BritishCustoms
Well-Known Member
Flat track is awesome not just because it’s all about going fast and turning left, but because of the community that embraces the sport. While everybody loves to win, local flat track races are mostly just about getting out there, getting dirty, and having fun.
That’s why they created hooligan races, so anyone can “run what ya brung.” While by that definition you can literally race your bike however it’s set up, you can very easily give yourself an edge by making a few small adjustments, installing a few new parts, and pulling off some things you don’t need. And we’ll tell you how to do it all on your own in your garage. And who knows, it may be so much fun you decide to build a full-blown tracker.
The parts that will make your race life much easier include a bench seat and some tracker handlebars.
TRACKER SEATS
Slammer Seat
Slammer Seat w/ Integrated Taillight
TRACKER BARS
Mule Tracker Handlebar 1"
Mule Tracker Handlebar 7/8"
Biltwell Tracker Bar 1"
Biltwell Tracker Bar 7/8"
Those are both very quick and easy to install weekend projects that will help you immensely while you’re hot shoeing it.
If you aren’t afraid of a little grease, then you can pull off whatever unnecessary parts you don’t mind putting back on later. These include the mirrors, headlight, turn signals, both fenders, and whatever else the guv’ment says you need for the street but that won’t help you on a dirt track. This step isn’t necessary, but will lighten your load and free up some horsepower.
The last step is pretty critical: setting your suspension. If your stock front and/or rear suspension can be adjusted, it is highly recommended that you set it for the dirt. The nice cushy settings it comes with out of the factory that make it lavish to ride on the street will turn your bike into a pogo stick when you’re on the dirt and coming into a turn hot. This can be done by a mechanic for usually about $20 (it takes about 15 minutes), or by yourself with a flat head screwdriver and a suspension tool (it still takes about 15 minutes to do it yourself). Even though this only requires turning a wrench and a screwdriver, we recommend asking your mechanic, friends who race, or watching videos about how to do this correctly. First, you’ll want to set the sag in your rear suspension to 25-30 mm. This can be done with a suspension tool, and is most easily done with a friend who can measure how much the bike lowers when you sit on it versus when no one is on the bike. With your sag adjusted, you’ll want to set the damping (compression and rebound) on both your front and rear shocks. For racing, you want your shocks to be stiff so that the suspension sticks through the turns, giving you the most control, instead of bouncing around while you’re trying to hold a line. Typically, both damping settings should be put at all but a few clicks out. This can be done with a flat head screwdriver. The main idea is that if you push straight down on the bike as hard as you can to test the suspension, the front and rear of the bike should go down and then back up at the same speed, and it should not bounce up and down after it comes back up immediately after the test push. After the race, be sure to reset or adjust your suspension for the street, because your bike will be very uncomfortable once you get back out on the road.
While anyone can throw a leg over any bike and have a great time in a hooligan race, it definitely doesn’t hurt to take a weekend afternoon to get your bike set up for the dirt. Trust us, we speak from experience.
