Critical Items to check Torque on before a trackday?

[EndingVelocity]

In the last session of my last track day, we had a rider in our group lose an oil pan bolt mid-session ending the day for everyone. I've only just completed my 3rd track day so I am still very new to all of this. I have a track day coming up at CMP this weekend and it's got me going over the bike with a fine toothcomb cause I don't want to be "That Guy". What parts on the bike are critical to verify they are tightened to spec while prepping the bike?

 

[MK3Brent]

First of all, thank you so much for caring. Definitely check and even safety wire your drain bolt, filler cap, oil filter… next, brake calipers, axles, and pinch bolts.

 

[The B Team]

Most of the oil issues I've seen on track can be resolved by drilling the oil pan drain and safety wiring it in place. You can also do the oil filter using a hose clamps, I personally keep an old bicycle innertube in my box and just cut off about a 2" piece to put around the oil filter under the clamp, which prevents the clamp from puncturing the filter as well as increases friction. Brent covered it pretty well, but you can also pull up the full Wera tech requirements if you want to go overboard. Like he said, thanks!

 

[bmart]

My $.02, hopefully worth more. Checking torque is great, but if things are safety wired, they can't loosen (or unloosen as the kids call it...but that's a problem for another day). Know that every time a human touches something, they can introduce a problem that wasn't there before...this is why we always ask if riders have done any recent service and why the first place you look when diagnosing is the things you last touched.

Checking the advanced group rules and WERA/CCS racing sites will give you a thorough answer.

Anyplace fluids can come out of, so coolant (radiator cap, hose clamps, drain bolt, water pump bolts), oil (filler, filter, drain bolt). And then critical components like axles (lug nuts for single sided swingarm folks), brake caliper bolts, brake pad retainers, handlebar/riser bolts, seat bolts, fork clamp bolts.

I do not torque/retorque any bolts for any given day, but I absolutely use a calibrated torque wrench on clean bolts/threaded holes when I do work on the bike, AND I put my hands on those important ones each morning to ensure that nothing has come loose. (You'll see me touching axle bolts, brake caliper bolts, oil filler, etc. on YOUR bike during tech.)

If you're coming to CMP this weekend, come by and say hello.

 

[rpm894]

I heard, but don’t have firsthand knowledge, that someone crashed at Summit earlier this year because his exhaust fell off and went into his rear wheel. I thought how does that even happen since there is more than one bolt holding it. Then I started safety wiring my bike to WERA rules, which requires wiring the exhaust bolts. All of my exhaust hanger bolts were loose.

I do have too much firsthand knowledge that the vibration caused from hard parts like foot pegs, bars, exhaust, etc sliding across the track when you crash has a tendency to loosen a lot of bolts you would never expect.

 

[NothingClever]

(or unloosen as the kids call it...but that's a problem for another day).

So grateful I’m not alone in this battle for mankind’s future.

 

[bmart]

I threw up my hands and had to leave the room whey they added "leverage" as a verb because they just couldn't teach folks that levering things, with a lever created leverage.

And then there's "I could care less..."