Using your Streetbike on the Track

[Omerta]

Hey Guys,

Had a few questions before hitting up the race school, buying leathers and burning through tires.

What's the average top speed on the track? (gearing)
Is it popular to use your street bike on the track?
Brake fluid change intervals?
Effective lightway way to save your plastics if you lowside?
Tire life for a novice?

Obviously it would be ideal to have a track bike and street bike, but where I'm currently living its not possible for me to have both. How much prep time is generally required before a race or hotlap to take a bike you drove there on and get it race ready?

Cheers

 

[Fireman]

If you are looking at doing trackdays then there is very minimal bike prep required. All you have to do it tape up your lights and drain your coolant.

Racing requires much more bike prep.

Tire life depends on the type of tires you are using. If you are using a street based tire (as you will be daily riding this bike). 1 to 2 sets a season will be the most you will need. Look for tires with fast warm up and tires that will not heat cycle.

As for gearing, most bikes run -1 +2 or close to that. A 2002 gsxr 750 that I raced years ago during the endurance race was 5th gear 200 ish in the straight

 

[Omerta]

Good to hear that. I've got Michelin CT-2's on it now, centers a bit flat from street riding so I have lots left on the sides.

I'm running a 0/+2 on the 520 chain now, so that should be fairly close to stay competitive.

Has anyone dabbled with the stunter cages to save the fairings? Or just to much weight to justify?

Still need to locktie for track days right?

 

[Fireman]

Good to hear that. I've got Michelin CT-2's on it now, centers a bit flat from street riding so I have lots left on the sides.

I'm running a 0/+2 on the 520 chain now, so that should be fairly close to stay competitive.

Has anyone dabbled with the stunter cages to save the fairings? Or just to much weight to justify?

Still need to locktie for track days right?

-No locktite needed for trackdays. Safety wire is needed for racing.
-Stunters cages limit lean angle. Don't do that, it will be a waste of your money. Case covers and frame sliders are your friend
-Please be sure that you have adaquate tire (ceter and sides) when you show up to the school. I have many riders show up with the tire well past the wear bars saying "But the sides are still good!" Fortunately you will get to use ALL of the tire at this track.

I hope that helps


Justin

 

[Omerta]

Yeah.. definitely ment lockwire.. good catch

Definitely helpful. Do you (or anyone else) who's the man to talk to about the booking of the race school? If the scope of my outage changes I won't have 15 days notice if I'm going to miss it.

 

[Beatinpileguy]

I'm running a 0/+2 on the 520 chain now, so that should be fairly close to stay competitive.

If your planning track days you don't have to worry about being competitive. Just go out and learn and have fun.

If you plan on racing there will be lots you will have to do to the bike.... if that is the case welcome to the club! Note that racing is like crack....addiction and poverty are sure to follow.

 

[Omerta]

If your planning track days you don't have to worry about being competitive. Just go out and learn and have fun.

If you plan on racing there will be lots you will have to do to the bike.... if that is the case welcome to the club! Note that racing is like crack....addiction and poverty are sure to follow.

Noted!

I'm on the fence between getting into motorcycle racing or building a cage. Ever since finally dabbling in a little bit at nurburgring in the past summer I've added it on my list for one or the other. I'll see how the track days go and make a call

 

[yak]

Yeah.. definitely ment lockwire.. good catch

Definitely helpful. Do you (or anyone else) who's the man to talk to about the booking of the race school? If the scope of my outage changes I won't have 15 days notice if I'm going to miss it.

Hello and welcome

There are a number of us that you can talk to re. the race school, but I'll jump in.

We try to be flexible on cancellations. Typically there is a waiting list and we offer your spot to the next person, but they will need time to prepare. When will you know for sure whether you can attend?

As to your original post here are my thoughts.

1. A good top speed will be 180 km/hr plus (actual, not speedometer reported). The lap record average speed is around 105 km/hr and a fast intermediate average speed would be around 98 km/hr and a newer rider could expect to have an average speed of less than 90km/hr. Gearing wise there are 2 pathes, but only one if you plan to street your bike. (Fireman's numbers fit a less agressive approach and are proably acceptable for street riding still.)

2. I used my street bike as my race bike for 2 years. I changed out a lot of the parts so it took over 2 hours and eventually became overly tedious, but it is a very reasonable way to start. I wouldn't say that it is that common, but it is totally doable.

3. I like to change my brake fluid once a year (spring time works for me).

4. Don't crash or get some used fiberglass bodywork for your bike. It is much tougher and also easier to repair. When I was switching back and forth I had my stock plastics for the street and aftermarket fiberglass for the track.

5. Tire life is multi-variable question, but as a novice you may be able to get a complete season out of one set. (This would exclude your road kilometers.) Changing tires would complicate your switches, but initially it isn't something you would have to do.

Regards,

Todd

 

[YZF1000jon]

Just another note, for the purposes of the school and track days bodywork is not required at all, IMO "if you can break it, take it off". This will make a big difference in prep time for track days. You'll find that most anyone that has tried to run a street bike as both a track and street machine finds it is more work than it's worth and gets a dedicated machine, usually sooner than later.

 

[Omerta]

Just another note, for the purposes of the school and track days bodywork is not required at all, IMO "if you can break it, take it off". This will make a big difference in prep time for track days. You'll find that most anyone that has tried to run a street bike as both a track and street machine finds it is more work than it's worth and gets a dedicated machine, usually sooner than later.

Streetfighter style might be a good call... probably wait till I'm pushing it a bit harder and pull them off.

No issues with boiling the brakes on the track? Hence the question for interval changes. How about oil life?

Todd, I'll follow up with you and fill you in on the details

 

[macbayne]

Streetfighter style might be a good call... probably wait till I'm pushing it a bit harder and pull them off.

No issues with boiling the brakes on the track? Hence the question for interval changes. How about oil life?

Todd, I'll follow up with you and fill you in on the details

i just started track last year in may. so i guess i could share a few things.

i bought a 6 year old track bike in calgary for 2500. all is had was steel lines, a slipon with no tune, aftermarket rearsets and race bodywork. the gearing was -2 in front with OEM chain and rear sprocket. as for oil, no worries: i changed it every few track days. i used street pads for the first while. i crashed once on my second track day and all i did was bend the frame slider and rash the barend, rearset and lever. i didn't know my limit and found out i was over it while i was frantically rolling down some tarmac. street plastics will break when you go down, but whatevs. some guys can crash at 100kmh and put some grass and mud in the footpeg, and some people crash at 30 km and highside the shit outta their pride and joy. it is a crapshoot when you crash, so never exceed 80% of your abilities and you are GTG. i changed water/water wetter when i changed my oil.

to give you an indication of stock bike performance, i was doing 1:05s 90% of my laps (not to brag, merely to give you an indication of what a n00b on a shit bike can do) on street tires, OEM brake pads and master cylinder, OEM suspension that was undersprung and a slipon muffler. it didn't matter anyway, as i was exhausted with a smile on my face every session.

you are gonna see some dudes (and dudettes) roll up in some fancy trailers, pitbull stands, $3000 generators, 3 sets of wheels, swedish suspension, sponsor decals, and $10k worth of engine work and you will be green with envy, but it doesn't matter. my track glass is missing half its paint (until next week) and i use a rickity old ramp to take the bike off of my 10 year old pickup.

some people ride their bike to trackdays with a roll of tape in their pocket for their mirrors.

as long as your bike is mechanically sound and the tires are good, there are plenty of people that can give you a hand once you get to the school. i carry a rubbermaid bin in my truck filled with gixxer parts, lol.

i guess what i am trying to say is that you may be over thinking it. do the prep on the registration form and be content knowing that you won't be the fastest, nor will you be the slowest. see you there, as i am taking level 1 and 2 that weekend.

 

[Omerta]

i just started track last year in may. so i guess i could share a few things.

i bought a 6 year old track bike in calgary for 2500. all is had was steel lines, a slipon with no tune, aftermarket rearsets and race bodywork. the gearing was -2 in front with OEM chain and rear sprocket. as for oil, no worries: i changed it every few track days. i used street pads for the first while. i crashed once on my second track day and all i did was bend the frame slider and rash the barend, rearset and lever. i didn't know my limit and found out i was over it while i was frantically rolling down some tarmac. street plastics will break when you go down, but whatevs. some guys can crash at 100kmh and put some grass and mud in the footpeg, and some people crash at 30 km and highside the shit outta their pride and joy. it is a crapshoot when you crash, so never exceed 80% of your abilities and you are GTG. i changed water/water wetter when i changed my oil.

to give you an indication of stock bike performance, i was doing 1:05s 90% of my laps (not to brag, merely to give you an indication of what a n00b on a shit bike can do) on street tires, OEM brake pads and master cylinder, OEM suspension that was undersprung and a slipon muffler. it didn't matter anyway, as i was exhausted with a smile on my face every session.

you are gonna see some dudes (and dudettes) roll up in some fancy trailers, pitbull stands, $3000 generators, 3 sets of wheels, swedish suspension, sponsor decals, and $10k worth of engine work and you will be green with envy, but it doesn't matter. my track glass is missing half its paint (until next week) and i use a rickity old ramp to take the bike off of my 10 year old pickup.

some people ride their bike to trackdays with a roll of tape in their pocket for their mirrors.

as long as your bike is mechanically sound and the tires are good, there are plenty of people that can give you a hand once you get to the school. i carry a rubbermaid bin in my truck filled with gixxer parts, lol.

i guess what i am trying to say is that you may be over thinking it. do the prep on the registration form and be content knowing that you won't be the fastest, nor will you be the slowest. see you there, as i am taking level 1 and 2 that weekend.

Paints a good picture, thanks for the input!

 

[MissAshee]

So I just want to confirm that you DO NOT have to wire up the bike for Race School or Track Days?
Thanks!

 

[Fireman]

No Ash. for trackdays and the race school all you need to do is tape up your lights, have your antifreeze swapped out to water, and the appropriate riding gear.

 

[MissAshee]

No Ash. for trackdays and the race school all you need to do is tape up your lights, have your antifreeze swapped out to water, and the appropriate riding gear.

Thats great! Got all that done, and our buddy Tanner lent me his old race suite