Alright so this is going to be my first year doing track days so I'm trying to get all the info i need to make sure my bike is ready for the season. I know the novice class has more strict rule compared to the other two classes, but I'm wanting to know if the front brake gear lever guard is required for being on the track? I heard some organizations do require them, but I wasn't 100% if STT requires them.
Not required and it's purely up to you. They are a nice insurance policy but hopefully you will never need it.
Ok cool thanks for the input. I've been thinking about getting one, but wasn't sure if it was required in case I don't get it by my first track day.
What brand did you end up going with? I've looked at several ones and can't pick out which ones I'd like to go with
I will never again ride on track without one. Me and Richard (Harris) were playing in Advanced at Jennings about 5-6 years ago and we got together a little bit. It wasn't a big deal, we were just playing around in close quarters (the way racers do and the way friends do who have full confidence in the other one). My brake lever got bumped and it sent me into an endo. Luckily enough it was only in contact for a split second and then released, so the back tire came back down. But of course I had totally blew my brake marker for T1, but at least I stayed upright. If I would have had a brake lever guard, I wouldn't have even noticed it. It wouldn't have been a big deal at all. If the brake lever wouldn't have released when it did, it could have been bad. He came to my pit afterwards and we laughed about it. It wasn't a big deal at all, but it did tell me that I need a brake lever guard. They had just started getting popular on the market around that time and I hadn't really seriously thought about them. I know the Novice group has the 6' rule so nobody should be that close on purpose, but sometimes shit happens (imagine being right behind somebody as you are driving onto a straightaway and they get a false neutral and you have to take immediate evasive maneuvers...you could end up going really close along their left side...with your brake lever exposed....). They aren't required, but IMO brake lever guards are like chest protectors...required or not, they are ALWAYS a good idea, regardless of which group you are riding in. .02
This..... Best post Broome has made in 10 Years! LOL...... Just a FYI I have Apex and Woodcraft on both bikes..... I wont ride a bike without one....
I went ahead and picked up a Woodcraft brake guard last year and ran it but am going to need different bar ends to fit it on now that I installed the Motion Pro throttle (running out of room). Though we shouldn't be getting that close during trackdays, you just never know and it's cheap insurance. If you've seen the video of Steve Rapp at Road America... This is one of those innovations that makes you think duh why hasn't this always existed?
Not only the best Race probably I have ever seen in any racing but also a good example of what can happen without one.... Watch the checkered flag.. Not to mention Latus Ducati (DiSalvos Team changed a engine on a RED FLAG.... Yes a engine..... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Woodcraft FTW. They also help in a solo crash/ lowside by keeping your hand from getting pinned between the bar and the track. I run woodcrafts on both sides for this reason.
I'd like to get at least the brake side on mine, but why are they so damned expensive? Seriously!? I cant work out why that bit of metal is $170 or so. IS there something i'm missing?
Got my like-new Woodcraft brake guard for $75 from a racer parting out so lucked out. I agree they do seem expensive for what they are.
I lucked out too. My CBR500 came with a brake guard and my ZX6R came with Woodcraft clutch and brake lever guards. Before that I never used one, mainly because I couldn't get myself to spend that much on one.
In my opinion, they are a critical piece of safety equipment...one of, if not possibly THE most safety critical piece of equipment on the bike (aside of the obvious things like the actual brakes themselves). If somebody bumps your brake lever, these things make the difference between you continuing on your lap thinking "that was close", or tumbling down the track head first with your bike tumbling end-over-end behind you (hopefully not on top of you). These should be bought for a bike before any of the "unnecessary" things like an exhaust, rearsets, different levers, etc. The price is based on their purpose and what they prevent. They might seem expensive for what they are, but when you consider the fact that they could literally save you tens of thousands of dollars in a hospital bills (and a destroyed bike), they are a bargain.
...don't mean nothin' when you're deep in the Lil Tally bowl and out of the corner of your eye you see squidbilly slam into you on the inside! Not everyone follows the 6 ft rule ALL of the time.