http://www.r6live.com/blogs/ Best Yahama R6 Forum on the internet, containing maintenance and technical advice, modifications and warranty issues to riding tips, track advice and race talk. R6 Owners, join the real R6 Community. R6Live.com! en Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:33:36 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.r6live.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.r6live.com/blogs/ http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/22-pilgramage.html Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:52:12 GMT Opinion/Commentary *By Pete Hitzeman* R6Live.com After a seven hour sprint across the deserts and hills of southern and central California,... Opinion/Commentary
By Pete Hitzeman
R6Live.com

After a seven hour sprint across the deserts and hills of southern and central California, I abruptly found myself at home among friends. Moments before they were total strangers, but just then, sitting around a campfire with a beer in my hand, I realized that we had essentially known each other for many years. Stories were exchanged, arguments joined, and jokes were told as if it were the reunion of a long-separated family.

Perhaps it was. I was at Laguna Seca, an unlikely race course nestled into the hills near Monterey. During one weekend every summer, the otherwise tranquil and picturesque nature reserve explodes into three days of power and pageantry known as the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.

Attending a race weekend is a shock to the system of even the most ardent race fan. The assault on all senses, the intangibles of the atmosphere and the proximity to one’s heroes combine to produce a state of almost childlike bewilderment for the racing faithful. To be sure, watching a race on television may give you a better overall understanding of what’s going on throughout the weekend, but it is no substitute for the in-person experience.

And there is no experience quite like MotoGP.

Superbike races are a great time as well, don’t misunderstand me. The access the fans get to the paddock, the riders, and the race experience as a whole is really amazing. But a MotoGP weekend is, understandably, orders of magnitude more enthralling. The manufacturers pull out all the stops for their displays. There are free concerts, demo rides, prize drawings for everything from a hoodie to a place in the MotoGP hot pit for a day (the latter of which was won by a resident of our own camp!).

And the bikes. Nothing can quite prepare you for the sound, smell and feel (yes, feel) of a thoroughbred MotoGP bike rocketing past you at full song. At all times during a lap, the bikes sound like every ghoul of hell resides within their fairings. In person, you can see them buck, weave, and try their best to send each rider to an early grave. And while you can’t watch a whole lap at a time, watching each rider come through a single section can reveal details you’d otherwise never know.

A race weekend is the playing out of a short, intense drama, and there are few tracks better suited as a stage than Laguna Seca. The track was most decidedly not designed on a computer. The front straight isn’t straight. Corners are blind, and the elevation never ceases changing. The corkscrew simply defies description. Watching trackside as rider after rider dropped off the edge at the top, it seemed that they could continue to do so only on faith. Prudence would tell you that it’s not a place on the track to go fast, simply to survive and move on to the next corner. But the riders would plunge from the summit with abandon, twisting the throttle viciously as soon as the suspension settled into the next corner. The drama of the section, the ten-story drop in elevation, and the action this part of the stage provides is iconic in all of motorsport.

Walking around the track, you’ll find many of the finer aspects of mankind on display. Displays of courage and heroism abound on the racetrack, of course, but the spirit of brotherhood, of charity and of general goodwill are found in abundance off the track. In this respect, I’ve found that a motorcycle race is quite apart from other large gatherings of people. Though I’ve never been able to identify the reason, there is a camaraderie and understanding peculiar to motorcycle racers, riders and fans. I am frequently humbled to be counted among them.

A race weekend is equal parts art, heroism and superlative emotion. Motorcycles careen out of a corner at the razor’s edge of control, hurtling away at impossible speed through the waves of heat emanating from the asphalt. A symphony of noise blasts from each exhaust pipe, adding music to the scene. Old men and young boys shout, jump and cheer alike. The new convert and the seasoned veteran feel a common passion being stirred within them for the spectacle unfolding all around.

A race weekend is a place where incredible things can, and always do, happen, and the action on the track is only a part of it. I barely slept for days, but I wasn’t tired. I was sunburned, injured and sore from miles of walking, but I was cheerful. And so were tens of thousands of my brothers and sisters, transported as we were, for a weekend, to that other world known only to those who have been there, a Grand Prix weekend. ]]> CephasGT http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/22-pilgramage.html http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/9-death-family.html Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:43:56 GMT Opinion/Commentary *by Pete Hitzeman* R6Live.com It seems almost cliché to say that the motorcycle racing community is very much a family. But... Opinion/Commentary
by Pete Hitzeman
R6Live.com

It seems almost cliché to say that the motorcycle racing community is very much a family. But one has to look no further than Colin Edwards' post-race interview at Indianapolis, or the faces of the podium finishers today at Misano to know that it is completely true.

The past week has been uncharacteristically trying for those in the roadracing family. Last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 13-year-old phenomenon Peter Lenz was killed in what can only be described as a freak warm-up lap incident, just before the second USGPRU race. News of Lenz's passing reached the turn 1 grandstand, where I was sitting, just before the start of the Moto2 race via text message and mobile internet, and the mood among the gathered thousands immediately turned somber. For those of us who already knew, the excitement of the Moto2 race and even Ben Spies' masterful ride to 2nd place in the MotoGP race had a decidedly hollow feeling.

On Wednesday at the Manx GP, James Adam, a 28 year old Royal Navy officer from Prestwick, and Chris Bradshaw, a 39 year old traffic policeman from Tamworth were killed in the same accident on lap 2 of the Junior race. The race was immediately red flagged and later abandoned. Adam was declared dead at the scene. Bradshaw was airlifted to a nearby hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.

Today, on the very day a moment of silence was observed for Lenz, 19-year-old Shoya Tomizawa crashed exiting a high-speed right hand corner on lap 12 and was struck by two other riders with nowhere to go. Tomizawa was a rising Japanese star, having won the first ever Moto2 race at Qatar. His riding style was bold and tenacious, but off the track he was known for his smiling, lighthearted demeanor. The entire Grand Prix paddock has been devastated at his passing, with many MotoGP riders declining to even comment on their races after news reached them.

Fatalities in motorcycle racing have become mercifully rare over time. Tracks are safer, protective equipment has made quantum leaps, and the motorcycles themselves are less dangerous in many ways. But weeks like this remind all of us how dangerous the sport we love can be. There is no air fence or back protector for bad luck. And when bad luck happens at high speed on two wheels, the worst can, and occasionally does, happen.

This element of danger is a part of why we love the sport the way we do. We idolize the riders, whether favorites or not, because of the bravery it takes to do what they do, and the skill required to do it so well. Anyone who has ridden a motorcycle knows the sort of risks involved, but we choose to do it anyway. We choose to ride and race not because we are blind to the danger, but because we understand that for those of us with this sort of passion, to live a life devoid of risk is to not live at all.

There is an ancient Italian proverb which says "It is better to live one day as a lion than a thousand years as a lamb." Lenz, Bradshaw, Adam and Tomizawa all chose to be lions. And while we will mourn their loss deeply, we, the fellow riders, racers, fans, journalists, photographers and track personnel consider ourselves honored to have known them, and more honored still to be counted among them.

Goodbye and Godspeed, brothers. We will never forget you. ]]> CephasGT http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/9-death-family.html http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/8-grid-filler-rules-will-not-solve-motogps-troubles.html Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:15:48 GMT Opinion/Commentary *by Pete Hitzeman* R6Live.com A significant portion of the epic silly season in MotoGP this year involves the future of the... Opinion/Commentary
by Pete Hitzeman
R6Live.com

A significant portion of the epic silly season in MotoGP this year involves the future of the series itself, as Dorna seems poised to yet again revise the class rules, starting in 2012. While we're nowhere near any final version of the '12 rulebook, it seems clear that 1000cc engines will be returning in some fashion, be they true prototypes, production engines in prototype chassis (a la Moto2), or some sort of spec engine. Some talk has been heard of even allowing some of these bikes to enter races, on an exhibition basis, in 2011. There are also rumors of claiming rule teams, who would be allowed to claim the equipment of other teams for a set fee.

Dorna's motivation to put more bikes on the grid is certainly understandable. A mere twelve riders have finished the last two races at Sachsenring and Laguna Seca. With only a total of 18 riders on the permanent entry list and wildcard entries being a financial impossibility, it's clear that the size of the grid is the most glaring problem facing MotoGP's tenability as a world championship.

However, the notion that allowing less-expensive (and ostensibly slower) motorcycles onto the grid will cure what ails MotoGP is misguided, at best. The root cause of the perennially anemic grid is not the cost, though it is incredibly steep. It's the fact that only five or six bikes are even remotely capable of challenging for race wins. The last satellite bike to take a race win was Marco Melandri aboard the Fortuna-sponsored Gresini Honda at Philip Island in 2006, during the last year of the 990 era. In the four years since, we have not seen a satellite rider on the top step, and they rarely feature on the podium at all. Ben Spies' dramatic 3rd place finish at Silverstone is the only appearance on the podium by a non-factory rider this year. Including Melandri's epic 2nd place in the wet last year at Le Mans on board the Hayate (Japanese for Dornasaki), and Colin Edwards' battle to a second place finish over Randy DePuniet at a soggy Donnington, there have been only 17 podium finishes for non-factory riders out of the 62 races (186 podium spots) run thus far in the 800cc era.

Potential sponsors know that TV air time for motorcycles outside the top six is sparse, at best. Top-level riders have little desire to race each weekend, knowing that if they're lucky, they might score an underwhelming fourth. Even the MotoGP.com commentators, known for being a bit over-enthusiastic, sound a bit forced when describing someone’s 11th place finish as a good result for the weekend. Creating an environment that may put a few more bikes at the back of the order will not improve the series.

And let’s not pretend that the proposed rule changes will suddenly make racing at that level affordable. Bridgestone will have to develop tires to work across an even wider variety of platforms. New chassis and engines will have to be developed, from scratch in some scenarios. And the generic costs (travel, hospitality, crew salaries, equipment rental) of running a world championship team will not change. All of that is said to ask this: What sponsor, flush with all the cash that abounds in our current economy, wants to dump a few million dollars into a program destined to generate thrilling battles for 16th?

If Carmelo Ezpeleta wants to see the MotoGP grid grow, and the show become as exciting as it once was, three things have to happen. First, the rule set needs to be left alone long enough for the series to stabilize. Small changes are to be expected, of course, but the basic formula needs to be allowed to work. Second, some sort of effort needs to be made (either by electronics or tire construction) to make the racing less single-file.

Last and most importantly, the stranglehold of the factories on the series has to be broken. It’s clear to any close observer of MotoGP that the number of competitive riders on the grid far exceeds the number of competitive motorcycles. So long as the factories are, for whatever reason, giving substandard equipment and support to their satellite and customer programs, the racing will continue to be poor, and the same riders and teams will be on the box, week after week. While that continues to be the case, sponsors, teams and riders will continue to look elsewhere to spend their time, talents and effort, and the future of MotoGP will continue to look both dark, and short. ]]> CephasGT http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/8-grid-filler-rules-will-not-solve-motogps-troubles.html http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/7-mid-ohio-track-owner-rolls-eyes-surface-complaints.html Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:33:52 GMT Opinion/Commentary *by Pete Hitzeman* R6Live.com Michelle Trueman Gajoch, President of TrueSports Inc., which owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports... Opinion/Commentary
by Pete Hitzeman
R6Live.com

Michelle Trueman Gajoch, President of TrueSports Inc., which owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, was quoted recently, joking about the condition of the track surface at the venue. Apparently, Ms. Trueman Gajoch thinks that racers simply have nothing else to do but whine about external factors making them slower. While rider and driver safety may be a laughing matter to her, she would do well to pay attention to the criticism of those using her facility.

The track received a full re-pave in 2005, after suffering through a long period of mediocrity, with concrete patches and harsh bumps dominating the track. Initial reviews for the new, smooth surface were exuberant. The concrete patches in the corners were gone, some of the runoff was improved, the asphalt was pool-table smooth, and with one exception in the carousel, was free of bumps or dips. Finally, riders and drivers at the Lexington, Ohio circuit would be free to enjoy the universally-praised layout.

Then came the last weekend of September, 2006. Mid-Ohio was to be the scene of the AMA Superbike season finale. During the week prior to the event, news broke that Mat Mladin and Ben Spies, the series leaders by a wide margin, had agreed not to race in the rain there, due to safety concerns. When the weekend arrived, the riders' fears were realized, as it rained all day on Saturday. The decision was made to try and race anyway, and the Superstock race was started. Damon Buckmaster crashed hard, and broke his arm. On Sunday, track and series management tried to force the entire weekend's schedule into a single day, sans-practice, to the vociferous objections of all the riders and teams. The races were held anyway. By 2007, the AMA had removed the second Mid-Ohio date from the calendar.

And it isn't only motorcycles that have trouble in the wet at Mid-Ohio. Several headline car events have pulled out entirely. Watching a car club circulate at the track in the wet last year, I observed that they were moving at nearly residential speeds. According to some sources, concerns over track safety in the wet directly contributed to the end of Sportbike Track Time's long relationship with the track in the middle of last season.

I have ridden (and crashed) at Mid-Ohio in the wet. The track isn't just "slick," as Ms. Trueman Gajoch opined. It's impassable. AMA riders circulating the course in rental cars, in order to gauge conditions, spun out in a few spots. At a KTM Ride_Orange day last May, six or more riders fell in less than thirty seconds when it started to rain, and they weren't going fast.

When the track is dry and warm, traction is quite good. But when temperatures climb, the high level of sealer used in the asphalt compound gets oily in some spots. When it's cool, condensation on other parts of the track (most notably in Thunder Alley) can catch out the best riders. These conditions should not be acceptable for a facility that touts itself as a premier motorsports destination in the country. The management of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course would do well to rethink their position and their attitude regarding this situation, or (as was rumored in the AMA paddock this past weekend), they may lose their AMA Pro Racing round altogether. ]]> CephasGT http://www.r6live.com/blogs/cephasgt/7-mid-ohio-track-owner-rolls-eyes-surface-complaints.html http://www.r6live.com/blogs/freeride/6-threads-related-my-bike.html Mon, 05 Jul 2010 07:33:25 GMT - Conversion thread: http://www.r6live.com/r6-modifications/15676-2001-conversion-04-swingarm-00-r1-forks.html Success thread:... -

Conversion thread:
http://www.r6live.com/r6-modificatio...-r1-forks.html

Success thread:
http://www.r6live.com/r6-modificatio...ork-swaps.html

Shipping thread:
http://www.r6live.com/r6-how-guides/...-shipping.html ]]> freeride http://www.r6live.com/blogs/freeride/6-threads-related-my-bike.html http://www.r6live.com/blogs/lodac/2-update-vb4-beta-4.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:42:31 GMT Update has been completed.

Several bugs have been fixed, mainly behind scenes.

One of the most noticable tweaks in Beta 4 is the "Whats New?" search display. ]]> lodac http://www.r6live.com/blogs/lodac/2-update-vb4-beta-4.html http://www.r6live.com/blogs/lodac/1-site-updates.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:02:52 GMT A lot to be completed. We have moved to the latest version of VB, VBulletin 4 Beta 3. We needed to make a break from the previous version we... A lot to be completed.

We have moved to the latest version of VB, VBulletin 4 Beta 3.

We needed to make a break from the previous version we were using. That version had some special software linked in under a license agreement we do not own. I felt it was wise to make a clean break and start fresh.

With starting fresh, we do not have a lot of features we are use to. Although we do have new features and some items are broke. I will be updating as soon as any new updates come out.

I will keep everyone posted from my end of the realm while other team members work on the other portions of the forum. ]]> lodac http://www.r6live.com/blogs/lodac/1-site-updates.html