Talk about no run-off!!! And, on a wet track. MotoGP don't have anything on these guys.

Damn! Brand new tires, fresh off the rack, and they're worn below the tridents in less than five miles.

Update on the new setup; with the new tire and the front dropped, the bike feels better than ever. Really planted. Chicken strips are down to ~1mm rear and ~4mm in front. That one in the front looks like it's here to stay, which is good news. Before, I didn't have anything left in the front and I was a little worried. At least now there may be a little something extra left to eat.

The tire also wears a little better coming to the end. It doesn't have that overly exaggerated German soldier helmet hook where the tread meets the sidewall, which means its using the air better as well, instead of trying to flex the sidewall. The larger tire theoretically places more tire on the ground as well, offering added grip.

There is still a difference in the wear pattern on the left versus the right side of the rear tire. Somewhat too on the front, but now not as pronounced. I have noticed that I do hang-off the bike differently on either side, trying to correct it seems to upset the suspension, so for now it works. The front end has a slightly heavy turn-in, but it suits my style. Lee parks seems to have been right, in that I do control the bike with one hand. And since the right hand always has to be on the throttle, then that's the hand I use, whether turning right or left.

I've just been sneaking up on that corner speed bit-by-bit. It used to be the case that I was better at taking corners to the left. But since I noticed it and then worked hard to correct it, I think I may now feel more comfortable taking corners to the right.

Oh well.

Just wanted to note that on my sixth track day, the front tire started to slide while going around Turn 1 at ~75+ mph. I was pretty well leaned over when I noticed it. I was about to start my exit of the corner so I was actually rolling-on the throttle at the time, So when I noticed it sliding I arrested the throttle; it continued sliding. I then opened up the throttle slowly to see if that would work; it still kept sliding.

So I then raised the bike up and rode off the track.

NB: I believe the tire became what is generally termed as being "greasy". Meaning overly hot, so that the rubber sheds faster than usual. This may be correct since the track temperature was hotter than I had ever ridden in before.

Spin it up, flip it, do it dirty, smack it side-to-side..., these Pirellis do it all, and they do it all brand new, off the shelf with only a short warm-up.

As soon as I put a new set on, I typicaly just rail them right away. As a matter-of-fact, they seem to be the best when they are brand spanking new. "They purdy gewd.".

You know I had almost completely forgot,... that we have deer running around in the woods here.

These furry little woodland creatures sometimes appear right at the side of the road in the wee hours of the morning. It is at this time of the morning that I sometimes like to take my rides. And, wouldn't you know, I spotted one of them by the side of the road this morning. As the bike approached though, it darted into the woods.

Shy I guess. Anyway, I continue on with my ride, flicking in and out of the corners merrily on my way. There had been a terrible lightning storm here the night before and the road had some debris in it, not too much. I passed a serviceman clearing away what appeared to be a tree that had been struck down by lightning that was blocking the road.

While rounding one of the many blind corners on my route, I spotted something dark and sinister stretched across the approaching roadway. From afar it looked mostly like a dark patch of freshly poured tar, but as I drew closer the silhouette became more and more ominous. It wasn't until I was almost upon the beast that I fully realized what threatened to block my path.

This is what happens when you go out real early into the woods around here. The sleeping giant, sprawled across the road was no less than 12 feet long. I rode past the gator quickly, intending to just dismiss the occurrence and continue on. But then I realized, that wouldn't be fair to those that are stuck at home. They need pictures, and so do I.

So I made a quick U-turn and parked the bike at the side of the road and went back to snap some pics. These animals are so strange. Staring at it intently there was no way I could tell if it was dead or alive. The sides of it's belly weren't moving. It's eyes weren't open. However it was definitely big. That I could tell. I wanted to get closer to get a really good shot with my camera, but the cows in the field right next to me (and the gator) were mooing so desperately, cautioning me not to step any closer. I decided to heed their warning, because if this monster was alive, it most certainly could travel several feet in my direction in a split second. The next person to then round that corner would have a very interesting sight to behold indeed.

Alright, so I packed it up, got back on my bike and hightailed it outta there.

The remainder of the ride was pretty sweet. On the way back home nearing the same spot where I had seen the gator not too long ago, there appeared to be quite a commotion taking place in the streets. The first thought that came to me was that the people from the community, or a service worker, had come across the "dead" alligator, and were transporting it to the side of the road (or somwhere else). When I got up to the crowd of cars and people standing on the side of the road I asked what was taking place that was of such interest. A woman in the crowd replied "A alligator just ran off into the woods".

Wow.

It was alive. Good thing I listened to those cows.

Well, it's time (for some parts it may be past time) to do a lot of the maintenance on the bike. A lot of this stuff I've never done before, and like the very first tire change I could very well screw it up big time. The tasks I don't have any experience with include changing the fork oil, and renewing the brake fluid.

I have been dreading this day since I got the bike, but as it turns out it wasn't all that bad. It was actually quite rewarding and relaxing. As usual, I searched the Internet for all the help I could get. During my search I came across this very helpful site (blueproof bikes). The instructions although not pertaining exactly to my make of motorcycle, were very detailed and well written. There was information there on changing both the fork and brake fluids, along with a whole host of other goodies. So, I read up on all the necessary steps, grabbed my manual and then off I went.

Even though I was really worried that I might screw up the suspension by putting the wrong amount of oil back into the forks, and that the brakes might feel like jelly after I was done servicing them, the maintenance had to be done. Besides, after unscrewing the first fork cap it was way too late to turn back.

Since this was my first time, I went to the store and bought way too much of everything. I think there is enough fresh brake fluid left over to service at least five more bikes. Don't even mention the remaining fork oil.

It was definitely a good decision to do the maintenance now though. It was also great that I got to perform it myself. When I dismantled the forks, one of them had fluid in it that was a different color than the other. Not only that, but the fluid was really watery. It was a totally a different consistency for sure. Could this have been water from my excursion into the lake. Seems unlikely, but who knows.

The new oil was a different color from both the original fluids. This was an ocean-like blue compared to the old cough-syrup red, and the muddy brown water that was originally in there. I used a set of vernier calipers to measure the level of the new oil poured back into the fork tubes (while crossing my fingers). I pumped, and pumped, and pumped the cartridge some more to make sure the fluid was properly distributed. There was no way of telling what the bike would feel like until it was all back together again, and I could take it for a test ride.

Changing the brake fluid was pretty straightforward as well. It wasn't even that tedious. Those little reservoirs don't really hold much. My biggest fear next to getting air in the tubes was spilling fluid on the bike. Everything was well protected with a healthy dose of rags, so that was covered. And, I didn't get any air in the lines either.

Oh, did I forget to mention that I was putting on a new size tire as well?

Yes, I am going to start using the 120/70-17 instead of the 16's that come as original equipment from the factory, since there are a wider variety of tires available in this size (particularly racing slicks).

So aside from the bike feeling different from changing the tires, and lowering the suspension. It may not handle well because I messed-up changing the fork oil. Okay.

Well, I got everything back together, and finally got to test ride it 2 days after doing the maintenance. And, even though I was apprehensive at first, going around the corners at my previous pace, I noticed the bike was handling well. Very well indeed. The front feels just a little bit firmer than before, giving a lot more feedback, but it still rides over the bumps quite well (sticking, no slippage). The lowered front does turn-in quicker. I can only tell by looking at the tires, because I am way too busy going faster around the corners than I did before.

The new geometry actually seems to be perfect, as now I have a nice bit of chicken strip on the front tire (~ 4mm) that I didn't have before. This is nice to have for the times I really get hungry. The tridents actually seem to match up now with regards to the tire wear.

So, another maintenance complete, and the bike seemingly handles better than before. Awesome!

These front tires are really wearing out quick!

I've been practicing almost every day now, and I've really been pushing hard on the front wheel. This time I only got about 1500 miles out of it, and that's without using the brakes much.

The center of the tire still had the little nipples/nubs when I brought it back this time. And this time I rode it until the wear beads themselves disappeared. The tire still handled great though, even with almost no tread on the sides. I'm gonna have to add some highway miles to my rides.

NB: I did switch to higher pressures for the tires, and the wear pattern is much better whilst having virtually the same grip, and slightly better feel.

There was no celebration ride this time, but there WAS a celebration. Just went out to a sportbikers BBQ thrown by one of the local shops here.

Good food, good peeps, and good times. Oh yeah,... and a wheelie.

It's getting scary people.

Gas prices are so high now I have actually resorted to using the bike to do a lot of my little commutes.

Picking up Chinese food and strapping it to the back seat of my bike is a favorite chore now. The bike gets between 40 and 50 mpg so it's great to run these little errands. The downside though, is that it doesn't have a lot of storage space, and some evil-doer could easily walk away with it.

We'll see how it goes though. I don't do that much commuting, but every little bit of savings helps.

The wear on the front tire is looking a little ragged. It didn't look this bad during the winter months when riding temps were around 65F - 70F, and the tire pressures are usually 29F/31R (as low as 28F/30R). Today, however, the front tire looks like it's tearing a bit.

I may try some higher pressures the next time out to see how the tire reacts.

Ambient Temperature: ~78F
Tire Pressure: 28.5F/30.5R
Average entry speed: 40 mph
Average exit speed: 40 mph
Average slowest mid-corner speed: 34 mph
Average highest lateral acceleration: .9 G

Front tire tridents have all been worn off the tread.

Rear tire chicken strip rides right above third prong in trident. Tread-wear looks good.