Does it look like this kickstand mount caused my latest track lowside? Or maybe it was the shift lever, which gets bent backwards every time I lowside onto the left side of the bike? I can't cut the mount off because I ride on the street a lot. I also weigh 165 lbs and ride with the stock rear shock preload on the 2nd notch from softest, cranking it up to notch 4 when I have a passenger.
I thought I was done lowsiding at the track after installing A&L rearset adjusters and metal footpegs last year and suddenly being able to get knee down. I thought the kickstand mount wasn't an issue since I can get knee down on both sides. Then this year I lowsided 2 more times, both onto the left side of the bike. Every time I've lowsided has been in a hairpin turn at low speeds.
The first lowside this year I thought I must have forgotten not to trail brake on a motorcycle again and lost too much grip for turning due to grip being used for braking. I think this because the lowside was a total surprise and I don't remember specifically thinking to myself "finish braking before turn finish braking before turn get off brake as slow as possible" like I do in all hairpin turns now to avoid lowsiding yet again. I just don't remember thinking anything at all. The messed up pavement in turn 8 at high plains raceway this year didn't help. I bent the shift lever back, was allowed back on the track, and reached my goal of seeing if I could ride over 300 miles in one day at High Plains Raceway--yes! Tires were bt003rs.
The second lowside early this month at IMI go cart track however, is the first time I've ever put a bunch of cracks in the left rear tail bodywork, as if the left rear tail impacted first. It's also the first time the bike didn't slide to a stop on top of me. This time it slid into the dirt, flipped me off for the first time maybe because it spun around, then as I got up with a slightly sprained ankle I watched the bike actually slowly tip up to a stop completely upside down, perfectly balanced on the windscreen and rear passenger seat! The windscreen supported the weight of the bike without cracking, and I actually had to push the bike over to get it back on 2 wheels. Amazingly the tank was not dented or scratched, the only damage was the bent backwards shift lever, cracks in the left rear tail, and more rash on the left side fairing (and scratches around the top of the windscreen). I put a straightened shift lever back on and rode another 40 laps, getting knee down in most of the corners again like I had the last 70 laps. Tires were diablo rosso II's.
I totally forgot the kickstand mount can catch until guys here with new ninja 300s mentioned the mount's been relocated, went to look at the my bike, and thought "damn that mount's really scraped down." Guess I have to be even more careful in left hairpins now.
Some pics before the latest lowside:
Today in street mode on squaw pass. Reinforced the rear fairing cracks with abs cement & fiberclass cloth. Time to bondo and paint the black parts on the side fairing again.
