All motorcycles must go through some level of preparation for track riding.
These preparations generally fall into three categories:
- Make your bike less distracting to you and to other riders (by disabling lights, mirrors, etc). If you’ve ever ridden around a track behind a bike with a functional brake light, you’ll know why we do this!
- Prepare your bike for higher speeds than generally possible on the street.
- Make your bike safer in the unlikely event that you crash.
You and your bike will need to meet the requirements listed below. All bikes and rider equipment are required to pass a technical inspection before being allowed onto the track. If, for any reason, you fail the technical inspection the first time, you may work on your bike to remedy the problem and ask for another inspection when you’re ready. While we make every effort to be reasonable, we will not allow an unsafe bike or unprotected rider onto the track, nor will we refund your reservation fee if you can’t pass inspection. In short, it is up to you to make you and your bike safe!
These are the minimal preparations required:
- Mirrors taped or (preferably) removed.
- Brake lights/tail lights unplugged or fuses removed (i.e. they must not work). If you are unable to disconnect the brake and tail lights, they must be THOROUGHLY taped over. That is, NEVER visible even in the slightest, especially when the brakes are activated. We recommend a layer of painters tape first, then duct tape over the painters tape so NO light is visible.
- Headlight may remain untaped and functional with the exception of glass headlights, which must be taped. You do not have to tape or disable your blinkers.
- Tires must be in good condition with plenty of tread.
- Only DOT pavement, street or road racing tires allowed (no dirt bike knobbies, for example).
- The valve stems on your wheels (where the air goes into the tires) MUST have caps (preferably metal with integral rubber grommet).
- Wheel weights taped.
- Hand-control levers must have ball ends at least 1/2 inch in diameter or, minimally, the ends of your levers must not be sharp which can cause injury.
- Fully operational front AND rear brakes.
- Functional engine kill switch on handlebar.
- Kickstand must be spring loaded or otherwise self-retaining — it must not “accidentally” come down. A functional kickstand kill switch is strongly preferred on bikes with a kickstand (that is, bike will not start with the kickstand down, or kills the engine when the bike is put into gear with the kickstand down).
- We highly recommend replacing your green anti-freeze with plain water, water with Water Wetter, or Yamalube pre-diluted coolant. You can get Water Wetter at almost any motorcycle supply store. Engine Ice is a good alternative too. While we do strongly encourage you to make this change, it is not a requirement for attending a Z2 Track Day.