[Parity]

Hey everyone. I'll be attending my 1st track day up at NYST in June. I'm concerned that I either won't pass tech inspection, or should probably get my fork cap replaced for the sake of suspension tuning while I'm there (and well, in general). Unfortunately last May, I hit a deer going ~50mph and this was the only thing I have yet to replace. I'll throw a few pics of the accident at the bottom.

Is there a way for me to replace that without taking the fork out of the triple tree? I have the means to if need be, but I assume I'd need a fork spring compressor, and I don't have one at the moment. I believe the fork cap & o-ring I need are #s 9 and 10 in the parts diagram from Revzilla.

Also, regarding tires, I'm advised to have at least 50% left (Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II). I'm not home to get measurements at the moment, but I think I'll be okay for my first day. The front had .078" tread depth remaining to the wear indicator, and the rear .110", when it was purchased (also last May, granted, I've put a only ~600 miles on it since due to the accident and that's at 36/36psi). I have plans to order a set of Q3s afterwards. I'll get a better shot of the tires tomorrow.

Any suggestions or advice is appreciated!

 

[Cipher_R6]

Hey man, congrats… You’ll have a great time and meet some awesome people, enjoy!

I’m not sure how strict NYST is (not helpful I know). You could contact the organizer of the event and see if they have any issue with it. It’s possible though they might not see it. I would always say though if you can fix it, do it… it’s a critical part and even though it appears to be superficial you don’t want to have any further or worsening issue; you’ll be pushing the bike harder at the track than on the street (even if it’s your first track day and you tell yourself you’ll “take it easy” 😇😈). You can’t make any adjustments to it as is so hopefully how it’s setup ok for you (is it possible the dial changed as it was damaged and the setting is different?). There is usually someone at the track that can help with dialing in suspension, so fixing before could be a good chance to get it done like you said.

Tire perspective, it looks like there’s a slight squaring in the center, but it doesn’t look severe. Unsure what new tire depth is, but Q4’s I believe are 4/32 and 7/32 front and rear respectively (something at least for reference). They look like Rosso II’s though and not Rosso Corsa II’s (some of these tire naming conventions confuse me, I’m just looking at tread pattern); Pirelli doesn’t rate them highly for track use with a definite street bias. For your first time they could be ok, but it depends how much you push them and how fast you are. Give them a few laps to warm up each session before pushing harder. Try 32/30 or 30/30 cold temp pressure to start and go from there. If you did want to try more track oriented tires, you could do Q3+’s, but check Q4’s and Supercorsas too, can’t go wrong either way. You’ll get multiple TD’s out of them (plus street legal) so you’re in no way wasting money getting great rubber right out the gate.

 

[Parity]

Hey man, congrats… You’ll have a great time and meet some awesome people, enjoy!

I’m not sure how strict NYST is (not helpful I know). You could contact the organizer of the event and see if they have any issue with it. It’s possible though they might not see it. I would always say though if you can fix it, do it… it’s a critical part and even though it appears to be superficial you don’t want to have any further or worsening issue; you’ll be pushing the bike harder at the track than on the street (even if it’s your first track day and you tell yourself you’ll “take it easy” 😇😈). You can’t make any adjustments to it as is so hopefully how it’s setup ok for you (is it possible the dial changed as it was damaged and the setting is different?). There is usually someone at the track that can help with dialing in suspension, so fixing before could be a good chance to get it done like you said.

Tire perspective, it looks like there’s a slight squaring in the center, but it doesn’t look severe. Unsure what new tire depth is, but Q4’s I believe are 4/32 and 7/32 front and rear respectively (something at least for reference). They look like Rosso II’s though and not Rosso Corsa II’s (some of these tire naming conventions confuse me, I’m just looking at tread pattern); Pirelli doesn’t rate them highly for track use with a definite street bias. For your first time they could be ok, but it depends how much you push them and how fast you are. Give them a few laps to warm up each session before pushing harder. Try 32/30 or 30/30 cold temp pressure to start and go from there. If you did want to try more track oriented tires, you could do Q3+’s, but check Q4’s and Supercorsas too, can’t go wrong either way. You’ll get multiple TD’s out of them (plus street legal) so you’re in no way wasting money getting great rubber right out the gate.

Thanks man! I've been itching to get to the track for years (have had a suit since 2017), but never got around to it.

I'm beginning to think more & more than I need to get both done. I took some pics of the tires after a ~200mile-ish ride yesterday, however I don't have the experience or knowledge to know at one point they need to be replaced based on the indicator (I do know that the tread being level with the indicator is one, but I imagine there's a recommended time before it gets to that point?). I also noticed a slight squaring off as well like you said. I'm leaning towards the Q3's, only because I'm partial and ran them in the past. If I'm correct, I believe the Q4's are a little more track oriented.

As for the fork cap, it really should be replaced so I can get the proper setup while I'm there. I'd hate to lay the bike down over something related to the suspension because I was lazy. I haven't disassembled forks before, but it'd be a nice addition to the experience book. I'm assuming I have to take it out of the triple to get the cap off 😐 And god I hate anything requiring the lower and inside side fairings being taken off, they're such a bitch. Those push rivets are so damn flimsy.

All of that aside, I'm already a little anxious/nervous for it being my first day. I'm doing back-to-back days, so I know I'll have an absolute blast. Any tips for calming the nerves?

 

[Cipher_R6]

Q3’s are great tires and will give you more than enough grip… check out the champ school guys ripping stock bikes on Q3’s going sideways on their Instagram. Q4 is more track oriented for sure, but Q3+’s are a great option.

I agree, if you have the means to take care of it now, I’d suggest doing it. Confidence is such a big thing at the track, remove all doubt and you’ll not have to worry about it.

I’m going to defer to MC Garage on when to change tires, it’s not just tread depth alone…

Forks are definitely beyond my skill level, I’d have to call on a few friends for support lol.

Nerves are just excitement in disguise! Prepare early before your trip. I have a list when we’re loading the trailer, starting with essentials like contact lenses and safety gear and ending with the canopy and generators (and motorcycle keys lol). My friends laugh but it works for me.

A few of the things I’ve learned:

1. Drink water between each session. Actually, drink plenty of water in the days before the event so you’re not going in slightly dehydrated. Snack on little things through the day, avoid large singular meals as you’ll feel sluggish after.
2. Relax, breathe, and do the basics right. Focus on technique, pace will come.
3. Smooth inputs. Don’t jerk the throttle mid-corner, and build brake pressure coming off straights etc. Look at champ school, they have so many free tips that are invaluable.
4. Always focus your eyes on corner exit. There might be times where as your confidence grows through the day that you head into a corner much quicker, and your brain can go haywire thinking you’re too quick… don’t focus on that oncoming barrier/tire wall. Get your arse half off the bike, inside toes on the peg, tip in and lean and you’ll make it.

I’m still very new to this world, I’ve done some things well, some bad, but I learn every time. There are so many things you’ll learn on this one day alone, but try to focus on one new thing at a time. Talk to the instructors/control riders, have them watch you, you watch them etc. I’m excited for you man! If you can, pop a GoPro on the bike, I have an insta360 on the tail that I use for feedback… body position, where am I braking, when am I getting on the gas etc. I want to put it on the front next time so I can see corner speeds from entry to exit. PM me and if I can give you any more info that I have i will. There are guys on this forum with far more knowledge and experience than me, but however I can help.

 

[minion]

Congrats on getting yourself into track days. Just go out and have fun, dont rush into lap times. Your street tires are fine, Q3+ worked on track for me but eventually youll want something stickier. Passing tech somewhat depends on what org is running the day. Replacing the fork cap is no more difficult than standard fork service. You cant remove the fork cap without compressing the spring, so it should come off the bike. If you dont already have, get yourself a head stand (ebay crap works for me), fork spring compressor and plate. I like to put the fork in a vice with soft jaws, hook a ratcheting tie down strap on both arms of the compressor and run the strap under the bottom of the fork. Then you can just ratchet the tie down to compress the spring. It would make sense to check the fork oil and seals. If theyre not leaking, just make sure the oil isnt broken down (it would smell). Most will replace seals and oil every year because it would ruin a day to find out at tech that theyre leaking. Feel free to pm me

Pro tip about NYST, theres a lot of "coaches" on private days, i.e. the org hands out vests to whoever they want. Get advice on racing line, BP, etc from Manny or any of his guys, Miguel is a fast coach that knows R6s. T1 is the only real braking zone, so just focus on being smooth. Also cover the rear brake cresting over wheelie hill.

 

[Parity]

Congrats on getting yourself into track days. Just go out and have fun, dont rush into lap times. Your street tires are fine, Q3+ worked on track for me but eventually youll want something stickier. Passing tech somewhat depends on what org is running the day. Replacing the fork cap is no more difficult than standard fork service. You cant remove the fork cap without compressing the spring, so it should come off the bike. If you dont already have, get yourself a head stand (ebay crap works for me), fork spring compressor and plate. I like to put the fork in a vice with soft jaws, hook a ratcheting tie down strap on both arms of the compressor and run the strap under the bottom of the fork. Then you can just ratchet the tie down to compress the spring. It would make sense to check the fork oil and seals. If theyre not leaking, just make sure the oil isnt broken down (it would smell). Most will replace seals and oil every year because it would ruin a day to find out at tech that theyre leaking. Feel free to pm me

Pro tip about NYST, theres a lot of "coaches" on private days, i.e. the org hands out vests to whoever they want. Get advice on racing line, BP, etc from Manny or any of his guys, Miguel is a fast coach that knows R6s. T1 is the only real braking zone, so just focus on being smooth. Also cover the rear brake cresting over wheelie hill.

Thanks! It's been long overdue for me to finally hit the track. I ended up ordering a set of Q3+s over the weekend. The manufacture date of the current tires are 2014 and I felt more comfortable having a new set of rubber.

Only problem I see with the fork cap is finding a replacement in time. Revzilla and a few other distributors seem to be out of stock and have long lead times. I'm still looking, but hopefully don't run into an issue where I have to just go and take the chance. Either way, the process seems pretty simple (albeit, it'll be my first time doing fork service myself, but never a better time to learn). I'll PM you if I run into any issues.

Also, appreciate the advice about NYST. This is a silly question, but I'm riding with 2 groups (one each day). Are the coaches part of the NYST track org, or the group I'm riding with? And how do I go about getting/finding a coach?

 

[minion]

Good decision. I was able to find a set of bent forks on ebay with 3 day shipping for 100 bucks. If you are worried about timing, that could be an option for fork caps.

Not all coaches represent NYST, that's my point behind the comment. There's generally always an NYST coach at every track day, but a lot of the "coaches" in vests are just people organizing the event, or people that the organizers think are fast. Not that they arent fast or capable teachers, but I've been told many opposing thoughts. One guy says the more body position, the safer you are, another says its completely unnecessary. I'd suggest finding an NYST coach, that is, a coach on a NYST member day, someone endorsed by the track owner.

 

[Parity]

Good decision. I was able to find a set of bent forks on ebay with 3 day shipping for 100 bucks. If you are worried about timing, that could be an option for fork caps.

Not all coaches represent NYST, that's my point behind the comment. There's generally always an NYST coach at every track day, but a lot of the "coaches" in vests are just people organizing the event, or people that the organizers think are fast. Not that they arent fast or capable teachers, but I've been told many opposing thoughts. One guy says the more body position, the safer you are, another says its completely unnecessary. I'd suggest finding an NYST coach, that is, a coach on a NYST member day, someone endorsed by the track owner.

I don't know why I didn't think to look up used forks, that's a good idea. I jumped the gun and bought a $40 fork cap off Amazon with expedited shipping. I suppose I'll take my chances with the Amazon order and if it's sketch, jump on the bent forks from eBay. Albeit, I don't know how critical the cap is aside from adjusting the rebound. Again, I'll shoot you a PM if I run into any issues with the install.