Motorcycle Ice Racing

[yamafitter]

Due to Global Warming (thank you Al Gore) we had to wait up here in the Great White North until late January instead of early September for the lake to freeze. We finally got enough ice to build a track to get out to play....

I also mounted up a couple of GoPro's to one of the Mini A bikes and put together something on YouTube....



Please set video quality to 1080p. Enjoy with a hot chocolate by your side.

 

[Surly]

Looks cool!

 

[Mudslide Miller]

Thanks for video 'fitter. I've never seen this live or watched a video, for that matter. It looks like those things stick like glue to the ice considering how fast you're going. Did you lose your rearview camera after a couple laps??

 

[Teehaml]

Only watched 3 minutes but wow that stuff is balls to the walls.

 

[rushes]

I always imagined it being much smoother than that. Your club should all chip in and buy a good used Zamboni.

And I would need much bigger orange cones. I'd spend too much time trying to figure out the next turn...



Thanks!

 

[yamafitter]

Did you lose your rearview camera after a couple laps??

The mount slipped so the rest of the footage was of the chain trying to eat its way through the camera housing. Fortunately the GoPro survived but I need a new housing. Need to rethink the mount before we try that again.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Haha...That's ridiculous!

 

[yamafitter]

... And I would need much bigger orange cones. I'd spend too much time trying to figure out the next turn...

Why don't you just admit that you are old and blind as a bat. The trick is to let the fast guys carve up the ice and then you just follow the groove. Just don't follow the snowmobile tracks though, you might end up at the far end of the lake.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Bill do you use screws in the tires with Inner Liners and Tubes?

 

[Niehart]

Awesome.

Your lucky Bill, in Seattle you would have do a two year study on environmental and noise issues before you could shovel the snow off.

 

[SacramentoMike]

^^^ HA! Excellent vid, Bill.

 

[yamafitter]

Bill do you use screws in the tires with Inner Liners and Tubes?

Most folks buy their tires from Giver Racing which is a local racer that has made a good reputation on setting up the proper stud pattern. Stud pattern is extremely important to get the tire to stick in the corner. The studs are purpose made screws and the tires have a inner liner which allows the use of a longer screw. A number of years ago I studded up some tires and by the time I made it around the first corner I had ripped out most of the screws because I didn't have a liner and didn't use long enough screws. By the time I went into the third corner I slid out on my ass. So much for going cheap.

Here is a price listing I pulled off the internet:

Pair of studded tires - C$800.00 - C$1,000.00 (Giver Racing Products)

Front ice race guard : C$250.00 - C$350.00 (Giver Racing Products)

*Rear ice race guard: C$200.00 - C$300.00 (Giver Racing Products)

Tether switch - C$69.95 (plus C$75.00 installation)

Like I said playing on the ice is not cheap. If you think this is bad do not look at the prices for a snow bike conversion kit. I'm told it is roughly $6000 CAD. Slightly cheaper that buying a new snowmobile however.

Awesome.
Your lucky Bill, in Seattle you would have do a two year study on environmental and noise issues before you could shovel the snow off.

The only problem we have is if you plunk a bike through the ice. Environment Canada then comes along and hands you a fine for polluting the lake. Just ask any of the ice fishermen that always try to extend the season a little too long and put their vehicles through the ice. Guaranteed to happen every spring. We don't go on the ice until we have at least 8". We don't let people take their other vehicles out on the ice until there is at least 10". We had 10 to 11 inches last weekend but today it is above freezing and raining. Should make for a smooth track by the weekend however.

 

[DiggerDr.]

Another hobby to blow money on! Probably good we don't have that option here very often. Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Sounds like a nest of pissed off hornets! Are they two-strokers?

 

[gixxerjasen]

Pair of studded tires - C$800.00 - C$1,000.00 (Giver Racing Products)Front ice race guard : C$250.00 - C$350.00 (Giver Racing Products)

*Rear ice race guard: C$200.00 - C$300.00 (Giver Racing Products)

Tether switch - C$69.95 (plus C$75.00 installation)

So, how often does one have to spend that money? How long does a set of tires last?

If you think this is bad do not look at the prices for a snow bike conversion kit. I'm told it is roughly $6000 CAD. Slightly cheaper that buying a new snowmobile however.

Yea, but unlike the snowmobile, those things lean the correct direction. The few times I've ridden a snowmobile, that messed with my head.

 

[yamafitter]

Sounds like a nest of pissed off hornets! Are they two-strokers?

That video was from one of the Mini heats. The Minis are mostly 85cc 2-Strokes.

Pair of studded tires - C$800.00 - C$1,000.00 (Giver Racing Products)

Front ice race guard : C$250.00 - C$350.00 (Giver Racing Products)

*Rear ice race guard: C$200.00 - C$300.00 (Giver Racing Products)

Tether switch - C$69.95 (plus C$75.00 installation)

So, how often does one have to spend that money? How long does a set of tires last?

Tires for the normal guys can last three seasons or longer. The fast guys can wear out a rear in a season and some will sharpen the studs to get extra bite on the ice and make the tires last longer. The guards and tether switch are normally a one time purchase since they can be transferred from bike to bike. Parts normally don't get damaged since the bikes when they go down just normally slide across the ice. If you hit something however the plastic likes to break since cold plastic is not all that flexible.

I was back out this weekend at the lake. I didn't think they would be racing since it was 13oC (55oF) on Wednesday and the ice was breaking up. It did turn cold enough during the nights however to freeze up again. It was pretty sketchy with only 8" of ice but the racing did go off.

I mounted up my two GoPro's on my buddy's Yamaha WR450 and got some footage of the hot lap before the start of the 4 hour main heat...

https://vimeo.com/154581856

I have more footage from the race but the front camera mount slipped and the rear camera had a bit of an issue and fell off the bike. The GoPro survived but there was not much usable footage. We need to rethink whole camera mounting system to last the entire event before we try this again.