Team Kanushoo Racing - 2010

[RUSS M8]

Team Kanushoo Racing - 2010
Well, the original TKR will be hitting the racetracks of Oz again in 2010. Hopefully for a slightly more successful year than 09, where I missed 1 round when the bike broke in practice, then missed my comeback with f%^ken swine flu...

Anyways, will be heading to EC next Sunday 21st for some testing. Have had the shock serviced in the off season (so, now it actually has oil and gas in it... ). May need a click here or there to get it spot on, and I will need most of the 6 sessions to get my head back into it. Especially with all my racing being at Wakefield Park and Oran Park for a full 2 years, Eastern Creek is a very different beast... Corners taken at more than 120-140km/h.... more like 160-180

Unfortunately the TKR #15 YZF is a non entry at the Barry Sheene meeting, with a steeper entry fee and my lack of full time employment when the entries were due... I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and delayed the start of the racing until 18th April @ Wakefield.
This will be Round One of the Honda R-Jays St George Interclub Road Race Series. I will be racing in the "Clubsport 600cc" class, for 600's made before 12/2004. Obviously the 03/1994 YZF just squeezes into the criteria

Anyways, hopefully my new job gives me the money and the time to do the full St George series and selected PCRA meetings.

Would be good to see a few of you out at the track

[RichB]

Looking good mate, ready to roll. I definitely need to take a trip down south at some point to try some different tracks in nsw & vic. Are those std forks btw? Could just be the camera but the head angle looks pretty relaxed, even on the stand and dropped in the triples.

[Sprinter]

Hey Russ

Ill try and get out and say hello.

[RUSS M8]

Looking good mate, ready to roll. I definitely need to take a trip down south at some point to try some different tracks in nsw & vic. Are those std forks btw? Could just be the camera but the head angle looks pretty relaxed, even on the stand and dropped in the triples.

whole front end is standard, but the standard handlebars mount above the top triple clamp, and I have mounted the race ones underneath the top triple So there is about 40mm of exposed fork. Below is a photo of when I first fitted the alloy clip ons
The rear has an ohlins, with a little bit of extra ride height, but not much. If I was any good at riding fast, I would prolly have the ride height adjuster wound up a whole lot more and make the whole thing more aggressive, but that requires a little bit more feel in the front...and a steering damper...

[RUSS M8]

Update Number One!


well, have had the first test of the year

Was out at EC last weekend, the trusty #15 YZF looking sharp, and with some excellent pit biatch work being done by my mate Troy the day went smooth

Had been 2 years since I hit Eastern Creek - and it showed!
It is a fantastic track, I really enjoy it. And found myself just enjoying the scenic ride once or twice... not the fastest way around!
Anyways, took a few sessions to get my head around the speed, width and grip of the place!!! And by the end, I was still braking way too early and tipping in cautiously And, being amazed at the speed I was carrying and the grip I had
Fastest lap was a 1min58... 8 sec off my PB, and 5 seconds off what I should be able to do without risking it all...
So, I have booked in for the practice day on Easter Friday
I don't wanna turn up to Round 1 this year still wobbling round getting my head out of "old man gay slow not loosing licence touring mode", or even "VFR at a trackday on Pilot Road touring tyres OH MY GOD THERE IS NO GRIP I better not crash coz I gotta ride this thing home" mode... Coz both those modes are slow... And, slow at the point of turn in, which is where I was struggling.

So, the 2 days of testing will pretty much waste what were nice shiny Bridgestone slicks... New set on order, will be fitted for Wakefield. Haha, what racing on a Budget!

[RUSS M8]

Well, went out to the Fabulous Eastern Creek International Raceway yesterday, did one more day of testing before the first race of the season in two weeks!
Felt much better on the bike than two weeks ago, dropped another couple of seconds of my times from two weeks ago (although still well off what I've done in the past), and had a ball. Bike ran sweet all day, isn't using the tyres much at all, so will leave this set on for Wakefield and see how they go.
So now a service and a few setup tweaks for the short and bumpy Goulburn layout and we'll be set!

[RUSS M8]

I'll be @ the PCRA race day on 27th June held at Eastern Creek Raceway.

Just a single day meeting, and free entry all day. Might see ya out there

[Sprinter]

Good luck Russ

[RUSS M8]

So, the weekend started well. Had to re-assemble the bike, then load it + all my gear in to the Falcon. First time I've loaded up the new ute, so I was a little nervous as to how it would all fit. But, it all slid in perfect Was stoked Sat lunchtime.
Then I checked the BOM site for a last minute update, it told me the forecasted rain had all disappeared, and dry racing would be the order of the day

Sunday morning, off @ the crack of dawn, I like to get there early and try and miss the scramble of sign on and scrutineering just before the riders briefing.... That worked. Tyre pressures set and warmers were on before I set off for the brief.

Session 3 of the day, my first, practice, 10 mins. I wobbled around for most of it, struggling to find a good feeling with the front end. And running it all through my head, trying to work out whether it really was that slippy, whether the really cold weather was that bad for grip, whether that dust on the track was affecting grip???
A 1:59 was the result... My PB is a 50 flat...
So, I checked the bike over before race 1, it was all good... Just had to find some grip. I trusted the ways of the racing gods and didn't touch anything in regards to pressures/set up ect. Maybe the warmer temp by race time would sort it out?

Race 1, grid is set by championship positions, this is my first PCRA round in 2010, I start 44th out of 50!!!
That is on the inside of the straight, so I decide I'll stick to the inside of turns 1 and 2, and hope to miss the carnage! That works, a few bikes down @ T2, and the slide off to the outside, and I slip straight through
I am slowly making my way though the slower traffic, and finding that by moving my arse back a few inches in the seat the front end feel is all back! The plan of careful passes, giving people space ect. lasts until Turn 9 lap 1... I fire round the outside of 3 or 4 people... Then round the outside of a couple @ Turn 1. More at T4, the long way round again at 8, then up the inside of another @ 9... Lap 3 into T2 and I'm waved down by riders at the edge of the track, a highside out of 2 for someone, and the bike is in the way... Past the crash site and keep passing people!
The race is red flagged, and results taken back a lap (as is the norm), so the last few passes don't count. I finished 28th. 16 positions made in 2 laps, not bad...
I managed a 1:58 in the melee.
Race two, I decide before the race to make the most of my feeling, and push. Not a good start, as when I arrive on the grid, there is someone in my 28th grid slot... and I end up finding a spare spot about 30 something... I try to push harder than before, but end up not going any faster, I'm not letting it flow at all... not riding smooth. I get up to 27th by the end of the 4 lapper.
A 1:58 again...
Last race, I tell myself to just calm down and let it flow, and it works. The bike feels good, I'm passing people left right and centre! Literally! I had a great battle with old friend Steve Butler on his GSXR750. He was really struggling with what appeared to be a dud front hoop? He crashed race 1, and had a moment race 2, so he was going easy on the front... I was getting on the gas harder and his power advantage was almost gone! I passed him for what turned out to be 22nd on the last lap, but he blew past down the straight to relegate me to 23rd...
I set my fastest lap of the weekend on the last lap of the last race. A 1:56 That lap involved a pass @ T2. A baulk @ T4. A ripper pass on Steve @ T7 . So, to be going faster while almost constantly off line was a good sign that if I'd had more clear track I could have got within a few seconds of my PB despite the recent lay off and cold temps...

In the end I was happy, the lap times weren't there, but the racing was exciting, the bike ran flawlessly and looked even better. I found something in my technique I had been missing recently, which should help everywhere. And, I packed the bike up as shiney as it arrived, seemingly a rarity on a day when so so many bikes went down all around me...

Will post up any decent racing shots as they come to hand.

Hopefully the next outing will be round 2 of the Honda St George Series, in 4 weeks time @ Wakefield Park. It's the endurance round, so that should stop my whinging about short races!

[Sprinter]

Sounds like you had a good day overall Russ. Still bummed I cant make the 4 Hour. Should be fun.

[jono]

Don't stress too much about the laptimes - lots of people were a bit off the pace for some reason (myself included )

Race two, I decide before the race to make the most of my feeling, and push. Not a good start, as when I arrive on the grid, there is someone in my 28th grid slot... and I end up finding a spare spot about 30 something...

That was Mike on the 28th spot, and he was actually in the right place - apparently they issued a revised grid for some reason (I assume a few riders pulled out after incidents) and half the field didn't seem to know about it.

[RUSS M8]

Don't stress too much about the laptimes - lots of people were a bit off the pace for some reason (myself included )

Race two, I decide before the race to make the most of my feeling, and push. Not a good start, as when I arrive on the grid, there is someone in my 28th grid slot... and I end up finding a spare spot about 30 something...

That was Mike on the 28th spot, and he was actually in the right place - apparently they issued a revised grid for some reason (I assume a few riders pulled out after incidents) and half the field didn't seem to know about it.

hmm, I didn't know about the revised grid til they told me AFTER THE RACE, but I checked it, I was still 28th? Anyways, apart from that it was smooth

[jono]

hmm, I didn't know about the revised grid til they told me AFTER THE RACE

Yeah, not much help when they tell you afterwards. Mike was trying to call the official over, but they just looked at him and then lowered the flag and walked off the track

[RUSS M8]

packing up after a good days racing

[james]

ah man, that sounded like an awesome weekend.
good luck next round.