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Show me your chicken strips
- Thread starter elus1ve
- Start date
odachi13
Junior Member
This is from some track time, couldn't for the life of me get rid of that last little light area.
This is from some track time, couldn't for the life of me get rid of that last little light area.
Another hot-tear tire. Very minor though. Whatever pressure you were running.. next time try 1psi more.
And don't worry about the last bit of strip.. I'll say it again.. it's just about meaningless. If your form is good, you can take corners at ridiculous speeds and have quite a band on either side of your tire.
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I'm limited on the left side as the kick stand hits pavement (and actually has a flat spot from dragging);
Left side tire:
Side stand flat spot worn down from pavement;
And NO, I didn't take a grinder to it...
Left side tire:
Side stand flat spot worn down from pavement;
And NO, I didn't take a grinder to it...
I'm limited on the left side as the kick stand hits pavement (and actually has a flat spot from dragging);
Left side tire:
Side stand flat spot worn down from pavement;
And NO, I didn't take a grinder to it...
Hmm.. any chance the suspension is too soft for you? Did you slide fork legs up?
I barely had anything left on either side on FZ6 and never ever scraped. :don'tknow:
odachi13
Junior Member
Advise on the track was that I should lower the rear more. I only lowered it once after the first session, and was told as the day went on I should drop more and more. It was a left handed circuit with only 3 rights which is why that side took the brunt.
The large rubber marbles I'm pretty sure aren't mine, just been glued on as I ran over them coming off others.
The large rubber marbles I'm pretty sure aren't mine, just been glued on as I ran over them coming off others.
Correct.. the large chunks are not yours.. you're just picking those up, but the scaling (most evident towards the bottom of the pic).. that's your tire melting. That's a sign of too much heat, so the solution is to shrink the contact patch, which is accomplished by upping the tire pressure.
Having said that.. you can experiment yourself. Pick a direction (up or down) and change it in the same direction by 1psi for every session. Check the tire after each one. It has to get either better or worse. That should tell you which direction to go in and once you get it right, the tire will heal itself.
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The fork legs are set all the way up(flush with triple), as I recall, the rear shock is in the middle pre-load setting (stone stock suspension). Being about 200lbs doesn't help either.
I don't drag it all the time, just once in awhile on a favorite corner where I pretty much know the fastest I can take the corner.
Once I change my fork oil come fall (too hot right now), I have a spare set of fork caps that I put on the lathe and installed schrader valves into. I'll play with adding a little bit of air and tighten up the front end.
The air will add to the spring rate, and being air, progessive and un-limited adjustability, adjustable sag, etc.. Air in forks was used a bunch in early MX days, some actually removing the springs. KLRs, even now, have air fork caps.
I'm actually fine with the way the suspension is, I'm used to the bigger bikes and the FZ's handling, is EXTREMLY flickable compared to those, so its really not an issue for me..
The below pic, is my old, 05 KLR 250 which the FZ replaced. As you can see below the gauges, the fork caps has a cover for its schradrer valves.
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^^ likely a combination I'd guess.. .. ..
The only time I've drug bits is in a banked corner going in REAL HOT! It just pancakes the suspension. Thankfully not enough to bounce off the road, but coupled w/lean angle was enough.
Setup is everything... PS - running stock spring on the rear and 0.83kg/mm (R6 fixed rate springs/forks) up front with the tubes up 10mm. Point: I don't drag parts and run fairly aggressively at times.
Look into setup (Sag is starting point) and rider style....
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As noted, this is going into a known corner hot, (know my line) and with the stock, softer suspension and my weight. There's some 90degree intersections (regular two lane- that I know don't have loose debris on it), I can take at 30 mph (the limit is 30) and stay in my lane...
On the old KLR, I'll picture below, you can see how high the side stand would generally be (and the suspension). I could drag that side stand as well doing a hot corner. Chicken strips, about the same as posted above.
I actually got pulled over for going thru a green left turn arrow (major intersection) as I was leaned over so far on the KLR (250cc BTW) doing the speed limit and not slowing as most would.
The same bike, on the Dragon, I'd get smoked on the straights of course, but in the corners, "playing" with my friend on his much larger Honda, I'd walk away from him, very, very flickable.
I don't have any pic's with the kick stand up (no CC) but you get the idea how far up the stand would go. BTW, I could only go over that far with 90% street Perelli tires (super sticky) on the bike..
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+1! Scott, I'm betting you're running much too much sag on your FZ6. Of course it still feels great and flickable compared to the bigger bikes you're used to, BUT.. it can feel even better.
Fork springs and shock spring are all too light for your weight. Air is good and more preload is good, but neither are a substitute for proper spring weight.
Take a look here.. see if they list FZ6. It'll give you a good idea for stock vs what they recommend for your weight:
RT - Digital Product Search
No pressure or anything.. just saying
I used to be the "it's great as is.. I'm not gonna mess with it" kind of rider, but having learned so many new things now that I got into track riding.. I want my bikes to be as good as they can be. It's fun to play with this stuff too and dial it in just right! :thumbup:
Get 'em Scott, thems be fightin' words! Blah
OK OK I'll play
My street bike (FZ1). About 4-5mm (1/5")
And my track bike
Notice there's still a bit of a strip there.. yet it's enough to not just drag a knee, but to actually have to tuck it back in so I can lean farther. So yeah.. they're meaningless :thumbup:
My street bike (FZ1). About 4-5mm (1/5")
And my track bike
Notice there's still a bit of a strip there.. yet it's enough to not just drag a knee, but to actually have to tuck it back in so I can lean farther. So yeah.. they're meaningless :thumbup:
Carlos840
Junior Member
+1! Scott, I'm betting you're running much too much sag on your FZ6. Of course it still feels great and flickable compared to the bigger bikes you're used to, BUT.. it can feel even better.
Fork springs and shock spring are all too light for your weight. Air is good and more preload is good, but neither are a substitute for proper spring weight.
Take a look here.. see if they list FZ6. It'll give you a good idea for stock vs what they recommend for your weight:
RT - Digital Product Search
No pressure or anything.. just saying
I used to be the "it's great as is.. I'm not gonna mess with it" kind of rider, but having learned so many new things now that I got into track riding.. I want my bikes to be as good as they can be. It's fun to play with this stuff too and dial it in just right! :thumbup:
The problem is that once you start there is no stopping until you have reached the "as good as they can be"!
I have done pretty much everything you can do to this bike short of fooling around with the engine, and although it is amazing now, it wasn't cheap!
I could have bought an R6 for the total money spent on this bike... It would be uncomfortable as hell on the street, but it would make a lot more sens.
Are those the tires I may be getting?OK OK I'll play
My street bike (FZ1). About 4-5mm (1/5")
PICTURE!
And my track bike
PICTURE!
Notice there's still a bit of a strip there.. yet it's enough to not just drag a knee, but to actually have to tuck it back in so I can lean farther. So yeah.. they're meaningless :thumbup:
It's either R6 or you ARE-SICKly into modding getting there :thumbup:
elus1ve
Member
Well this thread has been supremely disappointing so far. We are getting more heros strips than chicken strips.
Are those the tires I may be getting?
Yup, those are the Q3s I told you about. They're good for at least one more track day, so they're staying on. Notice that the center is basically brand new. The sides all the way at the edges.. hopefully you'll never be riding on those on the street.
LMAO! Sorry, man.. here's one for you: this is from a few years back. This guy pulled up on a BMW S1000RR and parked between 2 bikes, each of which was taking up a designated motorcycle parking spot.
elus1ve
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LMAO! Sorry, man.. here's one for you: this is from a few years back. This guy pulled up on a BMW S1000RR and parked between 2 bikes, each of which was taking up a designated motorcycle parking spot.
Looks neat but I guess he didn't do any turns to speak of or he took his training wheels off!
Weekend warrior but not on a Harley!
Heck, if he an extended swingarm for straight go fast maybe, but...
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