In order to protect their racing surface, most race tracks require additional safety equipement to be installed. Desert Park Raceway is no different.
This guide will help walk you through each of our major checklist items so that you can be sure your bike is track ready:
Safety Wire
Safety wire is a useful tool that should be kept in all track enthusiast’s toolboxes. In this instance however, there are a number of items that need to be safety wired:
- Brake Caliper Bolts
- Oil Drain Plug
- Oil Fill Cap
- Radiator Cap
For a guide on how to safety-wire, head over to Youtube.
Coolant
Coolant is not permitted at Desert park Raceway. We recommend vehicles run with pure water, or racing-approved additive. We recommend distilled water + water wetter (or similar).
Catch Can
All overflow lines must be routed into a catch-can of some sort. This includes radiator overflow, crankcase breathers, and fuel tank overflow.
Sliders
Sliders are required on primary impact points around your motorcycle. These are the areas that need protection:
- Front Axle
- Rear Axle/Swingarm
- Handlebars
- FootPegs
In most cases, high quality sliders can be purchased for most models of bike.
Otherwise, many of our members have manufactured their own sliders. Common materials include:
- Hose Clamps
- Delrin material
- PVC Pipe & Fittings
It can take a bit of creativity to find solutions for everything. If you get lost and need suggestions, send us a photo of what you are working with to: nnkcminimoto@gmail.com
Case Savers and Frame Sliders are not required, but are HIGHLY recommended.
Examples of Sliders
Final checks
With the big stuff out of the way, the last thing on the list is a final once-over to make sure that your bike is safe to ride:
- Check Fairings
- Wiggle your fairings around to make sure there’s no free or unexpected play. Check that all fasteners are secure.
- If you have a bellypan, check to make sure that it is clean and properly installed.
- Brakes
- Operate your brake lever – squeeze it hard. The lever should operate smoothly, and the pressure should build as you pull harder.
- Check your brake pads – how much material is left?
- Inspect your brake lines, make sure there are no leaks or bulges.
- Check your fluid level, and make sure your resivoir is properly shut & sealed.
- Exhaust
- Check that all exhaust fasteners are tight, including header fasteners.
- Please repack your muffler if it is needed.
- Fuel Vent
- if necessary, check that your fuel vent is clear and operating as expected.
- Cleanliness check
- Is your bike clean? No clumps of mud that could fall on the track?
- Are there any signs of leaks?
- Tire Check
- We recommend riding on performance tires that are no more than 5 years old. For a guide on checking your tire age, read here.
- Check that your valve stems are not cracked, and that you have valve stem covers installed.
- Gear
- We recommend replacing your helmet every 5-10 years depending on usage.
- If your helmet has hit the pavement hard, it’s no longer usable. Reusing crashed helmets is not advisable.
- Check your gloves for rips, or signs of pulling seams. You want these things to hold together when hit by a 200lb belt sander. Trust us.
- Visual inspection of all of your gear is recommended, and for heavens sake, clean and condition your leathers once in a while… sheesh.