Kurt'sSV
Tue 4/18/06, 8:38AM
Willow Springs Motorcycle Club, Round 4, April 2006
So this month I finally got to try these “flat-slides” that, apparently, everyone else can afford to put on their bikes but me. For those not in the know, flat-slides is a slang term we use for 41mm racing carburetors. With no air box (and Zoran’s preference is to not even use pod filters), these things can suck in a tremendous amount of air and dump a ton of gas into the combustion chambers producing a ridiculous amount of torque output. Another cool thing is that they make the bike way noisier, too.
I could tell right away that these carbs added a ton of torque to the motor, but it didn’t seem like it added much to the top end. I don’t know why I expected that, as with a twin, there is no “top end.” I wasn’t really that impressed with them, but I think the problem was that I wasn’t using them to their full potential. The rear tire was spinning and slipping around turn two and coming out of turn nine, so I was backing off a little bit. The tire I was practicing on wasn’t that great and I knew that was the problem. I figured with a new tire on there for race day, I wouldn’t get any spinning. I just didn’t think these things were worth $800 since all they seemed to do was make a lot of noise and ruin a tire.
Come race time my whole opinion changed on that! It’s harder to launch the bike with all that added torque and then the green flag flew for Formula Twins Light Weight Sunday morning, my front wheel popped up pretty high. I had to chop the throttle a lot to save it, but everyone else must have been asleep as I still took the hole shot, easily.
The bike didn’t handle very well around turn two on that first lap and I still don’t understand why. I went kind of slow through three and wasn’t surprised when I got stuffed by Kevin Jump on the number 14 Kawasaki 650R as we headed for turn four. Coming down the hill from six I could see that I was pulling Jump back in pretty fast and might be able to beat him to the apex of eight. It was going to be close, but I was going to try it anyway. I started creeping up along side of him just as we were turning in, but not enough as he never saw me there and kept turning for the apex. He kept turning and turning and eventually I thought “uh oh”, then BONK. His tail section hit my upper left fairing. Both our bikes wiggled a tiny bit, but that was it. “Well that wasn’t so bad” I thought, and “oh look, making contact is pushing Kevin wide. Good.” The party was over as we went into nine and Cody Johnson flew underneath me.
Coming out of nine to end the first lap and start the second is where I really saw what these big flat-slides can do. I motored past Cody and got into the draft of Jump. Just as we reached the brake markers for one I swung out of his draft to try to out brake him to the turn. I figured I couldn’t as he should be better on the brakes with those 4-piston calipers from the 636 front end he has on his bike, but nope. On by I went and that was the last I saw of that god awfully painted bike.
Now I new Cody was better than me coming into and out of five, but I didn’t know he was going to make me his bitch in that turn all race long. Just about every lap he would get me coming out of that turn, or take me in turn one when I’d botch that one as well. But my bike was a lot faster so I could real him back in and get him coming out of nine or once, I think, on the brakes going into three. It was making the race a lot of fun. There were times when our front and rear tires were just inches apart. Once I stayed behind him going down the front straight to see what he could do leading, but fortunately I didn’t do that any other times as our race was red flagged on the seventh lap. I was ahead as we crossed start/finish to begin that lap, so when I saw the red flag come out I thought “ok, good. That means I win.”
I was kind of excited because I won, but was interested as to what caused the red flag. All the excitement I had ended abruptly when I saw out side of turn eight Brienne Thomson’s bike laying on its side and her laying in a heap covered in dirt. She wasn’t moving and looked like she hadn’t since she stopped tumbling as she was laying oddly on her side. In a little while I saw the helicopter coming over the hills and I knew where it was going to land long before it reached the track. Apparently Brienne suffered no broken bones and was conscious before she left the track, but because her concussion was severe, they needed to fly her to the Bakersfield trauma center for observation. I hope she can get back out there, soon.
550 Superbike was quite a different race. I didn’t want to wheelie off the line like in the previous race so I didn’t rev the bike as much, but it didn’t explode off the line like I needed it to. Tim Martinez took the hole shot and then walked away from me in turn two. By this time, Cody knew how I took turn five. He knew I’d slow too much, turn in too early and then run wide and be late on the throttle, so he’d just keep it tight and roll right by me, and that’s what he did.
Going for the apex of nine I was right back on his rear wheel and drove by him at the exit. Martinez was still out front a little ways, but it was an 8 lap race, so I knew something could happen in my favor. I would definitely make up ground on him entering turn three and I worked on taking turn five better to keep Cody behind me and prevent Martinez from pulling away.
A little past half way I could tell that I was really gaining on Martinez. Then in turn two, I saw some back markers from the Heavyweight Twins class ahead of us. I had a feeling these guys would hold Martinez up over the Omega section and allow me to catch back up. Not only did they do that, but they gave me a draft down the back straight and into eight, aiding my cause even more. I went underneath one entering nine and drove past the other one exiting the turn. Apparently Cody was not able to do that as well and that ended his chances.
Going down the front straight I became very, very pleased with the flat-slides. I was able to stay in Martinez’s draft and it actually sucked me into him. I didn’t attempt a pass in one just yet as I wanted to see what he could do for a lap. Now I don’t know if he made a mistake or bobble or something, but he went into one really slow and I ran right up on him. Doing this gave me a good look at his bike. I could see that he was wearing a white loofah tied around his waste like a bunny’s tail (it was Easter and he wore that same thing last year). What I now noticed were the marshmallow peeps he had glued to his undertail. Tim’s definitely a weird guy – you should see how he dresses.
Anyway, I didn’t have any problem keeping with him the next lap and was actually forced to make a pass entering turn one as with the power of the flat slides and the draft made me travel down the front straight a lot faster than him. I ran wide on the exit and was late on the gas so he re-passed me heading for two. Tim is good at turn two, but so am I. I got right on his rear wheel at the exit and started pulling up next to him as we made the dash for turn three. I knew I was better on the brakes than he was and did not have any problem going by him entering that turn. Now that I was in front, I needed to stay there for the next lap and a half.
I stayed aggressive on the throttle but disciplined with my turn-in markers and was keeping Martinez behind me. I never even saw a wheel. As we entered turn eight on the last lap we hit a gaggle of people from both classes. This could have presented a real problem for me if they were to slow me up, but I was a lucky son of a bitch today. I went by one person when setting up for nine, and the next two were far enough ahead that they were not going to impede my momentum very much. At the exit I drove past an FZR and paced with a Ducati 748 all down the front straight. With the tremendous acceleration from the flat-slides and with the Ducati blocking some of the wind for me, I stayed right with him, and if I was hanging with him, there was no way Martinez was going to be able to draft by me before the finish line. I was really excited for that win as it was unexpected after the first two laps of the race and I had to ride pretty hard to catch back up. But I think I have to credit the flat-slides more than anything on that day.
Big thanks to Tom Shao for loaning me those carburetors. I’m putting the couple hundred dollars I won on Sunday into savings because I need me a set of those carburetors, too. I’d also like to thank my dad for coming up with me and using his truck, and buying me dinner and “loaning” me $10 so I could buy that rear tire. It all helps. And thanks to Shandra “357 Magnum” Crawford for giving me the nickname over the WSIR p.a. system of Kurt “Pull Down Your Skirt” Whittington.
I’d like to thank my sponsors: SoCalSVRiders.org, Michelin and LP Team Privateer.
I’d also like to thank the class sponsors: VP Fuels and Little Big Racing. We all appreciate your support.
So this month I finally got to try these “flat-slides” that, apparently, everyone else can afford to put on their bikes but me. For those not in the know, flat-slides is a slang term we use for 41mm racing carburetors. With no air box (and Zoran’s preference is to not even use pod filters), these things can suck in a tremendous amount of air and dump a ton of gas into the combustion chambers producing a ridiculous amount of torque output. Another cool thing is that they make the bike way noisier, too.
I could tell right away that these carbs added a ton of torque to the motor, but it didn’t seem like it added much to the top end. I don’t know why I expected that, as with a twin, there is no “top end.” I wasn’t really that impressed with them, but I think the problem was that I wasn’t using them to their full potential. The rear tire was spinning and slipping around turn two and coming out of turn nine, so I was backing off a little bit. The tire I was practicing on wasn’t that great and I knew that was the problem. I figured with a new tire on there for race day, I wouldn’t get any spinning. I just didn’t think these things were worth $800 since all they seemed to do was make a lot of noise and ruin a tire.
Come race time my whole opinion changed on that! It’s harder to launch the bike with all that added torque and then the green flag flew for Formula Twins Light Weight Sunday morning, my front wheel popped up pretty high. I had to chop the throttle a lot to save it, but everyone else must have been asleep as I still took the hole shot, easily.
The bike didn’t handle very well around turn two on that first lap and I still don’t understand why. I went kind of slow through three and wasn’t surprised when I got stuffed by Kevin Jump on the number 14 Kawasaki 650R as we headed for turn four. Coming down the hill from six I could see that I was pulling Jump back in pretty fast and might be able to beat him to the apex of eight. It was going to be close, but I was going to try it anyway. I started creeping up along side of him just as we were turning in, but not enough as he never saw me there and kept turning for the apex. He kept turning and turning and eventually I thought “uh oh”, then BONK. His tail section hit my upper left fairing. Both our bikes wiggled a tiny bit, but that was it. “Well that wasn’t so bad” I thought, and “oh look, making contact is pushing Kevin wide. Good.” The party was over as we went into nine and Cody Johnson flew underneath me.
Coming out of nine to end the first lap and start the second is where I really saw what these big flat-slides can do. I motored past Cody and got into the draft of Jump. Just as we reached the brake markers for one I swung out of his draft to try to out brake him to the turn. I figured I couldn’t as he should be better on the brakes with those 4-piston calipers from the 636 front end he has on his bike, but nope. On by I went and that was the last I saw of that god awfully painted bike.
Now I new Cody was better than me coming into and out of five, but I didn’t know he was going to make me his bitch in that turn all race long. Just about every lap he would get me coming out of that turn, or take me in turn one when I’d botch that one as well. But my bike was a lot faster so I could real him back in and get him coming out of nine or once, I think, on the brakes going into three. It was making the race a lot of fun. There were times when our front and rear tires were just inches apart. Once I stayed behind him going down the front straight to see what he could do leading, but fortunately I didn’t do that any other times as our race was red flagged on the seventh lap. I was ahead as we crossed start/finish to begin that lap, so when I saw the red flag come out I thought “ok, good. That means I win.”
I was kind of excited because I won, but was interested as to what caused the red flag. All the excitement I had ended abruptly when I saw out side of turn eight Brienne Thomson’s bike laying on its side and her laying in a heap covered in dirt. She wasn’t moving and looked like she hadn’t since she stopped tumbling as she was laying oddly on her side. In a little while I saw the helicopter coming over the hills and I knew where it was going to land long before it reached the track. Apparently Brienne suffered no broken bones and was conscious before she left the track, but because her concussion was severe, they needed to fly her to the Bakersfield trauma center for observation. I hope she can get back out there, soon.
550 Superbike was quite a different race. I didn’t want to wheelie off the line like in the previous race so I didn’t rev the bike as much, but it didn’t explode off the line like I needed it to. Tim Martinez took the hole shot and then walked away from me in turn two. By this time, Cody knew how I took turn five. He knew I’d slow too much, turn in too early and then run wide and be late on the throttle, so he’d just keep it tight and roll right by me, and that’s what he did.
Going for the apex of nine I was right back on his rear wheel and drove by him at the exit. Martinez was still out front a little ways, but it was an 8 lap race, so I knew something could happen in my favor. I would definitely make up ground on him entering turn three and I worked on taking turn five better to keep Cody behind me and prevent Martinez from pulling away.
A little past half way I could tell that I was really gaining on Martinez. Then in turn two, I saw some back markers from the Heavyweight Twins class ahead of us. I had a feeling these guys would hold Martinez up over the Omega section and allow me to catch back up. Not only did they do that, but they gave me a draft down the back straight and into eight, aiding my cause even more. I went underneath one entering nine and drove past the other one exiting the turn. Apparently Cody was not able to do that as well and that ended his chances.
Going down the front straight I became very, very pleased with the flat-slides. I was able to stay in Martinez’s draft and it actually sucked me into him. I didn’t attempt a pass in one just yet as I wanted to see what he could do for a lap. Now I don’t know if he made a mistake or bobble or something, but he went into one really slow and I ran right up on him. Doing this gave me a good look at his bike. I could see that he was wearing a white loofah tied around his waste like a bunny’s tail (it was Easter and he wore that same thing last year). What I now noticed were the marshmallow peeps he had glued to his undertail. Tim’s definitely a weird guy – you should see how he dresses.
Anyway, I didn’t have any problem keeping with him the next lap and was actually forced to make a pass entering turn one as with the power of the flat slides and the draft made me travel down the front straight a lot faster than him. I ran wide on the exit and was late on the gas so he re-passed me heading for two. Tim is good at turn two, but so am I. I got right on his rear wheel at the exit and started pulling up next to him as we made the dash for turn three. I knew I was better on the brakes than he was and did not have any problem going by him entering that turn. Now that I was in front, I needed to stay there for the next lap and a half.
I stayed aggressive on the throttle but disciplined with my turn-in markers and was keeping Martinez behind me. I never even saw a wheel. As we entered turn eight on the last lap we hit a gaggle of people from both classes. This could have presented a real problem for me if they were to slow me up, but I was a lucky son of a bitch today. I went by one person when setting up for nine, and the next two were far enough ahead that they were not going to impede my momentum very much. At the exit I drove past an FZR and paced with a Ducati 748 all down the front straight. With the tremendous acceleration from the flat-slides and with the Ducati blocking some of the wind for me, I stayed right with him, and if I was hanging with him, there was no way Martinez was going to be able to draft by me before the finish line. I was really excited for that win as it was unexpected after the first two laps of the race and I had to ride pretty hard to catch back up. But I think I have to credit the flat-slides more than anything on that day.
Big thanks to Tom Shao for loaning me those carburetors. I’m putting the couple hundred dollars I won on Sunday into savings because I need me a set of those carburetors, too. I’d also like to thank my dad for coming up with me and using his truck, and buying me dinner and “loaning” me $10 so I could buy that rear tire. It all helps. And thanks to Shandra “357 Magnum” Crawford for giving me the nickname over the WSIR p.a. system of Kurt “Pull Down Your Skirt” Whittington.
I’d like to thank my sponsors: SoCalSVRiders.org, Michelin and LP Team Privateer.
I’d also like to thank the class sponsors: VP Fuels and Little Big Racing. We all appreciate your support.