Topic: First time at the track?

[DonDDR]

Winter project, 74 550 roadrace bike. Other bike I took to the track I rode on the street for a while. The 550 hasnt been ridden for a dozen years.

So my question is, put a bike together, run it in the garage or up the street a few times, then flog it at the track? I can put it together well but to do the final tuning on a track day or race weekend,

There is a nice 1/4 mile drag strip an hour away. Thurs nights are 10 bux to run what you brung nights. Might be a cheap test and tune with out having to go to a track day or full race weekend and find out my initial tune was way off.

Any good stories about your first weekend out?

[bwaller]

Winter project, 74 550 roadrace bike. Other bike I took to the track I rode on the street for a while. The 550 hasnt been ridden for a dozen years.

So my question is, put a bike together, run it in the garage or up the street a few times, then flog it at the track? I can put it together well but to do the final tuning on a track day or race weekend,

There is a nice 1/4 mile drag strip an hour away. Thurs nights are 10 bux to run what you brung nights. Might be a cheap test and tune with out having to go to a track day or full race weekend and find out my initial tune was way off.

Any good stories about your first weekend out?

First race 1976, crashed in the rain in T3 first lap. Kicked things straight, remounted and three laps later crashed again hard. Not a great start!

If you can find a dyno shop you could sort through some tuning issues plus work with a gas analyzer. It's money well spent, saves a lot of time and probably a better alternative on the engine.

[simon#42]

first meeting april 1977 , won all my races . second meeting , won all my races . third meeting , won all my races . god this racing lark is easy soon be world champion . meetings 4 to 14 crashed in all races , ah perhaps there is more to this than i first thought .

[madScientist]

Several years back I built a drag bike based off a Kaw KZ1000. Had it running like a top! Took it to the track...first 2 runs were amazing! Put down low 10's...third run I blew out my rear tire, got squirly, bailed and slid 30yrds down the track while the bike smashed into the wall. Nothing salvageable.

[turboguzzi]

after 6 months spent building a road racer out of half a$$ed chopped 500/4, bike was first started thursday night befroe race meeting in the garage for 5 secs, too loud!
next morning, started it again up on the sidewalk, sprinted it for  200 yrds, and took off to the first race of my life. finished it 9th out of 12 or something like that.
many niggling problems, but made it.
a good option is running it in on a dyno, did it with my second race bike.  much easier to load the engine the right way than on a track