Racing How-To
This section is designed to help the Aspiring Racer learn more about Racing; what is required, needed and what to expect. I get a lot of people who ask questions about racing, and I figured I would put this page together for people to read. I visit a ton of Motorcycle Forums on the Internet, and to be quite honest I have not run across a one stop site where people can learn about Racing Requirements, in one simple to use and understand website.
Part 1 - Planning and Preparation
-Introduction & Licensing: Motorcycle Racing is a very involved, time consuming and expensive hobby, as a result most club racers only last 2 years before retiring due to financial burdens. In order to become a Club Racer you must first attend a racing school, before you can get your license. There are many schools to choose from out there depending on where you live in the country. Once you complete your school you will be able to purchase your racing license. Once you have your license, you are ready to race...or are you?
-Safety First: All Racing Organizations require the use of a DOT Approved, un-damaged Full Face Helmet, one or two piece leathers (with one-piece being the most popular), racing boots, racing gloves and a back protector. During a race weekend the rider will need to present all of his safety gear for tech inspection prior to being allowed to race. Many racers will add other safety features such as kidney straps and body armor to their suits, to add more protection, but most of the time a racer will be un-injured after a wreck on the race track, since it is a very controlled environment. It goes with out saying that the very best equipment should be worn and properly maintained and repaired or replaced after a wreck on the track.
-Safety Wire: If you are going to race CCS you will need to safety wire you Oil Fill Cap, Oil Drain Plug, Oil Filter, Radiator Fill Cap, Coolant Drain Plug. That is all required by CCS/ASRA at the current time. In addition to these items it is good pratice to also safety wire both Front and Rear Axles, Front and Rear Caliper Bolts, Front Pinch Bolts, Shift Rod Bolts and Handlebar Grips.
-Bodywork:The first thing a racer will do is remove all the stock body work, and replace it with racing body work. This body work will not have mounting locations for mirrors, turn signals, lights, and other stock street items, all of which must be removed prior to racing your motorcycle. Amateurs run Yellow Number Plates and Experts run White Number Plates. You get to pick your racing number when you get your license, but sometimes your number is all ready in use and you must pick another. Once an amateur racer has acquired enough points, they will be bumped up to Expert Level, in the CCS world that magic number is 750 points in a 12 Month Time Frame.
-Suspension: In addition to body work nearly all racers will have modifications done to their stock suspension to set it up to their unique weight. This typically includes sending your forks off to a suspension shop (Team Simone uses Suspension Solutions & Lithium Motorsports for their suspension work) to get re-spring for your specific weight. They will also change your fork oil for you, and possibly install new, better valves if you request it also. Nearly all stock rear shocks are very limited in their adjustability, as a result most racers completely replace the rear shock with a new, aftermarket rear shock. The 3 Most popular are Elka, Ohlins and Penske, all of which have their unique models and different shock versions. Typically what you will see are Double and Triple Clicker Rear Shocks, with Triple Clicker being the best and most expensive option.
-Pit Equipment: There are many required tools racers have and use to enhance their racing experiences:
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-Travel: Traveling to race at different tracks is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of racing. Since race tracks are spread out over such long distances, racers can find themselves on the road for 8-12 Hours one way to get to a race track. This can be very tiring, and very boring and is probably the most hated aspect of racing. In order to get from venue to venue most racers will invest in an enclosed trailer, this allows the racer to travel thru rain, and not get all his equipment wet and dirty. It also provides a place to sleep at the track, as most racers will sleep in their trailer at night on an air mattress. Depending on how much equipment a racer has, or how many bikes they want to carry, they can get by with as small as a 6x12 Trailer, or go as large as 8.5x20 for more room, over even larger if they so desire. The most common size I see is the 6x12 variety, since they are relatively in-expensive and can carry 2 bikes and all the gear and equipment 2 racers will need, and can be pulled with ease by a 1/2 Ton Pick-Up.Now that we have a good idea on what is required to prepare ourselves and out motorcycles for racing, lets move onto what is required when planning a racing budget
Part 2 - Racing Budget
This is the area of racing that gets a little grey. Some people are going to say that my numbers are way to high, and some will say they are to low, but these are the numbers that I have budgeted, and have seen to be pretty spot-on for me. I don't run race fuel, so that saves me some money, I also enter 4 Events per weekend, which is my maximum for my bike, I'll run more next year, in addition to running Race Fuel in my R6, so I estimate my expenses to be more next year. I have also listed out my estimated expenses to prep my 2004 R1 for full race duty. Your expenses maybe higher or lower depending on what brands you used. My bike is fitted with Top of the Line Equipment, in addition all my Pit Equipment is Top of the Line, which costs more up-front but will last longer.
**Please keep in mind that most of these items are one time purchases. I didn't have anything when I started my Racing Career, so I had to purchase everything from scratch.
-Safety Gear
- Custom Leather Suit - $2,000
- Custom Racing Gloves - $200
- Racing Boots - $350
- Back Protector - $120
- (2) Racing Helmets - $800
- Spare Shields - $80
Total Budget - $3,550
-Motorcycle Race Prep
- Suspension Work - $2,000
- Bodywork - $850
- Rearsets - $350
- Power Commander - $250
- Full Exhaust - $1,400
- Air Filter - $60
- Clip-On's - $120
- Sliders - $100
- Quickshifter - $250
- Brake Upgrades - $450
- Engine Upgrades - $200
- Engine Case Covers - $130
- Spare Parts - $1,000
Total Budget - $7,160
-Pit Equipment
Total Budget - $3,545
- Tire Warmers - $620
- Stands - $300
- Generator(s) - $1800
- Canopy - $200
- Misc. Extension Cables - $50
- AM/FM Radio - $35
- Fans - $50
- Lap Timer - $160
- Chairs/Coolers - $80
- Tools & Tool Box - $250
-Typical Race Weekend BudgetAs you can see, my 1st year budget was very substantial. It did take most of the Winter in 2004 and part of the racing season to get to where I am now. Obviously as I learned, and got faster I had the need for more sets of Wheels, Rain Tires, etc. The addition of my A/C in my Enclosed Trailer required the purchase of a 2nd Honda eu2000, again I could have purchased a $500 Coleman Generator which is heavy and loud, but wanted the ability to use my Generator at night. Many things on this list are indeed one time purchases, such as the Leather Suit, Helmets, Gloves, etc, provided you don't crash and destroy them.
- Automobile Fuel, to and from Venue - $200-$400
- Generator Fuel - $50-75
- Motorcycle Fuel (Race fuel is more) - $25-$50
- Food and Beverages - $50-$85
- Race Entry Fees, I enter 4 Races - $225+
- Friday Practice - $75-$150
- Race Tires - $300 per set
- Gate Pass - $35
- Camping Pass - $35
Total Weekend Budget - $995 - $1,355
-Revolving Motorcycle Expenses/Maintenance
- Brake Pads - Every other Race Weekend - $85
- Brake Fluid - Flushed after every Weekend - $10
- Oil & Filter - Changed after every Weekend - $40
- Coolant - Changed at 1/2 season - $25
