Leathers at SpeedWeek?

So how was getting through tech at SpeedWeek? Was there anyone kept off the track cuz of thier leathers? How much perforation was "too much"?

any problems? any good stories?

let hear some follow up to all the bitching and moaning we've done.
 
 <small>[ August 23, 2004, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: AlanGalbraith#4747 ]</small>

[firemanjim]

Exactly the question I was going to ask!!!

[landracing]

No problems here, I had full leathers with no perforations, got them from MPS and had them altered to fit, total cost $550. Pretty cheap really.

Only seen one of Hanks guys get turned back on leathers. There were tons of bikes there so It couldnt have been to bad.

Jonathan

[racin jason]

took my leathers to the local shoe repair guy for a couple of patches of leather to be sewn over the offending material. total cost was $45. flew through tech this year. cheaper than beers at wendovers only nudie bar!!!

[yamagamma]

Leathers were basically a none issue, the big deal was tires, with serial numbers/make/model being carefully recorded and mandatory checks after 200 mph runs. The tech guys are really doing a great job on monitoring the tire issue for us. I heard of one Michelin HPX blistering.

Danke Mucho for the responses...

funny, with the "intent" of the rule in question, the solution seemed pretty simple. Patches fly through tech, but still wont do what the rule was intended to do... silly really.

a silly rule with a simple solution to "get around" it and it still doesnt address the problem. sigh.

oh well.

Got me new leathers anyway, with perfs and stretch panels. Suitable for all my roadracing, and good enough for the AMA.

personally I worry about things going bad on the roadrace track moreso than I do on the Salt. But thats just me.

agian Danke mucho.

[firemanjim]

Just back from WOS and thought I'd throw some gasoline on the fire RE leathers.Went there with my friend Terry,who had gone through extensive correspondence with SCTA regarding how to make his leathers compliant.They suggested he stitch leather panels into the interior of his suit to the areas affected by the venting,which he did.So the tech inspector looks at his leathers and turns a thumbs down to them.We even explained that that was what we were told to do by the SCTA,no go.Fortunately he can wear my size.So then at the starting line we see riders with their leathers duct taped.When asked ,we were told that they had been told by the inspector that that was sufficient.DUCT TAPE??Now that's fire resistant--as it melts to your skin!!!And there I was standing  at the inspectors table with a roll of duct tape IN MY HAND changing numbers while the inspector told us Terry's leathers would not comply???
And to top it off,I stood at the starting line to watch an old racer on a HD drag bike take off with 2 piece leathers that did not even zip together.How did THAT pass tech???
So the 400-500 dollars I spent on leathers for my son and I was wasted,could have bought more speed stuff instead,you know something to go faster with---
 
 <small>[ September 21, 2004, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: firemanjim ]</small>

[jimmy six]

USFRA vs. SCTA

[Dakin Engineering]

When I got the '04 rulebook, I saw the "disqualifications" for modified
motorcycles. I wrote the SCTA contact
and asked about the conflicting seat
height rules. The response was the first
definition was correct.

But he wasn't the man in Tech....

[firemanjim]

Problem being that the inspectors are all SCTA guys---ya see them at all the meets.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Well, no, not all the inspectors are SCTA, no matter what event -- at least not in the past.  As far as I can tell, here's some of the story for WoS '04:

Dan Wright used to be the chief inspector for USFRA, but since he's building a car this year he didn''t inspect.  Henry Louie used to inspect for USFRA and SCTA, but last year I heard his eyes were giving him trouble and that he wouldn't be at the Salt this year (sure enough, no H.L. in '04).  Last year USFRA had Jim Burkdoll doing some bikes (he was the second inspector on mine in '03), but not this year.  So I was kinda wondering who we'd find -- and lo and behold, there was Tom Evans, the Chief inspector for SCTA, wearing the yellow USFRA hat at WoS.  He did the first lookover on mine, then Dan Warner (another SCTA guy) did the second look.

I don't know the in-depth story of why SCTA guys were there, but probably am safe in assuming that USFRA requested some help from SCTA.  As for variations in rule-enforcement/strict following of what's printed vs. what "you were told" -- well, you shoulda been at Bub's where the inspectors used lines like "Well, we'll let that go, even though we were kinda anal about it on a few other bikes before yours."  Really!

I'll say it again - I like the inspections at ECTA.  Nobody - NOBODY - gets cut any slack, whether it's safety wiring something that the individual presenting his bike thinks might be good enough without the wire but the inspector insists must be done to the book -- to leathers -- to requiring me to put locknuts on the adjustable steering stops because the screws might back out and allow some nasty headshake from getting out of hand.  I look at the inspectors as people there to protect my butt -- heck, I TRUST that that's why they're there, and hope that that's what they're going to do by enforcing the rules.

[jimmy six]

Check the last page of the pics of WOS for M/C 659. Noticed the leathers and "duct" taped legs. And I'm worrying about what to do to legalize a restored stock 1939 bike that will max out at maybe 80/90..maybe I'll stick to my 2 four wheelers...J.D.