Track Day on the C14 : Kawasaki ZX Forums: Kawasaki Ninja Forum

nswenson · 12-23-2007, 03:54 AM

Today I took my bike to the Infineon Raceway. I really had a good time and impressed a lot of people with the C14 track performance. I started in the C group (intermediate) but then switched to B (advanced) after lunch. I was a little nervous to try the B group as everyone was on race bikes and I looked a bit out of place showing up on the Connie. The bike hung in there well. I passed many people and stuck with some fast guys. I have some photos, but unfortunately they only took shots earlier in the day when I was riding slower. I was really hoping they caught my runs with the B group where I actually scraped both fairings and ground the peg feelers completely off to where I cannot remove my left side one. I also ruined my brand new racing boots. For some reason I cannot keep the boot toes off the ground no matter how I position them on the pegs. Lastly, the Michelin tires continue to impress me. I beat the hell out of them today and they still look and handle perfectly. Some of the racers told me I was at a major disadvantage with street tires, but they had excellent grip. Any drift that I had was very controllable except for one bad downshift where my rear end swung WAY out in the chicane. All in all it was an excellent day. I only need to find a solution to the boot wear, as I cannot afford to buy $280 boots for each track day.

scavenger_9 · 12-23-2007, 04:37 AM

Damn... that's one good lean you got there. A bit more scrapes and it'll eat thru your boots and you'll have a very nasty foot ache. Anyway, it's amazing to know that a relatively big big can get wrestled like that... Good riding skill you've got there...

DaveMK2 · 12-23-2007, 04:45 AM

Ouch. You still got a pinkie toe left?

fastbear · 12-23-2007, 05:17 AM

Class act Nswenson. Good to see people enjoy the connie and put the big girl through her paces like the fine bike she is. The ZX-14 lineage becomes apparent in the bikes performance. Looks like Santa needs to bring you some new shoes.

concoursefred · 12-23-2007, 06:06 AM

Very nice. A day at the track is a blast.

JamminJere · 12-23-2007, 07:35 AM

Wow Nate... You sold me on the Michelins next time around... I think your new nick should be... "SmokinToes".. looks like you had a blast.

Jerry

gtr14greg · 12-23-2007, 09:44 AM

You'll have to find some Rearsets to keep toes off the ground

G2

<toes off the ground no matter how I position them on the pegs. >

MAGFED308 · 12-23-2007, 12:21 PM

Thats what I'm talkin bout, Someone not afraid to dip it in.Awesome

08CC14 · 12-23-2007, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nswenson

For some reason I cannot keep the boot toes off the ground no matter how I position them on the pegs.

Awesome pics nswenson! May I offer my humble 2 cents worth? You probably have more track time than I do, but maybe this will help. First, check the position of your feet on the pegs. You should always be on the balls of your feet or a "sports" stance simular to a football or basketball player - never flat-footed or with your heel against the peg. Second, try moving your body over and lower while cornering and pressing your bike away from yourself - achieving a lower center of gravity and allowing the bike to remain more upright. Your outside arm should lie flat across the tank and your inside grip should resemble a tennis racket grip. My form is not perfect either, but you'll get the general idea. If you do these things, you'll increase your bike's clearance and save the wear on your boots. You can also check out Lee Parks' book called Total Control for more info.

nswenson · 12-23-2007, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 08CC14

Awesome pics nswenson! May I offer my humble 2 cents worth? You probably have more track time than I do, but maybe this will help. First, check the position of your feet on the pegs. You should always be on the balls of your feet or a "sports" stance simular to a football or basketball player - never flat-footed or with your heel against the peg. Second, try moving your body over and lower while cornering and pressing your bike away from yourself - achieving a lower center of gravity and allowing the bike to remain more upright. Your outside arm should lie flat across the tank and your inside grip should resemble a tennis racket grip. My form is not perfect either, but you'll get the general idea. If you do these things, you'll increase your bike's clearance and save the wear on your boots. You can also check out Lee Parks' book called Total Control for more info.

Thanks for the tips! I did ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs, but they still rub. I have a size 48 boot and with all the armor they are friggin' huge. I had a hard time getting them out of the way. On the fast long sweepers I was hanging off some, but definitely a lot of room for improvement. Nice pic by the way!

heinee · 12-23-2007, 11:23 PM

Awesome nswenson

I've been lurking on the forum since the bike was announced, and have been waiting for a good track day report..it certainly helps that your report comes from a track since I used to race at in the late eighties and early nineties.

I had the oppotunity to ride a C14 during the press release party in Santa Rosa, and got to run Skaggs. From my 2hr impression, I became even more excited about the bike, especially after chasing down a couple of Gixxsers

I'm also pleased to hear how well the PR2's worked for you on the track. When I get my C14 this spring, that's the tire I've been keeping my eye on as a replacement for the stock skins.

I just have one request..could we get some pics of the speed stripes on the lower fairing

nswenson · 12-24-2007, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heinee

Awesome nswenson

I've been lurking on the forum since the bike was announced, and have been waiting for a good track day report..it certainly helps that your report comes from a track since I used to race at in the late eighties and early nineties.

I had the oppotunity to ride a C14 during the press release party in Santa Rosa, and got to run Skaggs. From my 2hr impression, I became even more excited about the bike, especially after chasing down a couple of Gixxsers

I'm also pleased to hear how well the PR2's worked for you on the track. When I get my C14 this spring, that's the tire I've been keeping my eye on as a replacement for the stock skins.

I just have one request..could we get some pics of the speed stripes on the lower fairing

Left faring:

Right faring:

Gear shift and peg:

heinee · 12-24-2007, 07:04 AM

That's soo bad ass

Fatlab · 12-24-2007, 08:41 PM

Yep, thats sick! I love it.

greko · 12-25-2007, 04:30 AM

well done ! just i've got on the christmas ticket to mondellopark in ireland ,but i won't go that fast into bends , becouse my skills are not that great like yours ,anyway what top speed you had on this track ?

nswenson · 12-25-2007, 04:29 PM

Probably around 130 indicated. Hard to look at the speedometer on the track. Infineon straights are not that long on the motorcycle route.

Mr&MissesMadr · 12-27-2007, 12:10 AM

did u change the suspension setup or leave standard? My GTR feels firm on the twisties but would like to know if u had to change damping/spring preload.

KrautBurner · 05-18-2008, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 08CC14

is that at the lee parks school in Olympia?

I've been thinking about getting into that.

I'd love to talk to a local that's done it, especially on a bigger bike like ours

Russ