Roadracing World – April 2019

`Key Eliminator Harness: Plugs

into the main wiring harness and

bypasses the ignition key lock.

The on-off switch now turns the

bike on, although the starter but-

ton remains the switch that fi res

the bike. Lighter and completely

reversible, from Woodcraft. And

you don't have to worry about for-

getting the key!

`Keyless Gas Caps: Lighter than

stock, and a gas cap key becomes

one less thing to worry about.

`Rearset Controls: Again, stron-

ger, lighter and more adjustable

than the stock controls. Typically

raise the height of the pegs, al-

lowing for greater cornering clear-

ance and lean angle. Also offers

the rider the choice of standard

1-down/5-up stock shift pattern

or a 1-up/5-down Grand Prix shift

pattern that makes it easier to up-

shift while exiting a corner at lean.

`Coolant: Most race organizations

require the removal of antifreeze

from the bike, as after a crash

spilled antifreeze is slick as ice

and diffi cult to clean up. Straight

water can lead to corrosion form-

ing on the inside of the engine

coolant passages. Strongly con-

sider an antifreeze replacement

additive that meets the technical

requirements and is legal to use

with your local track day or race

organization, like Engine Ice.

`Rear Shock: Allows you to cus-

tomize spring and damping rates

for your riding style. Typically,

racing shocks are more resistant

to heat buildup and maintain con-

sistent performance over an en-

tire session or track day. Racing

shocks also often allow the rider to

adjust ride height to alter the bike's

geometry in pursuit of braking sta-

bility, turning agility, or traction

under power at corner exit.

`Racing Exhausts: For track use

only! The massive power gains

that used to be had decades ago

by replacing the exhaust on a bike

are typically no longer found. But

a modern race pipe is signifi cantly

lighter than the stocker–and there

are few single pieces that can be

swapped on a motorcycle that re-

duce the weight more. With proper

tuning, the pipes can deliver sig-

nifi cantly more power than stock.

An aftermarket pipe can be far

less expensive than stock, and the

sound of a good aftermarket unit

is simply music to the gearhead.

The above are good start-

ing points for improving a bike's

performance. The list could be

extended ad infi nitum. But intel-

ligent upgrades can make it not

just a motorcycle. It's now your

motorcycle, customized for you!

WINNING WITH ENGINE ICE

HI-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

HI-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

ENGINEICE.COM

5 GALLON PAIL

1/2 GALLON BOTTLE

Engine Ice Helmet Renew returns your helmet to

“Like New” condition, both inside and out.

Engine Ice Plastic Shine is the solution to

maintaining and restoring a slick, brilliant shine

to plastic fenders and bodywork.

HI-PERFORMANCE PLASTIC RENEW

HI-PERFORMANCE HELMET CARE

*For FREE Engine Ice stickers visit engineice.com/stickers and use code “RoadRacing”

Racing rearsets, like these from
Vortex (top) and Evol Technology
(above), and clip-on handlebars,
like these by Woodcraft (right), allow
you to customize the riding position
of your track bike to better fi t you.

A shock or fork spring change can

improve how your bike handles

when you start to pick up the pace.

RW

Roadracing World, Trackday Directory 2019—35