[Rick Angles]

Since I am starting on my stocker, I have been making a list of tasks, plus absorbing info from all those on here. Reading over the thread on Ken's accident with the brake pushrod coming out made me think of all those "what if's". My son just started motorcycle riding this past spring. I went and bought us each ( I never took any classes and have been riding for years ) a seat in a basic riders class. During the class work, I remember seeing a pie shaped chart of accident possibilities. Rider not alert, speed, animals etc. We were taught that by elimating/reducing the variables, that the ride would be safer and more fun. Now to look at our hobby, appy the same principles to this. Use steering,braking, etc as variables. You could use different areas of the car as the variables. Look at the braking system, from the foot surface to the tire, front and rear. Look at the steering system from the steering wheel all the way to the tire.You can see where I am going. I know we look at ways to pare weight, be more consistant and make more power. I know I am guilty of this. In my list of things to do with my Starfire, I was planning on pitching the ebrake handle ( between the seats ) and all cables etc. I know if you cut a pound here and there, that should make an improvement. If to light, now you can put the weight where you want it. But now I believe that the few pounds the ebrake setup weighs, I will leave it in and working. The front end will be one of the first areas to be rebuilt, all new bushings and parts. The steering wheel lock ( is your still installed ? ) will be completely removed, rod and plate. I am looking at all things, from performance ( would like to at least run under the index, no matter how small ), maintenance ( how to make things easier), to safety. It is no good being fast, if you can't stop or something breaks that you could have corrected.