Blog - Motorcycle Suspension - Lindemann Engineering

Up to 58

Nov 8, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

Last weekend I rode and raced on my 58th track. Here is the list with the year I first rode there the best I can remember. And if I counted all the changes to HRP there would be 4 more.

Tracks I have raced and ridden on:

Hawaii Raceway Park, 7 configurations, 1983 – 1997
Willow Springs, 1986
Seattle International Raceway, 1990
Portland International Raceway, 1990
Heartland Park Raceway, 1990
Memphis Raceway, 1998
Road Atlanta, 1990
Nelson Ledges, 1991
Suzuka,
Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, 1997

Pomona AMA course, 1996?
Streets of Willow, 1998
Phoenix Speedway, 1998
Daytona Int. Speedway, 1998
Laguna Seca, 1998
Sears Point Raceway, 1998
Infineon Raceway, 2000
Road America, 1998
Loudan, 1998
Indy, 1998
Button Willow, 1998

Button Willow Backwards, 2007
Las Vegas Speedway, 1998
Robling Road, 1999
Mosport International Raceway, 1998
Mid Ohio, 1999
Shannonville, 1999
Brainerd Int. Raceway, 1999
Shube, 1999
Pikes Peak, 1999
Virginia Int. Raceway, 2000 ?
California Speedway, AMA Course, 2000 ?
California Speedway, Interior Test Circuit, 2004?
Mid America, 2003 ?
Barber Motorsports Park, 2001 ?
Miller Motorsports Park, AMA Course, 2007 ?
Miller, Full Course, 2008 ?
Talladega Grand Prix Raceway, 2005
Horse Thief Mile, 2000
Spring Mtn. Motorsports Ranch, 2004
Jennings, 2007
ICAR, 2010
New Jersey, Lightening Course, 2010
Mosport International Raceway’s Rider Development Track, 2011
Race City, 2011
Race City Mini Track, 2011
Mosport Kart Track, 2011

Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, 2011
Willow Springs Kart Track, 2011

Grange Kart Track, 2004

Streets of Willow Counter Clockwise. 2011

Las Vegas Classic Course, 11/3/12

58 Tracks so far.

Ed Sorbo International Invitational

Nov 5, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

Davis Wins Inaugural Ed Sorbo International Invitational Race With WERA West

Jim Davis took the win in the first-ever Ed Sorbo International Invitational race, part of the WERA West event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Sorbo himself was second, and Keith Stie completed the podium in the eight-rider field.

WERA created the Ed Sorbo International Invitational as a new wave in an existing race on the schedule, as long as Sorbo could convince five riders to sign up for the class. There was no shortage of riders willing to take part at Vegas.

Sorbo says the event succeeded precisely in what it was designed to do – get more riders onto the grid, and provide a low-pressure opportunity for racers to get onto the racetrack. Sorbo is hopeful that the idea of a catch-all class that centers around riders, rather than machines, can be adopted by other organizations looking for ways to add value to their racing series for their current customers and for ways to attract new racers into the sport. Sorbo pointed out that, with no additional cost to WERA, the race organization generated several new paid entries each day.

“I hope everyone will take this idea and modify it to make it work for their region, their club, their home race track,” Sorbo says. “It’s an opportunity for friends who would never be able to race each other because they are on different machines to get on the track and race each other. It’s an additional class for racers who just want more time on the track. And it’s perfect for the racer who just wants to spend more time with their knee on the ground.”

In Sunday’s race, Chris Schatz took the win, with Jim Davis second and Keith Stie third.

Good Karma

Oct 25, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

I said I would be at all the MotoYard.com events this year. So when I was asked to cover a 3 day Fastrack Riders event at ACS I said I could do Fri & Sun but I would have to be at Willow on Saturday with MotoYard. That is what I did.

If you look at the two events from a cost/travel stand point, a 3 day event half an hour from home beats a 1 day event $100 from home every time. But…

doing what you said you would do is the only way to have integrity.

So I drove up and back. While at Willow I worked with 14 happy clients. I did not get a flat tire or any other problems and when I got back to ACS I found out that the Saturday event there was rained out.

Doing the right thing is always best and sometimes it even pays better.

MG’s 3rd Weirdo

Oct 18, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

This guy I know understands that I hate it when people kill a TZ by installing some heavy under powered dirt bike 4 stroke engine that would be better as a boat anchor than a power source.

In the photo, you can see two real TZ’s hiding under covers, they are peeking.

But he brings all his bikes to me because he likes the work I do. I keep working on his bikes because he loves them and he always pays on time. Maybe someday he’ll get a bike I like. So for he has had three weirdo’s.

This one’s almost done and it’s loud.

Ready, Steady, Go!

Oct 5, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

Joel’s bike is due on Saturday and it’s ready now. How cool is that!

Penske 3-Way Piggyback with LE Race Valving at the back.

LE Race Valving in the Big Piston forks.

Green is for Go!

Oct 3, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

Joel did a nice job building his ‘09 ZX6R race bike. It’s here for LE suspension. Check out the 3-Way Piggyback Penske with LE Race Valving. Tomorrow the forks!

More Power, Less Weight!

Oct 1, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

After my WERA race weekend I decided a little more power would be useful and since my stock carbs are worn out so that the idle hangs and the bike is hard to start when cold, maybe I could fix three things at once.

So the flat slide carbs came out of the box and went on the bike. It started right up, idled nice and sounded wicked. Today, when the bike was cold it started right up with a push start.

I’ve been running a full loss system for some time now but because of the easy bump starting I saved another 7.5 lbs by removing the starting system including the wiring. Some of that weight came off the end of the crank giving me more power and better flick-ability.

See you at Willow with MotoYard on the 8^th.

Race Day Report

Sep 25, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

I was driving hard out of the Playground turns on Sunday during WERA practice at ACS, cutting the course I crossed two white lines and a nice bump and thought to myself, $315 is totally worth it. That was the amount I paid for my license and pre-entry for three classes. Like a good tool you always think it cost a bit much till you use it the first time, then you think it was worth the full price in just one use.

My goal for last weekend on may way back to full race speed was to get comfortable braking hard right to the apex and ACS is a great place to practice this. That skill came back on my out lap.

My best pass of the weekend was in Senior MW SB. On the last lap I went around the outside of two guys going into T-7 and pulled enough gap that they could not get me back at the line.

I raced for so long and so often that it became kind of dull. At the time I did not notice this. Now that I’m coming back after a forced long break I can feel how much racing has always meant to me, it’s surprisingly fun.

Sticker Placement

Sep 18, 2012 | Lindemann Engineering

That LE sticker is on Bernan’s ‘04 GSXR600 stock shock after being rebuilt, re-valved and installed back on his bike. The stock spring is the correct rate for Bernan, lucky guy.

When clients bring me their bikes I charge the same price as when they ship me the parts because I’m crazy that way and because it gives me a chance to test my changes on the bike. This is a good way tovconfirm the system I use to set the clickers after re-valving.

In this case after I set the damping on my bench no changes were required after installing the shock on the bike. The Lindemann Engineering Girth Suspension Dyno works great.

Tomorrow his forks.