lessons learned the hard way | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

lessons learned the hard way

And first fill your water pails and THEN put up your canopy. And if you think you won't need to tie it down,,,well ,, let me tell you,, Oh and don't be the guy that shows up with the nice little coffee cans filled with 4 pounds of cement. Cause all you have really done is make a 10x10 foot mace that will wreck havoc on everyone!
 
Rob said:
Plug a radio or light into your genny so you know if/when it runs out of fuel while you're busy doing everything else that needs to be done. (for the quiet ones anyway).
Nothing worse than to realize you have 10 min to track and warmers have been OFF for who knows how long.
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Done that too. More than once. Now I use the light method.
 
All warmers fail. As soon as you plug ANY warmer in, it starts to break down. So if you warmers are over or around the 2-3 year mark,, their reliability will start to be questionable. Warmers do not last for ever. And now that we are demanding more heat that will put more pressure on the wire and they will break down sooner. That my friends is a fact. So anybody telling you this will last for X years, or if you are buying used,,, buyer beware. I have some old stuff kicking around out there over 12 years old. It works and looks good but the heat is weak. We stopped making our warmers because the heat was not substantial.I wanted more heat and better heat placement.We could not do that with our current manufacturing process. Warmers are maybe the most abused item in everyone's kit. But can, make or break of lap times and safety. So look after any warmer and be aware to check any warmer, and have a plan for when they fail. The radio is the best idea I have heard! But keep in mind the warmer can be getting power and still not work. So that casual check on or under the warmer is best. Make it a habit!
 
Been there done that, found out my front warmer failed only after breaking 4 ribs and collapsing a lung on lap 1.
 
kellen said:
Been there done that, found out my front warmer failed only after breaking 4 ribs and collapsing a lung on lap 1.
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Hence the heat gun idea, it might not be 100% accurate but it gives you an idea that to the very least the warmers were working.
 
ZX600 said:
Hence the heat gun idea, it might not be 100% accurate but it gives you an idea that to the very least the warmers were working.
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For sure, I usually am always checking, just but pulling the warmer back and feeling the tire, feeling the rim. Sometimes things get overlooked and usually at the worst time.

Ordered a cheap heat gun off amazon for this season, won't be 100% accurate but will be more accurate than touching it, especially if you want to compare to someone else's warmer or whatever. They can also let you know if your warmer is working, but not as well as it should be
 
You watch a Moto America Race or any top venue,,all you will see is about every 5 minutes, someone manually checking for heat under the warmer.
Get a system, use what you can, and make it habit,, but understand you are now on the path to developing OCD.
Ask me how I know?
 
ZX600 said:
Hence the heat gun idea, it might not be 100% accurate but it gives you an idea that to the very least the warmers were working.
Click to expand...

kellen said:
For sure, I usually am always checking, just but pulling the warmer back and feeling the tire, feeling the rim. Sometimes things get overlooked and usually at the worst time.

Ordered a cheap heat gun off amazon for this season, won't be 100% accurate but will be more accurate than touching it, especially if you want to compare to someone else's warmer or whatever. They can also let you know if your warmer is working, but not as well as it should be
Click to expand...
I have a cheap one from Canadian Tire kind of to see what the tires were when going on track and when coming off for curiosity but mostly cause it was really cheap on sale. I just touch the inside of the rim to see when it is heat soaked but have run out of gas a few times in the genny, luckily it is right beside the bike so I can hear when it stops. l
 
I didn't learn this lesson the hard way like Kellen but I check the heat of my tires often.

5-10 mins after I plug in the warmers I'd slip my hand under the warmer to ensure they're heating up. And again a little while later. Even before I was using a laser thermometer, every time I'm getting geared up I will check the tire temp with my hand before putting my glove on.

Every time!
 
Street tires at intermediate pace = no no

Forget to put in ear plugs

Left tire warmers plugged in while out on track / melty

Wheelie the start and or left the bike in neutral at the start

Going too fast in the rain

Oh - and in general breaking too early and getting on the gas too late ?


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