I love the off season. It’s an opportunity to make sure the bikes are all up to snuff as well as a bit of time off to recover financially. I spend the winter either on the slopes or in the garage. But this winter was different. There wasn’t much snow to be had and i never really got over the urge to go ride.

Motorcycle prep started early. Suspension fluids, oil changes, cleaning, a seal and piston service for the 675 calipers, etc. I was ready to ride, or so I thought. At the urging of a friend I contacted Lenny Albin of Nitron [http://www.nitron.co.uk/nitronusa]. Lenny is a suspension guru that has worked at the world level to the club level and everywhere in between. I had run into him briefly when i was crew chief for the Brian Childree AMA debut a couple of years back. He had acquired a fancy geometry device that allows him to digitally blueprint the bike that i was anxious to check out. There will be a full post on my experience with Lenny, but the short version is that I had some work to do before round one still.

Lenny recommended some geometry changes, some gearing changes and some suspension changes before the first round. I managed to make almost all of those changes before round one. The result was a totally new bike! easier to ride, turns in easier, the rear doesn’t skip on entry and it loves to get on the gas exiting corners! It’s ready for round 1!