Summit Point-N8
 

Could not make VIR but I will be at Summit Point on Sunday. Anyone else going?

I'm gonna shoot for saturday am.

I plan to be there Sunday as well. Not sure what time yet...

--Jim

I'm leaving Philly around 7:00am. Can't wait. This is my first race.

Come Be A Part of the Team!!
 

For anyone that can make it to Summit this weekend, Nate could desperately use a few extra hands! He went down by himself last night, the other team members couldn't make it. So, if you're willing to do a little work while enjoying the races, Nate could really use you!

Jamie

sounds like he needs someone to make sure all his paperwork is in order, too... http://www.cycleforums.com/forums/im.../headshake.gif

Should I bring anything?

I don't think you need to bring anything, just your enthusiasm is enough! Nate was frustrated today, he had a 14 second lead in one race and ran out of gas :(

Mainly he just needs people to help make sure of all those kinds of things that he's too focused to think about, like making sure there's enough gas, putting on tire warmers, getting tires changes, etc. Stuff that anyone can do, so if you're willing, that would be a huge help!

Many thanks to the PP members that helped out today!

Sounds like fun. This is my first time to Summit. Where should I go?

Well, as you might have gathered from the post above, today was a bit tragic-comedic for N8! at Summit Point.

It was a shame not to see Nate take the checker in that race since by my timing he was about 15 seconds ahead of second place, gaining two seconds per lap on the two mile circuit. That's about a 1.20- 1.19 lap. And he ran out of gas on the white flag lap!

Running out of gas was a silly mistake for which Nate takes responsibility. As he was the first to say, he was the one who told his pit help not to bother topping off the tank. I'd been told that the smarter you get the dumber your mistakes get. Nate found this not so helpful.

Anyway, the true cause behind this slip-up has several parts. Part one is not having a proper pit crew to take these things off his mind, part two is him being distracted by not having proper support, and part three the new bike itself: the new filler-neck completely occludes the view into the tank; there was even talk of finding a wooden dowel or something to use to measure the level. shame we didn't get around to it sooner. Also no thought was given to this race being the GT lights which is a 25 minute test, not the usual 7 lap sprints.

Oh, well. Live and learn.


But the day didn't start out to well for Nate, and it got worse before it got better…

Nate was saying his practice didn't leave him feeling the shizzle- worst riding of the season he was saying, and the K bike was giving him transmission trouble. Nate will check in with the board next week so I'll leave the forensic psychology for the patient to describe, but suffice to say driving himself, setting up at three this morning and prepping all the bikes by his lonesome left him at something less than 100%.

However, the problem with the K was not due to any miscalculation on Nate's part or to a lack of love from the service department. Seems in a particular condition- hard right, throttle on- the transmission drops down a gear. And this had been getting worse over the last few weeks. So by the Unlimited SuperSport race (seven laps and the third race of the day but the first for the K) the knowledge of this mechanical issue was on his mind and affecting his race strategy. For instance, he didn't want to be in the front of the pack on turn one in case the tranny checked him up, causing everyone to pile into him. He'd even told us that he expected 6th or 7th and that if by some stroke of luck he managed to place 5th he'd drop back a place just so we didn't have to strip the bike for tech inspection after the race. On the sidelines we knew that was a crock of *****, that if he could take a place he would, and we were laughing about it. Well, of course he was in line for good points in 5th place as the race unwound despite signaling to us with each lap that something was off with the bike. We had the R bike in the pits set up for him to jump on because he was in the Lightweight Super Sport race only minutes after this one; I was to take the K bike to tech; we were all to remember to swap the transponder to the R.

White flag lap, and from our spot on pit wall by the main straight we could see the billows of smoke over the hill past the flags at the starting grid. Something in the engine let go, bouncing pieces off the road and back into Nate's chest, and then it caught fire. Nate managed to skirt the track line and get the bike into the grass before jumping off and sending the K off into the tires. It evidently never even fell over, just coasting to the wall and leaning there where the track crew extinguished it.


Nate was fine, if a bit pissed, but since the Lightweight race was delayed while they swept and cleaned the track we had time to take a look at the damage…..

Not looking good.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811108.jpg

oil and water draining from the belly pan

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811206.jpg

why they hav e belly pans
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811263.jpg

assembled remains. the rod was found on the track. perhaps it was the cap that hit Nate?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811345.jpg

scalding hot
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811518.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811571.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811599.jpg

this crap photo is meant to show the blueing of the bearing. trackside folk wisdom holds this to be the true culpret. and lets remember that the last K bike blew this same con rod (far right). Are BMWs not so over-designed as they once were? since the new Ks share oil between tranny and sump might this have some relation to the shifting issues?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811638.jpg

oh, dip.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151811984.jpg

"the good news is we can cancel the service on the K bike."

an impressive hole. I'm not clever enought to rotate the photos- bottom (pipe) is to right.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151812144.jpg

you shouldn't see this:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151812183.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151812238.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1151812271.jpg


Nate, frankly, was sort of relieved the K is dead since it saves him having to ride it. Its heft and length just wasn't suited to these tracks; he is quicker on the R bikes with a greater comfort zone in which to work. he'll have more to say later no doubt.

So, anyway, today wasn't the usual boring N8! Racing trackside experience- win, win, win, win gets so anti-climactic after a while. Although, he did in fact handily win both the Lightweight Super Sport and Sport Twins races by the now accustomed 15-20 seconds on the R12. He wasn't even planning to run in the Sport Twin since it gives him no points, but winning the LSS felt so good and since the R12 was warmed up he figured he'd take it to get his mojo back. That's funny.:p

Saturday, 1st July

Middleweight GP, 7laps, R12, 6th?
GT Lights, 25 laps, R12, DNF, no gas
Unlimited SuperSport, 7laps, K12, DNF, catastrophic mechanical failure
Lightweight Super Sport, 7laps, R12, win
Super Twins, 7laps, R12, win

Thanks for the great write-up and the carnage pics. Pelicans; it is worth every second to get to the track and meet N8.

Good luck in thunder bike!

Those sure are "nothing special" looking rods. If racing one of those K bullets as hard as Nate does........a set of lighter, stronger, forced wrist pin oiling, carefully made rods would be in order. Good thing nothing locked up internally and locked the rear up.

Forget that old heavy weight handfull of K bike Nate...........set you sights on the R12S arena........that where BMW will send care and backing.

Damn!!!!!!!!
Thats interesting.

dang, i thought nate had better support provided to him (we enthusiasts can only do so much to help the cause). that mech. failure sure had better be a eye opener for BMW.

a rider has a lot on their mind just trying to ride. having to set up early AM certainly doesnt help get enough rest for their primary job at hand. wish i could have been there to help.

repoe3

...........trannies down shifting, fueling issues, gear selector switches getting moisture....BMW has alot of work to do. If enough people read the many forums ....the new k series could die in its infancy!
That would be a tragity!


SO.........

that does it for me... NO K till al these problems are solved. Sence the r1100s I have run against are a good bit behind on the twisty roads at sub 110mph speeds, my 99 GS is looking gooder & gooder! oughtta be a close run against the R12S!

As far as I can tell, Nate has barely any support at all, other than getting the bikes supplied to him- every thing else seems to come from volunteers from here and Mainline BMW. He can't even get Pirelli, supposedly a sponsor, to pay out contingencies owed to him for winning races and promoting their products. BMW Motorrad seems to think that giving him a bike is enough.

If there was any way I could be there I would do it!

Evidently you have run along with some less then aggressive R1100S riders. While I am a big fan of GS's myself, a 77hp R1100GS weighing in at 580lbs is no match for equally skilled rider on a 525lb R11S with 87+hp over 35mph, but whatever.

Loved Curve's comment on the K though, almost inspired to search back through the archives and say we/I told ya so, LOL. Back then we were naysayers,..now the Curve himself is a K Naysayer. What will happen next!!!

Back on topic,....Hopefully Nate can keep the frieght train of a season together until the end in October. In all reality he should be racing only the R1200S as it qualifies and hangs in every class the R11S and K12R can run. Give it another month or so and there should be some aftermarket goodies for the R12S that will make it rock and roll all that much better.

Hang in there Nate!!!!