The weather was phenomenal on the West Coast this past weekend. I had been whining for two whole days (actually all week) about going riding and finally had to drag Shawn out of the house on Sudsy afternoon. He has been obsessed with working on a new battery pack for the kid’s electric dirtbike. Instead of just jamming a bunch of batteries inside of a new, or the existing, case like I would have, he had to transfer everything the CAD and THEN design it in there. That very morning I also had to deal with a (disproved) 1 + 1 = 3 proof so, your sympathies are welcome.
Anyway! So I was feeling quite amped from a bulletproof coffee made with Lavazza Intenso Italian ground coffee. I highly recommend. However, I was shaky and decided to ride my WR250X out and Shawn rode my R6 as his KawaBuell was at work again. I am starting to think he just likes riding it. 🙂
On the way down Cienega Rd, I saw a doe at my right run towards the rear wheel of the R6 and then skid to a stop before it hit pavement and hightail it before I ever got to him and I was following close. As I passed the doe had already turned on a dime and went back through the barbed wire. Had she not been able to stop she would have hit Shawn’s rear wheel. Had she decide to go between us, I would have hit her. Everything slowed down and I remember thinking I hope she didn’t get hung up on the barbed wire. I think I am going to start wearing a video camera like I do for dirt. Not that I will ever get around to posting the videos to YouTube or anything.
Once we were on the ~4 mile straight on the 25 (Airline Hwy), Shawn topped out the bike as fast as it could go. He said he saw 175mph indicated and it stopped going any faster after that; he thinks it was closer to 160-165mph actual (tested is 160mph). He was on a downhill at the max so that might have helped. He said it felt smooth, no wobble–thank you, steering damper.
I had worn my leathers as it was chilly while in San Juan Bautista but not so much past Paicines (as expected). I was getting a bit hot and needed fluids so we stopped at the visitor’s center at Pinnacles and parked right next to a Buell XB12 and I think what was a Z1000. As we were leaving the owners came out and asked about the R6 and then the Kawa owner commented that I did a good job with the WR250X conversion. I mentioned it came like that, it IS the street version, but I did change some things. I don’t think he cared. I kind of felt like he was mansplaining to me, but whatever.
He went on to tell us that he was having some mapping issues or something because it was cutting out in low speeds in traffic. I mentioned that Shawn had worked for Buell and did a lot of work on that particular bike. Shawn told him that the thermal sensor was probably causing a cut out because when it overheats it does so so you don’t get a melted piston. It is aircooled and it was hot, really hot. You can pull the fuse and reset it, wait until it cools off, OR get some speed going to cool it off. But whatever, they started talking about Erik Buell and Danny Eslick and blah blah so we got out of their way so they could pull out. Off we go.
I switched to my R6 on the way out of the park and, again, forgot how much I love riding this thing!! I don’t know why I am always apprehensive at first because as soon as I get on it, it is like I never got off of it. It turns way better than my WR. The suspension is still super stiff so I had to ride with only one finger hovering as I needed to hold the eff ON. It would hit a bump and I swear it was going to jump out of my hands. No wobble, just a quick jolt and it was over.
I had a ton of fun and then got to the straight myself. I only had balls for 135 MPH last I looked, so not much over that. I haven’t gone that fast since the straight at Miller and that was probably 140 actual –and that is being optimistic. Still, it was fun.
Shawn wanted to go into town to go to the hardware store so we went though Tres Pinos to Hollister. I went to stop at a light and I always look on the ground for oil or water in the vicinity of where I am going to stop. Well, I slid anyway so wtf! I looked down and saw a greenish oily slick on my left boot on thought I was blowing coolant which seemed odd for that side of the bike. GREAT.
Well, it was not overheating, it was at 189F, it was oil. We pulled over and exchanged bikes as I am far shorter and tippy toe it on the street anyway, I didn’t want to slip. Shawn has huge feet so it seemed natural I give it back to him. I used a piece of street trash to wipe of my boot and peered at the side. It was not dripping. My guess is the stator cover is loose or the rubber plug so that will be the project for the week for the kids get here on Friday.
Once we got to the hardware store, I wound up switching back to the R6 anyway and rode home. I have to say it is a bit heavy steering for the street at super slow speeds and I have to replace that left clip-on or my thumb and wrist get caught between it and the bodywork. You can see that it is bent. But I am getting used to the angle. It only feels good when you are tucked on it, so don’t ride slow and tuck! : )
It was funny watching Shawn on my WR, he looks big on it. To the casual observer, it probably looks like he is riding my bike and I am only “borrowing” his bike. Frankly, I look better on my R6 than he does. 😉
When we got home I asked…
Me: “How do you like it?”
Shawn: “It just isn’t a challenge.”
Me: “What the hell does that even mean?”
Shawn: “It takes off when you hit the throttle and it stops when you hit the brakes. The engine braking also really adds to stopping power. It’s just so light.”
Me: “It’s an R6, that is what it is supposed to do. Better than your heap.”
Shawn: “I don’t know, it is too fast for the street, and you can’t use it all, really.”
[That it like saying water is too wet, fire is too hot, or bacon is too good. Crazy talk.]
Me: “So why did you top out my bike, then?”
Shawn: “Because that’s what you do.”
Okay then.
He likes torque. He is the same way with my YZ250F. He thinks it is a ton of fun and finds that he is sometimes faster on it due to the it being nimble and light. But flat out, he misses the speed. Or not being able to whack it and then find that you are almost ass over teakettle. There is a lot to be said for having control, whether it is the YZ or the R6, the remote, whatever. Well I flippin love the way my R6 handles!! My boot is not as shiny as it was when I first noticed out on the road (pre-brush off with potato chip bag). Shawn thinks he did something to it when he topped it out. Knowing him, he can break anything. It’s possible! I highly doubt it is crankcase blowby and the exhaust wasn’t leaking oil so I doubt it is “regular” blowby. I forwarded info to him about siliconing near the stator wire grommet and obviously checking the bolts. Since the oil was around the stator, actually above it but the wind probably assisted in that, I am betting on it being an easy fix. *crossing fingers*
UPDATE: After a little research on R6-forum.com and YouTube, this is a common occurrence. It was, in fact, a leak at the stator wire at the top of the stator cover. So Shawn lifted the boot, added RTV. Oh and my stator cover bolts did need a little torqueing. She is fixed!
*Hwy 25 pics are from Google Earth as I did not have a video camera and can never get him to stop, but I wanted you to see.
Ms XX FAST - Life in the Not-So-Fast Lane 
Are you kidding me?? Lavazza Intenso?? That’s what I drink!!
Oh, and glad the doe changed her mind…………
Seriously!? That’s somehow not a surprise lol it’s my fecitytr and I’ve tried the others by Lavazza. Intenso is the one! It is perfect. Yeah, that would have sucked for us all had she stayed the course.