Barbers Vintage Festival 2010

Hey ho Paul. I may have to take ya up on trailer space as Wes's little Chevy PU is too cramped for me to stretch out legs or wrap up to keep freezing air out.
Under the trailer might work too : )
I'm excited, motorcycles and adrenalin highs all around with hardly a risk to me or my bikes!

I've lost some sleep imaging how Peel would take that 180 hook back at mid track in front of the race building. Its like the 10 mph marked switch backs i test Peel on.
With all that run out room and no oncoming traffic I'm guessing 2nd gear at 5000 entry should make it loose as THE G. greased ease. Don't know if she could take on them 125's there.

My respects to you racing, I don't know if I could qualify for the 'license' as I don't for the state issued kind : )

Hobot, what you can't see from the building is that there is a very tight "S" coming into that hairpin by the museum. Most guys jump the kerb on the final left section and dive right into the right-hand exit, swinging wide on the throttle (I stay off the kerbs altogether).

The track is simply unbelievable. My favorite part is turn 3 spilling out to the uphill, blind crest, that leads out across the mid-track "slow S" stretch into the hairpin. You have to hope nobody is laying in the middle of the track when you come over the top at full guns. (a similar situation resulted in the recent death at VIR)

Well, I could not resist buying a ticket to the benefit Dinner. The guest is Sir John Surtees!, the Dinner tickets are $125.00 each (OUCH!) but for Dinner with a Legend I HAD to go for it.

Unclviny

Depending on my situation (wife & daughter along or not) I would probably attend the dinner if solo...

Hobot, what you can't see from the building is that there is a very tight "S" coming into that hairpin by the museum. Most guys jump the kerb on the final left section and dive right into the right-hand exit, swinging wide on the throttle (I stay off the kerbs altogether).

The track is simply unbelievable. My favorite part is turn 3 spilling out to the uphill, blind crest, that leads out across the mid-track "slow S" stretch into the hairpin. You have to hope nobody is laying in the middle of the track when you come over the top at full guns. (a similar situation resulted in the recent death at VIR)

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Hehe, giggling to relieve stress putting myself into those tights and blinds. Its as close to real life daily commutes as it can get w/o oncomming. I pucker up before each and every blind often having emergency to dodge. I'll see if I can find video of each corner of Barbers described and a text on them too. The only way to take these kind of radii with any spirit it to enter em loose as a goose. No leaving the firm road surface over shooting edges as waste of traction and length of line though. That run off route seem from museum allows only one bike at a time, musical chairs that can fling one or more on the ground.
To do it on THE Gravel requires down shifting so any fast throttle breaks tire loose right now then ease up to 10-ish % grind to avoid tail going too far out then feather in throttle to keep it that way, in slightly skipping traction, all the way though till upright enough for real hook up power. Its not sliding enough to interfere with cutting the turn short at any point to avoid a hazard or just a bit more throttle allows widening the drift to avoid hazards. Makes lots of dust on THE Grit but just wisps of smoke on pavement. Tire don't look melted nor abraided, just sorta smeared out edges and surface texture imprinted in patch.

I'll be checking on their track days requirements to see what I'm missing out on.
My buddy Wesley once had a race team call "Guppy Racing" so track day crew.

The Super motard guys I think have the most fun, "flat tracking" several corners including the hairpin, at excessive speed.

The Super motard guys I think have the most fun, "flat tracking" several corners including the hairpin, at excessive speed.

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Hehe, Non Isolastic Tri-Lined Supermotards are under powered fat tired corner cripples that mostly use brake to slide rear around so aren't really even leaving the mere second mode-phase of handling, leaning counter steering. If a bike is sliding wide or off tangent of a turn, its still in phase 2 handling and relieving loads not piling em up to get on out of there. Its fun, I flat track as a lark just to get to pavement and not go so fast I have no reserves for the instant hazards. But can't fool me its only good for saving a real turn or just showing off relaxing. Next phase beyond what you describe requires harsh power to kick rear out while low side resisted by straight steering. A neutral handling bike can take the chassis twist up in the transition of removing the tire conflicts that limits other bikes to phase 2 ho hums. In phase 3 handling pilot has choice to accelerate the increase in radius of a turn or to stay in non-crossed up slide at same lean angle and drift out at tangent till desiring to accelerate into a sharply decreasing radius thrill ending. That means there ain't hardly a turn ya have to slow up for in public but it can get ya into other trouble of no time to change direction no matter how sharp bike can turn, - before already at far edge of road. Then phase 4 suddenly needed to carry on to avoid human limits and reactions - I have only tasted phase 5 on THE Gravel, need 3x more rear power to explore on hard track. Oh My Yes Turns are for Fun!

counting down the days, I leave next Tuesday, commando is as ready as it can be.

I'm hanging in the wind, waiting to get confirmation that part of my trip expenses are being covered by delivering a bikethat's "not quite" ready.

It may or may not happen due to the fact that the client's previously organized ride with trailer has fallen through.

Also pending whether a cash offer on two bikes will transpire before the take-off date.

I hate not knowing...

I'm just hoping the norton will make it there and back w/o issues. Hope to meet a few members there.

I am at work (45 minutes south of Shreveport, LA) and leaving from here, I'll be there Thursday.

Vince

Loaded the Commando in friends van last night for it's first run at Barber. Always wanted to go to Barber-so I'm pretty excited. Just finished my 30th radiation treatment a little over 2 months ago and want to see how I feel on the track. Plan on doing practice first and if everything is OK may enter BEARS/Formula 750. Should still be recovering from major thoracic surgery but got good news several weeks ago and didn't have to have it-so this will be extra special for me!

Cheers,

Tom Kullen
AHRMA 44x

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That's great news Tom. You'll like Barber, I'll bet most folks would have to flip a coin multiple times to chose between Miller & Barber.

Thanx for one of the highlights of my short racing experience, Miller Bonneville GP '08. Awesome, two 2nd place F500 finishes and two 4th place Production Heavyweight.

Absolutely first-class venue in EVERY respect. I'd dearly love to do it again...

Tom,
One of my buddies is spectating and not racing this year because Chemo has sapped his energy so bad, he will be there (probably annoying folks in the pits).

Vince

Thanks Guys! I was supposed to be in Boston recovering through October so everyday has been a great gift! I'm really going to try to race-I wasn't supposed to be on the track at Miller since surgery was originally scheduled for the following Thursday, so I'm stoked. When I showed up with my bike at Miller-Cindy Cowell just shook her head and laughed. I ended up getting some practice in anyway and it really helps get your head on straight .Will have my Commando there and despite some opinions that Commandos are squirrley, you can look at mine to see what it takes to make it handle like it's on rails even with sticky race tyres and it still only weighs 327 lbs with oil. This was done suspended with a digital scale. Had some advice from race prep Guru-Ken Canaga and other stuff I came up with on my own.







Cheers,

Tom Kullen
AHRMA 44x

Hello Tom,
Wish you all the best at Barbers, hope you enjoy it. (life is short, make the most of it. Which you are obviously doing)
A question if I may, why are your front discs small and your rear large?

graeme

Graeme,

I am the second owner of this Norton-bought it in 1972. It was a 1970 Dunstall 810 (now 750) and it had the triple discs on it when I bought it in 1972-the previous owner having installed the rear disc. In 1970 triple discs were common as rocking horse poo. Anyway the front discs are Dunstall dual discs where the calipers are cast into the fork legs and as far as I know were the first production dual discs on the market. The rear was made by Kosman Specialties and was originally designed for flat track racing. The Dunstalls work pretty well for a period brake system with the proper modifications. The Kosman isn't that great due to the original Hurst/Airheart master cylinder and single puck caliper. It never gets used on the track anyway but comes in handy for off track excursions-luckily I've only done that twice in my racing career and once was when I grenaded the engine at Pueblo.

Cheers,

Tom Kullen
AHRMA 44x

packed and ready for departure. It is getting cold here in the mornings now, so I will freeze for the first few hours, but I am looking forward to the ride there.

Hope to see you there!

Ozark's Wesley and I are cranked up to endure cramped up small PU travel to Barbers and back, to see those still surviving racer lifestyle and life in general. Camping out so Safe Journeys and great weather to us all.