(Part 2) Top products from r/Trackdays

Crashed pretty bad this spring and a friend of mine builds carbon fiber and fiberglass boats for a living, and offered to show me how to do repairs the right way. Some pics of the process. Carbon fiber and fiberglass work essentially the same way.

Cloth is glass or CF, and resin is 2 part epoxy. For structural repairs, he recommends keying up (roughing) the inside which is typically primed with 80 grit or so until you see bare glass for at least an inch outside of the repair area, see the third pic in the above series. Clean it well with acetone. Do this for all the interior sites that need glass to repair.

Get a big table like you see in the picture, lay thick drop plastic on it. Lay out your cloth on the drop plastic - you usually want 2-3 layers of cloth and offset the 'weave' by 45 or 90 degrees between layers depending on number of layers to get strength in all directions. Don't trim it just get a big-ish piece like the carbon fibre in in the set of pics above.

Mix up 50-100 mL of the resin at a time according to the manufacturer instructions, it's an exothermic reaction and will get hot, hot is bad (can set on fire) and it will go off faster meaning less work time. You're better off pouring it all out on the plastic on the table (higher surface area will keep it cool).

You've got maybe 10 minutes in warm weather (90 deg) or 30 or so in cooler (around 65-70) as a rule of thumb, once the resin gets kind of tacky it's toast.

Pour the resin into the cloth and use a rubber spreader/squeegee to smear it into the cloth. You'll want to paintbrush on ('prime') the keyed up glass on your part with some resin, ideally this should be resin mixed with some silica to give better adhesion and strength. Do not breathe this shit in.

Get clean scissors then trim the cloth with the drop plastic - so you've got a backing layer of drop plastic behind your layer of cloth soaked in resin. This lets you handle the cloth and apply it in funny tight corners. Apply to the primed surface (you've got ~minutes to do this). Unpeel the drop plastic once the cloth is on the part to your satisfaction.

Note here: excess resin and air bubbles are structural WEAKNESSES. Cloth is what gives strength. Lots of guys just slobber tons of resin on cloth with a paintbrush and this is signature of an amateur job that will just crack bad at your next crash.

To get rid of bubbles and excess resin, you get peel ply and apply it in strips to the back of the cloth you just stuck on. Stick it with your hand then get a clean paintbrush and stipple it so the excess resin goes thru it and eliminate any air bubbles. This is an engineered material and will not bond to resin. Leave the part to dry overnight, and then you can tear off the peel ply which will take any excess resin and unevenness with it. It also leaves a pre-roughed surface perfect for priming or another layup of glass.

Depending on what trackday org you normally ride with, there's normally a suspension guy there to help.

Virtually every racer I know pays the suspension guy to setup the bike. There's some very good books around to learn more about suspension setup (Race Tech's Suspension Tuning Bible is very popular, and I learned a good deal reading it), but in general, those books will help you communicate with the suspension gurus more than they will turn you into a suspension guru.

It sounds like the shock is stiffer, and causing the front end to lift by keeping the rear from squatting under heavy throttle. It's probably a good thing overall, but there's also probably a better middle ground to be had.

Are you running a steering dampener? What bike is it?

I'm using the stock clamps, and as you imagine, not without some difficulty, as the stock clamps slip a bit. I use a generous amount of duct tape on each grip to protect the powdercoating.

I may get the mojo clamps in the future, but the pricing and ordering process is keeping me away. I don't change enough tires to justify the cost. 10 car tires, 6 bike tires so far. I've changed 4 more bike tires with spoons in the past - the harbor freight setup is light years better.

Edit: Also, this bead breaker has been a godsend, especially on stiff car tires. I have a generic china version from ebay: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07HK2V138/ref=sspa_mw_detail_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Talk with your local paint supplier on that particular brand's processes - but you will likely want/need to reprime it so it is sure to stick (and the primer you want to be compatible with the paint you use). I know the primer I used, you wanted to lay paint on it within 48 hours or so for best adhesion.

• After initial sanding, make sure to wipe down with a cheese cloth, then follow up with a solvent on a clean rag (paint thinner, mineral spirits, etc)
  
  
• Your time between coats will be specified by the paint you buy, it'll probably 30-60 minutes. Then the clearcoat is probably the one you'll have to wait a day to put on
  
  
• Again talk to your supplier, but usually the fine grit sanding is done between clear coats, then buff at the end
  
  
• You will find there is more to buy than just "paint" - usually you need the paint and a catalyst, plus a thinner. You will probably leave the store with 8 cans of stuff
  
  
• The big thing to think about after you setup your booth - how are you going to hold/hang all the pieces? Can be tricky. Hanging works ok for some pieces but they tend to move around (just the air coming out of the paint gun can blow a piece around). Make sure to set each piece such that you can get to all sides and you aren't spraying at a different piece behind it
  
  
• Buy a drier
  
  
• Get all the other stuff with your paint gun, like a holder, mixing cups, strainers, etc.
  
  
• Buy a quality respirator
  
  It takes some practice to get the amount of paint correct, as well as dialing in the gun (watch some Youtube videos). There is a somewhat fine line between putting the final coat on too light and it showing up dry, or all of a sudden you put too much on and you have a run. Don't forget to clean the gun thoroughly after each use.
  
  Final advice? Don't sweat the imperfections, it's a track bike and we aren't pro racers. Also accept that your first full paint job or at least the first couple pieces you do will probably not look great as you learn how to setup the gun and control how much paint to lay down.

I've been using a cheap digital one but interested to see what other responses you get. I love this little thing

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037V0EW8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One note- when I had that trailer (it was my first m/c trailer, I have a 16' enclosed trailer now) I put Pit Posse/Pingel-style chocks on it and was able to put 3 sets of mounting plates in the 3 bike positions (left, center, right) at the right spacing for the bikes to co-exist, and then could swap from a single-bike with one chock to a two-bike setup with two chocks in like 30 seconds. Coupled with a cheap ATV ramp as wide as the trailer it was a very cheap and easy trailering setup. Add some nice strapping points around the edge of the trailer and it'll do the job well for a long time.

If you're planning to keep it a while, adding additional bolt-in bracing to the deck isn't a bad idea, or even just some 2x4 stiffening cross-members to help keep the trailer from "taco-ing" when you strap down the bikes.

I like cam straps because they're easier to work with than ratchet straps. I have Ancra straps that are fantastic. I'd definitely buy them again. I also prefer to use use Canyon Dancers to hold the bike still in my truck bed, but its rear wheel is nestled into the corner of the bed and acts as a chock, sort of.

I have a 5-gallon VP Racing fuel jug. It has served me well, but it's tough to mess that up. I imagine any decent jug with a hose will do.

My ramp is a generic folding metal one from Amazon. Says Raider on the side, but it's exactly like that one I linked. It takes some getting used to, but I use it to get my bikes into and out of my truck bed by myself. Even the one without a kickstand.

It feels much better when you put the helmet on and it is very cool. This is the one I have, it rotates up and I just place my helmet on it until the next session.

Howard Leight by Honeywell Max Lite Low Pressure Disposable Foam Earplugs, 200-Pairs (LPF-1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RMFGGY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6p23CbC7TS546

Absolutely love these for track and street, you can reuse them alot and are so cheap you don't mind losing them. I think I reused a pair for a month or two once. They hold up well and don't bother your ears.

Mine is a 2014. I was over on the Mazda3 sub and found this hitch which seems to be pretty solid.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GNBNSI6/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2RA9SXXTGVE9R

These have a great fit for most ears and are hard to lose! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DZF7T6

This really depends on your budget and how accurate you want it. I use a Longacre Racing gauge that has been very durable and decently accurate. Lots and lots of guys use the liquid filled MotionPro unit, but that's a bit more costly but not totally out of hand. Then you could go full retard with something like this.

In case anyone is still monitoring this - you do indeed need to buy the tripod mount from GoPro - It's 8 bucks and I got mine from amazon - overpriced and it should be included but it was free shipped w prime.

I ordered the ball only mount from GPS City - but I just realized it was still on backorder. Lame. Here is the mount

Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner about once a month. Takes an hour, and I'll do it while I watch tv

Do pressure gauges like this: http://www.amazon.com/Milton-S921-Pencil-Type-Gauge/dp/B0002SQYTG/ref=lp_15709131_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1463503528&sr=1-3

not work?

+1

I use these, which are similar to those linked. I like them so much I now have 3 sets; one stays in my trailer, one stays in my truck, and one stays on my lift table. Works with any bike from scooter to dirt bike to supermoto to track toy to tourer.

http://www.amazon.com/Sportbike-Suspension-Tuning-Andrew-Trevitt/dp/1893618455