MotoGP and Beyond

August 15, 2013

As luck would have it, I've managed to get enough time off to once again take my FJR1300 on another adventure. This time, I've decided to start out in the great state of Indiana and experience the thrill of MotoGP racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For those who are unfamiliar, MotoGP is the premier class of motorcycle road racing. These are purpose built factory sponsored prototypes that can attain speeds up to 210 MPH on some tracks. The MotoGP bikes weigh in at about 350 lbs with 240 HP. That's a power-to-weight ration that's too sick to contemplate and the ultimate for any road race machine -- car or motorcycle. The riders are exceptional by any definition and I can only marvel at their skill and daring.

Ready to Go

Before embarking on this journey, I did quite a bit of work on the FJR which had about 32K miles pre-maintenance. I replaced the rear shock with a new 2013 FJR OEM shock which has a stiffer spring, changed the fork oil, changed the engine oil, and finally changed the almost new Shinko Verge front tire with a Michelin PR2. The Shinko had a front-end wobble and vibration at speed thing going on and it really bothered me. The bike now is rock solid and the suspension is once again competent. The Shinko tires are really good in many ways, but I can only assume the front tire is just incompatible with the FJR. I suspect tread pattern is the issue.

Since I live on the north side of Atlanta just off I-85, I decided to take the scenic route through the north Georgia mountains on highway 129 which also passes through Deals Gap and the Tail of the Dragon. This is a fun ride. Personally, I prefer the Georgia portion of the route through Blood Mountain over the Dragon. As entertaining as the Dragon might be, the roads are too narrow and the blind curves are just too dangerous to really push the limits.

I was surprised at the number of bikes at Deals Gap on a Thursday afternoon. Fortunately, I was able to traverse most of the eleven miles unimpeded. Typically, I get stuck behind cars or Harleys. There's nothing more frustrating than carving up a mountain road behind a mini-van. After the fun of highway 129, I found the interstate and proceeded to make some miles.

Deals Gap

One note of interest: When I left Thursday morning, it was the coldest day ever recorded for that date in August and the temperatures were cool and pleasant for all of the 620 miles. A good start indeed.