I got lucky last night!

[OB_Kirk]

Oh, come on. Get your minds out of the gutter. I got lucky when launching my bike. I have launched it once correctly by accident, and last night I did it correctly on purpose. It still feels like a million to one shot with no clutch mod. It just felt "right". The front tire popped about an inch off the ground as I first gave it some clutch, and by the time the clutch was all the way out, I was in a different zip code than the competition. I was able to go wide open fairly soon, and it carried the front tire about an inch all the way through first gear (mine is lowered 1.5" front and rear). I snapped the throttle off and back on, and it upshifted like an automatic. The rear end squirmed ever so slightly through the first part of second. I didn't think I'd be able to get my helmet off until the smile on my face receded. Got it on video. When I watched it, I felt my face turning red because I was embarrassed for the competition. They shouldn't even call the Hayabusa a motorcycle. It is just so different than anything else. I need to get the clutch mod. It's kind of embarrassing to either kill it or melt down the rear tire like a squid when attempting a launch.

 

[OB_GSXRboy]

Don't hold us in suspense what was your 60' and you 1/4 miles time on that pass???

 

[OB_rick phillips]

What pass, this was in the middle of downtown Port.

 

[OB_Mr Bear]

Take it to the drag strip (PIR?) and try for a repeat performance, so you can put some numbers to it. Then you'll know if you really launched well, or just thought you did.

 

[OB_Kirk]

Yes, some of the guys do act like farm animals around teenage girls when the camcorder comes out. I am married, so I keep my rear seat at home. Seems like they still want to ride, so I set them up with one of the single guys. It is not unusual to have a line at 0230AM.

 

[OB_Kirk]

And to be fair, we do find a natural from time to time. Recently we took a couple of girls that had never ridden before they met us the night before. They put up with 250 miles of railing around the mountain. That is how my regular riding buddy hooked up with his woman. She is the best passenger I have ever seen. When railing, she hangs off for him. They move like one. She is so comfortable on the bike that sometimes on our way home in the wee hours I'll look over and see her passed out on his back.

 

[OB_Kirk]

Mr. Bear- I have been drag racing cars at PIR since the '70s. I thought concrete was a pretty cool invention when they first came out with it. I remember when they put the concrete launch pads in at PIR. A regular racing buddy of mine got to make a pass before I did. When he came back, I asked him how it was. He said "Concrete is our friend." I had a stickshift Pro ET rotary Mazda door car that would cut 1.60s (with the rear wheels). I have a good feel for good and bad launches, but I am far from an expert at riding. I was just promoted from "beginner" status last week by my peers.

 

[OB_Kirk]

Rick- It was not in the middle of downtown Portland. The only launches I have done downtown have resulted in me stalling the bike. It is a bit of a standing joke with my peers. Until you can prove to me that you exist in a dimension other than the internet, you can keep your editorial coments to yourself. My email address is kirkcpyland@integrityonline.com. I am at Starbucks on NW 23rd way too much, and on Broadway just south of Pioneer Square on Friday and Saturday nights until the police close it off. We usually go to the 24hr Starbucks in Beaverton afterwards. If you do exist, you should prove it soon. We are planning a ride for next Saturday or Sunday, and I am planning an air-conditioned home theater movie night at my place with an MSF training video that I recently found called Mach 2.

 

[OB_rick phillips]

How early do you have to get to the 23rd starbucks to find a place to park,I drove by there at about 7:00 on friday night and the place was a mad house! My comment was just a joke I will keep them to myself concerning your perfect launches from now on I didn't think you would be offended, Sorry.

 

[OB_Kirk]

I was not offended. I was just trying to get a response that results in me meeting you face to face. I know one other guy who owns a burgundy Bus. I think it would be cool if all three of us go on next weekend's ride. On the Tahoe trip, the other guys would top out at 175-190 indicated, and then a Bus would blow by them. I hope my tire gets here soon. You should have seen NW 23rd at 8:00PM when I arrived. We try to take the whole block by pizza time. We have our own two personal police officers now, at least when we are on 23rd. They are from the Portland Police Bureau's Neighborhood Response Team (NRT). They both ride. One has a Harley-Stratton, the other has a Buell. No more rolling stoppies in front of Starbucks. They seem more responsible than some of the officers downtown. Last week we were filming traffic stops and these two extremely photogenic little blond girls got stopped for DWS (driving while stupid). While the officer was back at his car on the MDT, our videographer was making conversation with the driver. When the officer returned, he looked directly at the camera and asked "Did she flash yet?".

 

[OB_Ambush]

All this makes me want to go to portland. We don't have anything like that in San Francisco, ca. And if we do I have never seen it. would be nice.