Track Day / Racing Checklist

[domarena33]

Hey everyone.

I was extremely lucky to be able to have a one-on-one conversation with Cameron Beabuier this weekend. While we were chatting, he stressed the importance of inspecting your bike technically, especially when you don't have a nationally renowned team with extremely skilled mechanics doing it for you. So, our conversation really got me thinking. Although individual tech. inspection may seem pretty routine for a lot of us, I bet it's less routine for many. Our control riders and inspectors are good, but they do not find everything. I was searching through the forums and didn't easily come across anything. If you have a track day and/or racing inspection checklist for teching your bike, please consider sharing it with the group as I've yet to see anything on here and a google search didn't yield anything useful for me. Although we're not responsible for each other's bikes, I see nothing to lose by sharing information with our community. When I worked on missile launchers in the Navy, we were specifically told to remember very little. We followed strict procedures and guidelines that were written. Complacency is the enemy when dealing with highly volatile and dangerous situations as things can be easily overlooked. I'm seeing similarities with our sport in this regard.

Thank you

 

[Otto Man]

What is just as, if not more important than a checklist is doing said maintenance with your undivided attention. Something as simple as a wheel swap (which we do ALL the time) can be catastrophic - lack of torqueing your calipers, axles, rotors, etc. I don't like talking with anyone when doing this stuff. It's just entirely too easy to get distracted and forget.

I totally understand everyone is busy with life, but the weekend starts at your house. I always, ALWAYS strive to have my bike track ready before it's even loaded. Gas tank is full and it is clean and ready for tech. I go to the extent of over inflating my tires a bit so all I have to do is bump down some air after the warmers have been on for an hour the morning of.

My "checklist" goes from the center of the bike out. Well first, it needs to run...oil changed? Coolant good? Oil filter/drain safety wired? Onto the trip tree. Clip ons torqued? Are they indexed? They should be. Some paint marks on your upper/lower triple with your clip ons will quickly show if a clipon rotated on the fork tube. Turn bars left to right, no binding of wires/throttle. I use gas to go...throttle snap back clean? Doesn't stick side to side? Then I use the brakes...fluid good? Pads good? What am I braking on...front tire. Tire good? Need replaced? And so forth and so forth. I don't find you need a "list" if I run through the functionality of the bike when I go through it.

 

[domarena33]

What is just as, if not more important than a checklist is doing said maintenance with your undivided attention. Something as simple as a wheel swap (which we do ALL the time) can be catastrophic - lack of torqueing your calipers, axles, rotors, etc. I don't like talking with anyone when doing this stuff. It's just entirely too easy to get distracted and forget.

I totally understand everyone is busy with life, but the weekend starts at your house. I always, ALWAYS strive to have my bike track ready before it's even loaded. Gas tank is full and it is clean and ready for tech. I go to the extent of over inflating my tires a bit so all I have to do is bump down some air after the warmers have been on for an hour the morning of.

My "checklist" goes from the center of the bike out. Well first, it needs to run...oil changed? Coolant good? Oil filter/drain safety wired? Onto the trip tree. Clip ons torqued? Are they indexed? They should be. Some paint marks on your upper/lower triple with your clip ons will quickly show if a clipon rotated on the fork tube. Turn bars left to right, no binding of wires/throttle. I use gas to go...throttle snap back clean? Doesn't stick side to side? Then I use the brakes...fluid good? Pads good? What am I braking on...front tire. Tire good? Need replaced? And so forth and so forth. I don't find you need a "list" if I run through the functionality of the bike when I go through it.

I learned something. Thank you.

 

[Goodman]

paint pens for marking bolts is a great time saver. just remember to remark when you adjust something.

 

[MK3Brent]

@bmart wrote a book on the subject. Maybe he'll post it.

 

[bmart]

 

[HondaGalToo]

Good tips by Otto Man. I always check over my bike. Even just cleaning it without distractions allows you to check over all fasteners. Agree, I hate trying to talk when doing anything mechanical. I always strive to have everything ready when I get to the track, even if it means I change a tire a bit early. I hate rushing at the track to work on anything, as it can lead to errors. The most I want to have to do when necessary is swap wheels due to weather.

Preventive maintenance is a big deal to me. Oil changes, valve adjustments, spark plugs, all regular maintenance items are kept up to date and I write it all down so there's no guessing as to when it was done last.

Keep it clean, you'll notice any leaks or issues easier. Some of the bikes that come through tech are so filthy you know they aren't keeping up with anything else. So dirty I can't see if the brake pads are good.

 

[mikeinatlanta]

In race cars we call it nut and bolting the car. Winning race teams do it before heading to the track every week. Check all (100%) hardware for being secure. Clean every inch you can reach. WD40 is a great cleaner for this. Wipe every inch down inspecting as you do it. Change all fluids. Overinflate the tires by about 5psi so that at the track you only need to let them down in the morning. Did I mention clean everything?

 

[The B Team]

Check all (100%) hardware for being secure.

Good point but, if you want to streamline things, everything important should be wired, pinned, or paint-marked for anybody taking this seriously. Takes me (or the CRs) about 15 seconds to look at every major component on my bike and see that the hardware is tight, wired or pinned. That little fluorescent paint has saved my ass a couple times, just kicking back in the pits between sessions looking at the bike nonchalantly.

Also, I don't know who needs to hear this, but your fork preload adjusters have backed off.

 

[mikeinatlanta]

One of the main points of checking 100% of the hardware is to touch and look at everything. That's how defects like cracks get found. While torque stripe has its purpose, if you are finding loose hardware at the track that has been torque striped, you have other issues needing resolved. Safety wire is more about making tech feel good than actually keeping an oil plug from coming loose. While it's a good thing for tech, nothing we safety on these bikes would come loose if properly secured in the first place. Excess safety wire all over the bike only impresses the guy doing it.

 

[The B Team]

Safety wire is more about making tech feel good than actually keeping an oil plug from coming loose.

Guessing you weren't at NC or Pitt for those couple incidents last year.

 

[mikeinatlanta]

No, but I have worn out more than one set of safety wire pliers during my career. While the wire will keep a plug not properly secured from falling off, a properly secured plug would never come loose in the first place. Since tech can't realistically check torques, safety wire is a good alternative for the track on oil plugs. The truth of the matter is that filters and plugs falling off are a result of rushed maintenance prepping the bike for the track, not that the plugs work themselves loose.

 

[The B Team]

Yes I agree with all that. The paint pen just turns a 10 minute job into a 30 second job, and affords me the ability to check things constantly, instead of just once before I load up.

 

[NothingClever]

Reference undistracted inspection and maintenance of the bike, this principle has parallels in diving, parachuting and explosives.

It’s difficult to exercise life-preserving attention to detail if one’s attention is divided. High-performance motorcycling is no different, IMO.

Seems self evident but I think it bears reinforcement. If somebody seems a bit terse in their paddock when they have a wrench in their hands, it might be because they’re focused on a maintenance procedure and the interruption is spiking their stress. I think this is something to be respected.

 

[Jacob]

I keep a laminated checklist in my toolbox. But, I also have torque labels and drilled bolts for safety wire all over my bike... having all those labels and drilled bolts makes it hard to put anything on incorrectly, with them staring me in the face. Torque it, then wire/paint it.

Like someone else mentioned, doing it this way for me takes thinking out of the equation to prevent mistakes. Simply follow the guidelines, and the checklist is only for double checking with a quick glance at paint and wires.

 

[jonobrin]

Guessing you weren't at NC or Pitt for those couple incidents last year.

I was responsible for one of incidents at Pitt. Sorry again to anyone who missed time on the track due to my mistake.

Drain bolt was tightened to spec but it came out anyways. Since my bike didn't have a belly pan at the time it made quite the mess. I've since purchased a bolt with a predrilled hole for a safety wire and added a cheap worm clamp to my oil filter.

I agree with everyone on the paint pen comments. Huge help and time saver. One thing I would add is to buy a cheap nut/bolt/washer kit from Amazon for $25. If something does fall off on track, its helpful to have as assortment of spares. Also, blue Loctite is your friend!

 

[mikeinatlanta]

I was responsible for one of incidents at Pitt. Sorry again to anyone who missed time on the track due to my mistake.

Drain bolt was tightened to spec but it came out anyways. Since my bike didn't have a belly pan at the time it made quite the mess. I've since purchased a bolt with a predrilled hole for a safety wire and added a cheap worm clamp to my oil filter.

I agree with everyone on the paint pen comments. Huge help and time saver. One thing I would add is to buy a cheap nut/bolt/washer kit from Amazon for $25. If something does fall off on track, its helpful to have as assortment of spares. Also, blue Loctite is your friend!

"Drain bolt was tightened to spec but it came out anyways." When considering the few miles these bike actually do on the track, and the miles many of the same plug (or filter) do on the street (on cars and bikes), we would have hundreds of bolts falling out and filters falling off on the street every weekend if a properly secured item had any tendency to fall out at the rate they do on the track. Odds are that you 'thought" that the plug was to spec, not that it actually was. If you do regularly have hardware coming loose, you might look into the quality and where you are sourcing them.

 

[bmart]

I can tell you what I do. Maybe it will resonate.

I use a torque wrench on anything that has a spec. I check my torque wrenches against each other once in a while (you know when you know). Safety wire is hugely helpful in keeping us all safe. (The hint is in the name...)

Additionally, I put my hands on the important nuts/bolts a few times every day. Axles. Calipers. Rearsets. Seat. Fairing. You get the idea. I try to unscrew with my fingers. Folks who I visit around the pits have seen me do the same to their bikes. We want everyone to be safe and a second set of eyes/hands can be very helpful. And it is free to do. Once in a while...I'm glad that I did.

 

[jonobrin]

"Drain bolt was tightened to spec but it came out anyways." When considering the few miles these bike actually do on the track, and the miles many of the same plug (or filter) do on the street (on cars and bikes), we would have hundreds of bolts falling out and filters falling off on the street every weekend if a properly secured item had any tendency to fall out at the rate they do on the track. Odds are that you 'thought" that the plug was to spec, not that it actually was. If you do regularly have hardware coming loose, you might look into the quality and where you are sourcing them.

Welcome to check my torque wrenches. It was an OEM bolt. I'd argue that track and street riding puts very different stress levels on a machine.

 

[Goodman]

If the crush washer wasn't replaced, then the hold may not have been the same, even torqued to spec.