Day 72

June 11th 

	The milky morning fog lightly hangs above the water in Fukuoka.  It’s almost as if a crew of riders burned out their tires and let the residual smoke pile over the city.  The dense haze is aptly timed, as I put one of the Factory Sensu bikes through its paces today.

 Before stepping foot onto the track, I had to gear up and have one of the local mechanics set up the bike.  Predictably, the bike was spry and lighter on the tires than my DZed.  Because this model was set up to race, the accessories and other luxury features from the bike have been removed.  This factory bike feels like a featherweight, compared to my battle-tested Dual Sport. 

As I was snapping my boots on, I saw another rider finishing his time on the track.  He must have taken a bit of a tumble, as the left number plate and part of his frame appear to be scrapped.  For as inexperienced as I am about Supermoto, there’s one thing that’s all too familiar to me, and that’s the pain resulting from those sideways scrapes.  I just hope I don’t get too many of those from the asphalt. 

He appears to be a novice rider, one that mainly competes for fun.  His bike was from another manufacturer, so I didn’t want to ask for setup advice.  It’s not uncommon for riders to share set up tips with each other if they’re on the same bike.  To that point, there are times where multiple teams use similar parts. In this case, I don’t have much to gain by asking him for his Sag and Tire pressure (especially by the looks of his bike). 

He did, however, give me a thumbs up and wished for an upright ride.  Even in a moment of anguish, he was a good sport.  One thing that I do appreciate about dirt bike racing (or form of racing, for that matter) is the camaraderie that it evokes.  I can think of many other sports that have a “no love loss” mantras for their opponent, regardless of the circumstance.  In motorsports, there’s an understanding of the risks that we take to do this and the upstart mentality needed to keep it going.  

Outside of a few major sponsors, sports like these are built-in grassroots interaction.  Few races get done without the help of volunteers, riding families, and sometimes, even the riders themselves.  It’s truly one of the few sporting events that promote, and support, the wellbeing of your competitor.  As long as you leave it all out on the track, there will always be someone in the stands having your back.

Bad rhymes and cliches aside, my scheduled ride time had arrived and my rider settings on the DZed were complete.  The track was a nice mix of pavement and dirt, with one section buried in the sand. Dirt and sand sections were squiggled throughout the meat of the course, bookended by the outer stretches of pavement.  Except for the start, it’s clear that there was no use for 1st or 2nd gear on the pavement.  

Speaking of the start, there’s one distinct difference with a Supermoto start line, compared to one in MX.  In the latter, we have one straight line where as many as 40 riders line up (in front of their respective gate). Supermoto, on the other hand, uses a staggered start.  Riders are assigned an individual line, separating themselves from their competitors. The line they start at is determined by their recorded times in Qualifying practices.  The faster you are, the more advantageous your start line is. 

I suppose there are two ways to look at this scenario.  On one hand, you have the first shot at the best race line upfront. On the other hand, faster qualifiers tend to be on the outside, thereby minimizing their ability to cut in and seize the best line.  It’s a valid strategic question that doesn’t get explained to the common viewer, but it’s one that I need to get a grasp of today. 

Barreling around the first corner, I found my braking to be surprisingly effortless.  I underestimated the padded, intuitive braking systems on this factory bike.  It feels like I have to give half of the effort on this DZed to maneuver it, compared to the one I’ve been riding this whole trip.  This bike soaks up the fierce impact of a tabletop and whoops section like it was an anthill in the road.  The nimble, agile nature of this DZed is exceeding far beyond my own expectation.

If I may add another cliche comparison to this entry, this bike feels like a stealthy ninja, compared to the bulky, reliable Samurai that is my normal DZed.  The difference between the two bikes is mindblowing, despite the majority of them remaining the same. 

The adage of “getting what you pay for” applies to this scenario, as I can feel the aftermarket parts multiplying the bike’s performance. 

One thing I did notice is that they put a smoother clutch in this DZed.  Typically, some racers will prefer to have what they call an “auto clutch” on their bike. This helps ensure smooth shifting and less of a chance that the bike stalls, mid-race.  Considering the number of split-second decisions that you have to make on a track, having a system like that is crucial. 

Having this auto clutch helps expedite my familiarity with the track, as I’m starting to find a more consistent race line with each passing lap.  Little by little, I’m finding different ways to navigate each portion.  The biggest challenge I had was powering through the sand berm in the middle of the track.

While the sand is fairly hard-packed, it’s difficult to get any sort of traction going around that corner. Working corners like this require the right timing to use your front and rear brakes, along with the proper throttle delivery.  This may have been the only part of the track where I didn’t go higher than 2nd gear.  I know my gearing will have to be higher during a race, but for the sake of getting my technique right, I had to go through that berm slower. 

After nearly 15 laps, the mechanic waved me down to the pits. He kept track of my lap times and made notes of any mistakes that I would have made.  To no one’s surprise, I didn’t set any track records.  Based on his knowledge of the track, my times were pretty average.  If my lap times were used for a pro qualifier, I’d be in the bottom 10.  I’m good enough to qualify for the main event, but bad enough to get lapped lol. 

Despite the mediocre lap times, I’m confident that the track in Osaka will have more of a dirt orientation.  Sand has never been my ally and I just don’t have the time to improve my technique through those conditions before the race.  Regardless, I did reserve another track day for later this week. 

 Getting as much time on the track right now has become priority #1.  While this opportunity was gifted to me,  I don’t want the potential outcome to slip through my fingers. 

I’ve spent years racing all different levels and for the first time, I have a manufacturer buying pro stock in me.  An opportunity like this may never come again and if that means putting my ass on the pavement, then so be it.  I just hope I don’t get the road rash that the other fellow succumbed to today lol.

The rest of my day was spent relaxing, enjoying the coastal views from the city.  I’m sure someone will tell me otherwise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you could see Korean islands from here.  I can imagine the natives spent hundreds of years pondering who their neighbors were across the water. This region is unique that way, as most of the country is isolated to its geography.  This view is more inquisitive than some of the other coastal views that I’ve laid eyes upon.

As for tomorrow, I’m heading to the city of Kumamoto. Speaking of views, I’ve heard that some of the best volcanic views can be found there.  Of course, they also have a large castle… I think it’s safe to say that I’d rather see a potentially violent Volcano than another castle, at this point lol.

Thanks and I’ll see you soon!

-Ayden