I finally got the Ohlins shock I had been wanting for this in January 2003. I went ahead and had Curtis Pell from California Suspension Works set the shock up for my weight, and rebuild the forks with the correct flat-rate springs and Cartridge Emulators from Race Tech. Now why would I want to do this? I was finally, after 12-years of owning her, putting her on a roadrace track!

In February, it was time for the routine, yearly maintenance anyway, so I pulled the valve cover, re-torqued the head, did a valve adjustment, cleaned the carbs and bled the brakes and clutch. I wanted that motor tight for the track.

I also did not want to risk damaging my original tank and bodywork, so I used a bunch of cast-offs I had in the shop. I managed to keep the color scheme basically intact. I used original Suzuki decals on the mid-panels for authenticity, and repainted some of the really bad plastic white after cleaning it up. She looked real good and was ready to go.

Turn 7 WFO!

The bike ran extremely well, especially with the stock motor. My skills on the other hand, well they were lacking a bit. I took it intentionally slow during all of the sessions, only turning lap times in the 2:30 range (top club riders are in the mid to high 1:50's). I wanted to get used to the bike at those speeds with the new suspension setup, brakes and tires. I managed to get her rolling real well in the afternoon, but was still a little cautious. I finally packed it in when I was so exhausted I couldn't stand up. Open track days will do that to you!

Early in the morning. Cold track and caution! I started dragging
knees here later in the day.

Now in April '03. Note the much improved body position.

With the AFM New Racer School and races completed in March at Sears Point, I still wanted some more seat time. My partner Rick and I packed up our 250s and tossed the GSXR in for good measure. We headed back to Thunderhill in April. Good thing we took the GSXR. My 250 was giving me fits. I would have basically wasted a track day if I hadn't brought her along. I rode the Suzuki for most of the day, until the rain showed up in the afternoon. I was focusing on my right-handers and better body position. The photos above tell the story. By body position is getting a lot better.