There was a lot of work to...
There was a lot of work to fix the dropped valve and install the solid engine mounts. Thanks to the Harley-Davidson fleet center, we had everything fixed in just a few days.
With the AMA event at Infineon Raceway just a week away, we had loads of things to finish up before hitting the road. Luckily, we were able to have the Harley-Davidson fleet center (where the media test bikes are prepped) look after repairing the dropped valve. The damage was light, but still required a new piston and cylinder head. We issued strict instructions to Bradley to mind his downshifts, and added rpm monitoring to the data acquisition so that we could keep him honest.
Vance & Hines recently made available a set of solid rear engine mounts that are legal for the class. These nylon mounts replace the soft rubber stock units, and because the swingarm, engine and frame are all tied together at that point handling is improved. While the bike was at the fleet center getting the engine fixed up, they swapped out the stock mounts for the new Vance & Hines parts.
Revalved, resprung and longer...
Revalved, resprung and longer shocks went a long way to improving handling as well.
Meanwhile, the rear shocks were shipped off to Fast Bike Industries for some adjustments, which included lengthening and stiffer compression damping. Everything came together just in time to test at a
TrackDaz track day at Buttonwillow. Many thanks to the TrackDaz folks for accommodating us at the last minute! With the updated rear shocks and solid engine mounts, the XR is much more stable in fast corners and a lot easier to ride. Bradley was able to better his lap time from the first day at Buttonwillow by 1.5 seconds, so things are looking up for Infineon.
We also installed the G2 Ergonomics quick-turn throttle halfway through the day. A closer look at the throttle position data from Infineon showed a couple of spots where it would help, so we tried it at Buttonwillow and will leave it on for Infineon. While we switched the throttle grip we slid on a set of Spider M1 grips. The M1 grips are designed for vibration absorption, a good thing as the XR shakes a lot now with the solid engine mount. While Spider doesn't make grips for one-inch handlebars, a standard set slipped on with some coaxing.
The rear engine mount ties...
The rear engine mount ties the frame, engine and swingarm together, helping handling but also increasing vibration.
Solid Vance & Hines rear engine...
Solid Vance & Hines rear engine mount on the left, stock rubber piece on the right. Note that the swingarm pivot point has also changed slightly.
Spider M1 grip took some coaxing...
Spider M1 grip took some coaxing to fit on one-inch bar, but fits. G2 Ergonomics quick-turn throttle helps Bradley get to 100 percent throttle easier.
Our day at Buttonwillow was not without drama. Near the end of the day the clutch started slipping, and we'll have to address that before heading off to Infineon. Barnett has sent us a replacement clutch pack with fiber and steel plates, so we will be all set in that department.
Barnett makes a clutch kit...
Barnett makes a clutch kit for the XR1200 with replacement plates in steel and carbon fiber.
When we get to Infineon we are certainly going to look professional, with Bradley's leathers and our crew shirts all custom made and provided by
Pilot Leathers. We will be at Infineon Raceway on May 13-15 with the project XR, for that round of the AMA series. The Vance & Hines XR1200 class has qualifying on Saturday the 14th, with the race on Sunday the 15th. Check for updates on our
Facebook and
Twitter pages over the course of the weekend. And watch for news and results on the
AMA's Infineon Raceway event page where you can also find out how to get tickets.