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107,106 miles – Brakes, wheel bearings, tires…

Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

Worked on the car with Dad, Kevict, Jonathan, Ramon and Pat-the-torquer.
Just a quick update for posterity:
Brakes:

Replaced front and rear rotors with Zimmerman (non-drilled) items
Rebuilt front and rear calipers, and removed all traces of once-red paint
Replaced PBR Deluxe pads with PBR Ultimates
Bled brakes and replaced fluid with ATE Typ 200
Replaced rotor and caliper bolts
Replaced [...]

106,826 miles – Holy crap, it’s mine!

Sunday, January 21st, 2007

After longing for an M Coupe for nearly ten years, one finally followed me home. I am so excited I can hardly contain my enthusiasm. Even mundane activities, like filling up with gas, or checking the tire pressures, seem exciting with this car. I really am that big a dork.
So far, the [...]

SV1000S stock exhaust – my intestines are prettier

Monday, December 11th, 2006

After removing the stock exhaust from my SV1000S and replacing it with a Yoshimura 3/4 system, I have to say, the stock system is a mess.
Have look at the pictures below and imagine you are a molecule of combustion gas trying to escape an engine through the labyrinth of flattened, bent, twisted and hideously ugly [...]

921 miles – Yoshimura 3/4 exhaust system with carbon TRS muffler

Monday, December 11th, 2006

The stock exhaust on the SV1000S definitely gives the bike some of its “big twin” character, thanks to the dual pipes – but the sound from those pipes does not do justice to the motor, and the pipes are so low and wide as to severely limit cornering clearance at the track.
To remedy this, I [...]

753 miles – Pazzo Racing levers and Ohlins Steering Damper

Monday, December 11th, 2006

After having crashed my SV650 on track due to a nasty headshake, I was determined to never again get a bike without some kind of steering damper installed. The SV1000S had such a damper, and I was therefore reassured that horrific headshake would be less likely to toss me off.
Well, turns out that after [...]

A new beginning

Monday, December 11th, 2006

I have already posted pictures of my SV1000 on track, but I didn’t post any “Hey, it looks like this” kind of shots.
So, uh… Hey, it looks like this.
Well, it did. Before I started modifying it. Stupid winter. Too wet to ride, but not too wet to spend money. Damn.

Bikes of the past

Monday, December 11th, 2006

My first street bike experience was aboard a Honda CBR600 F4i. I had only learned how to operate a motorcycle the day before, in the dirt on a tiny pit bike, and I was completely terrified to ride the Honda. The terror subsided about 5 seconds after I let the clutch out.
While not [...]

762 miles – track day at Thunderhill

Monday, October 9th, 2006

With the recent passing of my beloved sv650, I was left with nothing. Perhaps that’s a little melodramatic. I had the love of my family, and my wonderful wife, good friends and a cute house, a mediocre cat, and more cars than I have a right to. Oh, and a welder. [...]

Roughly 3400 miles – track day at Thunderhill

Wednesday, July 5th, 2006

I brought the SV to Thunderhill for two more days of lapping and learning. I feel like I really was able to improve my technique and riding form, and I shaved about 10 seconds off my lap times over the course of the first day. Awesome!
In day two, I took a couple more [...]

328i – 110,014 miles – NCRC track day at Thunderhill

Monday, April 24th, 2006

In preparation for this track day at Thunderhill, I replaced the radiator, water pump, thermostat, and various other cooling components, and added M3 end links for my front sway bar.
The car ran cool, and cornered WAY flatter than the last time I was at Thill. That fact is doubly amazing considering that this time [...]