How often - oil change, coolant, suspension oil
- Thread starter tomngle
- Start date
Sklossmonster
New Member
Track riding is very different than street riding. You can pretty much throw your OEM service intervals out the window.
Since track riders don't do race starts, the oil filters don't clog up quite as fast as they do for racers, but the oil breaks down very quickly when you're living on the redline all the time.
It's really a question of how big your budget is and how environmentally sensitive you want to be. Full factory teams change pretty much everything after every single race, and I'm not just talking about fluids and filters, if you know what I mean.
Assuming a reasonable budget, and a reasonable amount of tree-hugger conscientiousness, I would recommend you change out full synthetic oil every three weekends. If you don't use synthetic oil, more like every weekend or two, depending on how hard you ride.
How you use the clutch is a good indicator for how often you change the oil filter, since slipper clutches and people who don't blip the throttle while downshifting burns a lot more clutch material, which of course, ends up in the oil filter.
Suspension oil, at least once a season. Off season is a great opportunity. Always with new fork seals.
520 chains should get replaced every season on a liter bike, maybe every other on a 600, but a fresh chain is cheap insurance against a potentially disastrous crash.
Full system coolant/water flush every off season.
Brake fluid, a full fluid change at least once a season, and I bleed my brakes a lot during the season.
New tires as often as you can, because there's nothing like the feeling (and the safety) of fresh rubber.
I'm so glad the season is finally upon us! It's time to have some fun.
Since track riders don't do race starts, the oil filters don't clog up quite as fast as they do for racers, but the oil breaks down very quickly when you're living on the redline all the time.
It's really a question of how big your budget is and how environmentally sensitive you want to be. Full factory teams change pretty much everything after every single race, and I'm not just talking about fluids and filters, if you know what I mean.
Assuming a reasonable budget, and a reasonable amount of tree-hugger conscientiousness, I would recommend you change out full synthetic oil every three weekends. If you don't use synthetic oil, more like every weekend or two, depending on how hard you ride.
How you use the clutch is a good indicator for how often you change the oil filter, since slipper clutches and people who don't blip the throttle while downshifting burns a lot more clutch material, which of course, ends up in the oil filter.
Suspension oil, at least once a season. Off season is a great opportunity. Always with new fork seals.
520 chains should get replaced every season on a liter bike, maybe every other on a 600, but a fresh chain is cheap insurance against a potentially disastrous crash.
Full system coolant/water flush every off season.
Brake fluid, a full fluid change at least once a season, and I bleed my brakes a lot during the season.
New tires as often as you can, because there's nothing like the feeling (and the safety) of fresh rubber.
I'm so glad the season is finally upon us! It's time to have some fun.
erick1670
Member
if only track 2 to 3 track days,but if ride street alot them maybe after your 2do.(engine), coolant switch it to water or watter witter ones a year, and depending where you live if is very cold in winter then when you store it you have to put antifeeze, suspention again if you do alot of trackdays maybe ones a year or one and half.....hope that gives you some pointers am sure some other guys will give you pointers also
Meat
Member
Get your oil tested! It isn't very expensive and you will want to get the TBN (Total Base Number) to see what the condition of your oil and how much safe life it has in it for the conditions it is under. This is on top of the regular oil analysis ($22 + $10 for TBN last set I sent in).
I see threads like this all the time and so few people actually test their oil. I think 3 weekends (6 track days) is a good place to start.
This is where I get mine tested:
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/
They test other fluids as well, if you were interested.
I see threads like this all the time and so few people actually test their oil. I think 3 weekends (6 track days) is a good place to start.
This is where I get mine tested:
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/
They test other fluids as well, if you were interested.
Sklossmonster
New Member
I know how you feel, I've been on both sides of how often to do this stuff, and I've kind of learned the hard way that fresher is not only faster, it's also safer.
If you really want to feel like a slacker, consider how we really should be going back over the bikes constantly to look for any little thing that's vibrating loose. The tracks, and a lot of radiators, are full of nuts and bolts that simply vibrate loose.
The track environment is so hard on the equipment it's not even funny, and the faster you go the more you wear just about everything out.
trickyricky
New Member
Habits are hard to break. After 16 years as an aviation mechanic, I give my bike a pre-ride/post-ride inspection.
I change my brake fluid for every other track weekend but bleed it every morning at the track, my oil every 500 miles. Brake pads after they reach their halfway point.
Chain, suspension oils, radiator water, after the season is over.
This is one funds-consuming passion, kind of like a ,hum, like a mistress...
I change my brake fluid for every other track weekend but bleed it every morning at the track, my oil every 500 miles. Brake pads after they reach their halfway point.
Chain, suspension oils, radiator water, after the season is over.
This is one funds-consuming passion, kind of like a ,hum, like a mistress...
Meat
Member
How often do you change your oil? Every track day? $13 X 6 = $78
$13 + $32 oil analysis = $45 for the same 6 track days.
$13 for 30 track days = $13 + worn out motor
How do you know when to change your oil? Why do you change it at that interval?
Not to mention that they actually analyze your oil and compare it to same or similar motors under the same conditions (track) to see what condition your motor is in.
You zone in on what the change interval should be for your motor and your conditions. Then you know when it should be changed instead of going by feel or mob rules and you have solid data to back it up.
Marshall,Sklossmonster;113938 wrote: Track riding is very different than street riding. You can pretty much throw your OEM service intervals out the window.
Since track riders don't do race starts, the oil filters don't clog up quite as fast as they do for racers, but the oil breaks down very quickly when you're living on the redline all the time.
It's really a question of how big your budget is and how environmentally sensitive you want to be. Full factory teams change pretty much everything after every single race, and I'm not just talking about fluids and filters, if you know what I mean.
Assuming a reasonable budget, and a reasonable amount of tree-hugger conscientiousness, I would recommend you change out full synthetic oil every three weekends. If you don't use synthetic oil, more like every weekend or two, depending on how hard you ride.
How you use the clutch is a good indicator for how often you change the oil filter, since slipper clutches and people who don't blip the throttle while downshifting burns a lot more clutch material, which of course, ends up in the oil filter.
Suspension oil, at least once a season. Off season is a great opportunity. Always with new fork seals.
520 chains should get replaced every season on a liter bike, maybe every other on a 600, but a fresh chain is cheap insurance against a potentially disastrous crash.
Full system coolant/water flush every off season.
Brake fluid, a full fluid change at least once a season, and I bleed my brakes a lot during the season.
New tires as often as you can, because there's nothing like the feeling (and the safety) of fresh rubber.
I'm so glad the season is finally upon us! It's time to have some fun.
That's some helpful information!! Thanks