View Full Version : Road bike doing trackdays-pre/pst trackday maintenance advise please
What do regular road bike trackday goers do before/after trackdays maintenance wise, excluding prep like taking mirrors off and taping things up?
Not on an SV I should add.
:)
sv650k4
25-04-08, 09:48 AM
i dont think it would be all that much really unless the bike is needing/due something after or b4 the track day.
Flamin_Squirrel
25-04-08, 10:09 AM
It won't hurt to do an oil change.
Check your brakes too. You can cook your brake fluid, and this becomes even more likely during a track day.
Adjust the chain properly, check tyre pressures, coolant. Make sure you dont have any loose bolts or anything that might fall off. Steering head bearings dont have play, oil level correct etc.
Just make sure its all as it should be.
Check the DB of you bike and see if the track has any restrictions.
northwind
25-04-08, 12:52 PM
I don't do anything... Well, I do track prep, take off the nice plastics and fit a stickier front tyre, but I don't do any maintenance. If my bike's not working well enough to ride in the safe and predictable environment of a track, I won't ride it in the dubious and hostile environment of a road ;)
MiniMatt
25-04-08, 01:15 PM
+1 to Northy, give it a clean, check it over, if it's good enough for the road it's good enough for the track. I'd remove things where possible rather than just tape them over, numberplate, mirrors, indies etc. Take some spare levers or a fixit peg. Oh, and this last one kinda depends on your leathers and your seat, I used to tape over one of my bikes seat with duct tape as I personally found the bottom/seat interaction was too sticky and didn't allow for easy movement around the bike, but if you haven't got a problem here then there's no need for a solution.
gettin2dizzy
25-04-08, 02:20 PM
Check bike has wheels, engine and seat.
Service it before rather than after if it's due one.
Clean it, they take pictures. I looked like I was on a courier delivery at silverstone:rolleyes:
We seem to be missing what seems to be the .org fashion for preparing your bike for a trackday!
Remove fairing, lights, and instruments....
it's a growing trend :D
Blue_SV650S
25-04-08, 06:00 PM
I don't do anything... Well, I do track prep, take off the nice plastics and fit a stickier front tyre, but I don't do any maintenance. If my bike's not working well enough to ride in the safe and predictable environment of a track, I won't ride it in the dubious and hostile environment of a road ;)
I dunno, I am much more lax with my road bike ... it isn't really under the same stresses, so there is more tolerance on things being right and more room for error on the consequences if they are not!! ;)
Balky001
25-04-08, 06:24 PM
every other track day I change oil/filter and brake fluid. Alway check chain and lube it anyway so no difference there.
northwind
25-04-08, 06:31 PM
I dunno, I am much more lax with my road bike ... it isn't really under the same stresses, so there is more tolerance on things being right and more room for error on the consequences if they are not!! ;)
Yeah, but you don't do trackdays the way most people do trackdays :smt003 I wasn't really saying I'd ride a ropey bike on track though, more that I'd not let a road bike get below a standard where I'd be happy to take it on track. Having said that, think about it, if you suddenly had no front brakes would you rather do 10 minutes on a track or 10 minutes on a busy road? The track's more controlled, you can plan everything better
Sides, after that trackday with the unbolted fork incident I think you're not the right man to talk about carefully setting up track bikes ;)
Blue_SV650S
25-04-08, 07:54 PM
Yeah, but you don't do trackdays the way most people do trackdays :smt003 I wasn't really saying I'd ride a ropey bike on track though, more that I'd not let a road bike get below a standard where I'd be happy to take it on track. Having said that, think about it, if you suddenly had no front brakes would you rather do 10 minutes on a track or 10 minutes on a busy road? The track's more controlled, you can plan everything better
Sides, after that trackday with the unbolted fork incident I think you're not the right man to talk about carefully setting up track bikes ;)
Indeed, just shows how lax you can be on a road bike!! :lol:
We seem to be missing what seems to be the .org fashion for preparing your bike for a trackday!
Remove fairing, lights, and instruments....
it's a growing trend :D
I'll supply the tools if you want to supply the labour?!
I dunno, I am much more lax with my road bike ... it isn't really under the same stresses, so there is more tolerance on things being right and more room for error on the consequences if they are not!! ;)
You're pulling my plonker. I'd rather a second of going wrong and hitting grass/gravel/even tyres than a split second causing an impact with a barrier/car/lamp post.
Thanks for your replies folks. It was really the oil change sort of stuff I was after although how many miles will I keep the current steed? Basic nut 'n boltage things will be checked as per er.... usual?!
Blue you're a nutter, and said in a Westwood stylee "and I respect that".
:D
lukemillar
26-04-08, 05:37 AM
We seem to be missing what seems to be the .org fashion for preparing your bike for a trackday!
Remove fairing, lights, and instruments....
it's a growing trend :D
:lol:
It would be easier to just forget the bike run round the track!
Blue_SV650S
26-04-08, 11:05 AM
You're pulling my plonker. I'd rather a second of going wrong and hitting grass/gravel/even tyres than a split second causing an impact with a barrier/car/lamp post.
Ok, think of it like this ... if say your tyres are 5psi too high/low, how much difference will that make on the road?? Not a lot ... that much variance in a race tyre might see you in the gravel or at a bare minimum destroying a tyre in a handful of laps!! ;)
If the engine is spinning up at max RPM, will it not need a big supply of oil (correct level and fresh/free(er) from contaminants) more than at tick over at a set of traffic lights? ;)
If your cain is a little on the tight side on the road, so what ... on track it could be catastrophic ;)
If the head bearings are not quite right ...
If your pads are running a bit low ...
The list goes on and on!! ;)
You must see what I am saying?!?! :scratch:
Ok, think of it like this ... if say your tyres are 5psi too high/low, how much difference will that make on the road?? Not a lot ... that much variance in a race tyre might see you in the gravel or at a bare minimum destroying a tyre in a handful of laps!! ;)
If the engine is spinning up at max RPM, will it not need a big supply of oil (correct level and fresh/free(er) from contaminants) more than at tick over at a set of traffic lights? ;)
If your cain is a little on the tight side on the road, so what ... on track it could be catastrophic ;)
If the head bearings are not quite right ...
If your pads are running a bit low ...
The list goes on and on!! ;)
You must see what I am saying?!?! :scratch:
+1, on top of all that, the number of people I've seen pay a fortune and then miss a race or a few track day sessions because they discover a fault 5 mins before. I reckon most race bikes are serviced and looked after to a higher level of detail than road. Heavy braking and riding on a track will highlight weaknesses that you might otherwise get away with.
I do agree that the consequences might be greater if something goes wrong on the road, but judging by some of the crap that I've seen roll into the local workshop I dont think most people appreciate that.
northwind
26-04-08, 12:18 PM
See, I sort of agree with Blue, it just comes down to the fact that I wouldn't ride a road bike in that condition either... The tyres thing though I don't agree with, ride a road bike on soft tyres and the handling is unpredictable and braking goes to pot, do an emergency stop with 5PSI in your front tyre as you would with an inflated tyre and it's not going to end well. Tyre wear isn't really the issue there...
Blue_SV650S
27-04-08, 09:12 AM
See, I sort of agree with Blue, it just comes down to the fact that I wouldn't ride a road bike in that condition either... The tyres thing though I don't agree with, ride a road bike on soft tyres and the handling is unpredictable and braking goes to pot, do an emergency stop with 5PSI in your front tyre as you would with an inflated tyre and it's not going to end well. Tyre wear isn't really the issue there...
As long as my road tyres are above 30 I am happy ... I care little if they are 30 or 36 etc ... I can tell the difference, when pumped back up, but in no way shape or form is the 30 going to have me off ;)
Run my track tyres 6psi out and, sure I'd probably not crash either, but I'd not be able to ride anywhere near as fast ;)
....
You must see what I am saying?!?! :scratch:
Yeah I do.
:)
Sid Squid
27-04-08, 07:10 PM
Yeah I do.
:)
I'm not sure I do.
If it isn't right, and you know it isn't right, fix it. Same goes for tyre pressures and any other aspect of maintenance. If you're clued enough to know what's wrong there's no excuse for not putting it right, (or having it put right), road or track.
yorkie_chris
27-04-08, 07:20 PM
Service it before rather than after if it's due one.
Clean it, they take pictures. I looked like I was on a courier delivery at silverstone:rolleyes:
+1 about servicing, you're hopefully going to be ragging it, so fresh oil etc isn't going to hurt.
What is this cleaning thing you speak of? Surely going stupid quick on a rat-bike has it's appeal? :-P
i just make sure i take the correct bike, have a look over the bike, check pads, oil, coolant, loose bits etc, yes the SV looks like a rat bike, but it does a job and does it well
Blue_SV650S
27-04-08, 08:30 PM
I'm not sure I do.
If it isn't right, and you know it isn't right, fix it. Same goes for tyre pressures and any other aspect of maintenance. If you're clued enough to know what's wrong there's no excuse for not putting it right, (or having it put right), road or track.
What I am trying to say is that for example, I see nothing wrong with running my road bike tyres anywhere between 30 and 36psi ... as long as it is somewhere between the two when I check, I am happy. I also only check it every now and then, say once a month. If it is near the 30, I pump it back up ... if I get bored at say 34psi, then I stop and it doesn't bother me at all I didn't go to 36odd ..
However, I see tyre pressures as more critical on my trackbike, so I check them at the start of every trackday and set them at a pressure down to an accuracy of 0.5psi ... I want/expect a lot more from my track tyres, therefore I am more precise in how I set them (+/- 0.5psi). Commuting to work and back, I am making far less demands and therefore see exacting tyre pressure less critical ... so happy with say +/- 6psi that is 12 time the tolerance I set my tack tyres too ... I care none if I get to work 10 seconds slower, I care a lot if I am 10 seconds slower on a lap ;)
And that is just tyres, as I am expecting so much from it, there are many other things I am more critical about on my trackbike too ... like oil level ... on roadbike, As long as it is between markings, I am happy. ON the trackbike I make sure it is ALWAYS above 1/2 way ... If I top my roadbike oil up and I go a smidge over the max, then who cares ... on my trackbike ... well I just wouldn't as I'd measure/check it in much better!! ;)
My roadbike is not being neglected, I am just allowing more tolerance before I do something about it!! 8)
geddit now??? :scratch:
Ok people so the basic jist of it is a good general check over to make sure all is in order with no wheels about to fall off and maybe an oil and filter change every now and again. Correct?
:)
Blue_SV650S
28-04-08, 07:50 AM
Ok people so the basic jist of it is a good general check over to make sure all is in order with no wheels about to fall off and maybe an oil and filter change every now and again. Correct?
:)
You need to keep overall maintenance up, but to me there are 4 main areas to check before EVERY trackday.
Tyres - pressures and condition.
Chain - Lubrication and adjustment (if the sprockets/chain are ok obviously too).
Brakes - pads are healthy.
Oil - level and change it every 2-3 trackdays.
I also tend to check things like brake calliper bolts are done up, but only by finger.
You can get more 4nal than that, sure, like headrace bearings, but I see the above as the primary areas that I ALWAYS check!! 8)
ging6996
09-11-08, 12:09 PM
.
yorkie_chris
09-11-08, 12:18 PM
Zombie-thread...
chakraist
09-11-08, 02:13 PM
.
Why bump this with a . ?
vBulletin® , Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.