The Red Baron has arrived

[Wolfie57]

Looks awesome mate, looking forward to seeing it in the flesh!

Don't put it next to mine, will show me up

[chicken16]

That looks like a lap record setting bike just sitting on the stands!

[Turbo]

Hahahah, thanks guys!!
110% on the out lap, right??!

[johnnyb]

Owen...I went a touch over 100% at my last ardc day and you know how that turned out.


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[johnnyb]

Owen...I went a touch over 100% at my last ardc day and you know how that turned out.


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[zoidberg]

The Red Baron is almost ready for the 29th too!!
Just one more small but extremely important thing that I hope I can get resolved before next week...
In the meantime.. a bit of personalisation! Name, numbers, seat foam and stomp grips all fitted tonight, along with a shiny new lithium battery...
Getting SO flippin excited.... so excited that I may have been testing the launch control on the stand in Marshy's garage..... sorry bud!

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[Marshy]

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[Turbo]

Owen...I went a touch over 100% at my last ardc day and you know how that turned out.

Ok, I guess I could backtrack 10% and still be fully committed...
How's the recovery coming along matey?

You're just not allowed near my bike man....

[johnnyb]

Ok, I guess I could backtrack 10% and still be fully committed...
How's the recovery coming along matey?

Coming along. Shoulder bolted together, thumb lock wired. I suspect it's going to take a bit to get up and running again b



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[Negrogrande]

Coming along. Shoulder bolted together, thumb lock wired. I suspect it's going to take a bit to get up and running again b



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Free shopping bag hook! that's handy

[Turbo]

Coming along. Shoulder bolted together, thumb lock wired. I suspect it's going to take a bit to get up and running again b



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Eeep!! That's mad. All the best for the recovery mate.
What''s the go with the bike?

[stevem]

He's got his his shoulder bolted together and his thumb lock wired and we are like yeh but hows the bike. Love it.

[zoidberg]

Hahah, the important stuff, right?

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[stevem]

You probably should have got your hand locked in the handlebar shape.

[johnnyb]

What''s the go with the bike?

Bike is in emergency in recovery.. I haven't had a close look yet but from what I could see the top of the bike took the brunt of it
So.....
Fairings
Sub frame
Cluster
Lap timer
Rear wheel - might be fixable
Tank
Fairing stay
Bars
Master cylinder

Full recovery expected



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[johnnyb]

You probably should have got your hand locked in the handlebar shape.

How good is lock wire....even surgeons use it.

Just glad they didnt use race tape and cable ties.


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[Turbo]

Bike is in emergency in recovery.. I haven't had a close look yet but from what I could see the top of the bike took the brunt of it
So.....
Fairings
Sub frame
Cluster
Lap timer
Rear wheel - might be fixable
Tank
Fairing stay
Bars
Master cylinder

Full recovery expected



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Glad to hear it's not terminal!!

[Turbo]

I had a great shakedown day on Red Baron's first track day.
It was a bit of a learning curve and there were a few new-build teething issues that I had to work through.
I got a great shot, that when compared side by side with one of me on the R6, explains quite a bit of it...



1 - Clip on positions:
The narrow/tucked in setting I had on the R6 didn't really work on the big bike so with some help from Stevem's awesome digital angle gauge, we flicked them out a fair bit.
Look at the difference in my wrist angle for starters. It's also much easier to chuck the big bike around and makes for a better tuck with the bad shoulder!

2 - Apex:
I'm clearly pretty comfortable on the bike. First day out and the geometry is feeling pretty great and I can put the bike exactly where I want it.

3 - Fork Stroke:
It took a while to get the R6 forks working as well as they are here and by comparison there's clearly some work on the BMW front end to come.
The BMW was bottoming out a lot and as you can see here, at mid corner, it's not in the sweet spot of the stroke. New springs ought to get this sorted out for next time.

4 - Lean angle/body position:
Looking at GPS data, some of my corners are a lot faster on the BMW and although the front suspension isn't yet there, the bike feels very solid to lock 'in' with as opposed to the 'on' style of the R6.
Body position was something that took a long while to resolve on the R6 so I'm very happy to be almost there on the first day with the new bike!

5 - Tyre wear:
Not too easy to see from the picture but the tyre wear on the back of the BMW was perfect! Happily this means that both the rear shock and the electronics are working well together to maximise drive and minimise slip.

The other couple of points that can't be seen in the photos was a little setup trouble I had with the shift lever and rearsets. Unfortunately I missed a fair few gears in most sessions and struggled with a lot of false neutrals right up until the last session where I got it nailed.
The other point was in my own head! I was deff playing it too cautious with roll-off and braking markers going in to almost every corner....
I was sort of assuming I'd be going 50kph+ faster everywhere, than on the R6. Really tho, there's not much on it on the back section. I should have just kept up with my usual markers. T1 however would be a different story!
Normally a strong point of mine on the R6, T1 was a mess all day for me. My markers will deff have to move and dropping two gears, whilst looking for a gear lever in the wrong spot and going at 270kph, was a lot to think about!!
Plenty of food for thought tho!

Thanks heaps to all the boys that helped out with various bits throughout the day tho, was an awesome vibe! Can't wait to get back out there with the new changes and see what she can do!

[Phat3R]

the bike feels very solid to lock 'in' with as opposed to the 'on' style of the R6.
Body position was something that took a long while to resolve on the R6 so I'm very happy to be almost there on the first day with the new bike!!

Nice write up Owen. I like your description of the R6 positioning for the rider!

What springs you got in the forks right now?

[Turbo]

Nice write up Owen. I like your description of the R6 positioning for the rider!

What springs you got in the forks right now?

Thanks Rick!
Springs are both 1.0 at the moment. I have two new 1.05 that I can either put both in to replace or more likely go half/half - 1.0/1.05.
It's a quick job that I can even do at the track so we'll try it out and see how she goes.

[stevem]

Do they suggest you can run different springs? That is surprising.

[Linden]

Do they suggest you can run different springs? That is surprising.

Not an issue ... look at the M1R forks from mid 80s rebound on one side compression on the other ... also think single sides swing arms etc- just need clamps/axles that are up to distributing the loads correctly

[Turbo]

Yeah, for sure. The whole thing works as one. As Linden says, mine has comp in one and rebound in the other.
It's also a nice way to find a spring weight between two.

[johnnyb]

Thanks Rick!
Springs are both 1.0 at the moment. I have two new 1.05 that I can either put both in to replace or more likely go half/half - 1.0/1.05.
It's a quick job that I can even do at the track so we'll try it out and see how she goes.

I have a 1.10 spring set if you want to try.



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[Turbo]

Ta mate, the Bitibo are a weird size tho.
All good with the ones I have now I reckon.

[johnnyb]

Ta mate, the Bitibo are a weird size tho.
All good with the ones I have now I reckon.

Oh yes....forgot your using exotic stuff




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[Turbo]

Today's project was making some space for the lap timer and getting rid of the ignition barrel.
First up was grinding off the lock, and as it's a BMW, relocating the key transponder and EWS antenna to behind the dash (thanks for the tip JohnnyB)
This keeps the immobiliser happy as, apparently, it can't be flashed out of the ECU.




Next was a trip to Jaycar to find a suitably cool IP rated switch...



My local store happened to be doing a store clean out and were chucking out some blank rack panels, I rescued one to re-purpose...




Hole saw out a big bit....




Then a littler bit...




Mount the switch...




With a bit of filing then wet 'n dry and I managed to get it JUST the perfect size to slot in the gap left from the barrel.
Had to mallet it into place and I don't think I could do it again, if I tried!






Next terminate, heat shrink and mount....








Boom!! Perfect amount of space for the lap timer, just enough to see the screen from above

[Ruckos87]

That's nice work Owen. Looks OEM.
An ignition Barron delete is now on my list.


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[stevem]

Classic

[zoidberg]

Looks awesome Owen. I've been trying to see about getting the immobiliser flashed out of my ECU to get rid of the ignition barrel etc, but I think a relocation is on the cards for me.

Your builds are unreal mate!

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[Leezx10r]

As Plumb said, it looks OEM! Great job mate 🏻
Keep the updates coming!


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[Linden]

You should be able to get a good Automotive Locksmith to do you a chip for the sender (so you don't need the real key) - Ben at Annandale Locksmiths - http://www.innerwestsecurity.com/inw...utomotive.aspx (that's his bike on the web page) that said doesn't mention BMs but it worth an ask

One problem I see is that the ignition hole is a great place for the Thumb Brake Reservoir (see JP's bike ... he really needed the thumb brake )

[Turbo]

Thanks for the tip Linden. Paying someone to make a chip might be solving a problem I don't have tho.
A replacement key for the BMW is surprisingly pretty cheap, should it get lost or damaged in a crash. The bulky part is really the antenna. There are some companies that do a lower profile antenna, but thanks to Johnnyb's tip, I needn't spend the coin and it's well out of the way behind the dash.

[Turbo]

That's nice work Owen. Looks OEM.
An ignition Barron delete is now on my list.


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Classic

Looks awesome Owen. I've been trying to see about getting the immobiliser flashed out of my ECU to get rid of the ignition barrel etc, but I think a relocation is on the cards for me.

Your builds are unreal mate!

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As Plumb said, it looks OEM! Great job mate 
Keep the updates coming!


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Thanks fellas! I'm pretty happy with how it came out
Update pic with the power and lap timer to follow...

[Turbo]

Thanks fellas! I'm pretty happy with how it came out
Update pic with the power and lap timer to follow...

Lap timer hard wired in now, comes on with the bike!!

[Marshy]

What, no mention of the SUPER COOOOOOL blue power button?!?


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[Turbo]

What, no mention of the SUPER COOOOOOL blue power button?!?


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hahahahha, that might actually be my favourite thing on the whole bike....

[stevem]

How did you wire the lap timer in Owen ? Nice.

[zoidberg]

Oh my god... that button...



Damnit! Gotta stop reading Owens build threads...

[Turbo]

How did you wire the lap timer in Owen ? Nice.

I hacked off the plug from the cigarette lighter that came with the lap timer.
Then plugged the other end into a free plug of switched power on the bike.
I think it was the exhaust flapper servo plug... I'll have a look and let you know.

[Turbo]

Oh my god... that button...



Damnit! Gotta stop reading Owens build threads...

STOP JIZZING ON MY BIKE!!!

[Marshy]

STOP JIZZING ON MY BIKE!!!

[Turbo]

So, I may have discovered a slight issue with the new blue switch and vibration....

[Marshy]

You mean you weren't deliberately turning the bike's ignition completely off at the start/finish line to save the fastest lap time into the onboard computer?? I thought that's how the BMW system worked. Besides, you'd finished the lap, so coasting through turn 1 with the engine off is a great way of saving fuel....

[Turbo]

You mean you weren't deliberately turning the bike's ignition completely off at the start/finish line to save the fastest lap time into the onboard computer?? I thought that's how the BMW system worked. Besides, you'd finished the lap, so coasting through turn 1 with the engine off is a great way of saving fuel....

Hahhahaha... nah, I think it's that I was going faster than it's possible to go and the bike just had to take a minute of "Woah, dude.... just woah"

[zoidberg]

So, I may have discovered a slight issue with the new blue switch and vibration....

Holy shit! Dead bike? Or just power to the dash gone? False neutral through turn one is scary enough, complete black out would have me crying for my mummy!

Still, that blue button of goodness is worth it. I fucking love that thing Owen! I hope Marshy cleaned up the mess I made of your bike when I was looking at it...

[Turbo]

No power anywhere unforunately! The power button jumped to 'Off'.
Managed to pull in the clutch and just coast to T2 flag point.
Realised what had happened pretty quickly but decided not to re-join the session incase it happened again.

Still, that blue button of goodness is worth it. I fucking love that thing Owen! I hope Marshy cleaned up the mess I made of your bike when I was looking at it...

Hahaha, thanks man! As awesome as it looks tho, it's not designed to deal with heavy vibrations....
I picked up a new toggle style one today.... Couldn't find one with a blue LED tho!! Waaaaaaaaaah!!

[Ruckos87]

I picked up a new toggle style one today.... Couldn't find one with a blue LED tho!! Waaaaaaaaaah!!

Noooooooo surely not. I had high hopes for a blue, back lit switch myself one day.
More research I say, theres got to be a better quality one out there.


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[Mr.Ed]

Since there's no blue led, may I suggest

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2015-dodg...8AAOSwPv9XME-a

[Marshy]

Since there's no blue led, may I suggest

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2015-dodg...8AAOSwPv9XME-a

That's coooool!!!!