safety wire...

$200 for the whole bike.

 

Where should I order my wire and pliers from?

 

Harbor Freight has stainless wire and pliers.

 

Question on the "safety pins" like KurveyGirl and others sell. The rulebook says they may be used on "most items but not oil drain or filter". So are these used extensively? Is there any other part of the bike where these are a no no?

 

Here you go:

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=372

 

Remember that will have to include an oil change, since it is not possible to correctly drill the oil drain plug while installed. Add the cost of oil and maybe a new gfilter, or just schedule the wiring of thsoe items to coincide.

You can buy pre-drilled oil plugs. Definitely a good investment.

PLEASE visually check your oil drain plug EVERY time you have your bodywork removed, make sure it is oil-tight, torqued and wired correctly. It only takes a second, and it seems like every season we have some douchenozzle who takes a full lap with the plug coming out, and he oils the whole race line. A couple years ago a Vintage rider oiled the line at Mid-Ohio on a rainy day after his drain plug fell out. Oy, vey!

 

I use them on anything I take apart on a regular basis except the oil drain bolt and the oil filter. I just wire everything else and leave it.

I've got them on

front caliper bolts
pinch bolts
both axles
oil fill cap
radiator fill cap

 

I don't know if they are everywhere, but my Lowes and Home Depot carry those clips like Kurveygirl sells.

You can also get safety wire there too.

But i am yet to find any safety wire pliars at any of those stores, or Northern or anywhere around the house. Always have to order them.

 

I finally broke down and bought a set of Milbar safety wire pliers. I was using the junk set from Harbor freight and it occured to me, I buy quality tools to do everything else yet I dont have any quality safety wire pliers.

I mention Aircraft Spruce quiet a bit for the safety wire stuff. You can order 100 of those little clips for less than 15 dollars, and they look and perform better than anything Lowes or Home Depot sells. Below is a picture of the safety pins. The three on the left are from Aircraft Spruce, the one on the right is Harbor Freight. I have no affiliation with Aircraft Spruce, I just think they sell a quality product.

 

I've got 2 sizes of safety wire, .032 and .025. The .032 is probably the best choice. Its way stronger than the .025 and you can feel the difference if you bend it with your hands.

Another good habit to form is dropping your safety wire clippings in an empty plastic water or soda bottle when you cut them off, and putting a lid on it when you throw it out. Safety wire is sharp and will get picked up by tires. Dont throw it on the ground.

 

That is a pet peeve of mine. I normally keep an empty Folgers can in the pits all weekend so myself and the guys pitting with me can throw the little clippings in it and then i throw it away when i get home.

 

Its fun to do and looks good when done properly.Those tiny drill bits breaking is the part that sux.Especially if it stabs your hand when it breakes.
Saftey wire is VERY sharp so be careful handling it or you will poke yourself with it.
I even wire my street bikes.

 

I pick the stuff up damn near every time I'm at the track. Somebody cuts it off and just throws it down. Pisses me off.

 

Great ideas !

There would be nothing worse than getting a 'safety wire flat' on an expensive race tire !!!

 

How is the rear axle nut on a 2009 GSXR600 supposed to be safety wired? It's not a castle nut like on a lot of bikes. Do I just try and drill through one of the "corners" on the nut?

 

Yes....that is what i did.

It is easier if you will do it while the nut is torqued on the axle so it doesn't move and so you will have the hole easily accessible once the nut is properly torqued.

 

Cool. Thanks man.

 

Or do what I did and order one of the castellated nuts from an 06/07 model and then drill your axle.

 

When you drill the axle nut (from one flat to the adjacent flat), grab a punch and ball peen hammer and make a mark on the head of the axle bolt at 12 O'Clock, so that the nut ends up where it needs to be to safety wire it to whateveer you have chosen.

Here's another thing folks may not think about: Install the axle from the right side of the bike, so that the nut is on the left. If you have a bearing start to tighten up/go bad, it could spin the axle loose if it were to be installed from the left.
Many bikes come this way, especially dirt bikes it seems that have a huge hole made into the end of the axle bolt/head side to facillitate a triangle stand.