[ST] Mr Hyde comes out to play....

["Keith Tynan" <keith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

I let Wolfram's Mr Hyde side out to play at a Castle Combe (UK) track day
last Wednesday. This is the second track day I've let him out, and to put it
mildly, the boy done well. I think the result is summed up by the company I
was mixing with (Honda SP1s and Yamaha R1s), who accused me of hiding a
turbo beneath the fairing! I could barely get my head through the door when
I got home ~:)

More specifically, I was surprised to find I could carry almost the same
cornering speed as the R1s and SP1s. As this is clearly not the case in
theory, I think the reason is that the Ohlins kit I run keeps things stable
round the bends, to the point where I can easily lay it down to the point
where the hero blob and my knee pad are grinding. To say the very least, I'm
hanging well off the bike at this point.

Next point is that the pegs are the first/only thing to scrape on both
sides. Don't worry about the centre-stand; it won't touch (but if you're on
track, cable-tie it to the rubber bung bracket on the exhaust to make sure
it doesn't drag).

The ST's mid-range torque is one of the best on the scene, and you can get
particular benefit from this on tracks with corners in the 60-70 mph region.
First gear on any standard road bike will be too high (low speed) for this,
so you and the sports bikes will be forced to use second, and the ST has
more torque than them from apex to exit. Wind it on HARD!

When you get onto the straights, keep it up around the rev limiter, and try
your best for quick changes. I have problems with racing changes and the ST
box - it just won't play unless you give the throttle a hefty close. Maybe
it's better to keep the revs up and just snick the clutch - I'm still
experimenting... Anyway, if you're well tucked in, and had good exit speed
out of the last bend, you'll be surprised how little their extra horsepower
mean on the road!

Then there's the braking. I found that no-one - as in NO-ONE - was
out-braking me, and I caught the SP1 in front of me every time. My brakes
are stock, but well bled. [Bruce - if you read this, I read on Jack Lilley's
page that the OEM is s/steel braid beneath the rubber outer - can anyone
confirm?] I do however run a slightly stickier front tyre (Avon Azaro Sport
II - AV39) as opposed to a standard on the rear(Avon Azaro II AV36). The
suspension seemed to cope with tyre-squirming stops, still giving the
impression that it was soaking up the bumps. [I continue to feel 'left out'
from you RaceTech converts - as that seems to be a technically more sound
solution to the problem. But I'd have to say that I don't perceive a problem
that needs to be improved - at the moment anyway.]

As for the tyres... lets face it, the ST's power delivery is mild in
comparison with the sports bikes. I was out at Donington a couple of months
ago on a new Blade [I was chuffed to get my lap times down to 1'57" - but
still a bit off the 1'37" of the Superstock lap record - the holder of which
was my tutor for the day]. That mother would light up the back tyre out of
every bend and/or pop a wheelie. Okay so I'm no flyweight, but I can't get
the ST to do that, no matter how hard I try. At best you're going to get a
little bit of power drift out of the bends. But this can be a good thing, as
you don't have to spend concentration thinking about it. Whilst the sports
boys are worrying about high-siding, you just wind the taps open... And as I
mentioned before, the Avons cope with all of the cornering the ST's capable
of.

I'm well pleased with the suspension. Because the ST has touring geometry
(which I've sharpened a tad at the front by increasing the pull through -
though this only increases the rake by about half a degree!) it's
wonderfully stable and never shakes its head, and the turn feels
significantly quicker than standard. This last circuit had an apex bump on a
120 mph right hander, which, okay, bottomed things out and scraped the peg,
but there was NO follow-on pitching as a result!

With the set-up I've got, I'd have to say that track-craft can make more of
a difference than the difference between the ST and an out and out
sportsbike. It's supreme good fun too! (In the wet, the ST has the
advantage!)

Most of the time though, it's Dr Jeckell in command. I'm a member of the UK
Institute of Advanced Motor(cycl)ists, which has the (perhaps undeserved)
image of a load of boring old farts who never break the speed limit. Leaving
aside the accuracy of that last statement for now, we meet for 200-mile
rides once a month, and I go with my wife on the pillion. She doesn't like
speed or high angles of lean, and likes the suspension soft, 'cos her back's
bad. The set-up's pretty good here too, and makes for more relaxed ride over
standard, as you're not having to force the steering so much as with the
OEM. The main point I've observed from this is that changing the preload is
usually a poor solution to any suspension problem, and usually an indication
that there's something lacking elsewhere (but which usually costs more to
rectify).

Oh, and one last word on tyres - as told to me at a lecture I attended by
Avon's chief tester. Road tyres are designed to work at stock pressures. If
you lower these for road (or track) use, you may get improved grip for a
couple of miles/laps, but will quickly cause overheating and shag the
carcass (i.e. cause the rubber to recure with lower grip qualities, and
possibly delaminate). I was running 36/42 psi for 15 minute track sessions,
and have no complaints. The word I have from several professional sources is
that this fashion to run tyres at low pressures is so worrying that several
manufacturers (not just Avon) are considering litigation against mags that
recommend it! Just send the manufacturer an email.... If you then trust Joe
Bloggs down the cafe more then them, so be it!

Conclusion? I continue to be amazed at the versatility of this beast, and
consider it a great shame that the standard suspension is so poor (IMHO). I
certainly hope that the new 120-horse engine has retained the flexibility
and durability of the present one, though I don't thing that that in itself
will entice me to change.

For those of you with any track pretensions, get out there and try it. You
won't be disappointed. Alas, other commitments mean that that'll probably be
my last for this year. Anyone in the UK fancy meeting up for a track day
around May 2002?

Regards,
- --
BRG
email: keith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'00 Sprint ST BRG 'Wolfram'


     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
      The ST/RS Mailing list is sponsored by Jack Lilley Ltd.
          http://www.TriumphNet.com/st/lilley for more info
   http://www.TriumphNet.com/st for ST, RS and Mailing List info

=-=-=-= Next Message =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=