Lots of Questions/ New Racer

[sikwitit]

Oh and STG also has great Michelin prices

[LordLosh]

Got an SG1 Suit for 430 bucks fits perfect. got some SP-2 gloves and a bonic S-2 jacket with back protector. May be a little much on shoulder protection. Very hard to get that on with suit kinda hinders my movement too. Oh and a AFX 1000 helmet. My stuff is a little miss matched color wise but i don't really care I'm their to race not win a fashion award. Got most of my stuff from sport bike track gear . com great site i must agree.
I just took my bike to Faster and told them to Fix everything and put some tires on so we will see how the tires i get work.

[LordLosh]

Oh yeah and thanks Wes i guess i will kinda need to pit with some one this year to show me the ropes

[CaneZach]

Losh, I wish I had seen your thread. I'm selling an SG-1 with somewhere between 600 and 900 miles on it. I would've tossed in a used once back protector as well. If you want, we can pit together this year and learn together.

[Scored51]

Oh yeah and Tire warmers? Are these something at my riding skill level will notice or even need this year?? If so do you think id be alright if i just ran them off a power converter from my truck?

Welcome LordLosh. I haven't seen anyone else attack this question in two pages and I don't want you possibly left stranded at the end of the day. The need for tire warmers can vary dependent on tire manufacturer. The Michelins do warm up quickly, but the Bridgestones seem to require a preheat. This may also be something you can grow into because of the attention it will require to sort out when to turn them on/off in order to hit a slightly shifting raceday schedule due to the things that come up or fall down during the day. I would also argue that as a beginner the grand you're going to drop on setting up tire warmers could be better spent on training, lapping days, or even instruction. The last could even teach you why you needed the warmers.

As for running warmers off an inverter, I don't know of anyone who is currently doing so. The warmers will use around 1000 watts of power which is roughly 10 amps/hour. I doubt that your truck will have the capacity while idling to sufficiently charge it's own battery, handle this additional load, and other items you may need to plug in during the raceday. Therefore, you'll probably need another battery source other than the vehicle's primary one. The other big issue you'll need to answer for this is the quality of the inverter. If you can get by with a modified sine wave unit, cool - but you won't be able to run any electronic devices. If you need a pure sine wave inverter it will be cheaper to buy a generator and make noise like the rest of us. The good news is that if you do find a buddy to pit with, you'll be able to run a few sets of warmer off his generator! Problem solved.

The reason racers use a generator is because it works. Hope this helps.

[The GECCO]

As much as I agree with Chris that seat time and instruction are money WELL spent, sacrificing tire warmers to do so is a fine line. The NEED for tire warmers from a speed perspective may not be there initially, but the warmers can easily pay for themselves by preventing a crash that is simply the result of cold tires.

Oh, and bag the inverter idea. 1000 watts is a very conservative estimate of warmer draw, I'm betting that 1500-1800 is more realistic. An inverter this size is as much or more than the cost of a 2500 watt generator. Also, as Chris said, an idling vehicle won't provide sufficient power, plus you run the risk of burning up your alternator in the process.

[polar x]

Since Jon has not been here to throw out the SILENCE is golden banner, I will.
BUY A QUITE GENERATOR. Honda, Yamaha...something that is quite so as not to disturb your neighbors. Everyone will love you for it, the generator will last a longtime and you will be able to hear the announcements for your races. :wink:

[vort3xr6]

I searched the brand name but could not find quite generators.



JK! I agree. Or get a 50 foot extension and put the generator next to someone else.

[polar x]

I searched the brand name but could not find quite generators.



JK! I agree. Or get a 50 foot extension and put the generator next to someone else.

Yup, thats my way of dealing with it to....only because I had one before Jon started his one man war on noise....lol If I ever replace it, it will be with a quite one.
Welcome to the club. 8)

[LordLosh]

Well i bought a generator but my funds did not allow for a quite one. I got a 50ft extension cord though lol. I appreciate all the help guys. I cant really afford anything else right now but tire warmers are on the list. I think really all i need is tire warmers and a transponder. But i have no money left over from everything that i already got. My bike is at faster getting more work done and the cost on its going to be pretty high considering everything they did so yeah i gotta save. I do plan on taking some classes some time during the year if funds allow, after i go through class and have a race or two under my belt.

[random hero]

Just stumbled across this thread, I'll give my 2 cents.
A) Get to know your bike very well, learn how to do the maintenance on it, go over and over parts and functions of things.... Get to know it well, because at the track, stuff will go wrong and your SOL taking it to a shop to get fixed.

B) How much track time/track experience do you have? I found going from trackdays, to novice races could be overwhelming. You've got 30-60 bikes lined up, people who's adrenaline is running 10000mph, guys who are damn fast riding with you... It can be overwhelming if you've not been around it a whole lot, you can get sucked into things quick.

C) Don't spend $1 on performance parts, none of those fancy parts will help you go faster. If you've got $100 burning a hole in your pocket, get to a lapping day at HPR, it's all about seat-time, seat-time, seat-time. EDIT..... If your bike doesn't already have it, buy a Brembo brake master, that's 1 thing that can, and will make your life easier in more ways than 1.

I've been in your shoes, rode with ama champions at trackdays, and found myself shitting my pants in novice races... that being said, it's such a fun thing, I'm looking very forward to racing this year... My advice would be don't get sucked into buying parts, or having to have the "best" of everything. Reality is your going to crash that bike in the process of getting faster... Seat time, some good instruction will be your best friend right now. Get a day or two in before the season starts on that bike for sure, you will be completely overwhelmed showing up to your first race weekend, learning everything PLUS the bike. I made that very mistake last year, 6 laps into the first race weekend I left in an ambulance w/a broken shoulder, missed the rest of the year.

Lastly, find some good people to pit with. Coming from the CMRA, these guys have been fantastic so far. Very friendly and eager to help... I'd be more than happy to pit with you and help anyway I can... shoot me an email if you'd like: wuckert135@gmail.com