Sooooo, it's been a month and it's 2am- off season(?), I say never. So after the finishing and bike prep., the stress of it all since October, the 15+ hour travel to Florida(each way!!!), I get to Jennings GP and ask, "is all of this worth it?" The answer quite simply in all Gorel endeavors-is yes. Roadracers Steve Bani, Joe Russo, and I hit the hotel in Valdosta, Ga. which is about 10min. from the track Sat. eve after a nice sit down dinner. That night, torrential downpours, and then freezing temps, man I feel so lucky in life, I swear. We awake to clearing skys and a 'balmy' 35 degress, just what we need to get us all juiced up about testing our 100 plus horsepower racebikes, on cold pavement, cold slick tires, and thin leather suits with my preferred full vented perforations....absolutely perfect-here goes, hang on!
So we unload, I take my time through Sunday working through teething issues(small oil weep here, rubbing rotor/caliper there), and get some seat time. My bike is not the insane beast I was worried about-turns out it's easy to go fast on for a full tilt 750, and a lot less of a workout then when it was a 600. The suspension sag that Troy Mengal from Martinmoto set for me was all but perfect, as I turned out a little fork rebound-the chassis stayed as it came-and rode well. I put in a few hot laps, scuffing tires, remembering Jennings layout-trying not to highside in the cold-dedication.....yes.
We load up the trailer and hit the hotel, clean up and partake in what may be the most memorable dinner out, possibly in my entire life. Between the scenery in there, the Valdosta accents, the Crocodile we ate, or the sweet potatoe pie that somehow I inhaled laughing and had to use up about a pound of napkins to unload like tissues(hurt actually).....that made the trip. Stayed up late like schoolboys and yet Joe and I are early 30's, Steve going on 50-just what roadtrips and bikes are about-memories.
So after evening temps. dropping into the teens, Monday morning clouds and highs in the 30's.....I realized that this allot of work and commitment-with few payoffs unless at the National level and preparing for Daytona with a full crew to help, while you sit and stay warm. Instead I was out in the cold, adjusting this, tightening that, take a few laps-then repeat. Better now than April when it's time to put the hammer down. I ended my Christmas present destination trip by getting in a few hot laps chasing Mike(on his '05 R6) and then his Dad Bill(TZ250) around on the track at a very good clip(pace). Also realized that I'll never use all that my bike now has to offer. Borge Larsen, the owner of the track and I chatted after he and I diced around Sunday(I found out he was the owner after the conversation). His track weapon? A pre-1990 Yamaha FZR400 chassis with a built FZR600 motor, lightweight and great power to weight ratio. When he first went by-I swear I thought some local had a hot(built), old school YZF750 or FZR1000 from the tailsection. After then talking to him and he's a big time WERA expert I felt good and bad. Good, because I hang with a guy that rides this track whenever he wants-year round. I was there a year ago, and had about 30min to an hour of seat time on my new steed. Bad, because I was on a bike easily making 40-50 more horsepower and yet he put up a fight, had the endurance to keep going, humbling as I had expected.
I never dream or aspire to be the fastest-just fast-er than some. I built my bike into this trick machine that I truly love for trackdays...but the new realization of being an expert roadracer means full commitment to the machine and the track-that's hard to do on this platform and the competition well, they speak in results-lots of them. As I sit here and write this, family asleep for hours....things are going to change around here with the inventory. I have a project I've been working on since last week, 2 -3 weeks after the return from Jennings GP in real time.
I want to have more fun, go fast, but be competitive.....may be time for some Thunder to come........before the lightening......stay tuned as a bomb's about to go off in the Gorel race camp.
So we unload, I take my time through Sunday working through teething issues(small oil weep here, rubbing rotor/caliper there), and get some seat time. My bike is not the insane beast I was worried about-turns out it's easy to go fast on for a full tilt 750, and a lot less of a workout then when it was a 600. The suspension sag that Troy Mengal from Martinmoto set for me was all but perfect, as I turned out a little fork rebound-the chassis stayed as it came-and rode well. I put in a few hot laps, scuffing tires, remembering Jennings layout-trying not to highside in the cold-dedication.....yes.
We load up the trailer and hit the hotel, clean up and partake in what may be the most memorable dinner out, possibly in my entire life. Between the scenery in there, the Valdosta accents, the Crocodile we ate, or the sweet potatoe pie that somehow I inhaled laughing and had to use up about a pound of napkins to unload like tissues(hurt actually).....that made the trip. Stayed up late like schoolboys and yet Joe and I are early 30's, Steve going on 50-just what roadtrips and bikes are about-memories.
So after evening temps. dropping into the teens, Monday morning clouds and highs in the 30's.....I realized that this allot of work and commitment-with few payoffs unless at the National level and preparing for Daytona with a full crew to help, while you sit and stay warm. Instead I was out in the cold, adjusting this, tightening that, take a few laps-then repeat. Better now than April when it's time to put the hammer down. I ended my Christmas present destination trip by getting in a few hot laps chasing Mike(on his '05 R6) and then his Dad Bill(TZ250) around on the track at a very good clip(pace). Also realized that I'll never use all that my bike now has to offer. Borge Larsen, the owner of the track and I chatted after he and I diced around Sunday(I found out he was the owner after the conversation). His track weapon? A pre-1990 Yamaha FZR400 chassis with a built FZR600 motor, lightweight and great power to weight ratio. When he first went by-I swear I thought some local had a hot(built), old school YZF750 or FZR1000 from the tailsection. After then talking to him and he's a big time WERA expert I felt good and bad. Good, because I hang with a guy that rides this track whenever he wants-year round. I was there a year ago, and had about 30min to an hour of seat time on my new steed. Bad, because I was on a bike easily making 40-50 more horsepower and yet he put up a fight, had the endurance to keep going, humbling as I had expected.
I never dream or aspire to be the fastest-just fast-er than some. I built my bike into this trick machine that I truly love for trackdays...but the new realization of being an expert roadracer means full commitment to the machine and the track-that's hard to do on this platform and the competition well, they speak in results-lots of them. As I sit here and write this, family asleep for hours....things are going to change around here with the inventory. I have a project I've been working on since last week, 2 -3 weeks after the return from Jennings GP in real time.
I want to have more fun, go fast, but be competitive.....may be time for some Thunder to come........before the lightening......stay tuned as a bomb's about to go off in the Gorel race camp.
