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Thread: Buell/EBR/Ronin at Pike's Peak

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    Buell/EBR/Ronin at Pike's Peak

    I picked this up from an article at Cycle World about the Victory 156 Project, a one-off bike built by Roland Sands using a prototype water cooled Victory V-twin (which appears to be heavily based on the Indian Scout water cooled V-twin).

    Honda’s Jeff Tigert topped timesheets with a 4:17.259 despite a crash in his second run today. He was bruised and battered, but not seriously injured. “Normally, you take it pretty easy your first run, but I noticed that the clouds were starting to get pretty thick,” Tigert said. “I decided to put in a hard one so I’d have a decent time just in case the weather got bad.” He had done a 4:15 in the same section earlier this week. The team intends to repair the bike in time for race day. Travis Newbold, at 4:19.954, was second following a strong showing on the Buell-1125R-based Ronin, which was running an EBR 1190RX engine. Bruno Langlois was third with a 4:22.997 on a Kawasaki ZX-10R, followed by Canet with a 4:23.859 and Ducati Multistrada 1200-mounted Jamie Robinson with a 4:25.463. Canet is competing in the exhibition class because Project 156 is using a prototype V-twin engine; he is about 20 seconds ahead of the second-fastest qualifier in his class. The other four top qualifiers riding production-based motorcycles are in the Heavyweight class.
    So the Ronin was second overall in the motorcycle class and nearly 4 seconds quicker than the Victory! Hopefully they'll do even better in the actual race.

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    The bike finished second overall. Pretty damn good results if you ask me.
    7 Jeffrey Tigert 10:02.735 Torrance CA Honda
    10 Travis Newbold 10:18.514 Arvada CO Ronin
    11 Bruno Langlois 10:19.738 Ajaccio Kawasaki
    17 Jamie Robinson (R) 10:30.453 San Pedro CA Ducati
    18 Ray Thornton (R) 10:35.234 Edgewood NM BMW
    34 Stefan Dolipski (R) 11:14.226 Chicago IL BMW
    76 Fabrice Miguet (R) 14:58.898 Argentan VOXAN

    The Victory/Roland Sands bike seemed to have an issue keeping grip on the front tire, they lost it both times in the same area, a high speed right hander. I didn't want to jinx them, but I kept telling myself that bike's geometry didn't seem right for a full on road-course, too rear heavy, not keeping enough heat in the front. Hopefully they'll be back next year, maybe as part of an EBR/Victory/whatever team.....once Victory purchases EBR. As part of that dream, they'll ask me to pilot for them too! Pikes Peak is definitely on my bucket list.....
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    2014 EBR 1190RX #302

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    EBRforum Expert Scott's Avatar
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    Impressive. After all the hype about Victory, Ronin turned out to be the real American bike to watch.

    Hopefully this will get the attention of some people at Victory if they already weren't thinking it would be easier to buy than develop a sportbike.

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    Lets also keep in mind that the Honda CBR1000RR that took 1st had full Honda factory support, so I'm guessing it was nearly WSBK spec.
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    I wonder how a tuned 1190SX would have done compared to the Ronin? The Ronin's girder front fork may not be the best for handling, and even if it has advantages over a USD fork (I'm not sure there are any, I'll just give it the benefit of the doubt), there's much more knowledge out there about how to set up conventional forks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hughlysses View Post
    I wonder how a tuned 1190SX would have done compared to the Ronin? The Ronin's girder front fork may not be the best for handling, and even if it has advantages over a USD fork (I'm not sure there are any, I'll just give it the benefit of the doubt), there's much more knowledge out there about how to set up conventional forks.
    Why not an RX? I would choose that over the SX for a roadcourse any day - If anyone wants to crowdfund me, I'll run my 1190RX there next year!!!
    As for answering your question about the front forks, just look at any pure track bike / race bike for your answer. The Girder fork's only advantage is less dive under braking, but I really thing a traditional USD fork would perform better on that course.
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    ^ Good question. It is odd that a Buell 1125 CR was run a couple of years ago, the Ronin this year, and Victory's bike was a naked, while the Honda that placed 1st appeared to be a fully faired roadracing motorcycle. Anyone know what other motorcycles competed this year?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hughlysses View Post
    I wonder how a tuned 1190SX would have done compared to the Ronin? The Ronin's girder front fork may not be the best for handling, and even if it has advantages over a USD fork (I'm not sure there are any, I'll just give it the benefit of the doubt), there's much more knowledge out there about how to set up conventional forks.
    I thought the same thing. Ronin was obviously trying to showcase their bike, but I'd bet that if you put the same rider on a stripped SX, the results would be the same or better.

    Quote Originally Posted by kneepucker View Post
    Why not an RX? I would choose that over the SX for a roadcourse any day - If anyone wants to crowdfund me, I'll run my 1190RX there next year!!!
    As for answering your question about the front forks, just look at any pure track bike / race bike for your answer. The Girder fork's only advantage is less dive under braking, but I really thing a traditional USD fork would perform better on that course.

    If you start a fund, I'll kick in a few bucks.

    As for "Why the SX rather than RX", I think it's just a style thing. This is closer to a dirt-track race than a road-race, so it's not about tucking in and going for high-speed and low wind resistance on a long, smooth straight - it's more about wrestling the bike around curves dirt-track style. I'm sure an RX could do a good job, but it just seems to fit an SX more sylistically . . . and the fairing is probably just unnecessary weight.

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    A ZX10R (Jeremy Toye riding it if I recall correctly) won it last year, the first year bikes with Clip-on handlebars were allowed. Previous to that, all bikes run at PPIHC had to come from the factory with dirt-bike style handlebars, and the Ducati Multistrada was dominant. Now that its fully paved, and corner grip is paramount, you'll only see full-on sportbikes winning this, because it basically is a one-way road course....sure the corners are a bit tighter and slower, but I've ridden thousands of miles in the Colorado mountains on everything from an FJR1300 to a cruiser, to sport bikes, and I can tell you that the little differences that make sport bikes faster than naked bikes give you that extra confidence to push harder. Can't remember the last time a naked bike beat me on a track.....
    Scott - watch an onboard of the hillclimb, and then rethink the "fairing is just unnecessary weight" thing.... there are plenty of high speed sweepers and straights where the aerodynamics are a huge factor. Even the radiator positioning on that Victory 156 project was creating lift on the front end, when a little downforce might have kept that front tire in contact better - I hate to speculate, but watching the two crashes made me really dissect that bike's build......it certainly wasnt rider error.
    Last edited by kneepucker; 07-01-2015 at 02:28 PM.
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    Very cool piece by the guy who rode the Ronin:

    http://747rider.blogspot.com/2015/07/well.html?m=1

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