/4 mile out. Give a look, 185! Then it shows --- after that.
As I go through the lights at mile 2, the rear wheel is a bit snaky. I am as far back on the seat as I can be, and still be in full tuck. Its not helping. I glance at the gauge again, still ---mph. I don’t remember the RPM but no shift lights blinking.
As mile 3 lights come in to view, I am concentrating on, 1 ) WOT. 2 ) tuck in tight. 3 ) ass over the rear wheel.
The back end is still in a slow slither from side to side, my ass is like one inch off the seat and am on the pegs MX stile and still in full tuck. Not even a tug from the wind on my leathers. This is going to be a good one!
I left WOT for a few seconds after going threw the lights at mile 3, just to be sere. Role off the gas real easy like, as not to cause the rear wheel to hop or skid. We took off the front break lever and pried the pads away from the disks. Trick an Old Timer shared. No worries a bought tugging on that! I start slowing at a fast rate. Still in a tuck at 130, as its my 1st time, so very careful.
I took the scooter to the control tower to get my time slip. Did not look till I got back to the trailer. "WTF! 170. ONLY 170!" I thought it was a great run, and was expecting close to 180.
I go right to work changing my gearing. I was at 16X37, and go to 16X36 to get the revs up.
I go to pre stage. By now it is long after lunch and quite warm with no shade. We are there for about a 1/2 hr when we all stops jabbering to see a streamliner screaming by on its return run. As he decelerates after going threw the lights, some thing goes horribly wrong. It like super slow mow, but so sir real I am not certain what I saw happened.
All I see is red parts flying and every were. I as Candice " wasn't that thing Blue." She replied softly." Yes, it was." We found out later the frame was red. The riders name was Cliff Gullett, owner of Team Bozeman. He did not make it. Very sad day. http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2008/09/05/news/20gullett.txt (http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2008/09/05/news/20gullett.txt)
That was it. We loaded up, and took my pore Mom to dinner in Wendover.

[stimacsays]

Thursday we are on the salt about 1/2 hr after the sun is up.
I want my last run in before the heat of the day. More O2 to jam into the air box, and get out of my leathers.
The officials staged us the in the same spots we were in the day before when the event was halted. Should not be to long of a wait.

Things are moving much faster today. Only about an 1 1/2 hr wait.

As I leave mile one, I am much easier on the gas. Now I know I am at full speed at just over a 1/2 mile. She still spins up and hits the limiter in 1st. I short shift 2nd and look back to see 2 blackies. Cool! I nail 3rd and she protest by shaking her tail.
In hi gear, I give a look down, speed-o is already reading "---" with a 1/4 mile till mile 2. Its all just like yesterday except the one tooth bigger on the back has the 1st shift light blinking at me.
At about mile 2 1/2 a cross wind starts pushing me left. I give very little input to the bars and try to correct it with wait on the pegs. Not much help.
Mile 3 is coming, and I am still blowing left, now with all my wait on the right peg, I must counter steer more to stay in side the flags. Kind of scary.
The 3 mile flag flashes by with 20 ft to spare, WOT, and still in full tuck. Yup, this was a good run.

When I get back to the trailer, I look at the slip. "Dang, only 1mph faster." 171mph. But I did not use the F bomb in front of my Mom. So I did learn some thing from yesterday.
Convinced I road my bike as fast as my frame will let it go, I am satisfied and tell my wife we don’t ever have to come back here and wait in line. She feels the same way.

Our bud Bill N. showed up that morning with Candice's bro Mark. Bill N. is the guy that road my bike to 168 last at years Speed week, as I had broken my hand.
Bill did not bring a bike as it was not ready, but had paid his entry fees and is pre-registered. No choice for me but to offer Bill my bike to see how much faster his 6" smaller shoulders and 25 lb frame can go.
Bills 1st run was 179 with the 38 tooth in the rear. He to only had one shift light blinking, but still wants the 37 on for his 2nd run.
178 mph with the taller gearing, and he had the 1st shift light blinking, but backed off before mile 3, as a cross wind gave him quit a fright.

So now I have done it. Was 9 mph short of what I was hoping for, although my bike was only one mph short. I guess if I ever feel the need to do 180, I will buy a 8 year old Busa and just go do it. But that’s not why I went. I went to see how fast I could go on my Ducati. Now I know.

Next we are loaded up and on our way back to Tooele as the sun is going down. We get to Miller at 8:30pm and are not allowed in buy security till the AHMRA rep gets back at 9:30 to get our credentials. I pulled the trailer in to the new Admin building parking lot and proceed to empty it of bikes, generator, chairs. Every thing. Candice sweeps out all the salt and mops as I start the generator to get the front sprocket off. Also went back to 38 out back. I as nice to sleep in a clean trailer that night.

[stimacsays]

Friday morning at Miller was a bit stressful for Candice. Sharing or trailer with Bill Mc. And George was a hard start to the week, but now Mark and Bill N. were camping behind us in the back of Bills truck. My Mom and Dad showed up before the 1st practice. Every one in and out of the trailer for coffee, OJ, and what ever. It was good when I finally got on track and she got some space.

Lucky for me, I made a friend at the salt. Peter had a battery go to ground on his SV650 and used my stock one. He was also racing in the Sounds of Thunder and offered to show me the lines. What luck. I was struggling with confidence, to say the least. Peter worked with me all day. Thanks so much.

When I had a track day last year here, I was much faster, but was riding way over my head. I worked all day on being smooth.

As the day went on, and my lean angle increased, the bike started shutting down in right hander's? When Randy and Amy were our way, it started doing this to them, but in a strait line? A little red heat helped, so off went George to Tooele to get 2 bottles. It helped.

Saturday morning, with new race rubber on, more corner speed. In the right hander's it would stall. Talk about blowing what little confidence I was trying to build.
After the 1st practice Peter came over to find out WTF. I told him the story and he said the only thing to do is get that gas out. So we siphoned it all in to my Honda 3000ei. Hoping it would digest it better than the Duck.
The 2nd practice and race went with no stalls.

My biggest fear of this race weekend was to get in to Doug Pollens' racing line as he was lapping me. Being hated by the entire racing world for killing a living legend was all I could think about. I shared this with my long time racing friend Eric from Billings, who is very fast and been doing this RR thing for years. He told me to hole my line and he would find his way by. I knew that much already. What I was nor ready for was the rate of speed he went by with. All the phrases I have herd work. You know the ones. The one that fit me most was getting pulled in to his vortc, and going in to the next corner 10 mph to fast, and not being able to make it. Most every one else I would hear coming, and hold my line. Also very fast, and Saturday race winner was Patrice from Colorado on a 999. Thoughs guys would go buy, and I would just about poop my pant.

Sunday went buy with out incident. On the track any ways. Just getting confidence and slowly getting some speed. Only 1/2 as many racers lapped me as on Saturday.

[stimacsays]

Carnage from week one.

My tank and Bill Mc. suspenders. F..n old ppl.

Bill N. short ass legs. Scraped the tail with his boot.

Other side of the tail, to much help loading the bikes at Bonneville.

The truck was all mine. Pulling it out of parking to hook up to the trailer. I parked it on a oil drum - garbage can.

The one Candice and I saw, but no photos. After my race Sunday we watched some racing on the west track.
Just in time to see a epic battle for the win between Aaron Clark, Shane Turpen, and a racer I did not know. After many lead changes, and coming on to the strait for the wite flag.
Shane and unknown to me rider go out side of lapper. Lapper goes down on Clarkie as he was went in side. Clark had to be going 30 mph faster, I would say well over 100. BAM! Lapper goes flying. Clarkie has a big tank slapper, and just pounds the gas wide open. Only 2 points separated him and Shane.
The race was red flagged, and went back one lap. Man it was good no one left on a stretcher.

[stimacsays]

Week 2

Monday morning get up at Miller finds Candice and I with only George left for company. Every one else went Home.
We took are time with breakfast and loading. George washed the under caraige of the truck and trailer with a product called salt away. Worked great.

We took all day to get to Reno. The trailer spent the week in Georges Dads,(Alberto) driveway.

Tuesday was laundry and shopping day to restock the trailer.

Tuesday night, we went to a bike night at a Italian resteraunt called La Vecchia. Saw some killer bike and met some great ppls.

Mike has a killer 998 and Owner of La Vecchia Chef Alberto has a so nice 916sps. One young man had a very custom Monster no one could just walk past.

Jarome is the Precedent of the Sierra Sports bike club, and hooked us up with a camping spot for the AMA race at Laguna Seca. Very cool indeed.

[stimacsays]

Wednesday, we took a ride up to lake Tahoe. It was nice but windy. Like who cares. We are on vacation and riding our bikes. We headed home early so I could take my wife out for a fancy Italian resteraunt. Witch one you ask? My ne friends, La Vecchia of corse. Yum yum. We just don’t get that kind of food in our small coal mining town.

Alberto came out of the kitchen to visit with us. He invited us to a test and tune day at the Reno-Fernley raceway Friday. We had plans to be in California then. But we agreed and I left with a happy tummy and looking forward to some more track time.

Thursday we rode to Virginia city and did the tourist thing. That was OK with me for about 10 minute, but did the right thing, went along as any good man that is on a 4 week Moto holiday with his wife should. A few hours later we were riding again. This time we stopped at a beach George used to visit as a kid with his Mom and Dad. It was nice to be people watch for a spell.

Added a photo of George and his Dads wood pile.

[stimacsays]

Friday we went to the Fernley track. Alberto rolled in about 1/2 hr late. I did not bitch about it because he had his body guard Juseppi. Also met JENX. He was kind enough to video me. Thanks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvdQPL5moqc

What a great track! Lots of elevation changes and blind corners. Took some time to learn. I would love to go back.

The faster I went, the worse it would stall in the right handers. AGAIN! George went in to town to get more gas line drier."Heat" I just pounded laps learning the track. The Heat only help a little. I still had a blast.

Alberto tried out my 1098, then Juseppi did 2 laps on it. I was afraid it would be out of gas after all the laps. But it did good. That extra 1.5 gal big tank is nice.

Both the guy liked the way the carbon fiber wheels turn in. I tell ppl that ask if thy are worth the $$. Think it, and its done. I would buy them again.

At 2pm my payed track time was up, and it was good. I was beat. Every one was so nice and I appreciate all the help.

Juseppi let Candice try out his S4R. Her dream bike is the S4RS Tri color. The test ride did help with my Christmas shopping. If I win the Lottery.

[stimacsays]

Saturday, before Candice and I could leave for the rest of our trip to California, I changed the water...I mean the fuel filter. I was hoping that would stop the stalls.

Off to Auto Zone, or who ever, and a $5 filter and $2 for the clamps. I dumped the water gas mix in the generator. I hope that doesn't bite me later.

[stimacsays]

Sunday morning, we woke up at the track. Thunderhill. Wow, new black top. This is going to be fun.

Jerome and his friend, sorry I'm so bad with names, parked buy us.

Jerome gave me lots of tips about the fast/safe way around the track. Thanks again.

The 1098 ran perfect. Not one stall. The old filter must have been saturated with water.

This bikes builds confidence fast. I was still riding easy on the brakes, trying to be smooth. It worked, I was in control all day, and getting faster all day.

Track photos are buy gotbluemilk.com

[stimacsays]

A minnie van parked beside us in the pits. Dude is trying to unload his MV track bike, and having lots of trouble. I offer to help and he shooed me away. So I step back and watch his fight it more. It falls over in the van, I rush over just to be run off again? Am I that threatening. I watched Deliverance, and I dont look any thing like them. May be my Canadian accent, eah? I had to go some where else in the pits, because watching this was killing me.

Lots of carnage. I bet a bike crashed in every session. Is this normal?

[stimacsays]

We started week three with 3 nights in Ft. Brag.
One day we rode up to Leggett and did the drive threw tree.

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Another day we went south to the Point Arena light house. Went inland for lunch. I was digging all the rain and cool weather, but it was not what Candice expected. It did not matter, she wanted to ride so bad... Rain gear.

The wettest day we spent checking out the town.

[mtnairlover]

Now that's a trip. Gimme more time to read everything, but I do like the pix.

[ZX Rider]

Wow, what a trip. Great pictures.
Thanks for sharing.

[stimacsays]

Sorry if I am a bit long winded. I had already posted this much on the 1098-forum, so up till now it was just copy, paste.

Then,

We went to Bodega Bay next.
Friday, we rode the one to Mill Valley, stopping just before San Francisco. We did not want to go in to the city. Traffic and all. Fog most of the day, with the rain waiting to come down in buckets with only 10 miles left on the day trip. Should have stopped to put on the rain gear, but were so close. I have bad judgement in most of these choices. We got soaked.

[mtnairlover]

Don't worry about the long-winded'ness...it's all good.

Mill Valley and Bodega Bay...parts of Cali that my family is very familiar with. My Grandmother's Dad owned property up in those hills back in the early 1900's before he decided that the city would be a better place to live, cuz they didn't have running water, or electricity.

Anyhoo, that's another story, but your story is making me all nostalgic-like. Makes me want to plan a trip like that myself.:)

[stimacsays]

Sunday, we headed for Monterey, to get threw San Fran with less effort than a week day. You know, Montana driver, in lots of traffic, truck with race trailer.

It did not matter. As Bugs Bunny would say, "I must have took a wrong turn at Albuquerque?" Yup, after the Golden Gate Bridge, I got in the wrong lane, and wound up down town. I was going to try to double back. Oh oh! Fishermans Wharf, 3 blocks.
I meant to have a Tom Tom or the likes before we left, but allot of stuff I would have liked got put off, as getting the 1098 race ready took all I had.
We did find the Interstate , after doing a tour threw a scary neighor hood. Makes me glad we did not find Oakland!
Side note, if you are trying to beat a street car, and you have a trailer, it helps if your truck has over 600 ft lbs of torque. Im just saying, thats all.

[stimacsays]

Sunday night we spent in the Veterans camp ground on the hill in Monterey. It was nice. We could here the Sea Lions bark all night.
Next morning we left for the Hearst Castle. Man Hwy 1 is fun.
By the time we got down there it was lunch time, so we went in to San Simeon to eat.
Bad idea. When we got to the Castle, all the tours were sold out for the day. If we would have just stoped there 1st we would have got in. Oh well, it was a fun ride.

[ChrisCBX]

Great post.:)

You folks had quite an adventure.

[lovinCO]

Amazing vacation! You should definitely get Candice the S4R (or RS). :)

[riverock]

one word....

wowholycrapthatwasawesome

[Autom8ed]

WHOAHH!! WTF is that thing?

[stimacsays]

WHOAHH!! WTF is that thing?
Its a 2 wheel streamliner. It crashed around 200 mph, with a 500 cc motor.
Much like the BUB Streamliner that went 350 in the open class the year before with Chris Carr at the bars.

[stimacsays]

More photos from Mill City. HWY 1 with the Bay on the right. Muir Beach.

Because Cathy liked them.

[stimacsays]

Amazing vacation! You should definitely get Candice the S4R (or RS). :)
Thanks all.
Candice was supost to buy her oun bike this time. It seams as our Grandkids get all her $. I asked her what she wanted for X-mass? Yah, you guessed it. S4SR.

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The next night was our last at that campground. Damn Sea Lyons barking all night, kept us up.
We moved to our spot at the track. Had a blast with our new friends. Went to Carmel for some shopping, then to the beach.

Thursday, Candice went to the Aquarium. We met our friends Dinner.

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Friday we hung out at the track, Got to visit with Scott Jenson and his crew, Aaron Clark and Shane Turpen.
Candic and I and the camp ground crew all played Boche ball on the lawn in front of the Suzuki tent.
We all went to the riders bike night. Man was I disappointed with the bikes. It was a true Squid fest with bikes banging on the rev-limiters and all that neon.
The Riders was cool.

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Saturday we spent a lot of time at Ducati island with Candices dream bike and drinking coffee. I keep telling her, a $5 sticker, and her coffee pot would look just like this one, and we would not have to spend the $2000 on it.
Took some photos at the Cork Screw.
Nice to see Larry Pengrum go so good on his 848.

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Sunday, racing was great. My camera, not as great. Ben in turn 2.

We stayed late after for dinner, and camp fir with our new buds, so we did not get on the road till almost 8pm.
Around 1 am, we stoped for the night at a K-mart parking lot just East of Sacromento. It was past time.

We spent Monday night in Reno at Georges dads. I wanted to have one more meal at La Vecchias. YUM, YUM! Nice to to see Alberto.

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Next day my younger Brother Max cooked for us, and we were able to stayed with him and his family in Hailey ID.

Wednesday, as we got in to Montana, the Fall colors we already on the way. WOW we were gone a long time. Spent the night visiting old friends in Bozeman.

Before we got home Thursday evening, I had to stop and see my old MX buddy Scoot at Extreme Machines in Billings to tell him about the trip. (he just caught the sport bike bug, picked up a 748) I feel good about having a little influence about that.

Friday 5 am came way to soon, and I found my self at work. Damn I hate that.

I have been home for one month now. Still trying to get caught up.
Boss gave me my next year vacation request form. needs it back next week. Any one have any ideas? Because I dont.