Komodo Gear Track Day CMRA- Not Just Another Motorcycle Apparel Store

WFO!!! Komodo Gear attended the latest CMRA (Central Motorcycle Racing Association) event at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas.  The GSXR 1000 was ready for battle as it was prepped for the 6 hour endurance race in A Superstock.  Weather conditions for the race were acceptable as it had been raining hard during the week, but the track was in good condition.  Riding this race would be split amongst Danny, Otter and Wayne.  Since Eagles Canyon was such a disaster, the bike was carefully gone through prior to the race and we put Danny on first in practice.  Danny was on the track early and was running some good lap times.  After 7 laps Danny pulled in and jumped off the bike to inform us of the needed changes on setup.  He noticed the clutch needed adjustment and the forks seemed a little stiff, especially going into Turn 1.  The Michelin’s were looking really good and went up to temperature quickly giving Danny plenty of confidence early into practice.  So far, all the feedback that Danny was sharing was good information.  Upon making changes to the bike, it was noticed that the belly pan was full of water!  Wayne pointed this out and immediately Otter knew we had a problem.  We couldn’t understand it, the bike had been gone through and out of nowhere we have a leak coming from the radiator.  This isn’t a deal breaker, but definitely a set-back for the team as the race was less than an hour away.  The crew (Joel, Mikey, Terry and Joey) got the bike back into the pits and stripped the bike of the body work.  Quickly they were able to locate the area on the radiator for the leak; it was a small crack on the upper left side.  When the bike was idling and revved up, everything looked normal.  It would only “leak” when the bike was under load and building real pressure for cooling.  Quickly, we located some JB weld and while it was being applied on the radiator, we were also trying to find a spare that would work in its place “just in case”.  45 minutes after the repair WFO!!! Komodo had the bike back together; the JB Weld was holding nice so we took the bike back out and ran it up to temperature.  Sure enough, the leak was still there.  The repair to the radiator was correct, but not sufficient to keep the bike out of trouble.  It was a real disappointment as we had a good crew for the race who traveled many hours to support us.  To add insult to injury, it was our second race in a row that we were not able to finish and that meant our points were still a big “ZERO”.  The pressure is definitely on as WFO!!! Komodo needs a podium finish at Hallett to be competitive or the race team itself is in jeopardy for the 2009 season.  With strong and proven riders on the team this year, WFO!!! Komodo is well positioned for podium success.  However, these first two races have truly put the team into an uncomfortable and awkward position.   Hallett will be a real test for the team. Check out the track days in your local area.