Greetings!
The Super Bike race is over and BMW placed well. Quite exciting this year and in stark contrast to last year's performance. The other good thing was 70+ degrees and sunshine on race day. Marty liked.
If you missed the race I see Speed Channel has it scheduled for later this week.
Even better was the ride out and back - nasty wet and cold weather on the ride out, and tolerable on the way home - just right. The Comfort Shell gear worked superbly, better than my ancient Roadcrafter suit, and the Scala G4 Bluetooth unit did too - good battery life listening to XM radio.
Some of the riders I met in Utah encountered snow in Nevada on their ride - I did say the weather was nasty right? Speaking of snow - there is more snow on Chinook Pass than I have seen in recent years, and worth a ride up if you haven't been in a while.
Brendan attended a NESBA Track Day last week and has an article about his experience - it is presented below.
A positive outcome derived from sending the boss to the track, for those of us purchasing an S1000RR or a K1300S, is South Sound Motorcycles will reimburse the new owner for their completing a NESBA Track Day. May as well learn how to competently make a fast bike go fast on us - or get a tune up if you already go fast.
Wayne leads a GS Ride on the 13th of this month. If you cannot make this ride we will host another in August. Also Jim Hyde of Rawhyde Adventures wants you to attend the GS Rally. Details on both events from Wayne outlined later in the newsletter.
BMW announced some stellar opportunities for 2009 models and we have a few 2009 R1200GS that qualify - and there is a wheel kit option for the 2009 G450X - Call Stephen or Jason for details.
Looks like summer might be here soon - go riding and work off the stress, and stop by for a lunch time hot dog on Saturdays if you are in the area.
Sincerely,
Marty Hamilton
Sales Manager
South Sound BMW
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Brendan goes to Track Day
And Survived..........
"Well, next time you'll go faster and maybe it won't be raining." said Mike "Fuzzy" Castro as the day wound to an end. My first real track day was complete with bike and body intact.
I had been on a racetrack exactly one other time and found it to be a terrifying experience with bikes passing me at 160+mph. On that day the instruction had been simple-don't pass the ride leader (oh, that was going to happen) and try not to crash.
As I sat sweating in the Florida sun astride a 193 horsepower S1000RR I was certain that the end was near. That day also ended with body and bike intact, but it was a frustrating and unpleasant day because I had no idea what I was doing. It was exactly as I feared riding on a track would be-scary, overwhelming, and I was indeed the absolute slowest guy or gal out there. I still believe that I was passed by a riding lawn mower by the groundskeeper. This was not fun.
I had been working in bike shops for half my life and wanted to ride on the track desperately. Time, money, children, work and the like always took priority over this want. As I got older and more cautious I just assumed that I would go through my motorcycle career without a track ride. Somehow, I equated track riding with something akin to writing the Great American Novel. Thankfully, it proved much easier.
At the prompting of Mike Castro (aka Fuzzy) I signed up for a track day with NESBA (North East Sportbike Association). Mike is an experienced racer, track instructor and a highly skilled race mechanic. Coupled with a wicked sense of humor. these skills make Fuzzy a perfect Control Rider for the NESBA organization. The function of the Control Riders (CR's) is to provide instruction and safety for the track day riders.
There are many organizations offering track days in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Each has much to offer. I choose NESBA because it is geared towards newer track riders and is the largest sponsor of track days in the U.S. . The instruction was clear and friendly with no indication that I am better or worse than the average newbie. The atmosphere is casual on the social side and serious on the instruction side.
The day starts at 8:00am with a rider's meeting. This is an opportunity to discuss how the day will go, introduction of the CR's, discussion of hand signals, track rules, flags, etc. All of the bikes had already undergone tech inspection as had gear. The mix of bikes was interesting-everything from a BMW S1000RR to a Kawasaki EX250 would be on the track.
I was riding the R1200 HP2 Megamoto. While this was probably not the best choice for a newbie, I do love the bike and I am comfortable with it. I own a set of Furyagan leathers due to the BMW S1000RR intro.
For those that are not ready for that commitment, NESBA does have rental leathers available. As I was the only person there that had never done a track day, I was given a 3 page handout that was reviewed for 20 minutes by one of the CR's. It covered the material offered in the rider's meeting more in depth and gave me an opportunity to ask questions.
Each rider is evaluated and placed in one of three classes- B (beginner), I (intermediate), or A (advanced). The three groups each get 20 minutes an hour on the track with a group of CR's rotating in and out of the different groups. In order to move up to a higher group, the rider must be evaluated by a CR. Everyone starts as a B-rider.
The weather for the day was miserable with heavy wind gusts and torrential rain. While these are not ideal conditions for a track day it does have the advantage of not being able to get a whole lot worse. My first session was not much fun. The bike seemed to not turn, everyone else was faster and I was not sure what I was doing.
This was a duplicate of my feeling at the S1000RR intro and I resigned myself to not being a track guy. When we pulled back into the pits and helmets came off the real education started. Due to the small group of riders for this track day, there was ample time to discuss technique and to critique each rider. The information was presented in a matter-of-fact, informal manner.
The second round was a revelation. The bike WOULD turn; I knew more about what I was doing and I was still the slowest guy. Now, however, I was starting to see what the fuss was about. Even with the poor weather and big bike I could actually make a lap of the track without too much drama. The turns became less ominous and I started to relax.
Unfortunately, the weather and an over-enthusiastic new rider had the track shut-down for half the day. Even with the abbreviation, the day was a success for me in both improvement of skills and straight survival.
I learned a great many things about riding a motorcycle and my own abilities. Each turn offered a new set of challenges and opportunities. What I learned, that most surprised me, was how much traction my bike has in both wet and dry conditions. Important to know on the track, but also very good information on the street..
The hardest part of the experience was overcoming the unknown. How does a track day work? Do I have the right gear? Am I going to look like a complete fool? What does that flag mean? What if I drop my bike?
The unknown is a powerful force and has often kept me from stepping out of my comfort zone. As the track day is no longer an unknown maybe I will see you there. Just looks for the big goofy guy going REALLY slow....
If you are interested in a track day, check out the schedule for Pacific at www.nesba.com.
To encourage good behavior, if you buy an S1000RR or a K1300S in June or July, we will reimburse you for completing a NESBA Track Day.
Brendan Ferrer
General Manager
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| Events and Things Fun Stuff organized by Wayne
Wayne and Aaron will be attending the Black Dog Dual Sport ride in Hood River OR June 4-6, stop by the South Sound Truck for a breakfast burrito or a Gatorade when you see it!
We will also be doing 2 separate upcoming South Sound GS rides - routed by friend of the shop Dorian Sleeper, who is also the organizer of the Shelton Valley Adventure Rally.
The first ride is Sunday, June 13th. We will meet at Rooster's Restaurant in Shelton at 8am for breakfast, and 9am for a brief riders meeting and side stands up!!
This will be an easy/ lite intermediate ride, with no technical sections to speak of. We will ride a mixture of paved and easy gravel roads to Lake Wynoochie, where Jason Jones will meet us with the shop truck, and a lunch ready to roll! Then, 30 miles of twisty pavement to Montesano, where those who are ready to call it quits can jet back home, and those with more stamina and willingness can continue onward for another couple hours. If you have any further questions, or to RSVP, please e-mail Wayne at wayne@southsoundbmw.com.
There will be another South Sound GS ride Sunday August 15th, more info will follow - but it will be a completely different route, and still on the easy to moderate scale. Both rides will take us through beautiful areas, so be sure to bring a camera!!
Our new Service Manager Alex Guth and Wayne will be leading a group of riders to the Pacific Northwest Adventure Rally which occurs June 25-27, co-sponsored by Touratech and Rawhyde Adventures.
Information on the rally can be found at NorthWest GS Rally. Please call or e-mail Wayne for more information on when we will be leaving the shop, and route info.
Lastly, Wed. June 30th will be our first South Sound Motorcycles Bike Night!! Stop by anytime after 6pm, have a bite to eat and see what all the fun and fuss is about.
Sincerely,
Wayne Elston
wayne@southsoundbmw.com
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South Sound Motorcycles 3605 20th Street E
Fife, Washington 98424
253-922-2004
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