Sliders/guards/protection for track

Sliders/guards/protection for track

Author
Discussion

clen666

Original Poster:

925 posts

121 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
For those of you who take your road bikes on track, do you all fit crash protectors?

And do you go the whole hog with fairing/swingarm/fork/bar end sliders?

I've also read that they can increase the chance of damaging the frame if they dig in, and the offset 'no-cut' protectors can be even worse.

I just like the idea of limiting the damage done if I eventually take my bike on track

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
quotequote all
I've got a load of R&G stuff all over the important metal bits on my trackbike, more to stop them wearing through than worrying about damage in a crash. Having said that they certainly did their job after my high side at Macleans in June. Very little damage.

clen666

Original Poster:

925 posts

121 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Yeah I was thinking of going for some R&G aero protectors, with their fork and swingarm sliders.

I've read that the cotton reel ones are useless as they just snap the mountings off the swingarm.

I was tempted by the evotech gear but their protector is offset so you don't cut the fairing. Ideally I'd rather not cut the fairing but have read the offset ones are no good?

Edited by clen666 on Wednesday 17th September 19:53

moto_traxport

4,235 posts

220 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Which bike?

What are you trying to protect? Fairings (roadbike, topple over sort of thing) or the functioning parts of the bike (trackbike / racer low side crash)?

clen666

Original Poster:

925 posts

121 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
2007 zx6r.

Mostly protection from things like lowsides on track.
I've never been on track before so just want as much protection as possible really.

Would be nice if my shiney fairings stayed that way too!

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
They'll protect your bike to some extent but won't make it bullet proof. The crash bungs on mine along with the front spindle cotton reels did a great job. The fairings still took a bit of a beating though as did the exhaust.

Best advice is don't fall off!!

moto_traxport

4,235 posts

220 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Worse crash protectors are the little nylon ones on a 6mm bolt into a stamped metal fairing stay. I think moanthebairns has these on his beloved ZX6G. Utter rubbish when a little low side writes the bike off when it spins round and marks the frame.

I'm not a fan of what you call offset protectors i.e. on a bracket to avoid cutting fairings. The bracket makes them weak with potentially similar consequences.

If you're going to use them go directly onto the strongest bolt so says the theory. R&G use deliberately soft bolts that bend - it will write the panel off just because of the movement of the bobbin itself BUT the bike is generally rideable. Often a bike shop job to get the thing out. Often puts a half moon mark on the frame around the bolt head. What have you actually saved though?

Harder protectors such as GSG Moko are slightly better IMO, particularly for faster crashes but ultimately can hurt the thread, particularly if you drop it on the brakes (i.e. from a greater height) - hello helicoil your engine mount.

Either would be okay with a low speed low side on tarmac. Dropping it on the the grass after a run on, or a slide that goes over those serrated kerbs can be made worse by bobbins.

When I raced we never bothered with crash protectors - the fairings are a big sacrificial ski but that doesn't help you with a road bike because you're also trying to stop the impact transfering into ram air tubes, fairing bracket, headlight mounting, instruments tabs etc etc and generally shagging the thing.

Don't crash it is the glib answer.

For someone to really recommend the best protectors they need to ask what accident you're expecting to have.

Again, not much help.

FWIW. I've got R&G on my bike because it came with them with GSG Moko clutch cover protector (a bike specific R1 thing that I bang my shin on) and I've got standard metal bobbins on the swing arm that I'm hoping keep it off the road should the worse happen.

moto_traxport

4,235 posts

220 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
LoonR1 said:
the front spindle cotton reels did a great job.
I've never seen the front spindle jobs do anything but a good job i.e. I don't think they have any downsides. If the forks were bent from a crash, then they were going to get bent anyway.

steve954

895 posts

179 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
I had a mix of protection on my bike and after a 80 ish mph low side the bike only really suffered a broken foot peg! Loon and fleegle didn't even notice when I can back in the garage!

Crash at 6.20 http://youtu.be/9Aj7jBRV6Co

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
The thing is that both of us know that the fairings are disposable on our bikes whereas on a road bike they are extremely precious and expensive.

steve954

895 posts

179 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
steve954 said:
I had a mix of protection on my bike and after a 80 ish mph low side the bike only really suffered a broken foot peg! Loon and fleegle didn't even notice when I can back in the garage!

Crash at 6.20 http://youtu.be/9Aj7jBRV6Co

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
I have those nipple looking ones on my ninja, I actually keep forgetting to take them off, I don't even see them now. They done a great job I assume when the previous owner dropped it standing, no fairing damage but in a crash, no chance.

I have engine casing on the Daytona, when I dug into the grass at croft it never flipped but it did sheer a foot hanger.

i'm weighing up if I go the next step to frame sliders or just leave it at engine casings.


moto_traxport

4,235 posts

220 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
moanthebairns said:
I have those nipple looking ones on my ninja, I actually keep forgetting to take them off, I don't even see them now. They done a great job I assume when the previous owner dropped it standing, no fairing damage but in a crash, no chance.
Only mentioned it as a mate and myself used to both have ZX7's and he put those poxy things on his, so I assume it's a similar pressed steel fairing bracket on the ZX6. He had a comedy 15mph tip off and it pulled the bracket out the fairing, whereupon itspun round 90' into the frame and wrote the bike off. I fell off mine a few weeks later at McCleans at Snetterton and it just scuffed the fairing despite a 25 yard slide - new indicator, Tcut and a big MOTUL sticker sorted it.

Next trackday at Donington shows almost no damage to the left hand side. Picture whoring at its finest!





George29

14,706 posts

163 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Get GB engine covers. Fantastic things, have saved my bike several times.

I don't use crash bobbins as I have seen them damage bikes from very minor lowsides before now.

clen666

Original Poster:

925 posts

121 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
Right, thanks for the feedback.

So would an ideal setup be:
GB racing engine covers
Front and rear axle sliders
Bar end sliders (?)
Cheap race fairing (things are getting serious!)

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
Sounds OK to me.

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
George29 said:
Get GB engine covers. Fantastic things, have saved my bike several times.

I don't use crash bobbins as I have seen them damage bikes from very minor lowsides before now.
I've seen them saved a few. But it is really the toss of the coin. The first thing down on my Bike is the bars and foot rests. These are sacrificial in a crash, especially On a track Bike.

The joys of the old 675 is your pricey exhaust sits under the seat and is almost impervious to a crash.

What benefits and cOns dones spindal protection offer.

Also manufactures rear sets are designed to.flip up.

With aftermarket ones do these essentially act as a crash bung. I've seen them take a fair wack but I've also seen them snap at the peg saving the frame. Do these sort of offer crash bung levels without as big a compromise

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
I had a gentle lowside on my underseat exhaust R1, it didn't save it by being under the seat.

George29

14,706 posts

163 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
LoonR1 said:
I had a gentle lowside on my underseat exhaust R1, it didn't save it by being under the seat.
R1s have twin exhausts that are close to the edge of the seat unit. The Triumph one is right in the middle so I don't think it would get damaged in a low side.

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
Not a track expert but do used mine on the track a few times.

I have crash bungs I can't remember the name of the company but they were about half the price of the R&G equivalent and, as far as I'm aware, they're identical. Only problem I find is my bike the position regardless of manufacturer means they can catch your knee sliders when you're moving about, that's again bike specific.

Also bike specific I can't envision any angle on my bike how cotton reels would touch down. So I'd probably best look into this for your specific bike as I'm not convinced they benefit everyone.

I would quite like an engine cover. Whilst I appreciate it's not just about being a sacrificial part they can be difficult to justify given their cost often is several times more than a 2nd hand part, and to fit it you often need new gaskets which can be quite expensive for what they are as well.