HELP! I want to race, but what do I need to do?

This section of the web site will focus on the best ways that our riders have found to set their bikes up for SuperMoto. The focus is on safety and performance. If you have any questions, please call Cycle Hutt 701.223.4888.

What do I have to do to prep my bike to race SuperMoto?

Remove the coolant from your bike's motor. (mandated by the race tracks) You need to replace the coolant with distilled water. There is a product called "water wetter" that you can get at just about any shop, which you add to the water. You can also use Engine Ice. Both are available at Cycle Hutt. This acts as a lubricant for the water pump, and reduces the friction in your cooling system, which keeps the engine temperature down. Safety wire or silicone anything with oil behind it. To prevent fluid from leaking onto the track and causing accidents, you will be required to place a dab of silicone or "gorilla snot" on each bolt that has fluid behind it (oil drain bolt, oil filler cap, water pump drain plug, etc.). Safety wiring these bolts is the preferred method, but is not mandatory. To safety wire a bolt, you must drill a hole through the head. You then run safety wire through the head of the bolt and around something else that is stationary on your bike. It is very important to make sure that the safety wire is pulling toward the right side of the bolt, as this will keep the bolt from backing out. The purpose of using the silicone or safety wire on these bolts is to ensure that your bolts don't back out due to vibration and leak fluid onto the track.

Do I have to have 17" SuperMoto wheels to race?

Absolutely not! We have a class for all of the people that just want to come and check it out without spending the big bucks on the 17" wheels. This is the Sportsman class, and you can race it with your stock wheels and suspension! Here in North Dakota you can run you MX knobbies or there are some really good tires that you can get for your stock wheels, and they are about the same price as regular MX tires. You can also race all of the other classes with your Sportsman setup if you like. You are not just restricted to the Sportsman class.

Do I have to have the big brakes?

No, you do not have to have the big brakes. However, the faster you become, the more you will need additional braking power. Your stock brakes will begin to fade and become unreliable at a point when you have begun to pick up the pace. At this point, I would suggest moving up to the larger brakes. You can move up in stages if you want to, as this is not cheap, but worth every penny! You can purchase the rotor first, and then get the brake line, caliper, and master cylinder at a later time if you want to. You will notice a huge improvement by just adding the 320 mm rotor. It actually is about being safer, and not just faster. You need to have the confidence that your brakes will be there for you lap after lap, and the bigger brake set up does provide you with that.

What about hand guards?

Hand guards are optional as well. Unlike off-road racing, we won’t be blasting through the trees and bushes. However, if you do go down, hand guards tend to save your levers and also your hands on occasion.

What about axle sliders?

Axle sliders look like skate board wheels that protect the front and rear axles. They are designed to take the abuse of your bike sliding on its side (not that any of us would ever have a little get-off). They rub on the asphalt before the rest of your bike does, so your pipe and plastic don’t get nearly as damaged.

Tires

17” wheels

There are many brands of tires that work for the 17” tires. A good way to start out is to go with the D.O.T. race/sport tires. (Michelin “Pilot Sport or S2”, Dunlop - 208, Pirelli – SuperCorsa) Once you have found the limits of these types of tires, you will be ready to move to racing slicks if you choose. Slicks have a more “aggressive” profile to them, and will cause the bike to turn into corners more rapidly than the D.O.T.’s will. All of these tires come in a variety of compounds. The thing to be aware of is that the softer the compound, the better the traction, the faster they wear out. Talk to Justin at Cycle Hutt and he can help you out.

The main concern is tire clearance. Therefore, you should not run fronts wider than 120’s and rears can range from 150 – 165 depending upon the make and model of your bike.

Sportsman Tires

You can run your MX knobbies in our for ND Supermoto, but we do recommend Some of the following tires that are sometimes used for Flattrack or Dual Purpose riding. Here are a list of some tires that have been proven to work:

21” Front Tire – IRC Trail Winner (enduro tire that works great)

19” Rear Tire – Maxxis – DTR-1 (Dirt track tire comes in soft, medium, hard)

18” Rear Tire – Maxxis Pro Maxx

Suspension

Many people lower and stiffen their suspension, but it is not a requirement. The main thing to do if you are just starting out is to stiffen your compression on the forks and rear shock, as well as slow down your rebound. This will enable you to stay more stable in the corners.

Gearing

Your bike should be geared for 75 – 80 mph.

Number Plates

Must have a suitable number plate surface on the front and both sides of the bike. Numbers must be easily read at speed by the scoring crew. If your numbers are not legible at speed, don't be upset if you are scored incorrectly.

The plate's background color must contrast with the color of the numbers used so that you can be scored.

It is recommended that you have white backgrounds with black numbers or black backgrounds with white numbers.

Motocross or dirt track style plates are recommended.

If you have any questions Call 701.223.4888 or stop in at Cycle Hutt.