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When we first started racing we had many many questions. We were also (and still are!) on a very tight budget. We didn't want to turn up at our first race meeting having forgotten something vital or mis-understood some of the rules etc. We were very grateful to receive some useful advice from more experienced racers who we still have as friends to this day. So, on this page, we've tried to pass on that help for newer riders in the same position as we were a few years ago. We hope it helps but please don't give us a load of grief if we get it wrong - each organisation/club has it's own particular quirks so if in doubt, please check with them direct... updated Jan 2004 Can I use any colour race numbers? No. Each class uses a different colour scheme for backgrounds and for the digits - check in the ACU handbook. For example, the 600 class is usually white backgrounds with blue digits. You'll also be allocated a race number by the entries secretary. Some clubs assign this number to you all season, others each race. According to the ACU book, there is a standard height/width and style for these numbers on the front and the two sides. In our experience, as long as the timekeepers can read your number clearly as you go over the line, there should be no problem in bending the rules slightly! Like most things, just don't take the p*ss! Buy them at the track or get your own versions from your local sticker shop. ACU reg... Can I use the same leathers/lid I use on the road? Yes. Your leathers must be one-piece though, not two-piece or zip together. They must be in good condition and cover all areas of skin. You'll also need decent gloves and boots as well. Although not mandatory, get a decent back protector - you'll be thankful you did the first time you crash. Your helmet must be ACU approved (ie have the stamp/sticker on it) and must be a correct fit. Dark/iridium visors are ok for track use. What do all these numbers mean on my tyres? 180/55/17 mean that the tyre is 180mm wide, has an aspect ratio of 55 (which is a value of the profile of the tyre) and is suitable for a 17 inch rim. What tyres should I use? Get something you trust. A lot of "tyres" is all in the head. We started on Dunlop 207rr's - they were cheap (which was good!) and sticky enough for us in our novice season. We now use Pirelli Supercorsa's and Dunlop slicks as they both offer different compounds soft, medium or hard compound (harder compounds for longer races). Do I need tyre warmers? We didn't for our novice season. When you first start we found we needed to spend our money on other things. We used the warm up lap to get some heat into the tyres and just took it steady on the first lap. We did get some later on though as we realised that "taking it steady on the first lap" was losing us valuable time. Remember you will need a generator as well to run them as some circuits won't have mains power supplies. What tyre pressures should I use? Every make of tyre has an "ideal" temperature - the temperature at which the tyre works best. You can find this out by talking to the manufacturers - they'll also give you a pressure (cold) to start with. Your goal, at every meeting, is to make sure that your tyre is at its' ideal temperature. You do this by adjusting the tyre pressure. Each meeting you go to the ambient temperature is going to be different - hopefully in the summer it will be warm, during the spring/autumn it will be colder. On cool days you will need to get more heat into the tyre than usual to get the tyre to it's "ideal" temperature so decrease the pressure in order that the tyre will move around more generating more heat. On hotter days, you won't want the tyre to generate as much heat so put a bit more air in. It's trial and error and hopefully now you'll begin to understand why the top factory boys always have something to say about their tyres! What do I need to do to the bike? 1. Lockwire the sump plug, the oil filler plug and the oil filter ACU reg.... 2. Drain all the anti-freeze from the coolant and replace with water ACU reg.... 3. Remove any bits you don't need eg side stand, wiring, indicators etc but check that the removal is "legal" for your class by consulting the ACU regs and/or organisation. 4. Make sure your belly pan conforms to the ACU rules ie is contained and has a drain plug fitted. ACU reg... 5. Check your brake hoses - the split must not be below the bottom yolk so if your hoses go from the master cylinder to one caliper and then arch over the mudguard to the other caliper you'll have to change them. This also applies if you have a splitter attached to the lower yolk. Try www.h-e-l.co.uk if you have any questions. ACU reg... 6. Fit a lower chain guard to prevent fingers form getting "sucked" into the rear sprocket. ACU reg... 7. Replace the plastic tyre valve caps with metal ones (I can't find this rule in the handbook but it seems to be being enforced at scrutineering since 2003) 8. Check security of all nuts/bolts - they can and do rattle loose. 9. Get some decent front brake pads. Try www.brakes4u.co.uk for help. 10. Stick some duct tape over your tyre balancing weights on your wheels - stops them flying off and hitting another rider. Do I need to tune my engine? Yes...and no! Like any sport, to win you need the best rider with the best equipment and bike sport is no different. You will, at some stage, start to get frustrated by riders who hold you up in the corners and then disappear away from you down the straights - that's what tuned engines do! Engine work though is very expensive although there are different levels of tuning. If you've got the funds and the need to be contesting for the top 5 positions then it's got to be done. If you're content with battling it out further down the field then spend your money on other things until you win the lottery! Do I need my blood group on my dogtag? No, just name and date of birth. The tag must be 1 inch round with no sharp edges. ACU reg... Fire extinguishers You will need to carry a 2kg dry powder extinguisher (although talking to a guy I know from Chubb he says carry a foam one for fuel fires so we have both!). It's a £25 fine if you don't have one and get caught! ACU reg:.... Where can I get....rearsets/tyres/bodywork/other bits etc etc etc? OK, there are loads of places you can get your spares from...you just haven't found them yet! The best way we found is to ask around the paddock or get on the club internet forums and put up a posting. You'll be amazed at how many people know a friend of a friend who should be able to help you. Else try the guys that follow the meetings like A & R racing or Dennis Trollope - you'll find them in the paddock. Otherwise there's the internet search engines. We've put some links in our "useful links" section or try our "sponsors page". What other stuff should I take? OK, the list can be endless (up and to including a whole spare bike!) but here's a start: end can, clipons, footrests, gear shift rod, clutch and brake levers, gear change and rear brake levers, a glass fibre repair kit, spare nuts/bolts and fixings, spark plugs, oil/filter, clutch, an awning for when it rains(!), tools, spare engine casings, duct tape, oil. Click here to download a racing checklist that may be of use to you. You can modify it for your own use. When can I get into the circuit? Check your entry for details but most circuits will allow you in on the previous day. If there's something going on at the circuit you may be kept out until they've finished before you will be allowed in the paddock. Most racers either kip in a tent, in the back of their transit or buy a caravan. Do I need spare wheels? Wets on wheels (WoW's) can be very useful and should really be one of the first things you consider although we managed fine for our novice season with only one set of rims. Imagine yourself in the paddock 20 minutes before your race and you've got slicks on. It starts to rain...oh dear! If you had another set of wheels you'd quickly get your wets (or intermediates!) onto the bike and away. The solution with only one set of rims is to use a tyre which will work ok in all conditions. How do I set up my suspension? We can't go into the black magic secrets of suspension setup here - it's just too big of a question to answer. Get your nose into some books...! We would recommend "tuning" the suspension for race use as one of the first things you should look at. Get it handling well before you spend money making it go any faster is our advice. Do I need to change my sprockets? Yes. This is probably the cheapest way of "tuning" your bike and bringing the lap times down. The biggest improvement will be exiting corners - you'll get much more "drive". Each track will need different sprockets - front and/or rear. Your average road gearing that you have at the moment will be way to high for most tracks as it is designed for average road use. To start off, get to a track and ask riders using the same bike as you what they are using...it might not be correct but it will get you somewhere in the ballpark. Then you can increase or decrease your gearing to suit you. There are many complicated and technical methods of getting your "ideal" gearing but basically increasing the size of the rear sprocket will decrease your overall top speed but you will be able to exit the corners much quicker - it gives you increased "punch" out of the corners. You will have to increase the wheelbase to accept the larger sprocket (ie adjust your bike's chain tensioners) Decreasing the size of the rear sprocket will increase your overall top speed but you will be slower out of the corners. A good start is to gear your bike to "rev out" in top gear at the fastest part of the track (usually down the straight). Note: You can only increase/decrease the size of the sprockets until you run out of chain length and/or adjustment so consider this when buying a new length of chain. You can also change the size of the front sprocket. If I should crash/break down? Unfortunately the time will come when you will crash or the bike may suffer from a mechanical breakdown. Sometimes it's not even your fault! Get of the track to a place of safety as soon as you can. Listen to the marshalls - they will direct you and your bike FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. IF the marshalls can't sort you out they may request the race be stopped. Follow their instructions. Wear the best safety kit you can afford. The blue flag debate... Blue flags are waived to slower riders to warn them them faster riders are approaching from behind. The debate as to what the slower rider should do in this situation is argued all the way up to world level. Briefly the argument, for the riders against using blue flags, goes like this: If you see a blue flag and then "move over" to allow the faster guy through you may move right into his overtaking path and collide with him! So their advice is to stay exactly on your line ie do nothing! The faster rider will go around you as he knows where you are going to go. Those for blue flags argue that the slower rider is aware a faster guy is approaching - he should move off the "racing line" so the faster guy can overtake more safely. We are all for the former argument - do not change your line when you see a blue flag - just be aware that faster riders are about to overtake you. A new one I heard recently from an experienced marshall was that the blue flag can be seen by the faster riders ie to show them that they are approaching slower riders. Perhaps waving the blue flag at the faster riders should be the way we should go? Should I be doing anything else before my first meeting? Learn what all the flags mean from the ACU book, read the final instructions and, from 2004, you will also need to attend a ACU approved race training day - check with the race club/ACU for dates/details. Get some track time in preferably at the tracks you are going to be racing at. Practice, practice, practice! Good luck! <BACK>
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