Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Forum banner
Cancel

Track day/ racing maintenance check list

2051 Views 15 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  mcljm, 
M
I know a lot of you guys probably have a nice schedule set up for all of your service. And some of the very lucky few a professional looking after their bikes.
I curious as to what all of you serious riders do as far as general maintenance on your track bikes.

I have a pretty good list here for anybody that needs a general idea of track bike maintenance. I think this is also a good check list for anybody that has just gotten a used bike. I would go over and thoroughly check out every important component on that bike, check for leaks, check torque on all bolts ect.

This probably sounds like overkill to some. But I like to ride my bikes very fast. And the way I see it my life is on the line each time I get on the bike. Especially because I am not an expert rider. My dad worked on military air craft for quite some time. And the pre-flight check list and service is extremely time consuming, not to mention costly. However it is necessary for safe flight. And I like to treat my bikes the same way.

Here is a good list to start off with. Let me know what you guys can add.
- check tire wear, make sure wheel weights are secured. Set psi(around 30/30)(pilot power 3)(adjust based upon your tire)
- clean lube and adjust the chain at the end of every track day

- check all fairing bolts daily and clutch free play

- inspect oil,coolant levels, coolant lines, daily

- clean brake calipers every 2 track days with a toothbrush, soap & water Check brake pins for wear

- change brake fluid every 4 track days, inspect lines & master cylinder (rbf600 fluid)

- every 4 track days change the engine oil(motul 300v)

- every other oil change, change the oil filter(K&N)

- replace brake pads below 65% used and keep some of those used sets on hand just in case


- change coolant mid season

- change fork oil every 8 track days or annually, lightly grease fork oil seals every 4 track days

- change shock oil every 12 track days or every other year



CHASSIS:

- clean, lube and adjust the head bearings manually annually

- clean, lube and torque the shock linkage and bolts annually

- clean and lube the swing arm pivot bearings annually

- clean and lube the wheel bearing annually, inspect for side play at that time

- remove, clean and re-grease then re-torque all engine/frame bolts annually

- remove, clean and re-loctite all rear set bolts (frame and rear sets)

- remove, clean and lube all heim joints (shift linkage, ride height rods)
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
Manolo
For me

Suspension refresh and damper every 2 years

coolant every 2 years (engine ice)

oil change once a month (motul300v)

brake flush once in the beginning and once in the middle of the track season (motul rbf600)

lubing chain once a track day (chain wax)

clean chain twice a month

clean air filter once a year (k&n recharge kit)

change spark plugs once every two years


I really never checked any of the chassis pivots points, guess ill get that done end of this season.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
M
Manolo said:
For me

Suspension refresh and damper every 2 years

coolant every 2 years (engine ice)

oil change once a month (motul300v)

brake flush once in the beginning and once in the middle of the track season (motul rbf600)

lubing chain once a track day (chain wax)

clean chain twice a month

clean air filter once a year (k&n recharge kit)

change spark plugs once every two years


I really never checked any of the chassis pivots points, guess ill get that done end of this season.
Click to expand...
Like I said the intervals might be a little over kill. But yeah it wouldn't hurt to get all the bearings replaced or cleaned and repacked front and rear and have a look at linkage and swing arm. It sucks to do it all but really keeps the bike operating smoothly delivering the feedback and feel from the chassis that the rider needs..
Reply
Save
Like
exalted512
A little overkill? Can I have your used oil? haha
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
M
Yeah that 300v hurts the pocket book a little. But I mean in my mind it can save you a lot of money from potential engine failure. Especially with such high revving machines. It's probably over kill. But maybe it's helping, maybe not, but better safe than sorry right? Ha

I even put very thin magnetic strips in my oil filter. Plus a magnetic drain plug haha
Reply
Save
Like
exalted512
You can always send your engine oil off to get analyzed. I think it costs around $25.
Reply
Save
Like
PainfullySlo
I am pretty close to what the OP has written with a few modifications.

Oil every other race weekend, filter every 2nd oil change.
Forks/Shock rebuilt every year.
Spark Plugs every year.
Coolant flush every year.
Brake Flush every 4 race weekends.
Brake pads every 4 race weekends (roughly 50-60% left at that point).
Exhaust gets repacked every winter.
All bearings inspected for runout, repacked (if possible).
Wheel bearings replaced every other year.

The entire bike gets torn down every winter so as a consequence everything gets cleaned, torqued, and locktited/safety wired fresh.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
M
PainfullySlo said:
I am pretty close to what the OP has written with a few modifications.

Oil every other race weekend, filter every 2nd oil change.
Forks/Shock rebuilt every year.
Spark Plugs every year.
Coolant flush every year.
Brake Flush every 4 race weekends.
Brake pads every 4 race weekends (roughly 50-60% left at that point).
Exhaust gets repacked every winter.
All bearings inspected for runout, repacked (if possible).
Wheel bearings replaced every other year.

The entire bike gets torn down every winter so as a consequence everything gets cleaned, torqued, and locktited/safety wired fresh.
Click to expand...
About How often do you change your fork oil?
Reply
Save
Like
TheEvilTwin
PainfullySlo said:
I am pretty close to what the OP has written with a few modifications.

Oil every other race weekend, filter every 2nd oil change.
Forks/Shock rebuilt every year.
Spark Plugs every year.
Coolant flush every year.
Brake Flush every 4 race weekends.
Brake pads every 4 race weekends (roughly 50-60% left at that point).
Exhaust gets repacked every winter.
All bearings inspected for runout, repacked (if possible).
Wheel bearings replaced every other year.

The entire bike gets torn down every winter so as a consequence everything gets cleaned, torqued, and locktited/safety wired fresh.
Click to expand...
Dude, what is scary as hell? The fact that your service plan is the same as mine! Well, damn near. Except for the oil and filter. I go 3- 4 weekends (15- 20 races + practice/ track day) per change. In addition, foot and bar levers get pulled off and cleaned/ lubed.
Not to derail the thread, but from what I am told by some industry experts (he works for Yamaha) racing is actually easier on oil than street riding per hour of run time. Think about it- street ride equals stop and go, clutch in, clutch out, slip the clutch, idle, etc. Racing- no clutch slip except at the start and the revs are always up. Plus, plenty of cooling. He ran one oil change for 11 track days and the oil came back from the lab just fine.
Anyway, back to our regular program.
Reply
Save
Like
trackdayhero
I don't let professionals anywhere near my bikes. :)
Reply
Save
Like
exalted512
trackdayhero said:
I don't let professionals anywhere near my bikes. :)
Click to expand...
Same here. They're expensive, haha.
-Cody
Reply
Save
Like
M
exalted512 said:
Same here. They're expensive, haha.
-Cody
Click to expand...
Very true. I try to do all of the work myself. Other than dyno tuning and shock/fork work I do everything myself. It takes up all of my free time, but it's well worth it. I can't even imagine what it would cost to maintain a track/race bike properly if you let a pro do it for you.

Do you guys still follow a pretty similar schedule?
I'm curious how these zx6 motors hold up in the long run. Do any of guys ever have to rebuild the motor? I have 10,300 miles on my bike and so far so good besides a valve and head gasket leak.
Reply
Save
Like
trackdayhero
I have about 25,000 miles on both of my '08s and they're still running strong. Lot of track and race miles on them. Never done more than regular valve clearance inspection/adjustments, oil changes, etc. The basic stuff on the service manual's periodic table. Put a clutch in one but other than that nothing major.
Reply
Save
Like
Manolo
I have over 20'000 miles on my engine and still running strong.
Reply
Save
Like
exalted512
I blew my motor up 2 years ago. Dealer said it was due to low oil...except that I had checked it earlier that day. It was somewhat repaired under warranty. About $2k worth of parts and labor, I put in about $500 worth of parts. I've heard of more than a couple blowing up.
-Cody
Reply
Save
Like
M
So overall it seems like they are pretty good motors. I've always thought kawi made pretty damn good motors.

Valve inspection is something I forgot to add to my list.
I haven't inspected the valve clearances or anything yet.
How often would you guys suggest doing this?
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Forum
A forum community dedicated to Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, racing, modifications, classifieds, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
The ZX6R Mechanical and Technical Motorcycle Talk New Member Introductions Pictures
Top