A properly prepared and clean motorcycle can mean the difference between breezing through tech inspection or fixing a problem you never even knew existed. Whether track day or racing, find out what the organization requires to cover all the bases. Just in case you forgot, I’m not writing the bible to go fast, just giving my advice to help you out so you have more time to experience the thrills that I enjoy at the track.

Track days usually ask very little of their participants. At most they ask for good tires and lights and mirrors taped over or removed. Some may require that the oil drain plug be safety- wired and coolant be replaced with water.

If your racing, the rules are more strict. Coolant will be the first to go. I recommend that when you replace the fluid, use distilled water instead of tap water, since tap water has a bunch of crap in it that can corrode water pumps and lines. I also use red line water wetter in the bikes I race. It really makes a huge difference in hot weather. Next comes the safety-wiring. Once again check with the organization to find out what is required. If you think that you are going to be really smart by drilling the bolts while they’re in place, good luck. Save yourself the bloody fingers and broken drill bits and remove the bolts before drilling. If you have a drill press, you’ve got a great start. If not, a vise, punch, drill, and some carbide bits (lots of them) will do the trick. You don’t need heavy-gauge wire for whatever you end up safety-wiring. Avoid twisting the wire too much or it will break when stressed. A good rule of thumb, if it comes loose, use lock tight on it. If it comes loose again, safety-wire it. The rest of the bike prep is fairly straight forward. Check brake-pad wear, all fluid levels and make sure the chain is lubed and has the correct amount of slack.