• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Drag Strip and Road Course tech inspections

boontonmike

boontonmike

Forum Mentor
Well i'm getting close to having my long awaited build done for summer. I would love to get her on a road course, but more realistically would be able to get it to a test and tune night for a bit of fun on the drag strip. I'm wondering what are the general safety rules for both. I'm talking strictly open track/ test and tune style days, no actual race events. I know gear will be a must and assuming that includes full suit, boots, gloves and helmet all up to currrent safety standards. I'm going on a whim and thinking drag strip requires a dead mans leash safety switch and both require some basic safety wiring of anything that can spill. Also i rmember reading for track days that an oil pan catch is a must.

Any and all info will be great and I know this is the place to go for all of that. Cheers!
 
On the road courses it really depends on the track, who's sponsoring the track time and what sort of event it is. For instance, some require full one piece leathers, Snell rated full face helmets, armored boots and gloves, and those same guys will require all fluid accessing bolts (oil pan and fill cap, rad, brake fittings etc) to be safety wired, all glass taped off and or removed signals, speedo face taped off, a certain level of tires (full race slicks, or at least a track grade sport tire) etc etc.
Some would not even let your bike onto the track as it isn't "new" enough or cannot maintain a certain minimum speed requirement...
However there are also many out there that have much less strict regs. For instance I plan on attending, along with quite a few others from here, a track day up at Gingerman Raceway in August that's directed more toward your everyday joe kind of rider who wants to experience track time and push his/her limits in a much safer environment than the street, but without having to deal with a bunch of egomaniac d!ck swingers trying to pass you on the outside and blow your doors off the entire time. The only tech requirements as I understand them are decent tires with good life in them, masked off glass and lenses, and fully armored but street grade gear (armored jacket and pants, helmets gloves boots) This will be my first track day experience and I'm really really looking forward to it. Apparently there is some classroom time for those who wish to use it, as well as a course walk with a skilled instructor who will give you tips on braking points, entry angles and speeds, and also some on course instructors who will follow you at first and then have you follow them and they'll give you more tips and tricks. I'm highly excited about this.
I have a feeling that I will become quite fond of track time, and have already started gathering info on possibly doing some VRRA type club events. If I can make it work, I'd set out to build a track duty GS set up for vintage period racing. I'm quite sure I'd never be all that competative (old dog, new tricks sort of thing) but it would keep a smile on my face just to be out there...
 
boontonmike said:
Specs on this gingerman track day? Sounds like i might have to make it out to this if theres a GS crowd.
Click to expand...

Well, not to make it sound clique-ish or anything, but it's not my event and as I understand it's a limited crowd event of 40-50 riders. Lemme ask the guy who invited me and see what the deal is. It's put on by a shop owner, and it's really for his customers and such so I don't want to be that guy that invited 30 other guys to the party without asking.

I'll let ya know what the deal is though when I find out.
Having said that, you should be able to find similar events closer to home (Gingerman is way out in MI/IL area)
And if it's a GS get-together youd also like to attend, make your way out my way this July and join us down in Kentucky for the GS Red River Rally. It's a great event with AWESOME roads and a whole weekend of riding around the mountains/hills/hollers with little to zero LEO sightings. It's an awesome time. And then at the end of the day when we put the motorbikes to bed we all sit around and tell lies about how fast we rode around that right angle corner and how we jumped a deer, missed a UPS truck and had a turtle flip us off all at the same time while enjoying some adult beverages. And invariably there will be an impromptu wrenching session when someone's stator or regulator takes a dump or someone's carbs sucked up a squirrel or someone tossed a chain...

These get-togethers are what this place is about. It's great to pop on here and swap tips and tricks, but it really takes the "family" aspect of this site to a whole new level when two guys that by reading their posts to each other on here you'd swear we're arch enemies that if they ever met would rip each others limbs off and beat them to death with them, instead are laughing, smiling, cracking open a beer and having a good time.
This place really is family...

In short my friend, BRING YOUR ASS TO RED RIVER!!!
 
Sounds pretty awesome. Got a new job this year that pays me pretty well and also gives me a fair amount of paid vacation/holiday time to actually go out and enjoy that money. I'm definatly interested in trying to make it to some of these events. Thanks for the heads up.
 
boontonmike said:
Sounds pretty awesome. Got a new job this year that pays me pretty well and also gives me a fair amount of paid vacation/holiday time to actually go out and enjoy that money. I'm definatly interested in trying to make it to some of these events. Thanks for the heads up.
Click to expand...

Well we'd be happy to have you. And since this red river event is "my" rally event (as in I started the ball rolling, but like many of these events, the community are what makes them what they are) I can personally invite you :p not that anyone needs an invitation either hahaha
 
For drag racing, safety wiring is not required for tech in my experience. The tether switch rule usually applies for under 11 secs or over 120mph. Neither of those things are going to happen in a 1/4 mile with a '78 GS550, even with the 673cc big bore kit that you list. They do look for a chain guard so make sure that you have one. Look for a web site for your local dragstrip for more information. Being in NJ, your choices are probably Englishtown, Atco, or Island Dragway as far as I know.
 
Island is closer, Englishtown has better track conditions. I prefer Island for the amount of runs you get for the money and I'm not a serious racer. I took a couple of my cars to both. Good to hear it's not too hard to get on the track on my bike.
 
Any nhra track is suppose to require a snell2005 or newer approval helmet. If you show up with out one at my track, you don't run. Gloves and over the ankle leather boots will get you by along with a good jacket.
 
Shouldn'tbe too bad at all. Thanks for the insight guys. I hope I can make it out for a couple track days this season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top