Barely legal lights on your track bike?

[Swodi]

Do you have lights on your track so you can ride it occasionally on the street? I don't mean you take the tape off your factory lights or switch out the bodywork. I mean do you have some aftermarket lights mounted to your track bodywork so can take it on the road if the mood should strike?

I don't plan on doing a whole lot of street riding with this bike, but it would be nice to take the bike up to the north GA mountains and the Deal's Gap area, or even commute if I don't feel like spending $3.50/gal to get 17mpg in the truck.

Anyway, if you've got something like this, what is your set-up? Any pics and/or how-to's would be very much appreciated.

 

[aowens2]

Be careful of the lights, blinkers, tag mounting, exhaust noise and tires you have on the street. You could get your bike impounded.

But to try to help, I have seen a honda cbr600rr that was clearly set up for the track, it only had one headlight showing through the race bodywork, but there was a way it was set up you could snap/secure a cover over the headlight. I believe the brake light (probably integrated w turn sig) was recessed into the tail bodywork, which was probably illegal. And blinkers were installed where the mirrors were supposed to be.

 

[Swodi]

Yeah, I hear ya on the impound thing. I plan on looking up FL statutes before I do anything. I should probably take a look at GA, TN, and NC as well.

 

[aowens2]

Keep in mind also, Deals Gap/Tail of Dragon in Carolina and Devils Triangle/Suches (just north of Dahlonega, GA) are covered with police. They are there to write tickets only in my opinion, so watch out.

I suppose there isn't much else they can do, they just sit back and wait for a wreck otherwise. God bless the GSP officer that pulled me over, that was my incentive to take it to the track. Nobody wants to end up at the bottom of a ravine. And it has completly changed my riding attitude for the better.

 

[Lean.In.]

Tons of guys run track bikes at the Gap...with a plate and a fog light on the front...thats it. Some guys dont even run plates. They trailer their bikes to the parking lot at the bottom near the lake and run the bike from there. Usually the cops are pretty cool if you dont act like a fool and go balls out up there.

Just what Ive experienced....

 

[Chip]

Lean.In.;174706 wrote: Tons of guys run track bikes at the Gap...with a plate and a fog light on the front...thats it. Some guys dont even run plates. They trailer their bikes to the parking lot at the bottom near the lake and run the bike from there. Usually the cops are pretty cool if you dont act like a fool and go balls out up there.

Just what Ive experienced....

+1. I take my RC upto the Gap 2 or 3 times a year. Never been hassled. PIAA fog light and a velcro'ed universal LED taillight

You can see the taillight in this pic

 

[Swodi]

Chip;174713 wrote: +1. I take my RC upto the Gap 2 or 3 times a year. Never been hassled. PIAA fog light and a velcro'ed universal LED taillight

How do you have your headlight mounted? Your set-up is pretty much what I have in mind. I did, however, find a combo running/brake/turn-signal thingy at Twisted Throttle that I think I could mount on a removable bracket on the tail. Thrown on some bar-end mirrors and mirror block-off turn signals and I should be in business.

 

[Chip]

Just drilled a couple of holes and used the bracket that came with the light

 

[Motofun352]

This is bait for a traffic stop if ever I saw one! Good luck!

 

[Chip]

I wouldn't go cruising all around town like that, but I do a "test and tune" ride or two on backroads between trackdays and a couple trips to the Gap and I've never been bothered, but yeah, with my set up I'd have some 'splaining to do if I come across a LEO in a bad mood.

 

[Lean.In.]

^U dont run a plate?

Ive seen a lot of guys without them up there...I just dont see one on your ride...just axin.

Also, what tires do you run up there? You ever run anything more track specific?

 

[Chip]

No, I don't run a plate. I do keep the title with me to prove ownership if need be, but in 3 years I've never been bothered up there(I also don't ride like an asshole on the dragon). The first time I did it I was worried, but then noticed there are track bikes all over up there. Not saying it's ok, but it's done often there and I've never been bothered. None of our tire distibutors at work carry race rubber, so I've always run street tires. Lately I've been running Pilot Pures

 

[Lean.In.]

cool cool...do you have another set of wheels or is street rubber what you run at the track? Ive got 209GPA's on and Im kinda worried about takin those up there just b/c I dont want to heat cycle them a ton but they arent new or anything so maybe I wont worry about it.

 

[bmart]

Whoa Nellie. You guys are running on public roads with illegal bikes with no registration and no insurance? If so, aren't you worried about legal action? If someone gets hurt, they will take everything you own, no? Seems like a huge risk...

 

[madriders86]

I don't think I'd do something like that myself without a plate and insurance, personally.

That would be daytime use only for me as well.

 

[Chip]

Lean.In.;174751 wrote: cool cool...do you have another set of wheels or is street rubber what you run at the track? Ive got 209GPA's on and Im kinda worried about takin those up there just b/c I dont want to heat cycle them a ton but they arent new or anything so maybe I wont worry about it.

I haven't run race tires because I get street tires at cost, and I've never really felt they are holding me back. I've had my eye on Pirelli Superbike Pro's lately though. I know running on the street like that isn't the best idea, but I could really count the amont of times I ride on the street at year on one hand.

 

[Swodi]

bmart;174752 wrote: Whoa Nellie. You guys are running on public roads with illegal bikes with no registration and no insurance? If so, aren't you worried about legal action? If someone gets hurt, they will take everything you own, no? Seems like a huge risk...

Negatronsky. I have current registration and full insurance coverage. Of course with a race tail on there I'll have to find a new place to keep the paperwork. My tail mounts up to the stock fender location, so it's just a simple matter of bolting the plate on there. From what I hear, Florida (where I live now) is bloody evil when it comes to motorcycle equipment requirements (vertically mounted plate is akin to a felony) so I plan to be 100% legal everywhere I plan to ride...not just with a passing glance from a cop in a cruiser, but should I find myself at some random, revenue-generating motorcycle checkpoint (but let's save THAT discussion for another thread). I have no intent of breaking the law, merely adhering to it with smaller, lighter aftermarket equipment.

 

[bmart]

Brilliant! How can you not love NESBIANS!

 

[dbakerpa]

I put the perforated tape on my street bike headlight and blinkers. so It could be used on the track. I did cover the rear lights with removable black vinyl. the headlight and side marker perforated tape stays on. You can buy it from lockhart-phillips.

 

[jfeagin]

I haven't rigged it all up yet, but I have one of those Twisted Throttle all-in-one rear lights. Easy to tap into the stock loom with that. My plate stays on the small bracket that came with the bike and will mount up for short test rides and such with heavy duty velcro. In front I'm putting a driving light in the air duct. Haven't figured out the front turn signals, yet.