VOL. 54 ISSUE 21 MAY 31, 2017 P109
guys at WP gave us a good base
setting for the new shock and
cartridge kit forks, so it was more
a matter of fine tuning rather than
massive changes.
My initial feeling is I'd like the
bike a bit higher in the rear; it
sits a bit too flat for my tastes. I'd
like the bike more on its nose for
sharper cornering. We will also
be changing the seat to a full
race seat which is taller by about
an inch, so I'll see if that makes
a difference during the initial
testing at Pikes. We have a week
to get these things right before
the green light goes out, but
the setup is already pretty good
straight out of the box.
I also spent the day evaluat-
ing the soft compound SC1
Pirelli and Metzeler Racetec K1
tires that I have to choose from
for the race. I raced the Pirel-
lis last year and have no prob-
lem at all with them—they have
exceptional early wear grip,
with plenty of feel to match.
The Mezeler's were similar in
that they did offer excellent
early grip but the performance
dropped off a little earlier com-
pared to the Pirellis. This is next
to elementary, however, due
to two reasons. One is that the
race is only 12 miles long, and
two is the track conditions are
going to be nothing like the 105
degrees we endured at Chuck-
walla that Thursday.
Still, it was nice to feel the differ-
ence between the two in some-
what similar conditions, although
it was a bit hotter when I had the
Metzelers on, so that might ex-
plain the performance drop off.
We've still got a way to go be-
fore this thing is ready to take on
the mountain but a week of solid
work under our belts is begin-
ning to show some results. Once
the bike is finished and ready to
go we'll be checking back in to
show our new baby off! CN
Scaysbrook
and Fillmore,
a favorite to
win Pikes
Peak this year,
having a play at
Chuckwalla.
