Fun way to spend a day.

[h2olawyer]

Went out to IMI Motorsports Park this morning.  Paid my $35 and spent the day burning up fuel & wearing out tires.  Got about 25 laps in - could have done more, but just wanted to get a feel for track riding.  Tons of fun.  The three other guys there are all Motorcycle Safety Instructors.  One is the head of ABATE in Colorado.  The bikes were a ZX-750, a ZX-10, a GTS1000 and my Vision.  I ws severely outclassed by these guys in both equipment & ability but I had an absolute blast!

The GTS rider was the most amazing.  He wore a hole in his exhaust can  & was scraping pegs all over the place.  He can really make that bike dance!  He has holes in his riding pants where the knee pucks would be on leathers & the outside of both his boots re nearly worn through.  The guy on the ZX-10 had a hard time keeping up with him even though that bike weighs about half what the GTS does.

I spent all my time practicing corner entries, less worried about running a 'correct' line - hitting the entry right makes the rest of the turn take care of itself anyway.  Only had a couple real pucker factor moments & those really weren't that bad.   :D

IMI is primarily a karting facility and also has motocross & flat tracks available.  It is a 1.2 mile long track & some of the corners are really tight.  Best I could do on the back straight was 70MPH before I had to get on the binders.  The other guys were all getting to 85.  Hard to beat cubic inches.   ::)

The photo below is an aerial view of the track:



I'll post photos as soon as I get them from the other guys.

H₂O

[pullshocks]

Is that the track next to the interstate between Boulder and Fort Collins?

[kwells]

i wanna get out there and wear out some tires too

[h2olawyer]

The track is about a mile east of I-25, south of Dacono.  Exit 232.  You cannot see the track from the Interstate.  Actually, its between Denver & Ft. Collins - Boulder is a ways due West of that exit.  There is another track - Colorado National Raceway - a couple miles North.  That is a small 'bullring' oval track.  There used to be a great road track near Mead, closer to Longmont & right next to I-25.  Various names over the years, ending with Continental Divide Raceway.  It closed a couple years ago.   :'(  They're probably going to put a housing development there.   ::)

There used to be a bunch of tracks in Colorado.  However, many have closed recently.  Second Creek (Denver) Pikes Peak International Raceway (Colorado Springs) and Continental Divide (Mead).  They're in the process of building a new road track about an hour East of Denver.  Currently in fundraising, but are close to starting on the first phase of construction.  They bought the land & have moved some earth - nearly ready to pave.

IMI is open 7 days a week, all year - except most holidays - dawn to dusk.  Track surface was repaved this year, but the pavement is breaking up.  They are planning to have it repaved in the near future.  Their only requirement for riding gear is a helmet.  Don't need to use water only in the radiator.  Pretty laid back.  $35 gets a full day on the track - or you can get a year long pass for $500.

H₂O

[Aelwulf]

Cool. :)

Not sure if it's just a drag track, lesser version of Bandimere, or a full track but I think there's one in Pueblo ummmmmm down Hwy 50 if I remember right?  On the way to the reservoir whichever road that is.  If it's a full might be worth a check.

[h2olawyer]

The racetrack in Pueblo is a good facility.  Road course, oval & I think a drag strip as well.  It's big enough that they run sanctioned SCCA races there.  Motorcycle races as well - just not sure of what sanctioning body.

The airport @ LaJunta also becomes a track a few times per year.  But, Colorado has still lost three high quality tracks in the last three years.  Two of them were the most convenient for those of us in Northern Colorado.  Second Creek was a great track - but the development that came well after the track was there complained long & loud about the noise.  Seems to me they should have known about the track when they decided to buy their homes.  Kind of like moving close to an airport, then complaining about the noise.  Or moving near a confinement hog facility & complaining about the stench.  Really sucks when existing property uses have to change simply due to other people's stupidity.  (Had to rant a little!)

H₂O

[ironb12s]

I've worked safety crew at all of the tracks you've mentioned, including the Pueblo Motorsports Park.  Actually done the same thing you did, H2O, with my Bandit 5-6 years ago.  Was there at PMP on a track day with some colleagues from MCI.  I never had the advantage until the straight, where I'd get it to 120MPH, but the sphincter-factor took over at the entry to turn one.

Also worked safety for SCCA & MARRC at Summit Point, WV for many years...

About that GTS1000, he had the very progressive RADD front end, no?  Yamaha was really out in front many times with technology, and each was just a bit more than the public was willing to accept.  Our Vision is one of those experiments.  Took 10 years before another manufacturer stepped, Suzuki, with the VX800.  BMW followed Yamaha's lead with their Telelever front end, but they're the only OEM to engineer anything similar...  It really stabilizes the bike in turns, and especially in turns with washboard surfaces.  It's no wonder that he outran everyone in the turns...

[h2olawyer]

Actually, the Bimota Tesi had another version of the RADD front end.  The Telelever is more of a hybrid as it still has forks but with the lever assist.  Works well.

The GTS1000 was way ahead of the curve, but it is kind of a pig.  620 pounds before adding fuel.  Also asked $13999 for it way back in 93.  The front suspension is heavy, it has a catalytic converter & ABS.  I've ridden it & it feels well planted to the ground.  The GTS held the shortest stopping distance crown for a long time.  The front disc is mounted right in the centerline of the rim & has only one caliper - with 6 pistons.  Lots more $$ than other offerings from Honda, Kawasaki or Suzuki.  Cutting edge technology doesn't come cheap.  Like our Vs, quite a few new GTSs sat in dealerships for several years.

I used to do corner work for the Vintage auto races in Steamboat.  True road racing, but ended because of all the traffic tie-ups it caused.  Got back into cornerworking last Spring.  Went out to Miller Motorsports Park & worked a corner for the ALMS series.  What a gas!  Expected those Audi Turbo-Diesels to rumble pretty good.  They're the quietest cars on the track.  You can hear the mechanicals working - like gear changes & such - when they enter a corner.  Cool stuff.  By the way, carbon fiber brakes really stink.

H₂O

[ironb12s]

Getting off topic, but what the heck...

How are Kevlar pads?  Any feedback from the track?

Prolly the most fun I had working MRA was an AHRMA, and hearing this Honda xx125 inline 6-cylinder coming around turn 8...sounded like a FormAtlantic openwheel going down the straight, too.  It outclassed everything on the track that weekend.  That was at Second Creek, IIRC.  :)

Worked a few SVRA's at Summit Point, was there when a Ford GT50 went off track into the woods due to a slick laid down by a Lotus Sprint shortly before he got there...we didn't have time to get the yellow out and that was all for a $250K racing machine... :(

[h2olawyer]

Don't know much about carbon fiber brakes.  Only from an observer's point of view.  Could see them glowing red even in the mid-day sun.  Those ALMS cars are about the same sophistication level s F1.

I just have sbs organic pads on the V.  They whoa pretty good.  But all I have to compare those with are the old single disc & rubber line that originally came on the V.  The dual discs and braided stainless lines are a huge upgrade.  I believe the braided stinless made the most difference.

H₂O

[ironb12s]

Moi aussi, mon ami.   ;)  I posted a reply to ONE of these forums not long ago about SS lines.  The single front rotor on my Vision was PLENTY after the SS line was installed, both ends rebuilt and filled with DOT 5.    :)

I think it was on the Yamaha-Triples forum...  Those bikes could use all of the braking help they could get...  :X