Now I've done it... got a track steed

[ducpainter]

I'm gonna give GP the old college try.

If plans work out, I might squeak in one more TD here before things in this area shut down until spring. If so, I figure to self demote to the slow group in the beginning (maybe whole day who knows) and start the shake down/learning/adjustment to fit me process at a more 'civil' speed

Good choice.

You already know about corner speed from flogging the motard around. I can tell you from experience your biggest problem will most likely be over braking into those same corners due to the speeds you'll attain on the straights.

It takes a while to get used to.

[Slide Panda]

Over? I was more thinking under and coming in too hot. Though it doesn't have the tip top speed, I'd stick that motard deep in before the real brakes came on - lots of passing bigger bikes that let up earlier on that bike.

[ducpainter]

That was my experience.

I had ridden the track for years on my M900 and 750 SS and when I first got the 996 it was a completely different experience because of the speed when approaching the corner.

Maybe it won't work that way for you, but you'd be the first I knew of that it didn't work that way.

It took me a while to trust the fact the bike could do what I couldn't.

[Slide Panda]

I get 'cha - I was thinking over braking, like lifting the rear or something, more than just braking past the speed that the bike could hang the turn (with a fast rider) and coming in too gingerly.

Yeah - there will be some of the for sure! Some will be planned at first. Whole new to me bike with more power and more weight than SuMo and a rather different body position... then there's GP shifting etc etc. So I plan on taking it easy to start off and get settled in.

At least it's got a nice slipper - so a brain fart shift in the wrong direction won't be as bad as it could be.

[ducpainter]

I could have used a slipper a couple of times...never got too serious though.

Re: the GP shift...both my bikes have it and I still brain fart things occasionally. 

You'll learn to appreciate the benefits I think.

[Slide Panda]

You'll learn to appreciate the benefits I think.

Kinda wished the SuMo could have it. At the track I take it to most, the bulk of the turns are Lefts with a couple left -lefts that make for some extra fancy footwork for the required upshift and hope I'm not gonna dig a toe into the tarmac

[ducpainter]

Loudon is a left hand track also.

The ability to shift easily when leaned over does come in handy for just the reason you mentioned.

[gm2]

for whatever reason, back before i even had a track bike, as soon as i started thinking about GP shift i started shifting wrong on my regular-shift bike.  personally i think GP makes way more sense. 

..maybe it's an unconscious thing connected to watching racing: braking and downshifting = click up, go fast = economical little click down

[Slide Panda]

My one catch is that of my bikes I cannot change the SuMo shift pattern. The shifter lever, like most (all?) dirt bikes is connected right to the shifter shaft - no linkage or anything that can be flipped or tiwddled.

So it's probably just a mental leap and I'm over thinking it... but GP will be new to me.

[gm2]

picture yourself in full tuck flying up the front straight, powering down through the gears.  then sitting up, arms locked, yanking back on the shifter.. you'll get it  =)

675 is a great track bike.  have fun   

[ellingly]

Least on the 2011 675Rs I worked on at an endurance race, it was possible to buy a shift linkage setup for the Arrow rearsets out of the Triumph parts catalogue, which converted it to having the race rear sets with the road shift pattern. Owner didn't want to 'shift' to GP pattern.

Personally I like race pattern; and, having swapped rearsets on the fiancee's RGV250, I'm trying to suss out what length shift rod to make it into race pattern. If anything needs race pattern, it is a small-capacity 2 stroke . 675 less so but it's still nice.

It is a good shift pattern and I don't find it too hard to remember head down, gear down; head up, gear up.

[ducati culture]

Congrats bro...... 

[Slide Panda]

Congrats bro...... 

Now if you'd ever come to the track and play... 

Least on the 2011 675Rs I worked on at an endurance race, it was possible to buy a shift linkage setup for the Arrow rearsets out of the Triumph parts catalogue,

This bike has Attack rearsets. From the look of them it's just a mater of flipping one or two things to convert from one style to the other. But I'm going to give GP a go

[ellingly]

Now if you'd ever come to the track and play... 

This bike has Attack rearsets. From the look of them it's just a mater of flipping one or two things to convert from one style to the other. But I'm going to give GP a go

Do it. Takes about a session to make sure you're 100% right, then it just works. Sometimes you can get away with flipping the shift arm but often you also need to lengthen the shift rod to make it work, otherwise you end up with the whole thing trying to rotate and you end up with being able to change up gears, then when you go to change down gears... it flips over and you can only change up gears. Ask me how I know this 

[Slide Panda]

Well GP went just fine - until a bolt backed out and the lever disconnected from the linkage. Lucky for me the bolt didn't fall out, so only a spacer was lost and a couple washers let me finish up the day. As sorted out as the bike is.. the PO didn't loc tite the rear sets... oops

A buddies pro photog buddy showed up for some of the early sessions and got a few shots.
http://leediehrphotography.smugmug.com/Summit-Point-10-28-2013/n-Kpxrg/i-djcF553
- Can post the image directly, deal