Front sprocket cover on a trackbike?

Do you need to keep the front sprocket cover for a trackbike, I can't see anyway that you could but your foot though the mechanism and it just seems like one more thing that can be taken off. I am getting a sharkfin for the back sprocket?

Cheers

I don't know the regs on the matter, but on the pointy, the cover is plastic and weighs absolutely b-all. As you say, I think you'd be hard pressed to get your foot in there; I've always imagined it was more to help keep it clean and stop laces (which you probably wouldn't have on a trackday boot ) and textiles (again, not on a trackday) from getting tangled up in there.

Leave the front one off, depending on your feet/footrests its sometimes worth leaving the main chainguard on, unless you dont mind wearing your boot out on the tyre

I'd keep it on, as it also covers some of the clutch mechanism and stuff; woulnt want to have some gravel or some other foreign object break that piddly spring

Matt

Many thanks for all the replies guys, all valid comments, i have left it off because its covered in crap and I figured its one less thing to keep on.

On another similar note the radiator fan, I want to get rid of that as well but the wiring includes the thermostat which i want to keep, can I just cut the fan out of the loop and rejoin the wires or is this going to cause something to go funny because there is no power hungry fan in the way.

My old friend took his spocket cover off to make cleaning easier or something. He leaned down to adjust his boots one day and when he put his hand back on the bars there was a finger hanging off

Originally Posted by tomjones2

Many thanks for all the replies guys, all valid comments, i have left it off because its covered in crap and I figured its one less thing to keep on.

On another similar note the radiator fan, I want to get rid of that as well but the wiring includes the thermostat which i want to keep, can I just cut the fan out of the loop and rejoin the wires or is this going to cause something to go funny because there is no power hungry fan in the way.

What you wanna get rid of that for? Don't 'rejoin' the wires if you do cut it out, just leave them disconnected or there will be an atomic explosion.

Originally Posted by arenalife

What you wanna get rid of that for? Don't 'rejoin' the wires if you do cut it out, just leave them disconnected or there will be an atomic explosion.

Cant see the point of a fan on a track bike, the fan on the sv only ever really comes on when its really hot standing at traffic light, not a problem on a racebike plenty of air over the radiator. The wire goes to the fan, out the fan to the thermostat, thermostat back to the connector. If i leave them disconnected I am going to lose the thermostat, what I was worried about it if there is a resistor of something in the fan which once removed would melt the thermostat.

[yorkie_chris]

Sensor on the bottom of the rad does nothing except run the fan, coolant temperature light is a seperate sensor on the thermostat itself (under carbs)

If you're really mad on saving weight you could replace the fan sensor with an alloy plug

If you short the fan wires together it will blow engine fuse. (or maybe the sensor one, not sure)

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Sensor on the bottom of the rad does nothing except run the fan, coolant temperature light is a seperate sensor on the thermostat itself (under carbs)

If you're really mad on saving weight you could replace the fan sensor with an alloy plug

If you short the fan wires together it will blow engine fuse. (or maybe the sensor one, not sure)

Sorry me being really stupid here, I assumed that this was the thermostat, I think I can just disconect the fan and the sensor and the thermostat will provide the temp gauge, I have a K3 btw but I think most things are pretty similar.

I will leave the sensor in place, I dont want to spend any money reducing weight but I figured I may as well take off as much as possible as its free savings.