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FIRST RACE BIKE Race Bikes are unreliable! They always break down at the worst possible time, they cost a fortune to repair and these repairs require a full pit crew because race bikes are complicated – right? Wrong. Most top riders have an army of people to assist them in lapping the track as fast as possible. Tyre advisors, suspension specialists, engine tuners, datalogging monitors, nutrition experts, riding coaches, light speed crash repairers and no doubt someone to man the kettle. But your not a top rider you’re a novice. And your bike will be production based, not some one-off exotica the every other racer dreams of riding. But this doesn’t mean you should disregard the same common sense principals of the professionals. Riders need a good grasp of the basic mechanics. You need to be able to see or feel problems and then fix them. Remember these basics then build on them. Preventative Maintenance. This is simply making sure all the little things are done. Enough of the right fuel, good tyres, chain correctly tensioned, carburetion set right, replacing or adjusting worn assemblies. All of these jobs only take a few minutes, but in the paddock on race morning you wont have a few minutes. A Reliable Motorcycle. What you need is a reliable motorcycle that does most things well. Speaking to other racers in your chosen class will help. Maximise Track Time. This cannot be emphasized enough. It may look easy to ride around in circles fast but it isn’t. You need to learn tracks and learn your bike under different conditions. Suspension. If you can afford it, seek profession help with the suspension. There are several companies around the country that can help. If you cant afford this, refer to the maintenance section about suspension in your handbook. Suspension is key. KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. And only when you have understood the basics move onto slightly harder things like experiment in with gearing, or ride height. It is important you master these techniques within racing, without them you’ll struggle to keep up with other riders in your class. And if you do make it to the top it will make the job of the race technicians a lot easier to keep you at the front of the pack. As you improve both your riding and your machine knowledge you will discover that there is no one optimum set up. Everybody is different. This means you should keep notes on what you tried and what you thought of it. Remember to include details like what the weather was like. Super tall gearing may only work with a tail wind down the back straight! The one thing every wise man advices against is major engine tuning for novices. It will take more maintenance, it will require more parts and it will take more time to fix than a standard engine. This is guaranteed to take track time away from you, spend the money elsewhere. Summary
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The Motor Cycle Industry Association Limited
1 Rye Hill Office Park, Birmingham Road, Allesley, Coventry, CV5 9AB Registered in England No. 1113282. |
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Tel: (024) 76 408 000 Fax: (024) 76 408 001 |
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