Lets work on finding something for you to protect that skin you're in. There are literally hundreds of manufacturers out there making leathers, boots, gloves, etc. and each one has it's benefits and its drawbacks. If you are buying a set of leathers with racing in mind, then skip the whole idea of getting the two piece, you'll be glad you did. The two-piece leathers are geared for the person who is going to predominately ride on the street, and occasionally do a track day.
Other than that little bit of information, it is important that you get something that fits, and is above all comfortable. You want something that fits you, but that does not limit movement in any way. My brother used to put on leathers and then roll around on the floor like a monkey to see how well he could move in them. While not really the best method, it was definitely funny to watch. You also want to buy a set that has a nice thick bit of leather and good armor in the elbows, knees, and waist area. I havent used them, but I remember Barnacle Bill used to make some great leathers that were fairly thick and well made. Plus, he comes to the track and will do alterations there
Boots, gloves, back protector, are all pretty standard equipment. Some manufacturers would definitely take offense to that statement, but when it comes down to it, its true. Each one has a slightly different construction and different selling points, but for right now, you dont need Nicky Hayden replica boots. You need boots that are going to keep the skin on your toes, and if they match your leathers, all the better.
With gloves, you want to try as many different constructions as possible from as many different manufacturers as possible. some have thick palms that make it feek awkward to grip the handlebars, others have venting along the back of the knuckles for those with long fingers. You want something that you can wear for 30 minutes or longer at a time, with your hands on the handlebars. When you are looking at them, hold your hand in a fist for fifteen minutes or so, if you still like the way they fit, they are the gloves you should wear. Keep in mind that they are going to loosen up a bit when they get warmed up and broken in, but that does not mean you should buy them a size smaller.
For your helmet, this is where I recommend you get a really good piece of hardware. After all, what good is your skin and bones if you don't have a brain? You dont need to spend the extra $100 or so to get the Bayliss graphic kit. Keep in mind that when you crash, the second or third thing that is going to hit the ground is your head. So, you want to have something that is going to do a good job, but you aren't going to go bankrupt when you have to replace it every other month. We were always fans of HJC, good helmets at a good price, and the graphic ones were not much more than a solid color - although we did ride with solid colors for a while...
I guess that about covers gear, I'll figure something out for the next post, until then, keep the rubber side down. (if its warm enough to ride...)
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
The bike
OK, lets start with the obvious. You want to race motorcycles, you have to get a race bike. Now, you could ride that sweet darlin' you've been riding on the street and polishing on your days off, or you could cash in on your investment and pick up a used race bike.
There are a couple of reasons to do this:
The stock exhaust would also be nice. Why the stock exhaust you say? It sounds like a huge blender you say? True, it does sound like you are making margaritas, but that also opens up a production class for you to race in where it is stock bike against stock bike, a real rider's class. The other reason is that you don't have to shell out $800 + for a new exhaust, and when you crash, you aren't stuck shelling out big $ again. A lot of factory exhaust systems can be bought on eBay for pretty cheap because street riders don't care to keep them around once they have put that shiny new aftermarket pipe on. The idea here is the same one your local crack dealer employs, get them in cheap, get them hooked, and then show them the REAL cost. By the way, it is no coincidence that I compare this to doing crack, you will get hooked and it is REAL expensive.
So, back to the bike, some valving of the factory forks would be good, maybe a new rear shock, but it is not essential. The factory suspension will hussle you around the track plenty fast without even touching the settings. Pretty much any bike on the market today is much more capable than most riders out there, they are just that good. A bike that is 1-2 years old is not going to put you too far behind, most of the novices out there are doing the same thing you are, just testing the waters to see if they like it. Those novices that have the newest machinery and the shiny bodywork, they have been around for at least a year, and have made the commitment to going to the expert level and possibly pro, so don't worry about them for now, you can play with them when you get to expert.
So, in summation, you want a mostly stock 600 that is 1-2 years old that has already been race prepped, but lightly. You can find these all over the internet, its just picking the one that you like the best. When you are starting out, pretty much all bikes are going to perform similarly for you. Each brand has a slight difference you can feel when riding them, but all are equally fast, so just pick one that you like the feel of. Most people tend to love a single brand and will ride that brand forever because it is most comfortable, so you may want to check out the latest 600 from the manufacturer you already ride.
Next time I'll talk about the gear you need for racing.
There are a couple of reasons to do this:
- the bike has already been prepped with safety-wire, race body, and possibly suspension work
- you are going to crash your bike, admit it to yourself now, why not start with a bike that you haven't spent hours polishing?
- let someone else take the brunt of the cost associated with putting together a bike. If you are really good and want to stick with it, you can buy a new bike and prep it yourself later. Try to save some money now, because once you get hooked, that concept is gone...
- a wrecked bike can be totally and completely fixed without much hassle, even if it is a new frame, and you get the bike that much cheaper too.
The stock exhaust would also be nice. Why the stock exhaust you say? It sounds like a huge blender you say? True, it does sound like you are making margaritas, but that also opens up a production class for you to race in where it is stock bike against stock bike, a real rider's class. The other reason is that you don't have to shell out $800 + for a new exhaust, and when you crash, you aren't stuck shelling out big $ again. A lot of factory exhaust systems can be bought on eBay for pretty cheap because street riders don't care to keep them around once they have put that shiny new aftermarket pipe on. The idea here is the same one your local crack dealer employs, get them in cheap, get them hooked, and then show them the REAL cost. By the way, it is no coincidence that I compare this to doing crack, you will get hooked and it is REAL expensive.
So, back to the bike, some valving of the factory forks would be good, maybe a new rear shock, but it is not essential. The factory suspension will hussle you around the track plenty fast without even touching the settings. Pretty much any bike on the market today is much more capable than most riders out there, they are just that good. A bike that is 1-2 years old is not going to put you too far behind, most of the novices out there are doing the same thing you are, just testing the waters to see if they like it. Those novices that have the newest machinery and the shiny bodywork, they have been around for at least a year, and have made the commitment to going to the expert level and possibly pro, so don't worry about them for now, you can play with them when you get to expert.
So, in summation, you want a mostly stock 600 that is 1-2 years old that has already been race prepped, but lightly. You can find these all over the internet, its just picking the one that you like the best. When you are starting out, pretty much all bikes are going to perform similarly for you. Each brand has a slight difference you can feel when riding them, but all are equally fast, so just pick one that you like the feel of. Most people tend to love a single brand and will ride that brand forever because it is most comfortable, so you may want to check out the latest 600 from the manufacturer you already ride.
Next time I'll talk about the gear you need for racing.
Why go to the track?
So, you have been riding for a while, and you are getting bored with the street, or you are getting into a bit more trouble than is reasonable, but you LOVE your motorcycle. I know how you feel, I was once like that as well, riding just crazy enough to land myself in jail, or maim myself and others around me. I was lucky enough to have someone tell me I needed to get off the street before I hurt someone else or myself badly.
A lot of people say that roadracing motorcycles is dangerous and, I have to admit, they are right, it IS dangerous. But, that said, it is far less dangerous than riding on the street. Let me explain why I say that. First, when you are on the track, you know that the others on the track have been through a Racing Rider's School of some sort, and the instructors are not going to pass them if they don't feel they are going to be at least reasonably safe. Second, grandma is not going to pull out in front of you in her big Cadillac when you are blazing down the road at what some might call illegal speeds. Third, there is ALWAYS at least one ambulance on hand at every track while motorcycles are circulating, meaning there is always help within a few moments of you should you get yourself into trouble. Fourth, you are saved from yourself, by this I mean that you have to wear all of the safety equipment there is before you can go out on track, boots, leathers, gloves, helmet, and back-protector. It doesn't matter if there is no helmet law where you live, they are not going to let you out there without a brain-bucket, and that is that. If you are worried people wont be able to see how cool you look, then stop reading now and forget you ever saw this blog.
Motorcycle racing is cool, don't get me wrong, but if you are doing for that reason, then you will realize very soon that you don't have the dedication. Roadracing is very expensive, from tires, to transport vehicles, to getting to the track, to bikes, to everything else that is required, you are going to be shelling out the dough. And then you crash, then you find out just exactly what the physical toll will be. Believe me, you will crash; there are only two kinds of riders out there, those that have crashed, and those that are GOING to crash.
So why am I telling you all of this nasty stuff now? Because I want to you go into this with your eyes open, knowing full well that you will break bones and the bank, maybe not in that order.
I worked on a privateer Roadracing team for over 5 years running WERA and AMA events, but never had the cash to get on the track much, maybe 5 or 6 races total with a lot of trackdays in there. I have seen the effort put in by riders who are trying to make it, and I have seen what a difference it makes to have someone giving you the skinny from time to time. Racing motorcycles is one of my passions, and I hope to be involved in it for the rest of my life. The things I put forward on this blog are going to be by no means an exhaustive examination of how to get out there and do it, but they are a collection of the things I learned and opinions I have on how you can get things done. I am certain that there are other ways of doing things, and in some cases, better ways, but this is what I have learned.
So, if I havent scared you off yet, welcome to the wonderful world of roadracing. You are going to LOVE it, it is one of the most beautiful and fun things I know of to do with your clothes on. I am going to talk about getting started in a few different areas, each post will cover an item, such as the bike, the series, etc. So, check back often, I will try to post weekly as time permits.
A lot of people say that roadracing motorcycles is dangerous and, I have to admit, they are right, it IS dangerous. But, that said, it is far less dangerous than riding on the street. Let me explain why I say that. First, when you are on the track, you know that the others on the track have been through a Racing Rider's School of some sort, and the instructors are not going to pass them if they don't feel they are going to be at least reasonably safe. Second, grandma is not going to pull out in front of you in her big Cadillac when you are blazing down the road at what some might call illegal speeds. Third, there is ALWAYS at least one ambulance on hand at every track while motorcycles are circulating, meaning there is always help within a few moments of you should you get yourself into trouble. Fourth, you are saved from yourself, by this I mean that you have to wear all of the safety equipment there is before you can go out on track, boots, leathers, gloves, helmet, and back-protector. It doesn't matter if there is no helmet law where you live, they are not going to let you out there without a brain-bucket, and that is that. If you are worried people wont be able to see how cool you look, then stop reading now and forget you ever saw this blog.
Motorcycle racing is cool, don't get me wrong, but if you are doing for that reason, then you will realize very soon that you don't have the dedication. Roadracing is very expensive, from tires, to transport vehicles, to getting to the track, to bikes, to everything else that is required, you are going to be shelling out the dough. And then you crash, then you find out just exactly what the physical toll will be. Believe me, you will crash; there are only two kinds of riders out there, those that have crashed, and those that are GOING to crash.
So why am I telling you all of this nasty stuff now? Because I want to you go into this with your eyes open, knowing full well that you will break bones and the bank, maybe not in that order.
I worked on a privateer Roadracing team for over 5 years running WERA and AMA events, but never had the cash to get on the track much, maybe 5 or 6 races total with a lot of trackdays in there. I have seen the effort put in by riders who are trying to make it, and I have seen what a difference it makes to have someone giving you the skinny from time to time. Racing motorcycles is one of my passions, and I hope to be involved in it for the rest of my life. The things I put forward on this blog are going to be by no means an exhaustive examination of how to get out there and do it, but they are a collection of the things I learned and opinions I have on how you can get things done. I am certain that there are other ways of doing things, and in some cases, better ways, but this is what I have learned.
So, if I havent scared you off yet, welcome to the wonderful world of roadracing. You are going to LOVE it, it is one of the most beautiful and fun things I know of to do with your clothes on. I am going to talk about getting started in a few different areas, each post will cover an item, such as the bike, the series, etc. So, check back often, I will try to post weekly as time permits.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)