School me on: Racing over my head - Super Hooligans?

I haven't gotten to race COTA, but it definitely seems like the most technical short circuit in the states... with an extreme variety of corners as you've said. You can get one of the newer motoGP games, and I'm pretty sure it's on the Valentino Rossi game, which was my favorite, and get a pretty damn good feel for where the track's gonna go! Would probably be best to run it on Moto3, Moto2, and GP classes alternating to really hammer in the layout IMO. If you don't have a console, they should all be available for PC, and you can pick up a really cheap PS4, or Xbox360 that will have these games with COTA on them. As for the pits, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how badass it's gonna be.. the Hooligan scene definitely has it's own culture, and everyone... well... ALMOST everyone is super willing to help each other as much as possible, and all those guys gotta make it home healthy to work too. I've gotten to do a few of Roland's races where they don't want trailers in there, and it's honestly kind of more fun having everyone packed into a big badass event like that!

 

I'm super psyched for this, and going nuts 'cause I don't have any parts in my hands to start doing anything with yet. Damn near bouncing off the walls. I need to find a suspension person to work with, I need bigger hammers for working on HD engines, I need to actually service my little cargo trailer for 4k mi in a short time span... I haven't been this wound up since I first decided to get my road racing license.

 

Give Kent at GMDATL.com a shout... he's got an unbelievable resume, has set up all of my road race bikes including my SuperHooligan Buell, which handled phenomenally from paved kart tracks, to gravel hillclimbs in Colorado, and everything in between! He set up a Ducati Scrambler 800 SH build for me too, and at the time it was by FAR the best handling bike on the grid.. until the KTM cheaters showed up.

He and his family are just great people, great to work with, and REALLY know what they're doing.

His geometry database through the Computrack machine is absolutely unmatched, and has set up everything from HRC superbikes to factory Ducati dirt trackers with handmade frames. You're going to fall in love with that class.. it's pretty much all about having fun!

Here's some pics of the Hooligans he dialed in for me... both of them were SO dialed in!

 

Thanks for the tip! And those bikes look like a bag of fun plus free violations for your license.

 

Take the time now to get some team shirts made, order a scanner radio for paddock communications / move in, and get the patches on your leathers. Order a rain light, tank foam, case covers, lever guard, shark fin, and all of the other stuff that guys can't get past tech because they don't have.

Preparation is key for these events, your Thursday move in/ tech window is small, your tire window is small. Once all that is done, you will have plenty of time (as in half a day) between actual time on track- but the first day is busy with move in, tech window, tire window, rider's meeting, track walk. So show up with your bike ready for tech.

Regarding the pit space, you have no control over where you're parked (trailer) and where your pit stall will be- but you can launch from your trailer and just have someone meet you with a stand at Parc Ferme after. A cart and scooter really helps because sessions are longer than a club race, and you can't come back to the trailer in the middle if you need to make a change or adjustment- so that stuff will have to be down at pit wall.

 

See above. Gino nailed it. Be over prepared.

 

Checklist has been started, I have conf on shirt / suit requirements and am verifying a couple tech questions. Current worry, where do I find a metal aux side cover for the primary side of the engine? (Side note, so far folks at MA have been snappy on getting responses back to me which is awesome.)

 

Get your malemal toe bitchass down here for some track days.

 

Got clarifications on rules, hope to pick up the crates of 'project' in the next couple of weeks... yee haw!

 

We need more threads like this!
Keep us posted on your adventure.

 

Learned some more details on the potential project bike. It was not stock... once I get my hands on it I'll need to do some investigation just to figure out all that's going on with the motor, and cases will absolutely need to be split so I need to start chasing some HD specialty tools. My current train of thought is find a cheap as possible used S1/etc and put the good suspension/etc off the project onto it as a means of getting on track by COTA even if I'm leaving motor on the table. Then over the winter I can mad science as needed in prep for next year.

I need to register for COTA by the 22nd of August, so not a whole lot of time to go from zero to ready to commit to the event. Suit is getting logo'd up, I'll chase team shirts soon, got a radio, and got to see rain lights in use this weekend at the Loudon Classic. I've found a few bare lights listed as rain lights but nothing showing how they're powering them, or even brightness specs which is a PITA, more research to be done. Also got to chat with Shelina for a few mins, super friendly and felt like she'd have been willing to chat Super Hooligans for hours with me if I tried. Unfortunately I caught her as she was scrambling to pack up and catch a flight so I had to stuff my inner tech nerd into time out to not delay her. Net result, I've got little time to prep, short of lucking into finding an existing race bike I can can beg/borrrow/steal I'm putting my odds at 50% of making COTA as of now.

 

Now I HAVE to show up and race, my leathers are logo'd up properly.

 

if all else fails contact Joe at kramer USA..


https://www.kramermotorcyclesusa.com/


they have little built in rain lights that have a couple different settings.. off/solid on/two flashing modes. they’re tiny , bright as hell and you can charge them via USB.

on the kramer/ktm, they screw into the tail section and you just push them to turn them on/off.

here’s what it looks like on my bike

disclaimer: i have no idea how much they cost but i’ve ordered a bunch of other spares and they’re reasonable…

just an idea if you can’t come up with something better.

 

I've had a few people now attempt to steer me towards XBs, suggesting the earlier motors in tubers will be more prone to failing from the stress and oiling the track, and will handle better / more consistently. I've not lucked into finding previously setup for racing machines beyond the S1 project I'm going to help revive no matter what. That bike will not be ridable before next spring, needs to be done right given what it is.

So, in addition to the lack of extent race examples, the used Buell market in general in New England seems to not exist much either. What I can find are either old and abused tubers, Firebolts that aren't legal, and oddly cheap Ulysses. Path A would be snagging an X1 cheap, and combining the good bits from it with the non-motor/frame good bits of the S1 project (shock, wheels, etc) to get on track, and once the S1 is done have an X1 back in street config to either sell or hang onto as a spare? Path B is to get a Ulysses and abuse the fact that it's a Lightning Long chassis with longer forks and a longer shock, aka 'convert' it back down to normal ride height, take advantage of the more traditional resulting geometry compared to other XBs (54in wheelbase vs 52in, 22/23deg rake instead of 21, 4.7in of trail vs 3.3, etc) to ease adapting for racing and rock a newer platform that'll be easier to source parts for. If I'm going this route I'm going with an 08 or newer so I'm on the last gen of the motor with the updated crank, etc. Depending on costs, condition and time to prep, I may just run it in 'tall' config for COTA, I already like to pretend I can hustle my Pan Am, the Uly is just a big motard, right?

That rain light looks mint, thank you for the pointer!

 

how are you going to deal a belly pan on the Buells with underbelly exhausts?

 

Airtech still lists race legal pans for them, Buell used to offer them as well, they wrap under the muffler and extend back beyond it to establish a retaining wall.

 

If you go the Buell route, I have one I could make a deal on. Not sure what they sell for? I just put on a new disk before it was put away about 4-5 years ago and not ridden.

I know it will need at least fuel injection cleaned, as I would start it occasionally and a couple years ago it would crank and not start.

Has been down from before I bought it. I was surprised after getting it, when rolling in first gear and pinning it she will stand straight up without using the clutch. Has all 3 bags, but at least one had a broken latch.

 

I'd normally jump on an offer like that, but the small issue is I believe you're on the west coast, I'm on the opposite which makes getting the bike in my hands in a timely manor without breaking the bank difficult. Over here, running, titled, rideable Ulys are ranging from $2300 for an 08 with a dented header from a tip over and 46k miles to $4k for a 7k mile 06 in good shape based on FB Marketplace.

 

Why not just buy a SV1000 race bike. There should be a few around from the Moto-st days. Two years ago you couldn't give those bikes away. There was 3 of them racing at The Ridge last weekend.