Braggadocio notwithstanding there should be more to a young gun than just being twitchy and having a quick throttle hand. You have to have some substance and sooner or later you’re actually going to have to grow a brain. You also have to do your homework.

What, I’ve Gotta Study?
When you get to the track, save that boisterous, brash nature for the post race celebrations or the hand-racing sessions afterwards; get off your butt and go walk the track. Where are the off-camber sections? How far do the marbles extend into the lines you plan to use? Any chance of a spill there? How many bolts, nuts and hardware do you see lying about the track? That could mean the track is somewhat of a rough track to ride, vibration-wise. As you walk, be sure to carry back any pieces of fairings, tail-sections, etcetera, that you feel it would be unwise to run over in practice, or worse, during the race. Take a garbage bag and throw in trash from the snack bar too. Remember, you are training to be a professional, and a pro wouldn’t leave something lying about that could only take her out later on.

Sketch the corners as you are walking. Use a pencil and notebook. When you get back to the pits, pull out your notebook and, taking a straightedge or a protractor, bisect each corner with a straight line dividing each corner into halves. See the apex? Now you can establish your proposed braking markers where you think they should be. Make a mental note of these in each corner. They are liable to change as you ride, so you want to know exactly where to move them to next. Notice as you are walking where your high speed run-offs would take you if you fudged your braking points or your brakes failed. If your answer is into the marbles, then change things around until you can get a clear shot back out of that corner. There is absolutely no traction in the marbles.

Screw You, I Just Ride It
After you have spent all of your free time studying the track, you need to turn your attention to your motorcycle. You want to keep consistent attention on your air pressure in your tires and the temperature of said tires when you return to the pits. You will need an excellent quality tire gauge and a good tire pyrometer for this. Since the air pressure changes the more you ride, you will always check your tire pressure COLD. The only way to avoid this is by using nitrogen instead of air. With air, once the tires are hot, your pressure could read just about anything; you can’t pay attention to that. That only tells you that you have air in your tires. Next, you should take your pyrometer and check your tire’s temperature after you leave the track. Do this regardless of compound and keep track of the temperatures in your notebook. Later on, you will develop a better understanding of your tires. When you are on the track, you will begin to notice at what temperature your tires will begin to grip. What extreme temperatures will your tires LOSE their grip?

Will changing to a different compound change that for the better? Know this! Do not expect your tuner, or your momma, daddy, or paramour to do this for you. Do it yourself. You are the one racing. Do not expect anyone else to be as committed to your race effort as you are. If you think like this, you will probably be disappointed. I repeat, Know This and Do It for yourself! You will have a distinct sense of accomplishment when you begin to understand what works with what compound and why. You can grasp the basics of this quickly and it will make you sound more intelligent when you talk to the tire gods. “Black and round? Sure, we got a whole trailer full of those.” Be able to give specifics, but also be open to suggestions from your tire pro.

Watch your suspension settings that you use from track to track and record them in your notebook for ready reference. High, Low, Firm, Soft, know firsthand what should work from track to track. Be inquisitive. This is knowledge that can only come from first hand experience. You cannot by-pass this sort of wisdom, you can only bend to the task and accept it willingly. Always begin with a median setting and work from there. Extremes in either direction can spell disaster, so be careful. Always, Always make sure your steering head bearing is tight. Elevate the motorcycle so that the front forks and wheel are free to rotate. Point the forks straight ahead and let go of the bars. The forks should not flop loosely in either direction. It should also not be so tight that the forks will barely steer. Too loose is the big thing, you don’t want that. Most of the time, they are correctly set at the factory, but there are always the exceptions.

Every nut, bolt and screw should be routinely checked to ensure that you don’t DNF or come to some catastrophic end because of a loose fifty-cent nut. Safety wire should abound at every recommended juncture. It’s your bike and your ass, why wouldn’t you take care of it?

Da Tech Line
Tech Lines can often be long and tedious. Don’t waste your time and everyone else’s by dragging up a bike and helmet you know won’t pass. They’re not being mean, they care for you. If your helmet is scratched, cracked or eroded from too many crashes, replace it with a recommended brand and model. New paint won’t help a sub par helmet if you crash. Do the right thing.
Keep a small stock of the correct color leather dye in your race hauler. Routinely touch-up the scuffs that inevitably happen. This may be your advertising, and sponsors don’t want to rent a grubby looking billboard. Spend a few minutes and spruce up your leathers to look new again. Your sponsors will appreciate it and you will look like more of a professional.

Mister Microphone

When you finally manage to lure the announcer over with his microphone, try to employ one main principle. Engage brain before releasing mouth. Be conservative. Don’t run off at the mouth about how you are going to ANNILIHATE the competition. What if the competition hears you?!!? Don’t thank your momma, she should already know you love her. Say hi, thank your main sponsors, bid everyone adieu, then shut-up. The announcer will think this is some strange new anomaly and will practically beg you to say something juicy. Don’t. What will it matter next season when you’re not around to back up your mouth? Be succinct. Your silence and confidence will speak volumes to your competitors. Believe me, there has been a boatload of loudmouths before you. No one really pays attention to that sort of fertilizer anymore.
—till next time. Happy Trails.