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Information Novices & Newcomers

Written by Jono Yardley - CRMC Riders Representative

 

 

 

So you want to come racing. Well if you want to be part of the friendliest, happy, helpful, most sociable and relaxed Motorcycle club, then you’ve come to the right place.

It may seem like a hugely daunting task, and yes there is a lot to learn and get your head around, but no matter where you find yourself in the paddock, everyone you ask will guide you and point you in the right direction.

There are a number of things, which you need before you are able to race;

 

Competition licence

 

Q; How do I obtain my competition licence?
A; By the following –

 

Providing proof of Competence to ride

You get this from the Auto Cycle Union (ACU), but before you can apply you need to provide Proof of Competence to Ride. A full driving licence is sufficient, but if you don’t have one then satisfactory completion of a one-day course at the Mick Boddice Training School, which is at Darley Moor race circuit will get your certificate.

 

Attending a Competitor Training Course

 

You will also have to attend a one-day Competitor Training Course (CTC) at ACU headquarters, Rugby. This is a pretty basic course, which covers safety, Flags, track etiquette, the way a race day runs, and some of the requirements that are a must. At the end of the day, you have to sit an exam, but as long as you’ve paid attention, you’d be pushed to fail.

 Some may feel that it’s a waste of time, but at least it means that everyone on the grid has at least a basic level of knowledge, and then there is no excuse for overtaking under a yellow or red flag. When I did mine, the instructor told us a story; when he was asked to consider instructing on the course, he was invited to watch a race meeting at Mallory Park. In one race, two Novices were at the back of the grid in their first race. The flag dropped for the start of the warm up lap and off they went – racing, and yes the inevitable happened, as they charged round coming out of the Bus Stop and Druids at full chat, only to see the field slowing right down and stopping for the start of the race, they couldn’t stop and several other riders were caught up in the carnage. This story was more than sufficient in itself to justify the compulsory attendance at the CTC course.

 

Completing a Medical Declaration

 

You will need to sign a declaration stating that you are medically fit, if you have suffered from certain conditions or have a disability, the ACU may require further information or require you to attend their medical panel, who will decide if they can issue a licence.

Passing an Eyesight test

 

You have to have a satisfactory eyesight report from an optician. This is more or less the same as a normal eyesight test, but does include a field of vision test. If you are lucky, you may be able to get your optician to fill out the form as part of your normal test, otherwise you’ll have to pay extra for this.

 

 

Finally

 

Right, at last You’re ready to send off your form, but don’t send it direct to the ACU. You have to be a member of a club. So send off your licence application, complete with Club membership application to our membership Secretary;

Glenys Kennedy
1 Rectory Lane
Yardley, Hastings
Northants
NN7 1EW

 

ACU Licence Form CLICK HERE

 

CRMC Membership Form CLICK HERE

 

 

 

She will sign your licence application and send it direct to the ACU.
They are normally pretty quick in getting it back to you – about 1 to 2 weeks typically.

  

Race Bike

 

Now this can be one of the most difficult decisions you have to make. My advice is don’t rush into buying the first thing you see. Ask and talk to lots of people (everyone will probably say that the bike they have is the one to have!). Do you prefer two or four stroke? Do you want a pukka race bike, or one that’s based on a production machine?

The range / classes / groups / periods are huge and confuse most of us, but perhaps the most important question should be; ‘How big is your budget?’ I would suggest that at the low end of the scale £1000 would buy you a useable ‘cheapy’ racer and at the top end, well the skies the limit, but many members own and race bikes that have cost £25,000 or more. But between the two are a huge variety of models. Just because your bike hasn’t cost the earth doesn’t mean that you won’t have just as much fun racing it.

 
Every bike that races with us must have an eligibility certificate, which is issued by the club. This certificate indicates which class it can enter. Advice I would give any newcomer is always buy a race prepared bike. Of course it’s possible to build your own, but it will nearly always end up costing much more money than you expect.
By the time you’ve junked all the road stuff you don’t need, fitted rear sets, Clip on handlebars, race fairing, race tyres, had the engine tuned etc’ etc’, you will always find it adds up to much much more than buying one which has had all the hard work, sorting out and expense done for you. Not only that but a bike that’s already been used on the track will often come with a range of essential spares – Paddock stands, spare bars, levers, sprockets (so you can change the gearing from track to track), etc’ etc’…

When sorting out your new bike, whether built from scratch, a no-expense spared minter, or something that’s already done a bit, try to remember the following;

 

To finish first, first you have to finish….

 

 

So often people spend an absolute fortune on having the engine tuned to the ength degree, everything lightened to unbelievable lengths, only to have the thing blow up, or simply stop out on track.

 

Reliability is everything.

 

Which brings me to preparation;

  

Race Preparation.

 

Try and keep it simple. Firstly go over your bike and check everything, and I mean everything, and then check it again. This should include every fastener, nut, bolt and screw you can access, Make sure the chain is adjusted correctly and a bit of lube. Make sure the suspension works smoothly and is set right for you. Check the engine, paying particular attention to the vital fluids. Check the brakes are good, plenty of thickness in the linings / pads and cables / fluid levels are correct. Check the wiring, in particular any connections – be very wary of any that use ‘crimped’ type of connectors – soldering is much more reliable.

Make sure the tyres are okay and that the pressures are spot on – best checked cold on the morning of each race day. Ensure that anything that holds fluid is lock wired, at a minimum, Oil drain and filler and oil filter. You might well want to lock wire anything that could come loose. I lost my front brake lever after 2 laps of practice at Darley Moor. I was lucky and managed to walk away, but it could have been very different. I had checked the bolt was tight, but hadn’t checked the nut.
Thread lock is a good idea also on anything that might work loose, it amazing how often things undo themselves on a bike that is being pushed to the limit. Things that I thread lock, include footpegs, the bolts securing clip ons, brake calliper bolts, exhaust mounts and lots more.
Finally don’t forget fuel. When you start, keeping the tank half full is probably a good idea, but you may want to run with less fuel as you improve (to keep weight down to a minimum), but it often surprises newcomers how much fuel you will use. 5 litres per practice session / race is quite common.

  

Transport / Accommodation

 

I’ve listed these two things together because they usually are closely linked. When I started, I had my bike on a trailer towed behind my ancient Peugeot Estate and camped in a £30 tent. Then I bought a transit type van and slept in the back. Now I have a caravan which I tow behind my medium wheel base Van. This is a really good option, but probably the ultimate is the motor home with bike storage / workshop in the rear. These are exorbitantly expensive, but many members have some sort of converted / dual-purpose van or lorry, which can work really well and are often a fraction of the price.
There’s nothing wrong with camping / sleeping in your car or van, but it makes life hard and a good nights sleep is pretty important when you’re racing. It’s extremely easy to get organised when you have a dedicated living space, and much more comfortable when it’s cold and or wet.
Don’t worry if you are on a tight budget, lots of members manage really well sleeping in the back of a van or car, or with a scruffy borrowed tent. No one will look down on you or make you feel uncomfortable. We just want to see everyone having a great time and smiling loads.

  

Awning

 

While not essential, it makes it much more pleasant when it’s very hot or wet to be able to work on your bike in the shade / dry. Many caravans have an awning, which works fine, otherwise some sort of tent / marquee is usually used.
The lightweight alloy ones, which are plentiful on Ebay and the like are cheap and very easy to erect, but usually get blown away! At the end of every meeting I have gone to there be at least one in a crumpled heap of bent tubes and ripped canvas. A much better bet are the ones made by Gala tents (much sturdier and heavier), and not much more expensive than the throwaway ones. They take longer to put up but you’ve got a good chance they will still be there in the morning!

  

Transponder

 

Every bike must be fitted with a transponder. This is a small red electronic box, which sends out a unique code and is picked up by the timekeepers every time you cross the start / finish line. There are two types; one, which is rechargeable, and one, which is hard wired to the bikes electrics. Most people opt for the rechargeable type, as it’s then transferable between different bikes (but not riders). They are quite expensive (typically around £230 ish on Ebay), but you can hire them on a meeting-by-meeting basis if you prefer.

  

Your first meeting

 

Things start to happen around 7am on a race day, and most prefer to get there the evening before, so they are set up and ready in plenty of time. Often there is a track or test day on the Friday before a race weekend, and this is a great opportunity to get extra track time / practise in readiness for the weekend.

 

 

 

Signing on

 

Usually from 7am. You will have to produce your club membership card, and Competition licence; they will then give you a scrutineering card, which also acts as your pass to your allocated practice session.

  

 

Scrutinising

 

Your bike has to be inspected by one of the technical officials who will make a quick check that it’s safe and ready to go out on track. They will check lock wiring, steering lock, bodywork is secure and that there are no sharp edges, and that the brakes don’t have too much travel. They will also check the bike is numbered correctly. They will also check your clothing – leathers, boots, helmet & gloves and also that you are wearing your dog tag, with your name and date of birth on. When they are satisfied they will sign your practise pass.

  

Noise test

Get your machine fully warmed up and join the queue for the noise test. Nowadays it’s quite strict and no bike which makes more than 105 decibels will be allowed out on circuit. You will rev your engine to the specified revs and then the officials will measure the noise

  

Practice

 

Listen carefully for the announcements on the PA system for your session. We normally have about 6 sessions, and they always go in order starting at number 1. In plenty of time arrive at the assembly area. You will get around 15 minutes on track, just about enough time to learn where the track goes and that the bike is running okay.

  

The Race

 

After consulting the program, listen carefully to the PA announcements and watch what’s going on track so you don’t miss your race. It can seem like a lot of hanging around, and then suddenly you should be out there. It’s amazing how many miss races; don’t let you be one of them!
Again try and arrive at the assembly area in plenty of time. You will be given a sticker, which refers to your grid position.
When instructed to do so, make your way to the grid. When everyone is in their correct slot, you will be waved away for 1 warm up lap. My advice is don’t go like a Looney – your tyres are cold and you’re very nervous. You will be amazed how many fall off on this lap. If you do expect to be called to see the clerk of the course. Don’t weave neither, we don’t allow it and it’s been proven it doesn’t actually warm tyres at all, but does cause accidents.
As you complete your warm up lap, approach the grid slowly and carefully and locate your position on the grid.

  

The Start

 

Your adrenalin is flooding like crazy; your heart is beating flat out. My advice is:

1. Make sure you are in first gear
2. Ignore everyone around you
3. Keep your engine revs high
4. Watch the starter and his flag like a hawk
5. As soon as the flag falls release the clutch slowly – too fast you’ll either wheelie (bad) or stall (very very bad)
6. Once moving, try and settle in to a steady run at a pace you’re comfortable with.
7. Enjoy the experience for what many say is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

 

You’ve done it – well done.

 

Anyway, hopefully this will give you a good start and point you in the right direction. Most importantly don’t be frightened to ask. We have a number of riders who are happy to act as a ‘Buddy’. You could probably set up near to them in the paddock and have someone nearby to ask all those questions that might seem silly, but non the less you need to know.

 

Welcome aboard, looking forward to seeing you out there.

 

Jono Yardley – Riders Representative & Buddy co-ordinator

 

077 987 255 19

01952 400 754

jono.yardley@crmc.co.uk

 

 

Basic Bike Setup – Part 1

The idea behind this series is to give some very basic tips to newcomers on how to set up a bike to go Classic (or indeed any) racing.

It is much cheaper and generally much more successful in terms of lap times to spend time on getting the chassis and running gear right on your bike than spending loads on an engine job. Let’s start with the wheels and tyres. If the wheels are off the ground they should spend easily and freely. A binding brake can soak up brake horsepower and cause brakes to become overheated and less effective. A properly set up drum brake should not bind at all but a disc brake will have a small amount ‘hold’ on the disc. This tiny amount of binding goes away with increased speed. If there is any undue drag from the brakes work on it until it is fixed. Horsepower costs loads of money and your brakes could be soaking it up. Take time to make sure the wheel bearings and spindles are not causing drag as well. When wheel nuts are done up they can overload the bearings which causes drag and early bearing failure for example. Again spend time getting this area as free as possible.

Now check that wheel rims run true. With cast wheels small run outs can be fixed by specialists but wire wheels are easier and can be tackled by most of us given time and patience. Try to get both axial and radial run out to less than 2mm. You may need to employ a specialist wheel builder but some time spent with a spoke key should work or it may drive you up the wall! Serious wheel builders get the wheels as true as possible and then mount them in a lathe and then skim off the last of the high spots. Next check that the tyre is fitted square on the rim. If it is not let the air out, loosen the tyre off the rim and lubricate with tyre soap. Re-inflate and re-check – if it is still not right try again. You may have to take the tyre off and check the rim tape has not snagged or something similar.

It is vital to balance both wheels and although this may seem obvious I have seen many bikes with wheels leaping up and down at speed. Even a small imbalance can cause handling problems including contributing to the dreaded ‘chatter’. It is virtually impossible to balance wheels on the bike even after you have made everything spin as easily as possible. Set the wheel up with a dummy spindle on for example two axle stands. Allow the wheel to spin and stop. Mark the top with some chalk and temporarily add some weight opposite the mark. Eventually you should be able to get the wheel so well balanced that it can be left at any point and not move. Fit proper weights - sticky backed weights are available from tyre depots and motoring shops. Some scrutineers require weights to have tape applied to them as a way of making sure they stay in place. Double check and then re-fit.
All the above could take an hour or it could take days but be patient because if you get this all right you will have significantly improved your bike. In Part 2 we will look at setting up the suspension, wheel alignment and so on.

 

 

Basic Bike Setup – Part 2

Suspension and Steering. Remember the main idea of these articles is that by concentrating on the chassis you can significantly reduce your lap times without having to spend large sums on engine tuning. OK so now you have got the wheels turning easily, the rims nice and true and the brakes as free running as possible – what’s next? The best place to start is with the steering races because incorrectly adjusted or worn bearings here can cause big handling and braking problems. These bearings should be checked every year because they rarely have proper dust protection and dust and grit mix with the grease to make grinding paste that wrecks bearings very quickly. Clean thoroughly and inspect the bearing surfaces very carefully for ant signs of ‘denting’. If you are in any doubt at all renew the bearings. When re-fitting the bearings make sure they are greased and if possible making up effective dust seals is worth while. There are two types of bearing used, taper roller and ball (either loose with cups and cones or angular contact) with taper roller being almost universal for racing. Adjust the bearings to give completely free movement with zero play. Taper rollers should be set with some small amount of pre-load but cups and cones should be tightened up just sufficiently to remove play. Overly tight or worn (‘notchy’) steering bearing give an uncertain ‘wandering’ feel to the steering especially in slower corners whereas loose bearings can promote weaving, pattering and juddering under braking.

Next look at the swinging arm which should be completely free to move through at least the full range of the suspension movement. The best way to do this is with the rear wheel clear of the ground and the suspension unit/s disconnected but everything else still in place. Clearly the swinging arm bearings must be free throughout the suspension movement but contact between the swinging arm, wheel spindle etc with stationary parts of the frame, exhaust system can cause quite severe handling problems which are difficult to diagnose without doing this check. Some swinging arm bearings are designed to have a small amount of play but usually you should be looking for no play in this area.

Lastly we need to make sure the wheels line up. Now I am assuming that you have a bike with a straight frame, forks, yokes and so on because these articles are not about straightening parts up. If a bike has been raced then it has been crashed so parts do get bent. Not only that a fair number of racing bikes are small produced in small quantities by ‘cottage’ industries. If you discover any bent items then it is quite likely that they can be fixed but unless you are well versed in the correct methods then my advice is find a well known and reputable expert to do it for you. The best way to check wheel alignment is with two long straight edges and it is possible to buy kit designed to do the job. The rear tyre will be wider than the front so your straight edges are butted up to the sides of the rear tyre and held in place – elastics, cable ties whatever. You need to get the straightedges as high as possible without hitting frames etc. Now check that the gaps each side of the front tyre and the straightedges can be made the same by ‘steering’ the front wheel back and forth. If not use the rear wheel adjusters until the front gaps can be made equal. Now check that the rear wheel is fairly central in the swing arm and that the chain misses the tyre and that the tyre misses the swing arm. (If this can’t be done you may have something bent somewhere – find out what is wrong) Check the chain adjustment, tighten the wheel spindle and recheck the alignment. If your swinging arm has reference marks on it check to see how accurate they are and re-scribe if necessary. If there are no marks then make some for future alignment. String can also be used to align wheels. Next time we are going to look at spring rates and damping.

Many years ago I was at Cadwell Park and a mate of mine saw me lining up the wheels of my 750 Norton with string and asked what I was doing so I explained. Now this chap was one of the fastest riders around the Cadwell Club circuit on his 750 Norton. He lined his wheels up properly for the first time and off he went to go even faster. After the race (he won again) I asked him how the bike was with the wheels in line. “Hopeless”, was his reply – he put the wheels back out of line and carried on winning – five races that day I seem to remember. Maybe something was bent on his bike?