Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

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weeksy
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Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by weeksy »

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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

If it's for trackdays, just get out there and ride the bloody thing.
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Yorick »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:30 am If it's for trackdays, just get out there and ride the bloody thing.
I don't see any harm in making it more suitable for the job.

You don't go climbing mountains in your work shoes.
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by weeksy »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:30 am If it's for trackdays, just get out there and ride the bloody thing.
It's also clearly an American site and they do have some different rules in certain tracks, for example not being allowed to run coolant on trackdays.
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:55 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:30 am If it's for trackdays, just get out there and ride the bloody thing.
It's also clearly an American site and they do have some different rules in certain tracks, for example not being allowed to run coolant on trackdays.
IMO that's probably a good thing, it is a bit scary that the only checks before a bike goes on track are "is it too loud" and "does it have a brake protector thing", I would like to see bikes either have to produce an MOT (for road bikes) or pass a basic scrutineering that makes sure the brakes work, the tyres are in good condition and nothing is going to fall off.
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by weeksy »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:15 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:55 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:30 am If it's for trackdays, just get out there and ride the bloody thing.
It's also clearly an American site and they do have some different rules in certain tracks, for example not being allowed to run coolant on trackdays.
IMO that's probably a good thing, it is a bit scary that the only checks before a bike goes on track are "is it too loud" and "does it have a brake protector thing", I would like to see bikes either have to produce an MOT (for road bikes) or pass a basic scrutineering that makes sure the brakes work, the tyres are in good condition and nothing is going to fall off.
It's a can of worms, but i'm pretty much in agreement. The number of times i've seen people who are clearly inept at spannering changing wheels is absolutely astounding. One bloke last year at Silverstone was putting his rear in "whack, whack, whack" with the hammer" So i wandered over.
"mate, if it's not going in easily, it's not right." 3 mins later, i'd taken it all apart, refitted the spacers and had the conversation with him about one of them that was on the floor "oh, i wondered where that was from"....

I could probably list 20+ times where i've seen complete and utter disregard for personal safety when spannering on bikes in the pits... happily, i just get up and fix them.

One of the funniest was our old mate Fizzy, much missed and top fellla... Up at Rockingham on his ZX6R. "Oi Weeksy, my brakes don't feel right"...

3-4 mins later i had the caliper off and what was left of the pads in my hands, none with any pad left... Jumped in the care, drove to Kawasaki and put it all together with 2 mins to spare before the next session started.... "Oh, they're loads better now" he said when he got back into the garage. We were crying with laughter :D
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Rockburner »

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:23 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:15 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:55 am

It's also clearly an American site and they do have some different rules in certain tracks, for example not being allowed to run coolant on trackdays.
IMO that's probably a good thing, it is a bit scary that the only checks before a bike goes on track are "is it too loud" and "does it have a brake protector thing", I would like to see bikes either have to produce an MOT (for road bikes) or pass a basic scrutineering that makes sure the brakes work, the tyres are in good condition and nothing is going to fall off.
It's a can of worms, but i'm pretty much in agreement. The number of times i've seen people who are clearly inept at spannering changing wheels is absolutely astounding. One bloke last year at Silverstone was putting his rear in "whack, whack, whack" with the hammer" So i wandered over.
"mate, if it's not going in easily, it's not right." 3 mins later, i'd taken it all apart, refitted the spacers and had the conversation with him about one of them that was on the floor "oh, i wondered where that was from"....

I could probably list 20+ times where i've seen complete and utter disregard for personal safety when spannering on bikes in the pits... happily, i just get up and fix them.

One of the funniest was our old mate Fizzy, much missed and top fellla... Up at Rockingham on his ZX6R. "Oi Weeksy, my brakes don't feel right"...

3-4 mins later i had the caliper off and what was left of the pads in my hands, none with any pad left... Jumped in the care, drove to Kawasaki and put it all together with 2 mins to spare before the next session started.... "Oh, they're loads better now" he said when he got back into the garage. We were crying with laughter :D

Sadly it can be fatal if things go wrong. There's a reason they stopped the 'practise' days at Longcross (the track run by Qinetic next to the M3): someone went out on a (blatantly dodgy) CBR400RR and went head on into the bridge abutment coming off the banked corner. :( I have to admit that I tried not to get too close to the wreckage while helping to clear up, seen quite enough of that thank you. :(
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Yorick »

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:55 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:30 am If it's for trackdays, just get out there and ride the bloody thing.
It's also clearly an American site and they do have some different rules in certain tracks, for example not being allowed to run coolant on trackdays.
Can't use coolant? Overheating?
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

Yorick wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:36 am I don't see any harm in making it more suitable for the job.

You don't go climbing mountains in your work shoes.
There's a guy at my local parkrun (5k fun run) who always does it in office shoes and a proper shirt :D

The big cheese means you have to run plain water rather than antifreeze/coolant. Its less slippery.
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by weeksy »

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:40 am
Yorick wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:36 am I don't see any harm in making it more suitable for the job.

You don't go climbing mountains in your work shoes.
There's a guy at my local parkrun (5k fun run) who always does it in office shoes and a proper shirt :D

The big cheese means you have to run plain water rather than antifreeze/coolant. Its less slippery.
Exactly. Same as in racing.
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

Although weirdly professional motorpsort allows it...F1 uses some fancy stuff for example. I imagine that's cause they have significantly more faith that the teams will build their vehicle correctly.
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Taipan »

I'd be looking at why those rear pads aren't biting evenly... :hmmm:
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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Bigyin »

Does this count ?

Road Bike on way to track

Image

Remove luggage, remove mirrors, remove touring screen, drop 3 psi out of each tyre ...tadaaaaaa, track bike :banana-wrench:

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Re: Start with a road bike and turning it into a track bike

Post by Scotsrich »

I remember when I first started doing track days at Knockhill your bike got scrutineered at the start.

Just a quick brake check, look over to see if anything’s hanging off kind of thing but better than nothing.

On the other hand things happen that you can’t foresee. Mate of mine was tanking along towards the hairpin on his KTM, grabbed the front brake and one of the front pads friction material comes flying out the front.