AMTJIM
09-07-2008, 09:09 PM
I believe this is/was the 4th annual Unofficial SV Rally of Arizona. I have been writhing about the day I can really put the spyder to the test and it has finally come and unfortunately gone. Highway 191 and 180 in Arizona and New Mexico, the desert southwests "Dragon Tail" if you will. Turns so tight in some sections you can see your own butt. THe fun begines as you exit the Morenci mines and the roads begin to clear of blasting dust. At first I was a little disappointed, the spyder VSS didn't seem to be operating. In 2 seperate instances, the left and right tire came off the ground and I had to cancel the throttle to bring them down. I don't know if it needed to wake up, but shortly there after it started operating with a vengence.
I again became a little frustrated as it seems I had prematurely outperformed the machines capability and the braking system was now causing me more problems than it was solving, I thought it could handle more. So I kinda hung back and played sweeper behind the newbies, watching them make terrible entry and exit lines, cut corners and counting how many times imaginary cars ran over them. We finally made it to our rally point at the hotel and unloaded then did a few laps in the mountain roads. It finally happened, kind of amusingly, while trying to keep up with some of the more experienced riders I really started to throw my body into a modified knee dragging/atv stance form and found a positioning on faster corners that the spyder could live with. I actually caught up to some of the riders and was able to pace them, but not near enough power or room to make a pass. I was so invigorated at this point I went back up on a by-run, this was more like it, one of the major reasons I bought the machine. My antics on the Spyder was mentally/visually reminding me of something and was really bugging me until sidecar racing popped into my head. I have seen a few of these races, not enough of them in my opinon, some of the most entertaining racing I have ever seen. Why they are not more popular:dontknow:...I guess they had their moment in the sun. Anyways, I was very satisfied with the days ending events and wore myself out...happy to see some food and a bed.
I did learn a few things, Spyder riding doesn't mix really well with motorcycles over the road, I found it was just best to ride either in front or in back of the pack. Some kept trying to ride staggered, but I was floating in the lane trying to avoid rut surfing(a new spyder term) and pot holes. The other thing is, atleast with my Spyder or they were to busy cutting there own lines and just aware of my position, they VSS would kick on briefly to slow me down and throw them off. The brake lights that they could remember don't come on when the VSS applies brake!:yikes: They started to recognize when it kicked in and the Spyder would shiver. Also, the corners that had dips in the apex, the spyder senses these some how and VSS lets you know it's there, can really throw you off balance, VSS slowed the spyder down to the point where I had to shift from 4th or 5th down to 1st.
Anyways, I split from the group to take some pics and was supposedly going to have a nice calm ride back to the interstate, but I couldn't resist...actually I found my self unaware I started pushing corners again.
All in all I am more pleased with the Spyder than before, I am very excited for the Golden Aspen Rally!
Here are a few pics.
http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053283-252-thumb-191%20pic15.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053283)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053287-29-thumb-191%20pic13.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053287)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053288-98-thumb-191%20pic9.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053288)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053290-18-thumb-191%20pic8.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053290)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053297-224-thumb-191%20pic1.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053297)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053296-95-thumb-191%20pic5.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053296)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053299-129-thumb-Monsoon%20Sunset.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053299)
http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053294-125-thumb-191%20pic6.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053294)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054255-67-thumb-morenci%20mine%204.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054255)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054256-177-thumb-Local%20T-ran.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054256)
http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054257-229-thumb-morenci%20mine%203.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054257)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054258-6-thumb-morenci%20mine%202.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054258)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054259-168-thumb-morenci%20mine%201.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054259)
I again became a little frustrated as it seems I had prematurely outperformed the machines capability and the braking system was now causing me more problems than it was solving, I thought it could handle more. So I kinda hung back and played sweeper behind the newbies, watching them make terrible entry and exit lines, cut corners and counting how many times imaginary cars ran over them. We finally made it to our rally point at the hotel and unloaded then did a few laps in the mountain roads. It finally happened, kind of amusingly, while trying to keep up with some of the more experienced riders I really started to throw my body into a modified knee dragging/atv stance form and found a positioning on faster corners that the spyder could live with. I actually caught up to some of the riders and was able to pace them, but not near enough power or room to make a pass. I was so invigorated at this point I went back up on a by-run, this was more like it, one of the major reasons I bought the machine. My antics on the Spyder was mentally/visually reminding me of something and was really bugging me until sidecar racing popped into my head. I have seen a few of these races, not enough of them in my opinon, some of the most entertaining racing I have ever seen. Why they are not more popular:dontknow:...I guess they had their moment in the sun. Anyways, I was very satisfied with the days ending events and wore myself out...happy to see some food and a bed.
I did learn a few things, Spyder riding doesn't mix really well with motorcycles over the road, I found it was just best to ride either in front or in back of the pack. Some kept trying to ride staggered, but I was floating in the lane trying to avoid rut surfing(a new spyder term) and pot holes. The other thing is, atleast with my Spyder or they were to busy cutting there own lines and just aware of my position, they VSS would kick on briefly to slow me down and throw them off. The brake lights that they could remember don't come on when the VSS applies brake!:yikes: They started to recognize when it kicked in and the Spyder would shiver. Also, the corners that had dips in the apex, the spyder senses these some how and VSS lets you know it's there, can really throw you off balance, VSS slowed the spyder down to the point where I had to shift from 4th or 5th down to 1st.
Anyways, I split from the group to take some pics and was supposedly going to have a nice calm ride back to the interstate, but I couldn't resist...actually I found my self unaware I started pushing corners again.
All in all I am more pleased with the Spyder than before, I am very excited for the Golden Aspen Rally!
Here are a few pics.
http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053283-252-thumb-191%20pic15.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053283)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053287-29-thumb-191%20pic13.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053287)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053288-98-thumb-191%20pic9.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053288)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053290-18-thumb-191%20pic8.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053290)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053297-224-thumb-191%20pic1.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053297)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053296-95-thumb-191%20pic5.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053296)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053299-129-thumb-Monsoon%20Sunset.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053299)
http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2053294-125-thumb-191%20pic6.JPG (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2053294)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054255-67-thumb-morenci%20mine%204.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054255)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054256-177-thumb-Local%20T-ran.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054256)
http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054257-229-thumb-morenci%20mine%203.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054257)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054258-6-thumb-morenci%20mine%202.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054258)http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/3/3/4/3/t2054259-168-thumb-morenci%20mine%201.jpg (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2054259)