Zen and the Art of Racing Motorscooter Maintenance...
An Article About Prepping Your Scooter For the Track
By Scott Smallwood
Well, competing in an event where several of us are frantically pacing around a track on 30- and 40-year old machines may sound a bit scary. But frankly, these machines were quite well built... But for racing, not really...
But like anything else, there is a certain level of satisfaction to be gained from making something that was originally rather slow.....FAST! So in turn, this is why the majority of us race scooters... And in order to race scooters your bike has to be prepped for the track. Hopefully, this article can give you a little insight on prepping your steed for the track. So you will not be scrambling around trackside on the day of the race looking for special tools or safety wire.....
Once you decide you want to race, you own a scooter, and you have gear (Snell approved full-face helmet, boots that rise above the ankle, race leathers (one piece OR two, but if two pieces they must attach), and leather-based race gloves, then it is time to make sure your bike is fit.
First off, make sure you bike is reliable from the beginning, walking your bike from the infield can be quite embarrassing... Decide what class you will be racing (stock, specials, or smallframe).
And then begin the bike prep...
MASS, ASRA, and ESRA all require the following:
- Nylock both your rim and hub studs (This is rather self-explanatory.)
- Safety wire both the oil fill and drain plugs on the engine. What I have found that works well is to either use the fold-over tabs that will safety wire together, or drill very small holes in the head of the plugs themselves, then wire.
- The swingarm bolt and the rear shock mount will both need to be wired or Nylocked.
- If using a hydraulic brake, your master cylinder lid will have to be taped to the reservoir. And the heads of your hydraulic fittings will also have to be safety wired.
- All of your lights will either need to be removed or thoroughly taped over.
- On large frame Vespas and Lambrettas, your kick start lever will need to be removed. It's a good idea to have someone remove it for you after starting the machine, or remove it altogether and bump start your bike.
- On any scooters still racing w/ such items as engine doors, glovebox doors, and the like you will also have to wire these items shut. Or simply remove them.
- Your handlebar ends must be plugged with bar ends OR at least have grips that cover the bar ends. Levers must have balled ends, not bayonet type.
- Some other items that I recommend: safety wiring your grips onto the bars, doubling up all control cable ends, and keeping a constant watch on your tire pressure.
Having these major points dialed in on your racebike will ensure that you will be spending time on the track, not in the pits...
For more info refer to the MASS, ESRA, and ASRA rulebooks for more specific race prep issues.
