Bandit Alley

MODEL SPECIFIC => SUZUKI BANDIT 250 & 400 => Topic started by: Garyola on August 02, 2005, 02:11:46 PM

Title: Pilot Power
Post by: Garyola on August 02, 2005, 02:11:46 PM: I was at the track last week with my new set of Michelin Pilot Powers on. After getting them up to temp I was very impressed. They were stuck to the track regardless of lean angle or surface conditions, concrete, asphalt or very rough asphalt. I was running them at 29 psi front and rear in 35C temps.
I'm giving them the thumbs up.

G

(http://homepage.mac.com/garyola/.Pictures/gary.jpg)
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: PitterB4 on August 02, 2005, 03:20:38 PM: G,

Were these the street or race version? If street - what else have you used on the B4 and how would the new Michelin's compare to them?

I need to do tires sometime soon. I'm between M1s and Powers.

How do you like the Icon lid? I have the same one in different paint. I'm a fan.

BTW - great pic!
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: Garyola on August 02, 2005, 03:51:39 PM: Hi PitterB4
They are the 70% track 30% street. I may try the Power Race next time if I can get them in a 150.

http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/index.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004103705&lang=EN

I had older set of Pilots on it when I bought the bike, but they were crap and almost killed me out there. I was promised that these were much better and they delivered. There was a guy with a set of Pilot Powers on his GSXR750 track bike and he was running them real hard and he just loves them. He came over to see if I liked them as much as he did.

I'm a fan of this Icon lid. I bought it because it was on sale for $200 CDN but now I'm a fan of the product more than the product's price.

About the picture. The photographer is always at the track. He gets about 5 good shots of me and the rest are junk. We buy a cd full of jpegs for $30 so I can't really complain. You only need one good one for the day anyway, I suppose.

G
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: gsxr400 racer on August 02, 2005, 11:39:04 PM: YOU THE MAN YO! NICE LEAN ANGLE AND NICE STYLE YOU LOOK REAL COMFORTABLE ON THE BIKE :congrats:
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: Garyola on August 03, 2005, 12:05:56 AM: Quote from: "gsxr400 racer"
YOU THE MAN YO! NICE LEAN ANGLE AND NICE STYLE YOU LOOK REAL COMFORTABLE ON THE BIKE :congrats:

Thank you sir.
I am starting to feel comfortable on the machine. :motorsmile: This is my 1st year on the track. Six track days into the season and only #5 and 6 of the days have I been totally confident. I've had a ton of help from some of the pro racers in the area, when they are at the track on the same day.
This shot is of the corner they call the carousel at Shannonville. It's a double apex and I was trying a few different lines through it. If you hit it right, you can drag your knee through most of it at a good speed for the little 400. Anyway the bike goes where I'm looking now and it feels great to get it right sometime.
I'm coming to this very late in my life. A regret I have is that I didn't do this 25 yrs ago. I just turned 48 and I'm having a ball at the track. I have 3 more days booked this summer and I can hardly wait. It's going to be a long, long winter. (sorry. I shouldn't say the w word in here)

G
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: Racerruss-ducati on August 03, 2005, 10:05:53 AM: Quote from: "gsxr400 racer"
YOU THE MAN YO! NICE LEAN ANGLE AND NICE STYLE YOU LOOK REAL COMFORTABLE ON THE BIKE :congrats:

Sure, he gets kudo's, but you give me crap for riding "duck footed". :monkeymoon:

BTW Garyola, I agree with Jay, you look like you have the hang of it. Is that an EX500 fairing you have on you bike? Also, it looks like you have clip-ons and rear sets. Who are they from?
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: Garyola on August 03, 2005, 11:43:25 AM: Racerruss,
The fairing is from a Kawi but I'm not sure what model it is. The fairing and the rear sets came with the bike when I bought it. The rear sets were made for the bike. I have a few sets of them. The racer that owned the bike before me had them made up. The front end of the bike is from an 88 GSXR and they are fully adjustable and I suspect the clipons are from the same bike.
When I bought the bike it came with tons of spares like clipons and rear sets, motor, sprockets, gas tank, chain, etc, etc. I'm not sure the source of these parts but I suspect they came from local bike salvage shops.

The bike is out at my old farm house right now. When I get to it next week I'll take some shots of the set up so you can see what is on it.

I find that, even with the rear sets, if I don't hang off the bike just the right amount, the pegs will scrape and the sliders on my boots will take a beating. The bike will lean more than it's clearance so you have to hang off the bike to keep it from being lifted off the track by the foot pegs. If you look at that photo, you can see how close my foot is to the ground. The bike isn't very tall.

G
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: Racerruss-ducati on August 03, 2005, 02:35:35 PM: Are you interested in selling any of your extra stuff like clip-ons or rear sets?
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: Garyola on August 03, 2005, 02:54:14 PM: Quote from: "Racerruss-ducati"
Are you interested in selling any of your extra stuff like clip-ons or rear sets?

Let me check what I have exactly. I may be able to set you up with some stuff. I won't be out there until next thursday.

G
Title: stock right reatset please
Post by: suparobb on August 11, 2005, 08:00:20 PM: i could really use a stock right rearset if you have one.

i just need the housing, or the heel guard portion if you have one, no need for the peg or brake lever.

thanks much man.
Title: Pilot Power
Post by: suparobb on August 11, 2005, 08:01:35 PM: o BTW,

what size pilot power tires and rims are you running on your b4?