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So, what about the track??? How do you like it? Where is it? How much does it cost? They let you run with your center stand.
The track is called Inde. http://www.indemotorsports.com/site/
It's the best track I've ever been on and I've been to five other tracks in Arizona. It cost me nothing because I worked for the people who put on the track day event. It's located just outside of Willcox AZ in a beautiful desert location. Running your street bike at an open track is more lax then a race day so having your center stand on is ok.
Very nice. :) Looks like fun and brings back memories. That's a real clean '83 Vision too BTW.
Thank you. I lucked out big time when I found this bike by accident.
Is it the camera lens or the lighting or are the tires really big?
Yeah, that is a nice '83. The gold decals on the fairing still match the gold paint. Mine have faded to a hideous pink cast. Getting ready to peel them off.
How were your lap times? Top speed?
Tire sizes are: 129/90/18 & 100/90/18. Back tire is about done and I'm going to 110/90/18.
Didn't get any lap times. When I had a SV650 race bike, I would run it in the intermediate group and was amongst the top 25% of the riders in that group. When I ran with the expert group (which is made up of mostly racers) I was for sure the slowest guy out there. The day these photos were taken, I ran with the beginner group. Just taking my time down the long and only straight on the track to let others with faster bikes pass me (not like I could stop them) and then have fun to see which ones I could pass back in the twisty bits. Because of the condition of this bike and it's rarity, I ran a pace that I felt would not see me tossing the thing on the ground. I remember looking at the speedo once at the end of the straight and was about 88mph or so. Virtually everyone was faster down the straight then I was. I sure had a great time and will ride that track again (on a 1977 KZ650) when I get the chance.
Wow, what a nice clean 83! How nice to live somewhere you can get some track time. Although I consider myself a competent street rider I have never really had an opportunity to safely practice speed in curves, really hard braking, or you might say the limits of the bike.
As the author of "A twist of the wrist Two" would say, my "oh shit I am two darn fast" pucker factor is pretty darn low and it takes practice to raise that and understand your bike will handle the curve just fine, don't panic and do something stupid!
Happy turkey day!
Is that the '83 with only a couple hundred miles on it? Guessing it has a bit more now.... I saw it out at the new years ride at Tortilla Flats a few years ago. Was an older guy, but didn't get to talk to him. Just remember looking at the speedo and seeing that it was very low miles... was still bone stock and in near perfect condition!
Matter of fact, that was me and I was out at Tortilla Flats this morning. I'll be there again come new years morning. The bike actually has 7K miles on it.
Ah, gotcha! I remember that it had very few miles on it... good looking bike! I'll be out there again this year on my vision, if I can get it back together by then....
That's a great looking KZ650 too. I always liked those bikes. Light and fast, a fun ride for sure. I amateur road raced (WERA) for one season in 1984 and were 2 guys I knew who were still running KZ650's. They both ran them in the "C" modified class. One of the two was actually competitive. He even did well when he ran it the 750cc "B" class.