BMW S1000RR Sport
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fast_ryan
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alpha Racing Carbon Fibre Race Fairings
Over the last couple of months my race fairings have been either repaired or replaced and then refinished. This time however I've opted for vinyl wrap as opposed to paint. Unlike painting, no prep work was required short of ensuring the fairings were clean. Whilst extremely time consuming I've also been able to do the work myself. The design is simplified and retains the BMW Motorsport blue, white and red colours but there are still subtle hints of carbon fibre throughout. I've currently undecided as to whether or not to fit another set of WSBK headlight stickers as I really like the solid white numberboards.
The vinyl wrap is significantly lighter than paint and if I feel like a change of design at the end of the season it can be removed quickly with a heat gun. The only downside is that it is clearly not as robust as lacquered paintwork but I've used a good quality 3M wrap vinyl which is fairly thick and hard-wearing. That said it is a cheap and inexpensive way of finishing race fairings.
All in all I'm content with the finish and whilst I always prefer function over form it looks so much better than just having exposed carbon fibre race fairings.
Over the last couple of months my race fairings have been either repaired or replaced and then refinished. This time however I've opted for vinyl wrap as opposed to paint. Unlike painting, no prep work was required short of ensuring the fairings were clean. Whilst extremely time consuming I've also been able to do the work myself. The design is simplified and retains the BMW Motorsport blue, white and red colours but there are still subtle hints of carbon fibre throughout. I've currently undecided as to whether or not to fit another set of WSBK headlight stickers as I really like the solid white numberboards.
The vinyl wrap is significantly lighter than paint and if I feel like a change of design at the end of the season it can be removed quickly with a heat gun. The only downside is that it is clearly not as robust as lacquered paintwork but I've used a good quality 3M wrap vinyl which is fairly thick and hard-wearing. That said it is a cheap and inexpensive way of finishing race fairings.
All in all I'm content with the finish and whilst I always prefer function over form it looks so much better than just having exposed carbon fibre race fairings.
fast_ryan
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2017 Trackday Season
Further to my previous posts the front forks and rear shock have been removed and serviced; the braking system has been refreshed with new pads and Castrol SRF brake fluid; the engine coolant has been drained and replaced and the oil and filter has been changed. The bike is now fully prepared for the start of my 2017 trackday season.
Further to my previous posts the front forks and rear shock have been removed and serviced; the braking system has been refreshed with new pads and Castrol SRF brake fluid; the engine coolant has been drained and replaced and the oil and filter has been changed. The bike is now fully prepared for the start of my 2017 trackday season.
Re: alpha Racing Carbon Fibre Race Fairings
My bellypan is wrapped, have to disagree regarding robustness compared with paint, especially on the front edge where it takes all the stones as it's hardly marked.
Although relatively easy to apply, the little nooks and crannies will eventually shrink where it's had to be overstretched.
Agree with the relative inexpensive bit tho !
My bellypan is wrapped, have to disagree regarding robustness compared with paint, especially on the front edge where it takes all the stones as it's hardly marked.
Although relatively easy to apply, the little nooks and crannies will eventually shrink where it's had to be overstretched.
Agree with the relative inexpensive bit tho !
Looks good - I assume vinyl goes over carbon ok if it's gel coated properly?
fast_ryan
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3M Vinyl Wrap
That's good to know. My bellypan is the only piece that I've not wrapped, although I have added a fresh 'BMW Motorrad Motorsport' sticker on each side. Compared to traditional race paint, especially when working with carbon fibre, it is so much cheaper and cost effective.
Thanks. I found the process of applying the 3M vinyl wrap time consuming simply as I've never done it before. It went over the carbon fibre race fairings without issue but I did make sure that they were absolutely spotless before I started.
That's good to know. My bellypan is the only piece that I've not wrapped, although I have added a fresh 'BMW Motorrad Motorsport' sticker on each side. Compared to traditional race paint, especially when working with carbon fibre, it is so much cheaper and cost effective.
Thanks. I found the process of applying the 3M vinyl wrap time consuming simply as I've never done it before. It went over the carbon fibre race fairings without issue but I did make sure that they were absolutely spotless before I started.
fast_ryan
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2017 Trackday Season
Thanks! It's nice to finally have everything finished and I can't wait to get it back out on track. I have plenty of UK trackdays already booked for this season and a visit to Arag?n planned for later in the year.
Thanks! It's nice to finally have everything finished and I can't wait to get it back out on track. I have plenty of UK trackdays already booked for this season and a visit to Arag?n planned for later in the year.
Re: 2017 Trackday Season
Which ones are you doing ry, I'm looking to get some more booked at the moment so may tag along.
Which ones are you doing ry, I'm looking to get some more booked at the moment so may tag along.
fast_ryan
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UK Trackdays
12 Apr 17: Cadwell Park / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
16 May 17: Snetterton / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
06 Jun 17: Snetterton / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
13 Jun 17: Silverstone / No Limits
18 Jun 17: Snetterton / No Limits
08 Aug 17: Donington Park / No Limits
15 Aug 17: Snetterton / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
12 Apr 17: Cadwell Park / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
16 May 17: Snetterton / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
06 Jun 17: Snetterton / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
13 Jun 17: Silverstone / No Limits
18 Jun 17: Snetterton / No Limits
08 Aug 17: Donington Park / No Limits
15 Aug 17: Snetterton / No Limits / Open Pit Lane
fast_ryan
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UK Trackdays
I will also be at most of the MSV Trackday Evenings at Snetterton throughout the season as it's my local circuit. That and I will probably be doing some instructing with Focused Events this year but dates and circuits are TBC.
I will also be at most of the MSV Trackday Evenings at Snetterton throughout the season as it's my local circuit. That and I will probably be doing some instructing with Focused Events this year but dates and circuits are TBC.
Looks like a good list there. I've no idea what I'm doing after April, except the road bike days.
fast_ryan
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fast_ryan
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Trackday
This week marked my first outing on track for 2017 and the event was an Open Pit Lane day at Cadwell Park. This is my preferred kind of trackday as your not constrained by group timings and are free to go out on track whenever you please. The pace is also much faster than normal trackdays which is good and most people will generally be on the racing line which makes things a bit safer and far more predictable. I've not ridden the BMW at Cadwell Park before as I normally prefer wide, open tracks which are better suited to 200 bhp. That said I had forgotten just how enjoyable the circuit is to ride and going over The Mountain is always rather entertaining.
Conditions were wet for the initial sighting laps and were completed extremely cautiously using Metzeler Racetec RR tyres with the DTC set to +7 and the bike in RAIN mode. After that I returned to my awning, put the bike on the warmers, turned the kettle on and waited for the circuit to dry out in the windy conditions. By 1045 the track had dried out sufficiently with a dry racing line appearing amongst the damp patches. By midday it had almost completely dried out given the strong wind.
I fitted a set of Metzeler Racetec RR K1/K2 tyres which I had previously used for four sessions from new towards the end of last season. I decided not to bother fitting any of my new Metzeler tyres as there was little point as it would have just been false economy and I would have got nothing from them. This was mainly due to the fact the morning was only going to be spent getting used to the bike again and then the pace would only likely increase in the afternoon given the weather forecast. The only other bike preparation was to change the gearing to 16/44 to suit the nature of the circuit following a good recommendation.
Over the winter I've made a few changes to the bike, albeit rather reluctantly following last season's off. After my first 10 lap stint on track I returned to my awning and made a few small changes to the position of my alpha Racing clip-ons. I had previously set them up whilst static on the bike but it's not until you complete a few laps that you know if they are in the correct position or not. I prefer wide 'flat' bars to give me a little bit more leverage on the bike so I made a few small changes to facilitate this. Unlike the OEM bars the alpha Racing clip-ons give you complete freedom to do this. I used a borrowed alpha Racing handle bar tool which helps you adjust the angle of the clip-ons and the length of handle bar tubes through the clamps. The changes made were only a few millimetres in difference but the result was a much more ergonomic riding position to better suit my needs. As for the new levers they are really good, however I didn't have to touch the remote adjuster all day. Most likely due to the combination of the absolutely epic Brembo Z04 race brake pads and Castrol SRF fluid which is well worth the significant expense.
Suspension wise the only change made was to increase front rebound. I just found that the forks extended too quickly, which made the bike run wide particularly through Barn, forcing me to adjust my line on exit. A small increase just allowed the bike to hold a better line and it also helped with the fast left-right-left transition through Hall Bends.
Pulling the laptimes from the dash, via the 2D GPS Laptrigger, showed my fastest lap was a 1:40.582 and overall I averaged between 1:40-43s. For perspective those laptimes would place me towards the very back of the MRO Clubman grid. To go faster I know exactly where I would need to push having chatted to, and followed, a couple of racers around the circuit but for my first trackday outing of the season I'm content. Despite spending the first few hours waiting for the circuit to dry I still managed to complete 43 laps of the 2.18 mile circuit. I am somewhat surprised by my pace given the fact that my last trackday was abruptly curtailed with a 120 mph crash, but fortunately it hasn't affected my confidence. Most likely as I know exactly what caused it.
This trackday also gave me a chance to use my new Thermal Technology tyre warmers. Suffice to say they are extremely good. The best thing about them is I can set the temperatures exactly to Metzeler's recommendations and the lights and LCD readout give a visual indication of when the tyres are ready. Testing with an IR thermometer showed these tyre warmers heat consistently across the entire profile of the tyre and to the exact temperature stated on the digital readout. Given the exposed nature of Cadwell Park's pit area I should have remembered to take my tyre blankets with me as they would have just allowed the warmers to heat the tyres quicker in the cold and windy conditions. Overall, whilst they are expensive, I am really pleased with them and if they last 5+ seasons like my previous set then they represent a very good investment.
Overall I'm happy as it's my first time back on the bike since November last year. I've achieved my aim which was to get the S1000RR set up correctly following the changes made over the winter and I can now focus on the season ahead.
This week marked my first outing on track for 2017 and the event was an Open Pit Lane day at Cadwell Park. This is my preferred kind of trackday as your not constrained by group timings and are free to go out on track whenever you please. The pace is also much faster than normal trackdays which is good and most people will generally be on the racing line which makes things a bit safer and far more predictable. I've not ridden the BMW at Cadwell Park before as I normally prefer wide, open tracks which are better suited to 200 bhp. That said I had forgotten just how enjoyable the circuit is to ride and going over The Mountain is always rather entertaining.
Conditions were wet for the initial sighting laps and were completed extremely cautiously using Metzeler Racetec RR tyres with the DTC set to +7 and the bike in RAIN mode. After that I returned to my awning, put the bike on the warmers, turned the kettle on and waited for the circuit to dry out in the windy conditions. By 1045 the track had dried out sufficiently with a dry racing line appearing amongst the damp patches. By midday it had almost completely dried out given the strong wind.
I fitted a set of Metzeler Racetec RR K1/K2 tyres which I had previously used for four sessions from new towards the end of last season. I decided not to bother fitting any of my new Metzeler tyres as there was little point as it would have just been false economy and I would have got nothing from them. This was mainly due to the fact the morning was only going to be spent getting used to the bike again and then the pace would only likely increase in the afternoon given the weather forecast. The only other bike preparation was to change the gearing to 16/44 to suit the nature of the circuit following a good recommendation.
Over the winter I've made a few changes to the bike, albeit rather reluctantly following last season's off. After my first 10 lap stint on track I returned to my awning and made a few small changes to the position of my alpha Racing clip-ons. I had previously set them up whilst static on the bike but it's not until you complete a few laps that you know if they are in the correct position or not. I prefer wide 'flat' bars to give me a little bit more leverage on the bike so I made a few small changes to facilitate this. Unlike the OEM bars the alpha Racing clip-ons give you complete freedom to do this. I used a borrowed alpha Racing handle bar tool which helps you adjust the angle of the clip-ons and the length of handle bar tubes through the clamps. The changes made were only a few millimetres in difference but the result was a much more ergonomic riding position to better suit my needs. As for the new levers they are really good, however I didn't have to touch the remote adjuster all day. Most likely due to the combination of the absolutely epic Brembo Z04 race brake pads and Castrol SRF fluid which is well worth the significant expense.
Suspension wise the only change made was to increase front rebound. I just found that the forks extended too quickly, which made the bike run wide particularly through Barn, forcing me to adjust my line on exit. A small increase just allowed the bike to hold a better line and it also helped with the fast left-right-left transition through Hall Bends.
Pulling the laptimes from the dash, via the 2D GPS Laptrigger, showed my fastest lap was a 1:40.582 and overall I averaged between 1:40-43s. For perspective those laptimes would place me towards the very back of the MRO Clubman grid. To go faster I know exactly where I would need to push having chatted to, and followed, a couple of racers around the circuit but for my first trackday outing of the season I'm content. Despite spending the first few hours waiting for the circuit to dry I still managed to complete 43 laps of the 2.18 mile circuit. I am somewhat surprised by my pace given the fact that my last trackday was abruptly curtailed with a 120 mph crash, but fortunately it hasn't affected my confidence. Most likely as I know exactly what caused it.
This trackday also gave me a chance to use my new Thermal Technology tyre warmers. Suffice to say they are extremely good. The best thing about them is I can set the temperatures exactly to Metzeler's recommendations and the lights and LCD readout give a visual indication of when the tyres are ready. Testing with an IR thermometer showed these tyre warmers heat consistently across the entire profile of the tyre and to the exact temperature stated on the digital readout. Given the exposed nature of Cadwell Park's pit area I should have remembered to take my tyre blankets with me as they would have just allowed the warmers to heat the tyres quicker in the cold and windy conditions. Overall, whilst they are expensive, I am really pleased with them and if they last 5+ seasons like my previous set then they represent a very good investment.
Overall I'm happy as it's my first time back on the bike since November last year. I've achieved my aim which was to get the S1000RR set up correctly following the changes made over the winter and I can now focus on the season ahead.
FreudianSlip
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Brill write up there, and a couple of good action pics.. Would make a decent column in fast bikes.
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