I wish someone had introduced me to motorcycles at this age, taken away all the mystery and fear associated with it and given me the ability to concentrate on strategy. What a wonderful gift that would’ve been, but since this is real life and my parents were deathly afraid of my brother riding motorcycles, that meant an absolute no for me. There is an inherent fear of motorcycles and the danger associated with them, when you get into a discussion with non-riders you find yourself almost defending why you ride, I had people go so far as to say I’m a terrible mother for wanting to put myself at risk. It’s interesting that people have such strong opinions about riding. For me and I believe for many of us that ride, it is our place of zen, somewhere where you can reconnect with yourself, have fun, feel the outside world whizzing by your face and through your body, it is completely visceral and centering.
Sure riding is inherently dangerous, however just like any other sport, the more you practice and are coached, the more knowledgeable and more confident you become. It is an investment in yourself. As riders we invest in gear, exhausts, aftermarket stuff, but we don’t invest in us and the knowledge we need to possess to continue riding for a lifetime. All that bling doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t ride it or are deathly afraid of it. Better to save your money, learn to ride skillfully and then bling out your dream bike. Let’s be honest, you will lay your bike down, you may lay it down a lot to start. It will hurt like hell if you have put on all the bells and whistles and it gets totaled. It may even keep you from continuing this amazing sport, so save your money for pimping out your bike in a savings account as a reward and invest in improving your skills. If you don’t think you have anything to learn, try a class and find out, I believe you will be surprised.
I’ve had the opportunity to travel and attend track schools, but I know for many this isn’t in their budget. I always wished they would come up to our area and put these schools on, but to this day only one currently does and with a hefty price tag. I started doing events to bring top level coaches and riders to our local track and give people the opportunity to experience the level of instruction that makes the difference. I believe that to be the best you need to learn from the best in the business. You may never reach their level, but you can always strive to be better every time, implement skills everyday and improve your riding every time you throw a leg over. It is a fraction of the cost of traveling to a track school and for many this will be their first time on the track so we try to make this as accommodating and comfortable as we can so you can have an amazing day of learning. Last year we had Ken Hill instructing and this year we have Jason Pridmore of Star Motorcycle School (currently commentating for beIn sports and MotoGP) for our two day event. On June 27th there will be three sessions: Group 1 and 2 are co-ed and open to everyone in limited numbers and Group 3 is the special session with JP in the classroom and then on trac
k (please see the event schedule for more details). Group 3 for the 27th is a women’s session (which JP will love me for) so that we can provide an environment for gals who want to learn at their pace, no matter what level you are. On June 28th, Group 1 and 2 are co-ed and limited numbers and the special session is for men. Last year after putting on the event, I was approached by men asking if I would do one especially for them as well…you asked, I delivered. Click on the CC Track Events on the home page for more information and to signup. Spaces are limited so sign up and reserve your spot today. If you have groups of people 5-10, please contact me directly at caroltcarpenter@motovixens.com.
We will have giveaways and this year we have Dunlop Tires (a set to give away each day), KFG has donated a few setups, Cycle gear is donating gift certificates and the list is growing each day. There will also be demos available from dealerships (to be announced soon), JP will be doing two ups (get in line boys and girls, I get the first dance :D) as well as other world class riders he’s bringing to help you get the most out of your experience. JP will have a q & a during lunchtime open to everyone and then he and his boys will be riding as we spectate in the corners. The catering will be done by Viet NomNom food truck and lunch will be provided for participants. Snacks and water will be available, please bring anything you may need if you have dietary restrictions. Also, don’t forget to bring fuel for your bike, sunscreen and warmer clothing for the morning and cooler gear for later.
I had the unfortunate luck of getting geared up one day (in fact it was the warmest we had in a while) only to have my bike not start. Have you ever had one of those days? The worst part was it was Monday so no shops were open and the frustration was due to having the bike on a tender which should have guaranteed a start right? Wrong! The battery was less than a year old, in fact it had a sticker bearing the words “NEW 5/26/2013” so was I one of those lucky Ducati owners with a bike that had character? After messing with it for about 3 hours, I gave up and called Troy, my boyfriend, to discuss the issues I was having and a quick text to Fuzzy in Seattle Ducati to confirm that the symptoms amounted to a dead battery. Come Wednesday I was pretty cagey and unhappy, I called Ducati Bellevue and inquired about batteries and their opinions. Not sure why I do that, I am gonna do what I want regardless of what anyone says…I know you gals know what I mean ;)! I was planning on getting a Shorai battery, since my stock was a Yuasa and I sure as heck was not going to do that to myself again. Let me tell you this battery feels as light as a feather in comparison to the Yuasa being a lithium-ion battery. I was told that it will require getting a special charger for it, but I’m hoping that this years riding weather won’t require it since I will be riding all the time. This battery change got the ball rolling for all the parts we already had, but needed a good reason to take the bike apart for upgrades.
The list of things we did included new tires, SBS sintered brake pads, Vortex rear sets and of course the new Shorai battery. The battery is smaller and lighter than ordinary batteries and if you ask the shop it also requires a bit of rethinking when starting your bike…normally you’d just fire it up, let it get to temp, then go. With lithium ion batteries I was told by John in Ducati Bellevue that you needed to turn bike on, let the cells wake up, even turn on the brights for a minute then fire it up. Shorai comes with foam which you pack around the battery (see pic) to fit the area your old battery used to be, the first thing you’ll notice is that the bike even fires up differently there seems to be a more deliberate delivery system as it doesn’t cough and choke. If you are in the market for a new battery, give them a try (and no I am not sponsored by them or get kickbacks, just a very happy owner of a bike with a little less character now).
I was fortunate to get a set of Dunlop Q2’s and went from a 180 in the rear to a 190 (had to check the measurements to make sure they would fit). Thanks to the village it took to not only get that rear wheel off (torque spec is 130 ft lbs), had to borrow a breaker bar, get Barry from KFG to balance rear tire (the Axle is bigger than most and requires a special size cone to correctly balance the tire) and lastly buy a torque wrench that would allow us to tighten the rear wheel to 130 ft lbs. Taking it to a shop to have it done certainly sounds way better now huh? With the tires off, the calipers were easy to get to and replace the brake pads (although mine were only slightly worn, Troy swore by them and said I would never go back once I got a taste of them). Then came the rear sets which stock has always been too low and too far to back for my small frame.
The adjustable nature of the vortex ones allowed me to raise them up and forward to get me in a nice aggressive and comfortable stance while riding. With everything in pieces it was the perfect time to really clean all the nooks and crannies on the bike and the wheels which I normally can’t get to. I used Silkolene’s Pro Prep to clean the wheels and Silkolene’s All in one to clean and polish the bike’s hard surfaces (see pic). With the bike all put back together, it was time for a ride to determine if anything needed tweaking, my absolute favorite part! So off I went heart racing as I felt the tires and took the first turn in them, felt the brakes and how progressive they were and the comfort of being able to sit in a much more aggressive and comfortable position. Had to be careful of course, new tires on cold pavement could lead to a bad day…with going up in the tire size, the rear felt really stable and secure on the road, turns were not a problem and the brakes are amazing! Interesting side note having the lighter battery was obvious to me in the weight near the front of the bike, not sure why, but I really do like the feeling. I have ridden two more days after the test ride and both were equally enjoyable. If you haven’t fired up your baby, it’s time to start getting her ready for the upcoming great weather (being positive her) and track days! Feel free to comment on this post and ask questions, hope you got the chance to enjoy the few days we had that were dry and mild. If not, be ready for the next opportunity! Vixens Ride!