Dunlop Cup JAPAN and the new Q5

I participated in JAPAN, where gymkhana riders from all over the country gather.

I joined the JAGE training the day before and had fun training with a variety of different people.

I realized that the Z650 has a lot of slalom potential, so I would like to continue working hard to improve my small turn skills.

As for the JAPAN event, after some hesitation, I decided to use the Thai-made Q5.

Challenge the second heat! That's how it works.

For the first heat, the front and rear warmer temperatures were set at 65℃ and the air pressure was set at F1.7kg and R1.8kg.

"It's a real show on the roads of Tommy."

I'm still not used to the bike and the setup hasn't been completed yet, but I couldn't push it hard and managed to break the 30 second mark with a time of 1 minute 29.7 seconds.

That's how it felt, but even at this 65°C setting, I still got a sense of grip and there was no strange handling.

However, looking at the surface of the tire, I thought it might be okay to raise the temperature a little more.

In the second heat, I decided to increase the temperature setting only on the front. I also felt that lowering the air pressure a little would help with small turns.

I set it to 1.6kg, the same as the American-made Q5, and drove it.

F1.6 Temperature 80 degrees R1.8 Set temperature 65 degrees

Although he still had a long way to go, his time was 1 minute 28.3 seconds.

16th overall, 14th in Class A, Time ratio 103.8%

I didn't feel a huge difference in grip, but judging from the condition of the tire surface, the 80°C setting seems sufficient.

This photo was taken after the second heat.

Even at 80℃ the surface remains smooth.

But if you grip on a surface like this, I think there won't be any abrasion.

I think the performance degradation is less than that of American products.

I won't really know until I actually continue using it, so I'd like to try it out in the final race at Dunlop with these tires.

Would it be okay to use a new one for the second heat?

The American-made Q5 rear used together is in this condition. 65℃ Air pressure 1.8kg

The surface is quite rough.

In the future, if American production disappears, production will automatically shift to Thailand, so I think that by that time there will be no difference in tire performance.

Ideally, I would like the tires to have stable performance for a long time.

As for the Z650, the only changes made to the handlebars, turning angle, brakes, suspension, and final drive were the only changes made to the bike.

I used wheels for the Z650RS. "The RS wheels are a little heavier, so maybe I'll use them for practice next time?"

I could feel the full potential in the slalom the day before.

I realized that I was still slow in time attack.

The situation is that this is a street specification bike that does not have any thin wheels, single discs, lightweight wheels, or weight reduction on the bike.

I think it was a good enough result.

On the other hand, it made me think that the Z650 has quite good potential.

I think the biggest reason I'm not getting good times is because I haven't had enough practice with the Z650 and I can't control it properly.

I'm going to keep practicing and get used to the machine.

By the way, I bought a muffler that is JMCA certified, so it might be a little different when it arrives. (laughs)