Got my CCS license number!!

This is great news, I found out what my rider number is and I can start getting the decals put on the number plates. 

And here's the best part - woot, it's a fibonacci sequence!!
NV358

Handy trick I just invented!

Hi Again, it's a rainy day in Boston so I thought I'd sit down and tell you what I've been up to today.

Getting Ready for Tech Inspection

I don't know if you folks work on your rides with a friend or if it's a hobby that you like to do alone.  Or if you're like me and most of your friends are older, married or just aren't just that into racing.

For me, I know that much of what I need to do at the track is going to be a solo flight.  I'm OK with this cause I'm going to meet a lot of great new people and over time think I'll have a ton of new friendships but that likely doesn't change the fact that when I'm getting busy unstrapping tire warmers, pulling stands getting suited up, all while everyone else will be doing the same thing too.

One of the things that I do a good bit of as I'm perfecting my little racer is remove and replace the lower race skin pan.  This is not really easy to do by yourself without stretching and scratching it.

Time to create a plan.  I started by thinking how my friends have helped me in the past as I'm trying to line the skins up and this is what I came up with.

I epoxied a small data cable wire wrap to the inside of the left upper race skin.  These ties are really handy because they have very strong Velcro and have clips for removing strain from cable ends.

Next I epoxied a small piece of Velcro to the battery holder so that the clip wouldn't be rattling while I fly down the track (or waddle down the track if you prefer)

After than, I place a soft blanket on the ground to prevent scratching and I clipped the Velcro to one of the quick connects on the lower pan.  This guides the left hand side of the pan into position very nicely as I pick it up from the right hand side.

In this pic, I've pulled the pan under the biked and attacked all of the quick connects on the right side.

Here's pic of what the actions on the right side of the bike did to the left.  As you can see the pan is perfectly lined up for assembling and it rolled directly into this position without any help or fussing. 

Next I just unclipped the Velcro and slipped it up onto the Velcro on the battery compartment cover.

Perfect!!  :)

Here a photo looking down inside the race skins to give an idea of how easy it is to access.

I have a ton of these Velcro ties btw if anyone wants them, just reach out to me.

 

Until next time, cheers from DZ Racer Chick!!

Not much free time lately

Work has been insanely busy as of late and I haven't been doing much for the bike other than peek at her from time to time.  I needed to take a break from work I decided to head out with a girlfriend to pamper myself for a couple of hours.

Walk on

Well amazing as it sounds I did a walk on out in LA last year for a pilot.  My scene was very small but I had so much fun.  Here's a screenshot I took from the video.

Great question from forum - advice always welcome!

Originally Posted by xxxxxxx

I do have a question. You put a ton of money into making the bike look good. Have you put anything into making it handle good?

Great question and one I'm certain that I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of. Here's what I've done so far and I'm uncertain exactly what the results will be until I actually get a chance to ride her again. For some, I may have approached things incorrectly.

I changed the rear set and went with fixed position foot pegs. I got Woodcrafts, I love the knurl and the grip on my boots. I've spent some time with the bike on the stands playing with the positions and practicing shifting my body from side to side with minimal pressure on the bars. I've moved them back and up just a tad which seems to help me stay closer to the rear of the seat.

In and along these lines I removed the stock Ducati power shifter switch and went with a solid shift linkage for now. I did this because I'm not really experienced enough yet to be full-on throttle up shifting and also the stock shift linkage feels a little sloppy under my toe. I also made the switch to GP style shift, I've always thought that it made more sense than standard. The stock power shift linkage offered less positive travel and although I could have gotten used to that, I felt it better to simplify and get more confident in developing smooth shift / clutch practices. Time will tell but just finding neutral is much more predicable without that little bit of slop.

I changed the brake pads to Galfers HH ceramics, I've no idea how this will work out yet but I read a couple of articles from riders (some I'm sure have Galfer contingencies) about these pads having very progressive grabbing action and being more resistant to transferring heat to the calipers because of the coatings on the metal plates. I'm not a super fast rider yet but I'm making good strides towards braking later and harder as I'm learning my lines and marks (Loudon) My guess is I'll be pretty slow out there and I'll focus on working towards getting smoother.

I added an adjustable height linkage on the rear and I've lowered the bike slightly (12 mm) although this was more of getting the height better for me than for suspension travel considerations. Before I take the bike out for practice I want to getting fully suited up and get the SAG adjusted. I'd love to know who you folks think the best place to take her is.

I have not played with anything in the front yet. I feel like I've made so many variable changes in other areas of the bike at this point that I'll need to start keeping a practice notebook. Because I don't really have a strong vocabulary yet for describing the deltas after changes I'll probably settle for noting the change and recording the old optometrist notions of 'Better or Worse' That definately has its limitations but hopfully both will improve.

I also plan to keep going to Penguin and asking stupid questions and watching you guys. I really could use a mentor too!

-dana

Beauty and Grace

All she needs is to be started and then sent out to have her dyno'd and of course my race numbers and sponser stickers!!

Before and After

Waiting for the glue to dry...

OK, so I drove home from work today at about 4:30. That's really early for me except for the fact that the Governor close the city roads at 4:00. Most folks know that New England is about to get hammered with 24" to 30" of snow and this time I just might believe it. I've been working on reviews and transitioning into my new role which is a lot of fun, buts let's be clear - it's exhausting too.

 

 

I've been waiting for a package to arrive from Germany for nearly 2 weeks now. The package I'm waiting for contains these little strips of carbon fiber that use a special glue to be applied to the frame of the bike. I'll be perfectly honest, these parts are more for show than function. I want to reduce the amount of red in the overall color scheme of the bike so that it looks cooler. Once I got home I checked the mail and nothing. :(

 

 

Naturally this snow storms means that the mail will be !@#$'ed up for the next week or so, this makes me sad.

 

 

 

Well since I can't do anymore on the bike I figured I get a head start on some other work that needs to get done before Monday and I sat down typing.

 

No sooner do I get settled and start getting in the writing flow than the doorbell rings. :) There he is soaked and covered in snow, my USPS guys.

Well he's about as apologetic as can be saying he's sorry that he's running so late but that the roads are totally unsafe and wanted to make sure he got this package from Germany delivered before he went home.

 

 

I was flabbergasted!! I thanked him for giving me something to keep me entertained this weekend when I wasn't working and just nodded and thanked me for being so understanding.

 

 

I immediately disconnected from work and started test fitting parts and bringing the temperature up in the motorcycle construction bay (dining room) and got to work. The parts are perfect! In about 2 1/2 hours I had the whole thing glued up, assembled and zip tied until it dries. I suspect that I can remove the ties in about 24 hours based on everything I read about the adhesives I used.

 

 

With any luck, I will try and start the engine tomorrow afternoon during a break from work.

Cheers!!

-dana

So Close...

Wow, I installed the GP shift parts tonight after work.  They look really cool, I just hope I can remember that the shift patterns are reversed.  Now I understand why a slipper clutch is so important.  :)

I'm not sure if I'm getting better having thought through all this stuff before the parts arrive or if the milling / machining of the parts that I'm buying are just superior.  Everything I've purchased lately seems to slip into place as if it were the stock parts.  I suppose with a race bike as popular as the 848 was it should be that way but I remember having to file and drill at lot more when I was modifying the Monster 1100.

Speaking of the monster, here's a pic of her in the dining room before I sold her.  I really tricked her out too.  Miss that bike, what a comfortable pleasure to ride.

 

Back to the current project.  I positioned myself on the 848 while it was on the rear stand and started to get a feel for everything that has changed since the last time I rode her.  With carbon fiber shift linkage replacing the stock Ducati power shift linkage it feels so much tighter.

 

 

I do plan on replace the microswitch in the circuit but I don't want it to change the feel of the linkage.  Does anyone know where I can purchase a Starlane stress switch?

 

Starlane Powershift Sensor

 

OK, we're waiting on just 1 more package from Germany and I'm ready for the unvailing!!

Until Ambien Dana returns again!

Surprises Mounting

I must say that it's getting more and more difficult not revealing where the bike is in the build.  While I'm waiting for those last few parts to arrive I been able to go back and do some things better.  A friend of mine on a racing forum I participate in pointed out to me that my caliper wire wraps weren't really right.  I went back and looked and sure enough he's got a good eye.

I redid them last night and they are the best safety wire wraps yet.  It's so much fun being able to measure my skill increasing so easily.  Wrenching is a blast and I hope to really get profficient at it.

 No real spoilers here unless of course you didn;t know that I was gonna do the stainless racing tank.
Oh if you could only picture the paint job that lay beneigh.

Cheers till next post!

-Diz

DZ Racing

To the dismay of a few of my girlfriends I've finally arrived a moniker for this whole racing obsession that seems to resonate with me.  Those that know me well know that I'm an introvert at heart who has acquired learned extrovert super powers.  One of my mods of operation is playing the 'dumb blond' who is more 'dumb like a fox' than ditzy.  Nicknames are an essential part of bonding for me and over the years I've had more than a few. 

My initals, DMZ are cool right out of the gate; especially since I'm a bit of a software nerd.  Server folks of course always debate the DMZ.  It's a scary place indeed!  <sarcasm/> 

One of my dear friends used to call me DZ, pronounced Dee Zee, over the years it slowly transformed to Diz and finally landed at Diz Zy.

This same friend of mine happens to be a wonderful artist and when I asked her to help me visualize a logo that personified dizzy racing, here's what she came up with...

DZ Racing Logo

Now, we simplified the color scheme to match my favorite color and added the text.  Now a team is born.

I've got a bunch of woman from work who are gonna come out to the track with me and help me in and out of the paddock.  We're also going to pose for this awesome grease monkey photo shoot.  We plan on getting a bunch of 'umbrella guys' in speedos too!  It's gonna be a blast.  Naturally I'll be ordering a run of girl's black tank top logo shirts.  And of course, yellow speedos for the guys.  Hmm, I wonder if I should get them team umbrellas.  ;)  Should be cool - or 'um hot.  you decide.

Oh and little something special for me too!

  

 Until next time!

DZ (prounced  dízzee)

Safety Wiring is Fun!!

OK, I'm pretty much done back posting the progress of the bike and now I'll proceed more realtime.

Well if I've learned one thing from talking to everyone, safety wire guidelines are subjective.  That is to say that the rule books seem pretty vague and seems to change from season to season.  I think this is much important than just how much of the bike must be wired to pass inspection.  I think it's also an a notable reminder to ensure that you've considered torque and buttoned up any work you do before to put the bike to the test.

Several racers and techs I've spoken to have given me some consistent advice...

If you don't want it falling off at 180 MPH, then drill it and wire it.  I may have gone too far...

But I must say that wiring is pretty fun.  I drilled a few key nuts and bolts myself but I ordered an enormous number of titanium 'race ready' parts and they are just beautiful.

I know that not many girls will look at titanium bolts and see beauty but I'm in love with every aspect of engineering...

And maybe a little insane.  OK, give me some advice folks...  Did I over do it?

-dana