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A couple of you asked for some tips. So I thought about it and tried to figure out where to start. So I thought the best place to start would be the beginning!!! In other words, how to prep your own bike for the track. I know lots of people describe it in words, but I thought pictures would be better. Now here is the disclaimer: If you should cause any damage to your bike, I am not responsible nor is SBN. The following is just a guideline that happens to work for me. You will need to verify the chemicals in my example are appropriate for your make, model and year of bike.
I used my bike for all the pictures, so remember all reference points are on a 2004 Yamaha R6, your bike may or may not be the same. So make sure you use common sense when using the following tips.
With that being said, why did I decide to start with bike prep? Well it seems intimidating to those that don't know what it entails. Reality is that it is quite simple and any of you (us women) can do it. Remember that not all tracks have the same requirements and you will need to verify any additional requirements for the track you will be riding on.
Now, on to the fun stuff!!!! Getting your bike ready to rail on the track!!!!
Note: This is going to be long!!!
First and foremost I always make sure my bike is sparkling clean and shiny. I do this because I love my bike and am very proud to show it off. This is obviously not a requirement. But history has shown that if you look good, you feel good therefore inspiring confidence. Confidence is the key to a wonderful track day...not necessarily walking in with a ton of it, but walking away with more than you walked in with.
I usually use Honda polish on my bike unless there is a lot of dirt. Then I will actually bring out the hose and use S100 to clean her with. An awesome tip for drying with minimum water spots is to use an air compressor to blow the water off...it works GREAT! If you don't have that luxury-hand towels it is!
Next you need to make sure all brakes are in good shape with good fluid and lots of pads. Just looking things over should be good. Remember that you will be riding harder on the track than on the street therefore you will be braking a lot harder than usual. Make sure your equipment is in sound shape for the experience. I didn't get to take pics of all this, but if you all need it I'll be happy to do it later. If you have any doubts, be sure to ask a friend or go to your dealership to make sure everything is sound. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Tires: make sure you have at least 50% of the tread left on it. If you see lines in the center of your tire, it means you need new tires before you hit the track.
Up next: Chains and sprockets....keeping them clean and happy!
First and foremost I always make sure my bike is sparkling clean and shiny. I do this because I love my bike and am very proud to show it off. This is obviously not a requirement. But history has shown that if you look good, you feel good therefore inspiring confidence. Confidence is the key to a wonderful track day...not necessarily walking in with a ton of it, but walking away with more than you walked in with.
I usually use Honda polish on my bike unless there is a lot of dirt. Then I will actually bring out the hose and use S100 to clean her with. An awesome tip for drying with minimum water spots is to use an air compressor to blow the water off...it works GREAT! If you don't have that luxury-hand towels it is!
Next you need to make sure all brakes are in good shape with good fluid and lots of pads. Just looking things over should be good. Remember that you will be riding harder on the track than on the street therefore you will be braking a lot harder than usual. Make sure your equipment is in sound shape for the experience. I didn't get to take pics of all this, but if you all need it I'll be happy to do it later. If you have any doubts, be sure to ask a friend or go to your dealership to make sure everything is sound. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Up next: Chains and sprockets....keeping them clean and happy!
I think that keeping it clean as hell makes the tech inspection go smoother. If you see a spotless bike, most assume that the owner takes good care of it and would fix any problems with it as soon as the arise.
__________________
"Knowing nothing is better than knowing it all"
-The Used-
So here is where it really starts to get fun (and dirty). Now again, there are many methods out there for cleaning chains, this is just one of them. It works well with my bike so I continue with it.
I start out with finding a level surface and put my bike on the rear stand as shown in the picture. Putting your bike on a rear stand is intimidating the first time, but don't worry you can do it!!!! If you hold the bike with your weight, place the stand behind the rear wheel and try to center it. Once you have both spools connected to the stand (if you are using a spool stand)the bike will "balance" in the stand. You can then let go of the bike (not the stand) move to the rear wheel and lift the bike up. You may have to really put your "butt" into it, but it can be done. Don't worry about losing the bike. It's stable. Just worry about getting the stand lifted.
Once I have the bike on the stand, I place plastic and some shop rags underneath it to catch some of the "ick" that will come off the chain. Again, this is not a requirement, I just happen to live in a brand new house and don't want to trash the concrete with grease and grime. Finally, I make sure the bike is in NEUTRAL so the wheel will spin freely.
First of all, the "tools of the trade". I use WD-40, Spray White Lithium Grease and whatever chain lube we have at the moment. Also needed is an old toothbrush and a couple of shop rags.
Now that the bike is ready and we have everything we need, we can start cleaning. Take the WD-40 and spray directly onto the chain behind the sprocket as shown in the picture while slowly turning the wheel, ensuring coverage of entire chain. See the picture below.
Let the chain soak for 10 minutes or so, give the WD-40 a chance to work through the grease and grime.
Now, using the toothbrush, scrub the chain. Make sure you get into every nook and crany (sp?). You want to make sure you get all the dirt, sand, debris and whatever else could be in those links grinding on the sprocket. I always scrub behind the sprocket (first Pic), the under side of the chain (near the kickstand-second pic) and the sprocket itself. The third pic is after the initial scrub-see how black the chain is? That's all the crap that's been caught in there coming out.
Now that you have scrubbed, it is time to remove all that crud. Using a lint free towel, wipe all that black nastiness off the chain and the sprocket. I start with behind the sprocket (picture 1) *Notice the difference in picture 2 once I wipe all that grime off how clean the chain is-red arrow dirty, black arrow clean! * Picture 3 shows the underside of the chain again. Make sure you are rotating the wheel to ensure you are getting the entire chain in both areas. Also, make sure you wipe down the sprocket teeth. But be careful! If you turn the wheel too fast you and/or your shop rag will end up between the teeth and chain!
Turn the wheel and listen to your sprocket. If you still hear little chunks of sand grinding between the metals, repeat the WD-40 process until you don't hear it any more. Rest assured this can take at least an hour depending upon how dirty your chain is and how long it's been since it has been cleaned.
This next step is argued by some, so do not consider this a necessity. But it has been told to me that White Lithium Grease is very good for the o-rings in your chain. I have used it religiously and my chain is in stellar condition....11,000 miles and counting. So the decision is yours. Be aware that it can be quite messy though.
This is a little tricky for those of us who are not ambidextrous (sp?). I can only spray with my right hand so I have to reach over with my left hand to turn the wheel in order to get coverage on the entire chain. Use care to not put too much on as it will splatter all over your bike, including your wheel, which we all know is BAD for traction!
So, while slowly turning the wheel with one hand, spray the grease onto the chain (behind sprocket as before). Again, I have demonstrated in the first picture. The second picture is blurry but meant to show the chain once you have finished spraying the grease.
Allow about 10 minutes for the grease to get tacky and wipe off any excess you may have.
Next: Chain Lube
So my girls wanna ride trackdays!!!!
* Picture 3 shows the underside of the chain again. Make sure you are rotating the wheel to ensure you are getting the entire chain in both areas. Also, make sure you wipe down the sprocket teeth. But be careful! If you turn the wheel too fast you and/or your shop rag will end up between the teeth and chain!