Off season gear maintenance

[bmart]

My track season is over and I'm neck deep into cleaning gear, going through the bikes, etc. I thought I'd post what I do and hope that you do the same to help the larger group, particularly the new folks.

Remove back protector and pucks from suit and wash with gloves in the clothes washing machine. I use Persil in the pre-wash detergent spot, Castile soap in the regular detergent spot, white vinegar in the bleach spot. Use prewash, extra rinse, and cold water. Leather comes out like new. Do not dry! Condition it twice, fully, while it is still damp. I love Meguiar's 3 in 1 for this (and the car seats). Reinstall back protector and pucks when dry. Suit and gloves done until spring! (Not sure how this works with airbag suits!)

All of the regular stuff, shirts/vest, helmet liners, chest protector cover, armored shorts, helmet beanies, hats, (soft helmet bags) etc. all in the wash with the same detergent "stuff" as above on delicate with prewash and extra rinse.

Helmets get their EPS and dates checked, and the shell and shields get cleaned thoroughly (clean those vents with Q-tips!) and waxed.

Boot inserts come out to get the rocks/bugs/grit out just like after every track day. Clean the outsides as you like. Greased Lightning works pretty well.

All gear gets checked for damage, repairs needed/done, loose strings (can get caught in zippers) cut...note what you need for winter sales!

All of the equipment/spares gets similar checks and repairs. Bikes get all systems gone through, retorque important bolts, bodywork cleaned (stop laughing, Brent!).

Tuck it all away until spring and you'll be ready to roll!

 

[HondaGalToo]

I always threw my Vanson in the washing machine. Dainese says not to, so I haven't, but am concerned about the sweat in the leather. I wouldn't throw an airbag suit in the washer.
But gloves, yeah!

 

[bmart]

Salt in sweat absolutely kills leathers and makes them come apart from brittleness. Unsightly and dangerous in a crash. If you're a big 'ole sweater, I'd clean it mid season also. Vinegar gets the job done, but you must recondition thoroughly.

I still have all of my Vansons, some 20+ years of use later, and they're all still in great shape.

 

[Laszlo]

Appreciate the write up! Do we have a wiki or someplace for such helpful posts? Am i dating myself with referring to a wiki?

 

[bmart]

Bump.

Did my helmets today. Spring will be here...eventually.

 

[Stickboy274]

Don't forget trailer service. Bearings, repack every year. Brakes, make sure they are working each year, change pads if needed. Tires, replace every 5 years.

 

[Goodman]

Don't forget trailer service. Bearings, repack every year. Brakes, make sure they are working each year, change pads if needed. Tires, replace every 5 years.

I haven't bothered with checking trailer brakes, but that is because I don't have them. Now bearings, that is on the to-do list.

 

[bmart]

On my open trailer, I do them every 5k miles. Worth nothing that you want to flush out the old so there is only new in there, not just fill the space until old great starts to come out.

 

[bmart]

*grease, not great.

 

[Stickboy274]

I don't trust those grease fittings. When I used to do that, I would have bearing failures. I started pulling the bearings out, cleaning them in a parts washer, inspect and then repack with a packer, and finish by packing by hand. It doesn't take very long to do.

 

[Otto Man]

I don't trust those grease fittings. When I used to do that, I would have bearing failures. I started pulling the bearings out, cleaning them in a parts washer, inspect and then repack with a packer, and finish by packing by hand. It doesn't take very long to do.

I agree with all that except how long it takes. It takes forever to do (in my mind). Have seen many guys blow out the wheel seal by blindly pumping grease in and cause more problems than they're trying to prevent.

It's a messy pain in the ass to do wheel bearings properly like you stated - cleaning them before repacking. Last year, I found a slight chip in one of the rollers of my wheel bearing. It had just started to glitter the grease. Had I just pumped grease in through the fitting, I would have never noticed that.

Would that bearing have failed me that season if I didn't see it? We'll never know. But I do know that bearing (and race) got replaced as soon as I saw that.

Additionally: At the very least I would keep a brand new set (inner/outer) of bearings for a hub already packed with grease and ready to install. In my case, it only added 5 more minutes to change it out until I bought a replacement set, repacked that set, and kept it as my new spare.

Not only does blindly putting grease in increase risk, you also never get a chance to inspect the brakes. There's only one way to do it correctly - and that's the long way of pulling the hubs. Also way easier to just have 4 new wheel seals on stand by to replace so you don't worry about tearing the seals out when you remove them.

 

[Stickboy274]

When I replace bearings, the set that looks fine, gets repacked and stored in the trailer. I've had to use that to get back going before. Our tire trailers are heavy, so we have to keep an eye on them.

 

[kbowker]

I have an Alpinestars Missle 1-piece airbag race suit that hadn’t been cleaned in a long while. What I did was removed the airbag, the LED display in the left forearm and wiring harness, and all the pads. Then I rolled it up tightly, stuffed it inside a trash bag so it would slide easily into a cardboard box, and shipped it to Barnacle Bill Leather Repair (Bill Burns, 1106 Logan Road, Springfield, KY 40069, billdarethea@gmail.com, (859) 336-7375). For $100 he thoroughly cleaned and conditioned it. He offered to fix a zipper for free but I gave him another $20 for that. Roundtrip shipping was $56. So total cost was ~$175. Turnaround was just 11 days door to door.

I thought it was a good value and a worthwhile service. I’d do it again. Once annually is good enough for me considering how often I ride (~5 track days per year). If you ride more often consider washing and conditioning your leathers maybe two or three times a year. The sweat and microbes can really do a number on the leather suits.

 

[kbowker]

It’s too damn cold and my garage is too much of a disaster for me to work on bikes this winter. So when it gets warmer I’ll finish the garage repairs and work like mad to get caught up on bike prep for the riding season.

 

[bmart]

Barnacle Bill is awesome! I've used him a few times before.

 

[virtualsolitude]

It’s too damn cold and my garage is too much of a disaster for me to work on bikes this winter. So when it gets warmer I’ll finish the garage repairs and work like mad to get caught up on bike prep for the riding season.

Two words: space heaters. Your hands (and bikes) will thank you for it.

I can't offer quick suggestions for the (lack of) organization in your garage. Lol.

 

[D-Zum]

Good time to inspect and replace chains and sprockets too.

 

[bmart]

My chain/sprocket sets go 5k miles like clockwork on the 600s.