I lost the front and then rear when I hit a tar strip in turn two on NTec's Saturday afternoon. I didnt got down but it made for a butt pucker moment. I ran a bad line so Im blaming it on myself
Track conditions were not the best, I run Dunlop N-Tec med compound, front had no problem, but the rear was sliding around in Charlotte's web and the last left coming on to the front straight. I just backed off and road slow, spending the time getting myself reoriented to the track and bike. I feel some riders should have exercised more caution. Track temp on Sunday was around 67 degrees, Monday close to 80 by the end of the day, I had no problem wicking it up by the afternoon sessions.
Barber is the trickiest surface we have to deal with in the Southeast. When dry and warm, it has great grip and is easy on tires. It rains.......... The whole track is wet, no problem. It stops raining and the sun comes out...... First off, there will be puddles and streams running down across the track for a while, as in several sessions...even after 90% of the track is dry. Then the track gets completely dry and starts to warm up. You think things are good.... ....then once the track gets really hot, water will seep up through the surface and wet spots will form literally out of nowhere. If it rains at Barber, you have to be very careful not to build up a false sense of security in the track and level of grip. There will be a period in there of 1-2 sessions where the track will be completely dry. But then those mysterious wet spots will start popping up. They only last for 1-2 sessions though. The most important thing is to take the first lap easy and really pay attention to the surface (that should actually be the case in every session of every day).
I also won the trackdays. (shiney bike) There was heavy pollen dust all over the pits and paddock pavement, but the track was clean. If you watched a bike in front, the pollen was disappearing from the tires as they rolled down pit exit. Barber had their track equipment sweeping/blowing the track per usual. All the crashes I saw looked like 'first trackday of the year' type crashes. I was far from my best laptimes, but I can't complain about the feel I got from the track.
You are correct. They did have the track crew out so now I can't factor in the possibility of pollen on the track. Back to cold, wet track and cold tires for my incident. I really was going pretty slow, just not slow enough...
Dunlops suck? Hmmm.... only tire they run in MotoAmerica and those guys do pretty good with 'em. Dunlops have a stiffer sidewall than most tires and their race compounds must maintain a certain high heat level to be sticky. Most of the time, unless you're just a balls to the wall rider every second when on track, Dunlops aren't up to heat at any given time this early in the season. Did everyone that went down have the required air pressures? Were they all on the same compound? It's easy to say "Dunlop" was the culprit but there are a ton of variables that go into determining root cause. HJ
Yes, I have to congratulate my fellow staff members for moving CHARLIE'S bike from where I parked it - at least TWICE...
Saturday. It rained Sat morning and it was pretty cold (40s/50s). Even though this was a Q2F/Q3R, I still had them on warmers. It was not the first lap it was actually late in the session and I was just putting around. Although the track had dried, there were still wet spots, and the pollen was heavy. I really can't say why I lost the front. 1st Crash in 5 years. Whatever I did, I'd sure like to know so I don't repeat it - but probably best advice not to use a tire that's 4 years old before i used it! Bike: Cheap Chinese plastics on the shift side basically exploded; otherwise, footpeg, clip on, and paint (my tank looks like it was shot with 00 buck, that gravel is terrible on paint). Brake side untouched. Leathers, gloves. Walked away without ANY soreness (the gear did it's job). I think I can clean it up, replace those two parts, put on my OEM plastics that I've got boxed up, and I think my bike is rideable...not sure yet. Just need to get thru the spring dates so I can send it all to Scott over the summer "break" to get all painted back up...
I will start by saying that there were a few causes to the wrecks that I saw. 1) track was cold and even in the afternoon 2) pollen everywhere all over the track 3) first event(rain, rust, and adrenaline) Dunlop tires are great tires when they are hot. With the level of pollen of the track, number of crashes, and temperature not getting very high, It was hard to build enough heat in the tires and hence numerous cold tire crashes. I am only a few days on the New Michelin EVO tires and they did great. Even at slower paces the tires gripped well. If you haven't tried them they are awesome on cold mornings, etc. I will have a better idea of how they compare to dunlops once is get a 80 deg afternoon at Barber to test them out better. See David Grey with Sportbike Tire Service and at least try the Michelin EVO front on a cold day and let me know what you think. I have about 90 track days on Dunlop Slicks and 3 on the new Michelin EVO and so far I am very happy with the switch.
Also, during the lunch break I notice 15+ old T-Model Vintage Cars circulating the track. I have never seen one that does not leak oil??? Who thinks that is safe or might have been a cause for the after lunch "A" pile ups?
Not sure what I was thinking coming into a thread talking about all the crashes at the track I'm about to experience my first novice track day on, lol. Here's hoping 4/16 is warm and my PR3's grip as well as they do on the street. Glad no one was seriously hurt.
You do understand that the PR3 is a touring tire not a track oriented tire correct? I'm not saying it won't serve you well, but that tire is built strictly for street riding. With that said, I run the PR4s on my 2013 Connie on the street. They are great tires, just wanting you to understand what tire you are running at the track.
I understand. If I some how decide to do track days more often, I'll switch to more appropriate tires. For now, these should serve me just fine for a novice track day, correct?
Your tires should be fine as long as they aren't to old or worn out. From STT website Track Day Regulations here https://www.sportbiketracktime.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=11 "Tires and brakes must be in good condition. Tires should be at least 50%+ of new condition."
Sweet! Tires are brand new with less than 100 miles. Going to put some more miles on them this weekend. Thanks.