Went to BeaveRun this weekend for a few track days. T'was a great time! I took both the VTR and the 1000RR and did some things I've never done before on either bike...but more on that later.

The VTR was idling like ****. She ran strong at anything over 3000 rpm but below that was missing and spitting a bit. I was pretty sure the carbs were still not clean. So today I pulled them back out. Found some (more) water in the bowls. One idle jet hole was completely clogged and was the reason for the idling problem. All back together and after a quick carb sync she runs smooth again.

I added some Heet to take care of the water. I've no idea where it came from. The bikes are garaged always and topped off for winterization. I just hope that's the last of it.

About the track day: I had some CRAZY lean angles on the VTR this weekend. One thing I've never had a problem with is dragging my foot in turns due to proper foot position, but this weekend I actually dragged a slider on the side of my boot a little bit. I was running 2-1/2 year old Dunlop 208GP(A) tires and was unsure whether they would still be good. After a number of cautious laps I gained confidence in them. I sure did **** off one of the NESBA guys for running that slow in Advanced class though. We had words... The tires are pretty much destroyed on the right side so they've done their job and will now go to race tire heaven.

On the CBR I was running some crazy lean angles too. I touched down a peg (no feeler) and I never thought that would happen. This was running regular Michelin Pilot Powers even!

All in all it was a fantastic weekend. Both bikes did great on the track and the old Superchicken is running well. Let's hope I can go another 30000 miles without having to pull the carbs again.

 

Maybe you got some water at a fill-up.

Back in the mid '70s a gas station in San Bernardino, Calif. got a load of heavily watered gas, or just water. The problem was discovered quickly, but not until about a dozen cars had filled up. The farthest any of them made it was 2 blocks, according to the news report. The poor guy in the kiosk had to deal with all the angry drivers.

Sounds like you had a great time.

 

That's entirely possible, but since the bike started running like crap at the beginning of the season I would have to assume my last fill-up before winter was the culprit. Where I got my last fuel from I will never remember. That was like 8 months ago!

 

I hear short term memory is the first to go. I can't remember where I heard that.
Actually near-sight focus is first and it pisses me off!!

I get to go to Thunderhill this weekend!!! !
I hope I remember how to ride a bike. I've been doing a lot of cornering in my daydreams.

 

i hear ya !!!




i mounted rearsets this winter so hopefully this will stop. adding another $20 to every trackday sucks... at least i found some good knee sliders that will last a while.

tim

 

A couple of years ago I got gas at a station that I had never used before. I was almost empty. The gas station was on A1A, which is a major road, that gets a lot of traffic.

I filled up and got a block from the station when the motor died. She was running fine before I filled her up. I ended up calling a friend with a truck. I ended up draining my tank. I found over 100cc's of water in my gas tank.

Luckly I didnt do any damage to the engine.

 

Unfortunately all this ethanol crap in gasoline could be the culprit. My Dad recently told me about this problem but I can't remember the "scientific" name he used. Basically, because ethanol is an alcohol, or polar solvent, it mixes readily with water. Over time a tank of "gasahol" will begin to separate leaving the ethanol molecules free to soak up moisture in the air. Keeping a full tank minimizes the vapor space in your tank and should reduce the amount of water "sucked" in but over time (like 8 months probably ) could be the cause of your problem. It also could have very well happened at the gas station in the underground tank. If the gas station was not busy and the gasoline in the tank had been sitting underground for a while and only partially filled, that would leave a great amount of vapor space and time for the gasoline to soak up moisture. Not sure if the ethanol would release its bond with the water and reunite with the gasoline molecules after being shook up a bit, leaving you with just enough water to cause some hiccups.

Did you use any stabilizer in the fuel prior to hibernation? Hopefully she is running strong with a fresh tank.

I'm very jealous that you, all the way up there in NY, have already made it to the track this year. I've been looking at every track within 4 hours and can't find a single day til June! I know I missed one back in March but the weather was crappy here and I had a much better time at Deal's Gap with my best friend instead. Must have been just the right temp up there to get the tires sticky and not gooey from too much heat.

 

Trinc, how do you have your Penske set up on the ride height? I have my Fox at maximum length. On the CBR, the Ohlins is set up at stock length. I have to have it that way otherwise the front end wants to tuck.

Hotbrakes, yes, I used Stabil for winterization, including running the bike to ensure the gas in the carbs was treated too. May isn't that bad for a track day. Back in the days when I had a smaller mortgage payment I was doing track days in March and April...down south of course.

 

Here's a pic from the weekend. More pics will come. My brother has to burn the CD and send it via postal mail.

 

i'm running +5 in the rear. the front forks i have at OEM height ( which is taller because of the .95 straight rate springs ). so, the rake is probably closer to stock.

my new rearsets will help a ton !!! can't wait to get back out there.

the front end tuck i only feel street riding... slower tight corners, because i loosen the steering damper. i have it pretty tight on the track.

tim

 

the term that you are looking for is hygroscopic

 

+1 from a retired Auto Teacher. Brake fluid is also hygroscopic, which is why you should replace it every 2 years whether its dirty or not.

I quit buying Union 76 in the mid '80s when they started adding ethanol to their gas.

 

BeaveRun is a fantastic track, it is only about an hour and a half from my hometown. Post up more pics when you can!

 

Just a word of caution about the Heet: anything containing methanol (which some octane boosters and water "removers"use) is baaaaad for the fuel petcock diaphragm. I am speaking from experience, having had to replace two of them in a little over one year.... Even ethanol, which is much less corrosive to rubber, does its dirty deed over time. I used to run ethanol -blends, no more.

 

While answering a readers' question about poor running issues the tech editor at MotorCycle Consumer News offered this observation. "Current fuel formulations now go bad within two to three WEEKS- not two or three MONTHS as before. And fuel stabilizers (like Sta-Bil?) are no longer effective with the current fuels being mandated." IF this statement is true we're all looking at more fueling issues.

 

what we get for gas now is crappy moonshine.
Aint worth horse ****.
and its total hell on valves not made of plastic.
You see, in the new world order, the days of keeping an engine running in good shape for many years is over.
They will kill your engines with the fuel you have to buy.
Its kinda like a new tax.