I am opening this thread for tips, info, experience that anyone has to contribute towards setting up the 2012/13R for the track.
Well just under a week ago, I put the 690 on the track for the first time. Fcuk me!
Just so you know where I am coming from. I am not a racer, never have been, but I am an excited and keen trackie hooligan. I have been a budget biker for 25ish years. I was a M/C courier for 10 years. I have not owned many bikes less than 10 years old. The most sophisticated bike I have ridden on the track was a tired RGV250. I have done one session on my mates SD990 - noice.
The Duke is the first late model, sophisicated, truly modern-capable I have spent a full track day on. The track is Eastern Creek, Sydney, including new twisties at eastern end of the track. I rode in the fast-medium group, one group below race licensed.
Set up.
Advanced Injection Setting - the one under the pillions seat.
Standard cog ratio. Higher is needed. I installed a 17 tooth on the front, but the teeth foul on the swinging arm guard. Gunna hafta dig deep and buy a smaller rear sprocket I guess.
K&N filter in standard box.
Straight through exhaust with Akraprovich silencer - baffle removed (dB killer). Removal gave me 6 km/h on the straight. Top speed all day, 196 km/h as per stock speedo.
Rear Preload - about 4 turns tigher - can't remember - it doesn't feel much different truthfully.
Michelin PP on the front wheel, as per stock.
Tyre Warmers were used.
New Michelin PR3 on the rear, not really a serious track tyre. I was keen to shag the edges, get rid of nasty chicken strips and have a long lasting rear tyre for the road over summer. The edge of the PR3 is rounder than the PP so it is more difficult to feel its edge. The PP rides up onto a fairly square edge, as you bank it over and traction begins to lessen right at the end, as the bike rides on a folding rubber edge, making its feel really predictable. I would expect that when the PR3 let go, it'd be a one way trip. But it was not! I went from 2nd into 1st by accident on exit and it let me know about my mistake, but recovered quickly.
I received the bike from the shop with about 35-36 psi. It was like riding a freshly sharpened ice skate. Book says standard is about 26 psi - from memory, that felt ugly to me. So I've been getting about at 32-ish psi - I like that pressure. Initially though at 32 psi, I was getting pretty nasty tear wear and tread scalloping.
Track pressure is always less than road pressure and I was running at the high end of road pressure - only one way to go. At 30 psi the tyre healed a bit and at 29 psi it healed a lot. I dare say you could go lower still.
Next trackie will be on motard tyres.
So how'd it go? Insane. Hopeless on the straight, assassin everywhere else. You can literally be riding side by side with a sports 600 and just wait for him to brake, use him as the braking marker, 'cause sure as schit you can pull up in 2/3's the distance. Of course you do this on the inside in the braking zone, slap it on its side without over shooting the corner and use that phenomenal phat single torque to launch you off to the next corner. No doubt, sports bikes are going to get poohey fairly quickly at this sort of behaviour - like I care. In my pit shot you'll see a blue Gixxer, that guy could round me up anywhere he pleased. So I guess rider skill and experience still counts for more than the bike itself: but the Duke suited me to a tee.
I even joined the knee-down club.
Well just under a week ago, I put the 690 on the track for the first time. Fcuk me!
Just so you know where I am coming from. I am not a racer, never have been, but I am an excited and keen trackie hooligan. I have been a budget biker for 25ish years. I was a M/C courier for 10 years. I have not owned many bikes less than 10 years old. The most sophisticated bike I have ridden on the track was a tired RGV250. I have done one session on my mates SD990 - noice.
The Duke is the first late model, sophisicated, truly modern-capable I have spent a full track day on. The track is Eastern Creek, Sydney, including new twisties at eastern end of the track. I rode in the fast-medium group, one group below race licensed.
Set up.
Advanced Injection Setting - the one under the pillions seat.
Standard cog ratio. Higher is needed. I installed a 17 tooth on the front, but the teeth foul on the swinging arm guard. Gunna hafta dig deep and buy a smaller rear sprocket I guess.
K&N filter in standard box.
Straight through exhaust with Akraprovich silencer - baffle removed (dB killer). Removal gave me 6 km/h on the straight. Top speed all day, 196 km/h as per stock speedo.
Rear Preload - about 4 turns tigher - can't remember - it doesn't feel much different truthfully.
Michelin PP on the front wheel, as per stock.
Tyre Warmers were used.
New Michelin PR3 on the rear, not really a serious track tyre. I was keen to shag the edges, get rid of nasty chicken strips and have a long lasting rear tyre for the road over summer. The edge of the PR3 is rounder than the PP so it is more difficult to feel its edge. The PP rides up onto a fairly square edge, as you bank it over and traction begins to lessen right at the end, as the bike rides on a folding rubber edge, making its feel really predictable. I would expect that when the PR3 let go, it'd be a one way trip. But it was not! I went from 2nd into 1st by accident on exit and it let me know about my mistake, but recovered quickly.
I received the bike from the shop with about 35-36 psi. It was like riding a freshly sharpened ice skate. Book says standard is about 26 psi - from memory, that felt ugly to me. So I've been getting about at 32-ish psi - I like that pressure. Initially though at 32 psi, I was getting pretty nasty tear wear and tread scalloping.
Track pressure is always less than road pressure and I was running at the high end of road pressure - only one way to go. At 30 psi the tyre healed a bit and at 29 psi it healed a lot. I dare say you could go lower still.
Next trackie will be on motard tyres.
So how'd it go? Insane. Hopeless on the straight, assassin everywhere else. You can literally be riding side by side with a sports 600 and just wait for him to brake, use him as the braking marker, 'cause sure as schit you can pull up in 2/3's the distance. Of course you do this on the inside in the braking zone, slap it on its side without over shooting the corner and use that phenomenal phat single torque to launch you off to the next corner. No doubt, sports bikes are going to get poohey fairly quickly at this sort of behaviour - like I care. In my pit shot you'll see a blue Gixxer, that guy could round me up anywhere he pleased. So I guess rider skill and experience still counts for more than the bike itself: but the Duke suited me to a tee.
I even joined the knee-down club.