My Gingerman Raceway Review on Yelp

I rode my sportbike at Gingerman Raceway with Sportbike Track Time this weekend. It was my first time there so it was great to learn a new track. I can tell that I am learning new tracks faster than I did before. It's really nice to see this slight improvement in my riding skills. Though I did crash this weekend (more on this later), I did have a great weekend! If it's your first time visiting Gingerman Raceway, check out my review on Yelp about Gingerman Raceway to get an idea of what to expect.

The facilities at this track are so homely. Gingerman has a retail store that is separate from their food stand. You can actually walk in and peruse their store inventory -- everything from decals to hooded sweatshirts, keychains to hats. Gingerman actually offers a good variety of food. Their breakfast sandwiches taste homemade; not just reheated from some grocery freezer section. They also offer wraps and hot sandwiches for lunch; some even fresher alternatives to traditional concession stand food (hot dogs, brats, burgers, etc.). On Day 1 of this past weekend, I had their BLT. On Day 2, I had their Roma Chicken sandwich for lunch and the Bacon Breakfast Sandwich earlier in the day. All were adequately portioned and tasty. On a food scale of 1 to 5, they were a 4 in my book and I was impressed. We camped overnight since my boyfriend and I were doing back-to-back motorcycle track days with Sportbike Track Time.

If you are camping and have an RV, you can plug into the meters that dot the southwest part of the grassy pit area. We don't have an RV, but good to know that if we came here on a hotter day, we could get power to use our fans. Those outdoor electrical outlets also came in handy when we were trying to charge our phones, iPods, etc. Other people were using their meters for their tire warmers as well. The bathrooms and showers were very clean as well. The water seemed clean and didn't stink of well-water like other tracks I've been to. Kudos to the maintenance staff at Gingerman for clean facilities!

The track itself: The Gingerman track has "seams" that have been filled with tar. There are slight changes in height of the pavement between one section to another (divided by the seams). These seams are a good challenge and after my weekend at Gingerman on two-wheels, I learned how to glide over them and to cross them at an angle. It is tough though when your motorcycle tire gets stuck in the seams; you try not to panic as it pulls you off the race line, but you can't help freaking out a little. There are bumps in the track, but honestly it didn't affect my riding. Gingerman is a great track for novice riders (like me) as it forces you to concentrate and learn to tackle a less than "perfectly" paved track. That said, my boyfriend is an Advanced rider and he has a blast too. The track is rather short, mileage wise. The straightaways are much shorter than other racetracks I've experienced and the track overall is a bit flat, but these characteristics make it a great track for a newbie to practice throttle control. You can't get too crazy fast on the straightaways where you couldn't slow down enough (without clutch or brake) for your turn, if you were focusing solely on throttle control. The turn between the two straightaways is a bit sharp, but if you feel like you're going to take it too fast, the run-off into the pit area is right there for you to use.

New section: I have never ridden at Gingerman before the "new section" was added. I was told the new section was referred to as Turn 10B. Instead of being a tighter turn onto the back straightaway, turn 10B takes a more sweeping turn which spits you out onto the same straight. It seems to flow very well. The turn is downhill with an uphill exit cresting onto the straight. Turn 10b is also the newly paved part of the track which means seams that are less noticable. I'm happy with this new addition. Ironically, I crashed in this section this weekend. It was an error on my part, but I did learn that it is a downhill, though the elevation change is subtle.

This weekend was my first time visiting Gingerman and I had a great time. While not my favorite track, I would still recommend it to my fellow sportbike riders. Gingerman is also great for spectators as bleachers and picnic benches are set up throughout.

It's been too long...

... Well, quite honestly, I've forgotten that I had this blog. I've learned quite a lot since my first days on my motorcycles and the early days of this blog. Some major changes: I ride more on the track than on the street and I ride dirt a bit more as well. I was reading over my old posts and have improved leaps and bounds over the former me. My motorcycle is now in GP shift mode (a.k.a. reverse shift) and I admit it was a bit easier than I thought it would be; I just have to remember that it is changed. Anyway, as I mentioned, lots has changed since my last blog update and I aim to update soon, but enjoy this link in the meantime. I was featured as the female rider of the month on Sportbike Track Girl. Check it out here.

2010 riding

So a new season of riding has begun. Went on my first long ride of the season with some gals on April 2nd. Today was my first time riding in the rain. I was riding from work and I knew I had to be home to change for yoga. I felt it was better to leave then before it really started pouring. So although it wasn't a storm, I still rode in the light rain. go me! woot! The feeling didn't feel any different on my tires as I was just going through city traffic. I had to take extra care when stopping so my tires wouldn't slip on the wet pavement. I also had to be careful that I didn't stop in an area where the only place to put my feet down were the manholes. Other slippery surfaces were anything metal and the bridge (all metal) since the water just stayed on the surface and didn't really evaporate. All in all, it was a successful experience.

Another update: In an interest of more riding, I think I will curtail my blogging to more important things. I won't be blogging after each short ride, but maybe after the really long ones where I learned a lot. I will be writing down stuff I learned and advice to other riders that might come across my experiences.

already looking towards F4T 2009

I don't care if I do it alone or just with one other person or in a group (as long as fun and hassle-free). I hope to do F4T at least once. Starting to put together things I would need for the tour.

here's the list:

• boots


• raingear (http://www.froggtoggs.com/ or look at target)


• bungee net thing to hold my bag (note: bungee to frame and not to bungee hooks)


• overnight clothes - usually flip flops, sleeping clothes(or not), and change of shirt for next day (my challenge will be trying to keep my girly stuff to a minimum (perfume, hair styling tools, makeup, etc.)

to be continued as I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot.

ran out of gas

I was riding on the highway back from downtown. I almost made it home, when my engine just kind of died as soon as I merged on to 88W from 294S. I was already nervous because there was a state trooper that was pulling someone else over on the far left shoulder. I kept opening my throttle, but no power was coming through to the engine. I made my way over to the far right shoulder so I could figure out what was going on. My battery worked fine as I was able to turn on the bike's electrical system. But as soon as I hit the engine start button, it wouldn't start. I hoped it was just the lack of fuel. I was right. I waved down the state trooper to help me out after he finished writing up another car. He, of course, checked my stats to make sure I was a legitimate rider. Even though he pulled up in front of me, he had me move my bike in front of his car (for visibiity?). It was already dark by that time. After checking my stats, he called for an IDOT Help truck. It took them a good 20-30 mins. to arrive and in the meantime, the trooper was chatting with me. He asked me what it was like to ride. He also asked me if I knew anyone in DeKalb that rode since a motorcyclist fled from him not too long ago. Then he asked me what I think the punishment should be for that offense. I replied that I didn't know. He also asked how fast I've ever been on my bike. I replied that I usually just go with the flow of traffic -- so.. 75-80 is probably the fastest. He remarked, "Wow! You're a slow motorcyclist!" and I said, "I guess so -- I'm not too crazy on the bike in traffic roads." We chatted a bit more and he admitted that he wanted a bike too. He said that if he got a bike, he would want a cruiser and would want to ride it pretty fast. I just listened and laughed at the appropriate times. Before we knew it, the help truck arrived and the trooper left.

The IDOT help truck was able to help me out. charged me $10 for $2, but I really had no choice. At least he was nice. Yet of course, he asked me a bunch of questions about riding on the motorcycle and what not, but that was kind of expected. After getting gas, I was on my way and then refilled at the next gas station I could.

I was truly grateful for the trooper and the help truck and that neither were jerks!

accomplishments

There was a thread in the Ladies' Forum talking about our accomplishments and goals. I wrote them down, so I figure I should post them here:

This year has been an exciting year for me.

This season's accomplishments:
-learned to ride a motorcycle! yay!
-gained the courage to ride solo and work on my skills everytime I was on the bike
-created a blog/journal to document the errors and improvements to be made while riding during my first season
-grew comfortable with a faster entry speed on curves (still have to work on this)
-participated in a fairly large group ride
-commuted to work everyday (that there was good weather) on the bike, thus learning to ride in traffic as well
-got back on the bike after low-siding
-learned to clutchless upshift
-obtained that "one and the same" feeling with my bike.
-felt what it was like to ride with a passenger on the back of my bike (though we didn't leave the parking lot because I was pretty nervous about it.)
-met a couple of female riders in my local area

Goal before season is over:
-learn to ride the bike at its original height (my bike is now lowered)
-learn to get my bike up on the rear stand (is anyone else having difficulty with this? I've seen it done many times, yet I can't seem to do it on my own. )
-learn to ride in the cold
-use rear brake less when riding street

Next year's goals:
-try longer sport/touring rides
-get track riding experience
-feel more comfortable on group rides
-work on entry speed/picking a line (and committing) in curves
-learn to and get better with doing my own oil change and other easy maintenance work for my bike
-meet more of my fellow gals that ride

good article on bleeding brakes

From: http://turnoneracin811.corecommerce.com/joebleedbrakes.htm

Maintenance Article #1: How To Bleed Your Motorcycle Brake System

Joe Denowh is not only a certified motorcycle mechanic who’s been riding and wrenching for his entire life, he’s also a Midwest regional club racing middleweight champion, and the Chief Service Technician for Turn One Racing. In this ongoing series of articles Joe will explain the right, and sometimes the wrong, way of how to maintain and modify your high performance motorcycle.

The thing is most people overthink how to bleed brakes on a motorcycle. You don’t need a bunch of fancy tools, and it ain't rocket science, you just need a few basic tools and the patience and technique required to do the job right.

Step 1: Gather your tools and materials. You’ll need a fresh bottle of high quality brake fluid preferably unopened, as brake fluid has an annoying tendency to suck moisture out of the air, and moisture is no good for brake fluid. You’ll also need some clear tubing, 1/4” to 3/8” in diameter, depending on your bleed valves. You want the tube to fit very tightly over the valve, so tight it doesn’t leak or pop off while you work. An 8mm open end wrench fits most bleeder valves. A few rags are always a good idea and will help keep evil brake fluid from eating your paint and plastics if you happen to spill any. Make sure you never spill any brake fluid on your brake pads once you contaminate the braking surface of your pad with fluid you’ll need to replace the pads, so take extra care not to spill any brake fluid on your pads or brake rotors.


Lastly, you’ll need to find a nice heavy container to snake the hoses into that won’t tip over while you work. It’s a good idea to dedicate this as your brake bleeding catch bottle from now on.

Step 2: Put yourself and your bike in a nice clean and dry area. There’s nothing worse than a dirty, wet environment for bleeding brakes. The last thing you want in your brake fluid reservoir is water or dirt. Even the smallest amount of either can affect the performance of your brakes.

TIP: If your master cylinder doesn’t have a bleed valve, or if you just want to save some time, use a vacuum or a pressure bleeder to move fluid through your brake system, but remember there’s no substitute for hand bleeding at the end, it’s the best way to get the system completely free from tiny air bubbles.

Step 3: Put one end of your bleeder hose on your master cylinder bleed valve, if you have one, and the other end into the catch bottle. The hose should be hard to get on the bleed valve, if it goes on too easy it probably won’t stay on while you’re bleeding.


Step 4: Take the top off your brake fluid reservoir, and have your bottle ready to add brake fluid as you bleed the contents of the reservoir down through your brake lines. Now is a good time to lay a rag around the area to protect your bike from any spills.


Step 5: With one hand on the brake lever and one hand on the open end wrench now it’s time to begin bleeding your brakes. Make sure to keep an eye on your reservoir so you DON’T ALLOW THE FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR TO COMPLETELY RUN OUT. The idea is to only bleed the fluid down to the bottom of the reservoir and then add more fresh fluid, repeating the process until all the bubbles are out of your system.

Bleed Sequence: With one hand, pump the brake lever two or three times to build pressure, then hold the lever in under pressure. With the other hand on the wrench, slowly open the bleed valve so fluid moves into the clear plastic hose.

As fluid moves into the hose, the lever will come back to the bar, DON’T RELEASE THE LEVER UNTIL AFTER YOU CLOSE THE BLEED VALVE. With the valve is closed, you can pump the lever again to build pressure. Once you have pressure at the lever again, hold it there while you slowly open the bleed valve again to release air and move fluid, as the lever returns to the handle bar, HOLD IT THERE WHILE YOU CLOSE THE BLEED VALVE again, now you can pump the lever to build pressure and repeat the process until all bubbles are gone and you see no bubbles of any kind for at least three cycles of pumping and bleeding.


Remember, bleed valves have very low torque settings, which means you don’t have to crank the living hell out of them to close them. There’s a tiny valve in there and you don’t want to crush it, so be firm, but gentle. Check your service manual for the exact torque value, but think tiny little soft bolt, not big, steel head torque, if you know what I mean.

Step 6: Once you have clear fluid moving through the first bleed valve, carefully remove the hose from the valve so as not to spill or splatter any fluid. A rag in your hand as you cover the end of the hose and bleed valve while you remove it is a good idea. Then move on to the next bleed valve and repeat the entire process until only clear fluid passes through the hose.


If you want, you can even run three separate hoses into the catch bottle so you don’t have to keep moving the same hose around the bike, but you really only need one.

Always keep one eye on the master cylinder reservoir and add fluid every time it gets low. If you forget to do this and hear that awful sucking sound as air begins being sucked into the empty reservoir, prepare yourself for a long night!

Once you have established that each of your bleed valves now moves only pure brake fluid from the master cylinder, you’re ready to top off the reservoir and close the system. DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR RESERVOIR, a common mistake many people make is to fill the reservoir all the way to the rim, but when your brakes get hot under heavy braking the fluid expands, and then seeps through the plastic threads and down around your master cylinder, which is one reason why factory teams use those little sweatbands around the master cylinder reservoir to absorb any excess fluid that may seep out under heat and pressure.

One more thing to consider for racers and track riders is that the best way to absolutely guarantee the best in braking performance is to do what we call a “Hot bleed” at the track. This is when you have your brake bleeding operation ready to go in your pits so that when you come straight off the track you can bleed the brakes while the system is still hot and even the tiniest microbubbles can’t hide.

Lastly, never forget FRESHER IS FASTER and that means brake fluid, brake pads, and everything else to do with going fast, including the rider. Nothing hurts us more than seeing someone with syrupy black goo in their brake reservoir, and tired old glazed brake pads on their bike. Keep your fluid fresh and properly bled, always use fresh high quality brake pads, and make sure you’re as well rested and well hydrated as you can be to guarantee the best performance from your motorcycle and yourself.

Tune in again for another article on motorcycle maintenance, modification, and repair, because Joe Knows How To get the most out of your motorcycle experience.