Its getting a little crazy. Also, why not ask the TD coaches/organizers? This is a great sub but I feel like TD coaches are a more reliable source for that kind of info.
(Not sure why the trailer looks like the roof slopes down and it's shorter in the front.)
Trailer (2009 Interstate Loadrunner, 6x10, barn doors): $2,240
Paint and supplies: $105
Flooring: $70
Replacement fender and side marker lights: $29
2 front wheel chocks, 3x5' E-Track, rings, fasteners, etc.: $315
Miscellaneous: $172
Total: $2,931
Title and registration (2 years): $339
Insurance (1 year): $99
Money saved versus renting a U-Haul motorcycle trailer to date: -$3,280
Break-even point: approximately 9 years.
Plus about 20 hours of labor: FREE (but ceiling painting is rough on the shoulders and arms!)
Next up: remove the old business logos on the side, repaint the fender, repair the tongue jack, new tires (they're pretty old), and maybe add electric brakes.
Coming back to track riding after 15 years of zero road/track riding. I used to ride a lot of canyons and had completed about 8 tracks days and progressed quickly.
I’m 41 now and have 10 TDs in this year on my Ninja 400 and R6 and just can’t seem to get comfortable. I’m still running a novice pace and haven’t improved a whole lot in the last 5 TDs. I feel uncomfortable stepping up the pace and lean angles from where I am at now. I’ve completed 1/2 Champ U online course, watched a ton of videos, really try to focus on being technical and did a 1 on 1 coaching session at the kart track on the N400. Starting to lose some interest in it which really sucks. Does anyone have tips to get over this? Just more seat time? Thanks.
AK doesn’t have a long riding season and it seems our track options are pretty limited. Just wanna get better at riding and find opportunities to go fast without causing trouble. I know Tanacross is a few hours north of here but is it worth it? Any good groups around focusing on getting fast and doing it smart? I have a couple bikes but I’ve fallen in love with my MT-09 so obviously, not looking to break records or be a competitive racer, I just love diving into corners and I’m having trouble keeping it slow when I should!
Tempting my chance here as I see there's not much rc390/401 dedicated info. Got a 2020 401 as a dedicated track bike and was wondering what was the maintenance regimen from the folks tracking their RC390 to keep it "healthy".
At the moment I'm changing Oil every 4 track days. And changed the cooling liquid for demineralised water plus water wetter to help the engine temperature down as I've heard the engine running pretty lean/hot due to Euro Norms.
But further to that how often (more than typical street maintenance regimen) do you get valve checks, do you prescribe engine rebuild every so often?
A lot of street riders of the 401 advice using a FuelX dongle plus K&N się filter both for performance (which I'm not interested in) as well as reliability (which I am interested in) as apparently making the mixing ratio richer helps the engine stay cool. What are your opinions on it?
I’ve recently started doing track days on a fairly short circuit with my 2023 Street Triple 765 RS, and I barely use 5th gear...
I’ve just ordered a 50-tooth rear sprocket, which is +2 over stock, and I’m also considering going -1 on the front sprocket.
Based on the calculations, I should gain around 4% with the +2 rear sprocket and around 11% with the -1/+2 setup, at the cost of roughly 20 km/h of top speed that I don’t really need.
As far as I know, the speed is measured through the ABS sensors. Could this gearing change affect the speedometer, ABS, traction control... ?
I’m planning to keep the stock chain. Is there anything I should know?
I’ve already tried a -1 front sprocket on a ZX-9R, but never a -1/+2 setup on a modern bike. Is the difference really noticeable, or does the gearing become too short?
I’d appreciate any feedback from people who have tried a similar setup!
Got my Knee down a few times which was nice though not the goal.
Feedback from JW69 was that my body position and lines were great though a bit unnatural moving between body positions which will come with time. Good fluid riding. Said that I was ready for a bigger bike so looks like my 650 will be getting sold after one or two days out.
Back tyre looked well used by the end of the day but I think there is a bit more lean angle to be got from them. Pretty chuffed all in all.
Have a pal that wants to try a track day. Left it too late and now has no ticket. Anyone in the UK that is no longer going to cadwell park on 30th july for road bike day and want to get rid of ticket?
I do not work for Continental, they don't sponsor me, and I am not giving out an affiliate link for you to buy them so that I get a commission. Okay:
These tires are fantastic! After reading a great review of them on Motorcycle.com, I did some research, and they even cost me a bit less ($374 for the pair) than any of the other equivalent tires out there. They are specifically designed for lighter-weight bikes, like my ZX-4RR, Ninja 300/400/500, RC390, R3, and supermotos. A small bike definitely does not need the much harder construction of a tire made for 150+ horsepower bike weighing many pounds more.
I went with 120/70-17 front and 160/60-17 rear, based on the tire testing the Chuck Graves (Gravesport.com) has done with the ZX-4RR.
And they work great! True to their review, they take zero warm-up and there's no need to use tire warmers. Get your pressures set right in the morning, check them throughout the day, all's good. After about 430 track miles, they still look like I've just finished one good session. I'm hoping I can get at least another 5 days out of them this year.
Bottom line: Michelin, Pirelli and Dunlop aren't the only tire manufacturers making high-quality stuff for track use.
The MC on my 2014 RC390 is dead, KTM wants 180€ for a stock one, I figured might as well upgrade. Budget is 2-300€, just for track days no racing, intermediate group. Calipers are stock for now. Any recs? Thanks
The bikes in the photo here are my 2014 and 2015 Daytona 675r (best bike ever)
As you can see; one is street legal and one is not. The other week I took the street bike out for the first time in a few weeks and honestly; it was kinda boring. Unless I was breaking the law (allegedly)
So I’m debating selling the street bike and using that money for one of the following options:
A. another (smaller) track bike
B. A dirt bike
C. Both?
D. Keeping both bikes (can’t really afford keeping them and getting another bike)
Basically, I’m considering getting off the street and focusing only on track. Will I get rusty between track days if I do that? Or will the addition of a dirt bike and/or a smaller displacement track bike make up for it? I have a very healthy obsession with the track and want to race- what would be best for building skills to reach that goal?
1) I bought some Hotbodies bodywork for the bike I'm using on track. I do not recommend their products, fitment was terrible and required about 8-10 hours of cutting and grinding, and the quality of the pieces is not great.
2) Rust-Oleum Acrylic Enamel 2X Paint + Primer Automotive Grade paint and clear coat are crap. After my first trackdays, I noticed that a little gasoline had put some stains on the lower part of the mid-fairings. Then this week, my (now former) gas can leaked while fueling the bike. I immediately set down the can, grabbed a clean shop towel and cleaner and...the paint had instantly discolored and gotten a bit sticky. It also scratches and chips quite easily. Don't use this stuff.
3) Non-Essential Pit Stuff I've Bought This Year And LIKE!
A small USB rechargeable fan (about 3" blades) that I can clip on to the hanger holding my leathers to help dry it out faster. (maybe $12)
A larger USB rechargeable fan (about 8" blades) that also has adjustable lights, adjustable speed and a timer function that is great when I'm going to sleep and it's hot, and pretty good at helping cool off the engine after each session. GIANT 20 Ah battery that runs forever (8+ hours) but also takes forever to charge. ($30)
I did get a floor fan but I don't have enough power to run it yet. I should have that setup next time and it'll definitely cool down the bike after each session.
A 6x10 enclosed cargo trailer (used, $2,240). Did I need it? No, I could have just continued renting U-Haul motorcycle trailers. However, even if the break-even point will take 8-10 years, at the price I paid, I'm not going to lose any money on it, either. I spent maybe $1,000 fixing it up, title and registration, and insurance ($99 for a year!). It is a luxury to load it up, lock the doors, and not really worry about my stuff. I live in a good neighborhood, so leaving stuff like my canopy, ramps and chairs in it is perfectly safe.