Took my 5th gen to a new MotoGP track

Discussion in 'Racing & Track Days' started by w3bdevil, Aug 7, 2020.

  1. w3bdevil

    w3bdevil New Member

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    There is a brand new racetrack relatively close to where I live which has FIA Grade 1 rating and also FIM Grade A, Kymiring (in Finland). The track was supposed to be on MotoGP calendar already this year but that went by because of COVID-19 and was postponed to next year. Luckily enough, I got a chance to ride there as a guest of the local Ducati club for 2 x 15 minutes + 2 x 20 minutes. The track is simply awesome though some MotoGP riders complained during tests it's too slow for MotoGP bikes. It has a fast part, 1200m (3/4 mile) back straight and a fairly technical part. If you're interested, see for yourself: https://en.kymiring.fi/motorsport/

    About the VFR then. I have never before ridden my 5th gen at this kind of speeds so it was a big learning experience for me but after the 2 first sets I was already quite comfortable with the bike, the track and the speed. Now, I'm very fond of my bike and I've never ridden a lighter and more nimble bike (say, a 600) on track so I'm definitely biased :) but nonetheless, the 5th gen is a very capable bike on track. No problem getting to 230km/h (~143mph) on the back straight (nevermind the MotoGP bikes go like 340km/h / 210mph at that point) and also no problem at all stopping from that speed either, though doing that regularly does eat your brake pads... I got a huge smile on my face passing a Ducati Panigale at that brake point (the rider of which clearly had more money than riding skill). No problem using all the contact area of my tires on the corners, though eventually you will be scraping your pegs. But then again if you're regularly scaping your pegs on track with a VFR, maybe it's time for a dedicated track bike? Or.. ditch the centerstand and get higher rearsets :D I have to admit my suspension is not stock, I have Andreani Misano Evo adjustable cartridges in the front and a Wilbers rear shock both sprung for my weight so I can't compare track behavior with a stock 5th gen. They really make a big difference in stability. Another fun gadget I have installed is a Healtech quickshifter. Don't use it much on the street but on track doing full-throttle acceleration through all the gears with it is both faster and a lot of fun.

    All in all, if you're still wondering whether or not a VFR can do track days, in short definitely yes. Of course there will be lots of bikes with more horsepower that will overtake you on a straight line but in slow to middle group cornering you can go a long way with the VFR. If you're tight on budget like me, it's a relatively cheap bike to ride (and fix) and a great bike to learn AND you can own and use only one bike for street and track.

    If you actually got this far, sorry for the long VFR fanboy rant :)
     
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  2. Cyberob

    Cyberob New Member

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    Great! Now all that's missing are some nice pics :)
     
  3. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    That’s awesome, only MotoGP level track I’ve been on was Laguna Seca, would love to ride a few more, On the bucket list is Philip Island. I remember reading/hearing about the Kimiring and some of the rider reports but was hoping to see a new track on the roster but of course the COVID-19 crisis dealt a blow to a lot of things.

    As for a VFR at the track. I’ve been using my 5 Gen at the track almost exclusively for the past 2 years. Got in a few public road rides but for the most part it’s been a track bike. I’ve done quite a lot to it, both for performance and for weight loss. Brakes is one area where you need to pay attention to, especially with bikes in stock trim, the weight will definitely be harder on the pads and rotors. I was able to grab a set of EBC WAV rotors and went with some Carbonne Loraine pads, which don’t seem to fade over a 20 minute session.

    All in all I’m happy with the bike at the track, most riders I’m on the track with keep telling me to get a 600, as they think I’d be a lot happier. As much as I think a lighter bike might make track time more fun, I really don’t have an issue with the VFR on the track. That being said, I had a real fun time riding an R3 and did a lot of passing in the corners but as mentioned, on the fast straights, you get passed like you’re going in reverse!
     
  4. w3bdevil

    w3bdevil New Member

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    Here you go, though I only got 2 from this track. I guess the photographers were too busy shooting all the Ducatis :) No knee down here since I'm not really at that level yet and I'm riding in textile pants without knee sliders :D Maybe next season...

    In the second pic you can see my right blinker is missing it's cover. It already had a small crack in it and on the back straight going 140+ mph it blew away. It does get rather windy at that speed but I was still a bit surprised. Oh well, might as well get a pair of LED blinkers for the price of one OEM.

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    These are from another thread, earlier track day this year on another track.

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