Walt , A tire groover ? Have you ever tried this ?Id often thought about doing this ,wasnt sure if a motorcycle tire had enough meat on it .I bet some siping on the sides would help
Sweat Pea, Yes. I have used by tire groover and it works great. I bought three different width heads and the cutting depth is adjustable. Depending on how hard it rains you want to remove lots more rubber than just some siping on the edges. Have you looked at a real rain tire? Remember that while you're moving your tire is acting like a squeegee and the water needs a place to go to allow the rubber contact with the ground. I bought mine from Randy's Mart and have the #1 and #5 head and need order some #3s. Here's too much information: http://www.afcoracing.com/ http://www.secureperformanceorder.c...yID=1&ClassID=11&SubclassID=39&ProductID=3618 http://www.secureperformanceorder.com/afcostore/getsearchproductsx.cfm http://www.pitstopusa.com/GROOVINGIRONSANDSIPERS.asp http://www.sardesonracing.com/tire grooving iron.htm http://www.randys-racemart.com/randys-racemart/tirgroovir.html Head & groover sizes: #1 width .053" - #2 width .090" - #3 width .125" - #4 width .215" - #5 width .290" - #6 width .375" #8 width .500" - #10 width .625" - #12 width .750"-
There were guys pitted a few spaces up from Schuster last weekend making their own rain tires. I just checke the price of rain tires, I think i'd rather make my own too! :shock: Rob, you missed some good racing last weekend, crappy weather, though. I don't blame you for staying home. It was 50 degrees, when I left Ann Arbor at 4:00a.m. saturday morning. I don't think the temps at Road America ever got much warmer than that. of course I packed clothing for temps in the mid 70's... D'oh! For Spring and Fall, add Long Johns to the list!
I have ridden back in the rain from there before 2.5 -3 hours worth in the rain ,I got to my front door and the sun came out . I wanted to see Bart out there too . I know some local dirt track guys maybe I can borrow one . (groover )
well... Bart didn't crash & didn't come in last! If that was me racing, I'd say that was pretty good...
Heavy duty coat hanger (to hang leathers on Easy-Up frame) Short bungee cords (to hang everything else on Easy-Up frame) Spray bottle filled with WD-40 Chain lube Spare clutch and brake levers Spare clip ons Spare rear sets Spare batteries for lap timer Extra ear plugs Extra pit bitches (for sharing with fellow riders who are pit bitch-less)
I think there must be something wrong with me. I probably shouldn't admit this on a public forum, but I have ALWAYS been sans Pit Bitch! I have even caught myself on occasion staring at another rider's Pit Bitch(es) with bitter envy, the degree of which is always directly proportional to the hotness of said Pit Bitch(es).
Ok, I hope you guys don't mind but I took some of the ideas here, along with one from another source, added my own stuff and came up with a fairly complete list. It may not work for everyone. I've got it in XL format so if anyone wants it I can email it out. TOOLS General Red Toolbox Torque Wrench Socket/Drivers Wrenches Vise-Grips Screwdrivers Allen Wrenches T Wrenches Spring Puller Pliers Spanner Wrench Cordless Drill Drill Bits Side Cutters Dremmel kit Files Specific Multimeter Chain Breaker Safety Wire Pliers Safety Wire Impact driver OEM Ducati kit Ducati wheel tools Brake bleed kit Aprilia fuel drain Battery tenders Battery jumpers Chemicals 6-gal gas jugs (2) Oil DOT4 brake fluid Coolant Distilled Water Chain Wax Brake Cleaner Liquid Wrench Loctite grease Spray Polish Faceshield cleaner Misc Mecanix Gloves Safety Glasses Shop Towels Clean Rags Funnels Oil dry Hose Clamps Duct Tape electric wire electric tape zip ties Velcro Double stick tape Air Air Tank AccuGauge Air Chuck SPARES General Bars Chain 520/525 Master Links 520/525 Levers Bolts/Nuts Fuses Tires Rotors Aprilia Manual Gearing Brake Pads F Brake Pads R Spark Plugs Oil Filter Rear sets Levers Radiators OEM controlls Plug wires Oil pressure switch Ducati Manual Gearing Brake Pads F Brake Pads R Spark Plugs Oil Filter Rear sets Levers Tank block Battery Tray coolant tank Fuel pump Starter relay Voltage regulator Fairing stays CLOTHING Clothing Jacket / sweatshirt Jeans T-shirts Shorts Boxers Socks Hat towels Sunglasses Riding Gear Leathers Helmet Boots Gloves Bohn shirt Bohn shorts Back protector Chest protector CoolMax Shirt Bike shorts Sidi Socks Knee pucks Ear plugs Bad Weather Gear Thermals Turtleneck Heavy Socks Glove Liners Rain Suit AT THE TRACK Bike Generator Ext Cord Reel Tire Warmers Battery Charger Laptimer Laptimer Battery Rear Stand Front Stand clip board / notes Pit Awning Chairs Cooler Cot Helmet Hooks Hangers Fan Folding table Fire Extinguisher Food & Drink Protein Bars Gatorade Water Red Bull Soda Ice Lunch food Grill Paper plates TRAVEL Bike Cycle Cynch 4 tie-downs per bike Bungee cords Locks & Keys Wood Blocks Condor chock Truck / Trailer precheck Trailer Tires Truck Tires Fill Gas Cans Fill Air Tank Trailer Lights Chains Breakaway Trailer Brakes Ramp Spare Tire Lug Wrench Jack In - Truck Maps / directions Snacks Drinks Music MISC. Misc. Stuff Emergency List Cell phone Phone charger Camera Camera batteries Memory Cards Camera Mount Travel alarm Money Bike Key Gas Tank Key Trash Bags track map dirty clothes bag Camping gear Tent sleeping bag extra blankets pillow tarp Flashlight Toiletries Shampoo face wash soap deodorant baby powder Toothbrush Toothpaste Floss chapstick Qtips Insect repellent sunscreen
Add to the list a big, battery powered clock, so you're not straining to hear the announcement that your group is going out. Hang in your trailer or ez-up and take the battery out when the weekend is over. Lance
OK, some of these lists are a bit silly. I think it's best to start with the absolute essentials, the stuff you need to get you and your bike through tech and onto the track. -Bike (this ocvers all of the obvious prep and maintenance) -Race Suit -back protector -boots -helmet -key -credit card/money A secondary list of things some bikes will absolutely need: -rear stand -2-stroke oil -vehicle -trailer, ramp, tie downs Beyond that, you can make a 2-3 level list in order of importance. Top that list with basic tools, gas jug, piece of wood fr your stand (depending on track) sunscreen, water, food, and so on. The reason why i feel it's important to prioritize things is the bigger the list, the more likely you'll forget something you ABSOLUTELY need! I know this has happended to a bunch of us, we spend all night getting together your camera, your chargers, the latest Racer X mag, etc. And then get to the track and forgot the damn bike key :x :x :x :x Sometimes it's best to err on the light side, just so your vehicle is a little easier to manage while you're there. Now that I'm out of the two stroke world, I find it such a relief not to worry about tire warmers, generator, boxes of spare parts, specialy fluids, etc. Makes the weekend much less stresful. Bringing extra stuff is nice, but it's not fun to dig through it all in the middle of a downpour!
Good points Rich! Personally, I have a dedicated track van that is always completely loaded and ready to roll with everything needed for a track day (or several). Just a quick stop to fill up the gas jug and pick up some food/water and that's it.... I'm actually starting to reduce the amount of stuff I haul around since a lot of it just isn't really needed (e.g., the high capacity coffee maker, various sized coolers, etc...)! :roll:
I agree good point. Get your essentials and go from there. One of the reasons I like to bring everything is that even though there may be people willing to lend tools, spares etc... I like to be self sufficient. My list of stuff is set up as a checklist and all equip/gear is packed days in advance, ready to load up and go. A dedicated van/enclosed trailer sound like a swell idea.
new to my list: RV :shock: :shock: Also, the list of tools wanted will depend on the number days you plan to ride too. If you’re going to be away for two weeks and hit 3, 4 -6 track days then you will likely want to plan for more or just plan to spend more money. That’s one of the advantages with the STT group, there always seems to be some rider support available.