setting up an sv for the track

[vintage ex race]

I just picked up a 99 sv , and am setting it up for the track, Can anyone tell me if I have to change the left side engine cover as well as the clutch cover, and or any other covers or any thing?? besides saftey wiring and a full belly pan.I bought full set hot bodies race plastic.

[BMFR6]

i've been running my 99 SV with stock covers for a couple years now, you should be ok.

[KB]

i've been running my 99 SV with stock covers for a couple years now, you should be ok.

Check here.

http://www.lrrsracing.com/2007/2007RULES.pdf

Just sayin'

KB

[SVRACER01]

nope. dont need to change the covers. the engine is so narrow that it no where near the ground when it slides. frame sliders are your friend. get the ones that run through the motor (bolt that runs between cylinders) and make sure they are plastic because metal ones are NOT your friend

[BMFR6]

tou-che (or how ever the hell that is spelled) regarding the rulebook

i'm not saying its right to use stock, but a couple years of going through tech, as well as crashing, i've never had an issue or had it mentioned. oh well, it is what it is.

edit: oxx, page 40 of the rule book 7.17.
but i'm guessing you've never heard anything either. i'm not running out buying new covers.

[SVRACER01]

no. i get bitched at everytime. but now i go down to do contingency first (w/ lowers on) and if i get lucky they will tech the bike. if they wont then i go back and take the lowers off but im not in as big of a rush since tech never closes but contingency does.

[vintage ex race]

what do you think of the woodcraft sliders with the replacable plastic but have the metal base?

[SVRACER01]

i have no personal experience with them. ive always used IntuRace.com with great results. multiple crashes and no breakage.....yet.

[vintage ex race]

I just wern't sure to which are better.A friend of mine had plastic ones on his gsxr and after a crash at the track they had ground down and actually. bent the motor mount bolt they were attached to.as far as covers are concerned the only one I can find is a woodcraft clutch cover.Also does any one know a good way to patch a hole in a aluminum radator? salvage bike horn mount put a pin hole in it

[SVRACER01]

for a pin hole you could probably get away with some JB weld or some of that aluminum powder you pour into the radiator.
as for which are better. IDK. i know what i use works. i know that metal ones are bad. i also know that if your bike ends up in the dirt/grass that puts alot of drag/leverage on any frame slider and is more likely to bend then if is just asphalt.
if you really want case covers that arent plastic. the 2nd gen models are metal (alum i think), or try "Spears racing"

[Degsy]

...and people wonder why I say that anything under a 600 is not real racing.

Glad I'm not out there any more, that's all I can say.

[Degsy]

BTW, I fully expect a rash of shit for the above post, but please don't just rant an answer, think about it first, then present a cognitive retort.

[vintage ex race]

Thanks for the input, I thought about JB weld but wasn't sure how it would react to anti freeze residue, if any was left. I had a cooler in a snowmobile one time that we tried to weld and it was a real bad time , seams anti freeze gets right into alumnum pretty good made hit real hard to do . I guess I'm not out any thing if it don't work[jb weld ] it leaks now worst case still have to replace. thanks again

[Degsy]

Thanks for the input, I thought about JB weld but wasn't sure how it would react to anti freeze residue, if any was left. I had a cooler in a snowmobile one time that we tried to weld and it was a real bad time , seams anti freeze gets right into alumnum pretty good made hit real hard to do . I guess I'm not out any thing if it don't work[jb weld ] it leaks now worst case still have to replace. thanks again

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. You don't know how nice it is to hear someone who thinks about it before just trying it. you can't JB wweld a radiator, not so it will last that's for sure. I heard your can braze it closed, but who the hell does brazing?

Guys, if you're gonna be racing it and entrusting the lives of yourselves and others, fix it right. Ebay is your friend. for $50 you can get a used SV radiator or for $150 a new one. Do the right thing.

[BostonSVkid]

For good slider look for nates motosliders

[Paul_E_D]

Degsy, I've thought about it, and I say that anything above 250cc is not real racing. You guys are on couches! racing a 600 is like trying run the kentucky derby on a donkey...

[SVRACER01]

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. You don't know how nice it is to hear someone who thinks about it before just trying it. you can't JB wweld a radiator, not so it will last that's for sure. I heard your can braze it closed, but who the hell does brazing?

Guys, if you're gonna be racing it and entrusting the lives of yourselves and others, fix it right. Ebay is your friend. for $50 you can get a used SV radiator or for $150 a new one. Do the right thing.

now hold on here Degs. some ass hat stabbed a hole in my gastank and i fixed that with JB......5 years ago. no leaks.

it doesnt have to hold anti freeze it has to hold water.

i had a radiator that leaked because one of the bolts was missing and it rubbed a hole through the wall. before checking i poured in some of that alumi seal and it held for about a week. then i decided to actually locate the leak and just pulled the radiator and brought it to a radiator shop where they fixed the hole and i put a bolt in it to prevent it happening again.

i also dont see your point about engine size and how to repair thing and how one has anything to do with the other.

besides........an SV IS more than 600cc so it must be real racing

[Degsy]

now hold on here Degs. some ass hat stabbed a hole in my gastank and i fixed that with JB......5 years ago. no leaks.

it doesnt have to hold anti freeze it has to hold water.

i had a radiator that leaked because one of the bolts was missing and it rubbed a hole through the wall. before checking i poured in some of that alumi seal and it held for about a week. then i decided to actually locate the leak and just pulled the radiator and brought it to a radiator shop where they fixed the hole and i put a bolt in it to prevent it happening again.

i also dont see your point about engine size and how to repair thing and how one has anything to do with the other.

besides........an SV IS more than 600cc so it must be real racing

Can't I have a bitch-fest without everyone getting on my case?

[Paul_E_D]

JB weld doesn't like hot liquids under pressure in my experience. It will hold gas for a long time though.

[SVRACER01]

Can't I have a bitch-fest without everyone getting on my case?

you think just because your name is in red you are exempt or something?

[Degsy]

Degsy, I've thought about it, and I say that anything above 250cc is not real racing. You guys are on couches! racing a 600 is like trying run the kentucky derby on a donkey...

Meh, when there's a bunch of 125s or 250s then it's racing. One 125gp bike racing against a motard and a couple of Ducs is just a few guys fucking around on a racetrack with a hodge-podge f rules designed to fabricate a class with more than 2 entries.

I'm a big fan of 125 racing and 250 racing. I'm not a real fan of the ex500 stuff as quite rankly I think they are dangerous. Yes, I have raced one out of curiosity...for half a race, didn't like it and pitted in before I/others died.

[vintage ex race]

What part of the ex experance did you think was dangerous, I personally think it is a great entry level class to see if racing is what some one wants to do . Look at the # of people who come and try racing and start in the 600 class and can't really handle the speeds and end up crashing , and possibly never really getting the feel of racing, Or in other words riding a bike they shouldn't really be on as a begginer

[Degsy]

now hold on here Degs. some ass hat stabbed a hole in my gastank and i fixed that with JB......5 years ago. no leaks.

it doesnt have to hold anti freeze it has to hold water.

i had a radiator that leaked because one of the bolts was missing and it rubbed a hole through the wall. before checking i poured in some of that alumi seal and it held for about a week. then i decided to actually locate the leak and just pulled the radiator and brought it to a radiator shop where they fixed the hole and i put a bolt in it to prevent it happening again.

i also dont see your point about engine size and how to repair thing and how one has anything to do with the other.

besides........an SV IS more than 600cc so it must be real racing

Good point about the sv650 being bigger than a 600. DOH! Still, personally speaking I'm not inspired to watch them race unless they are seriously superbiked. Hardly enough balls to highside themselves, too easy to go relatively fast on. They also need $500 into the suspension to be rideable STREET bikes, let alone race bikes. Again, just my opinion.

My real problem is the blu-tacked, duc taped, zip tied jb welded, cobbled together out of 6 bikes, 5 different color so-called race bikes that are raced by so many at Loudon. Seriously, you just wouldn't get away with that stuff at other tracks. If I was tech inspector, I would turn so many bikes away for being covered in oil/dirt. How much does it cost to clean your race bike for christs sake? I see some real shitheaps up at Loudon and unfortunately most of them are ex500's. The usual excuse is "Well, I'm racing on a budget". Well, how much does a bucket of soapy water and a sponge cost?

My point being that if you have a hole in the radiator, you should get it properly repaired or replaced.

Rad leaks, motor overheats, oil spews out, people fall down.

d

[Degsy]

What part of the ex experance did you think was dangerous, I personally think it is a great entry level class to see if racing is what some one wants to do . Look at the # of people who come and try racing and start in the 600 class and can't really handle the speeds and end up crashing , and possibly never really getting the feel of racing, Or in other words riding a bike they shouldn't really be on as a begginer

It's not that an EX500 is a dangerous bike, it's just that it's all to easy to buy a 1988 EX500 for $700 and be racing it the following weekend. Too many of them are pieces of crap. The one I rode that scared me had a rear shock that had no oil in it. The owner shall remain nameless (I don't want to embarrass him) :-)

....and if you can't handle the speeds of a 600cc bike, you should be spending a few more years riding the roads, doing trackdays etc before deciding that roadracing is for you. It seems that roadracing is now a natural progression after MSF basic riders course.

I'm sorry, if you're not able to handle the speeds of a 600 class bike, that is like saying you have no control over your throttle hand. If you cannot handle a middleweight motorcycle with around 100hp, you have no business on a racetrack. Think about it, it's a RACETRACK!!

Things you shouldn't hear at a racetrack, but sometimes do:

1. Yeah, I was in the lead when my ******** fell off and I couldn't shift/brake/accelerate/see properly etc etc.

2. It was only a small leak and I thought it would be ok. Well, halfway through lap 4 it got worse and coated my rear wheel/the track/other riders.

3. Case covers are required? Really? I've been racing for 5 years and I've never used case covers. Heh heh sorry Oxx, it just came to mind.

4. Yeah, I was eligible to move up 2 years ago, but what the hell, I'm winning, why change that by advancing?

5. Bought it last week for $800, changed out the coolant, safety wired it and I'm gonna race it to see how it runs. Next race weekend I'll do an oil change and buy some race take-offs if I can afford it.

[Paul_E_D]

It sucks that the real racing bikes have no class to run at Loudon (250/125). I respectfully disagree with Degs on nearly every point. Motorcycle racing is unique in that you can do it on a small budget, and get creative with your efforts. (safety and hygeine shouldn't be ignored though)

I think the attitude that 600s are good starter racers is responsible for the loss of good classes and generally lessens the level of actual racing that occurs at Loudon. many people run out of money and never get good enough to want to stay more than 2 years. Small bikes address both of those problems.

I think I've raced at a pretty high level even though I never raced a 600. I've watched too many seriously bad novice, amatuer, and even expert 600 races (minus the 3 guys at the front) to count. Truly terrible stuff. I also have watched entire seasons of ptwins that had some good racing in every level.

Not to mention, I spent years in expert fast guy practice. My biased opinion is that only a few people out there seem to be actually riding the 600 (as opposed to it riding them). I also think that a few of the top motard/sv/lightweight riders are riding better than the top 600 guys (pros excepted).

Lighter is ALWAYS better when it comes to handling on a racetrack. A better handling bike means riders can focus more on racing, and less on controling a heavier machine. It's actually the braking on the 600s that seems to fuck most guys up, NOT the the throttle.