Re: [ST] head to head at Thruxton

[Matt Knowles <matt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz mountains, I was able to keep up with 
a very good rider on a GSXR750 driving my Del Sol VTEC. The Del Sol 
has 160hp, or only a little bit more than the GSXR, but probably 
weighs about 4 times as much. But it has 4 wide, flat tires compared 
to a bike that has two tires with rounded profiles.

Highway 9 is a very twisty road, the type where you would think a 
bike would have an extreme advantage. I was cruising along with my 
wife when the GSXR came up behind us. Knowing how much I hate sitting 
behind traffic in one of my favorite twisty sections I stomped on the 
go pedal. We went for about 5 miles with the GSX barely keeping up 
before I finally pulled over and let him by. If my wife hadn't been 
in the car, it wouldn't have even been that close. The rider was 
impressed enough he even gave me a thumbs up as he went by. Didn't 
get the same reaction from the wife, unfortunately.

The GSXR rider had to work harder, and was probably having more fun, 
but he didn't have the advantage.

Lap times on even the twistiest of tracks will be in favor of cars. 
They usually can't out accelerate a bike from 0-60, but they can out 
brake, and out corner the bike.

>R1= "epitome of road-going motor bicycles"????? Give me a break. 
>Let's see it again with a Duc or Aprilia Race Rep.  Better yet, 
>anyone got a link for Porsche Supercup vs.  WSB lap times at 
>Thruxton or any other course?


- -- 
Matt Knowles - Ferndale, CA - http://www.knowlesville.com/matt/motorcycles
'99 Sprint ST - for going fast and far (2CZUSA)
'01 KLR650 - for exploring the North Coast backroads
'97 KLX300 & '01 Lakota - for playing in the dirt
'79 KZ400 - just because it was the first vehicle I ever owned

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