“I Was Out Of Ideas” #51
In episode 51 of Deep Thinking, Ed Sorbo and his side kick (MG was not here to write this) banter about a question sent by Cody Burton, 500 GP bikes verses Moto GP bikes. This leads to more banter about: racing gear, Tiki treats, Moto GP wings, jumping out of a C-17, carburetors and lower cost race bikes. While MG’s attempt to snack and talk simultaneously does not go well.
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Phrase of the Day
“Unexpected grandeur.” Is the phrase of the day, use it people.
Restored Tire
I found this tire in the trash pile at a race weekend. A club racer gave it up for dead. The vendor let me have it for a test. When a tire is this bad, it’s difficult to adjust the suspension, rider and/or psi to solve the problem. I wondered if putting a destroyed tire onto a properly set up bike with correct psi could clean the tire up. Here it is, mounted on my 600 riding at 90% at CVR after 10 laps:
After 3 rides:
It’s not the tires fault, it’s your suspension.
Suspension Top 10
A suspension top 10 list at Motorcycle.com written with my input:
http://www.motorcycle.com/top10/top-10-misconceptions-about-motorcycle-suspension.html
Never Enough Tiki Dog!
Tiki is a dog of taste and high standards but still manly a dog so he has no problem snacking on burnt pizza even if it has vegetables on it. Note: it’s not easy to get a cell phone photo of a dog dinning on a slice of pizza in your other hand.
We’re Not Gonna Talk About It … #50
In Episode 50 of Deep Thinking, voted the best motorcycle road racing podcast in seven parallel universes, racers Ed Sorbo and Michael Gougis try very, very hard to not discuss the meltdown of one of the great road racers of all time. A discussion ensues about peer compliments, and Gougis takes full credit for Jorge Lorenzo turning his season around.
Correction: RRW has the 11.5 correct. 11.5 Nm. Most of us use kg/mm when talking about fork spring rates. In this case they were talking about Ohlins suspension using Nm. 11.5 Nm equals 1.17 kg/mm.
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Bad Things #49
In Episode 49 of Deep Thinking, the only motorcycle road racing podcast put together by people who have actually raced (or so it seems sometimes), racers Ed Sorbo and Michael Gougis rocket through reader questions. A discussion ensues about Nicky Hayden, Max Biaggi, mid-season tire testing and the rear fender on the KTM RC 390, with Sorbo and Gougis concurring that whoever designed that thing really, really hates humanity.
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Just like porn.
You can’t write a definition of porn but we all know it when we see it. The same is true for racing. It’s clear that the overtaking rider is reasonable for making a safe pass but what is a safe pass?
There are a lot of good reasons to love Rossi but his off track pass in the Corkscrew on Casey, slowing way down and running Marc wide on purpose, blaming the victim, pouting over a slap on the wrist and not calling out his fans who are over reacting like he did to the fans who over reacted when, his friend Iannone, battled with him. These things are not the mark of a Champion.
If you and I are racing. Is it OK for me to run you off line on purpose? It is not and you know it.
If I’m battling for the championship. Is it OK for you to race me? Yes it is, just like any other race.
MG agrees with me:
http://motorbikeroadracing.blogspot.com/2015/10/conspiracy-theorists-zapruder.html
Note in a TZ
Remember the guy in England who bought my ‘90 TZ250? He got another one from over here. The name on the crank is Jeff Bratton, RIP. This is the 2,523 press together crank of about 5,000 that he rebuilt. Inside the oil pan where the screen goes is a note “Hi Roland.” It’s a message to Roland Cushway, one of the few people who is sure to clean the screen most people don’t even know is there.
The Rossi Rules #48.1
In this special episode of Deep Thinking, the motorcycle road racing podcast favored by passing spacecraft, racers Ed Sorbo and Michael Gougis discuss puppies and websites where you can pay to get a hug and a good face licking. Gougis finally acknowledges the existence of other motorcycle podcasts. And oh yeah, they talk about one of the saddest, most pathetic moments in MotoGP’s history and look fondly toward the day when The Doctor leaves the building for good (and they mean that quite literally.)
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