Ice Racing Trikes Tip's and Trick's !!!

[sandpuppi101]

First off I just wanna start this by saying that I am by far slowly getting educated on the ice racing scene,LOL !! I have along way to go before I can ride with the experts.. Anyways I wanted too get a post started on tips and tricks you guys do to your machines not for just racing but riding on the ice in general . I 've been doing the ice race thing now for 3 years and every year I learn alot more,setting up the machine mostly.For the previous 2 year's I ran a '85 250R and this year I ran the '86 350X,that alone is worth talking about.This is all based on a 1/4 mile oval I mite add..
Here are some simple mod's I did to the seperate machine's.With running the R ,I deffintally had to dump the gearing,I am a big guy 6'1" 230..so me getting to the corners faster than a 450 was a challenge.My first year I just grabbed a old set of OEM 9" rears and studded them like crazy.Bad idea,corners became a big issue,sure I could hit the powerband,but all I did was spin.I never lowered the rear end so I had to back off on the corners or go wide leaving the other machines room to get inside.Another thing I did'nt do ,was too have enough studs on the frt! Steering was useless with the gas on.
This year with the 350X was like nite and day even though I am comparing it to the R,it was way easier because of the way I set the trike up.On the 350X I went with rear axle spacers on douglas Blue labels,which gave me 52"s of outside width.On the rear end I also dropped the rear as far as I could ,down to 18" at the rear bar without me on it.On the frt suspension,I raised the forks at the tree as far as possible,and althogh not good on the fork seals I shot a spec of air in them,Make it pretty rigid but not solid !! The tires were a complete different set from the 1 year I ran..I went with a set of Nankang 18x11x8 tires and used a awesome pattern of stud's,90% carbide cold cutters and 10% sheet metal screws.On the tires I studded every knob but what I did different ,someting I learned was on the outside /right and inside /left I put the coldcutters in on the furthest knob.Reason being is running the counter clockwise oval and powersliding the tire's cover more surface area.That worked awesome I mite add !! On the frt ,I went with a worn out OEM tire and studded 80% of the tire using cold cutter rite up the middle and used 20% screws.From the right of the middle knob to the side wall I went with the studs,facing a 45 Degree angle ,as the tire stays uprite,reason being when you go into the corners in a powerslide you have optimum coverage on the ice and steering is on the money...All the studs wer turned sideways at a 45degree angle to have full coverage on the slide..
Like I said ,I am by far any pro at this ice stuff but I never had anybody tell me these things on how to set up my machines ,I wish I would have ,it would have been alot easier,LOL. Maybe what I do is'nt what you all do but it work's for me,just thought I would get this thread started and get some idea's and suggestions on how you guy's set up your machine's,not just for me but so we can all get educated..I know personally I don't like to get beat up by a quad just cuz my machine ain't set up properly .. Lets get educated !!!

[edog]

Very good info.

Thanks

I will be studding some tires soon for my 250R.

[x.system]

Put more studs in the right side of your front tire, as your cornering your front tire is going to roll over a little. I stud the center section, first row to the left then 2 rows to the right, ( I mean left and right by standing behind the machine) It looks like you studded the left side more than the right. For ice I don't think theres a rear tire out there as good as the Cheng Shin, I think if your not running them your putting yourself at a disadvantage before you even start (racing only).

I've tried alot of tires which should have worked good but the original ice tires always outperformed anything I could come up with. Almost everyone I run with now has switched over to the 20" tires for 1/4 mile and larger tracks but thats quads, I don't know how they would work for a trike. You want to try a set out, come get them, all you need is a set of 9" wheels. I'm done for this winter so I have no need for these.

[sandpuppi101]

Good info X,so you go with the 20's ahe?What are they 20x11x9 I am to assume? I know your big on the ice racing do you run your 250R's or just the TRX's ? That track last weekend ended up being 1/4 like you figured !!Any more tip's??

[Bryan Raffa]

I was told from a pro ice racer: the best tire was a stock banshee tire studded, looks like ya need some more studs in the front tire

[x.system]

This was my first year running the 20"s, (20x11x9) they have alot more forward bite than the 18"s, so much so that I had to change up my front end, at first I could'n even turn in the corners, the tires kept pushing me forward. I had to push the left rear tire all the way out on my extended axle to get it to lift a little then cranked more pressure on my right front and jump from a 19" front to a 21"front tire. Theres no one around up here to run trikes with so I've been running the quad class's for years.

I use 5/8" studs all around, I also put them in at an angle in the rears. They don't go all the way threw the tire this way and it makes them a directional tire once done. Air pressure is a big factor in hookup. Set on the machine and have a buddy air the tires up until you have all the studs touching on the bottom of the tire, don't go by how it looks on top. Also, do burnouts on clean ice and go back and see if your getting good traction all the way across your tread pattern, you will be able to tell if you have to much or to little air pressure.

[x.system]

I was told from a pro ice racer: the best tire was a stock banshee tire studded, looks like ya need some more studs in the front tire

I actually tried that setup not to long ago, I couldn't get a flat pattern all the way across the tread. The center would bite good but would roll to much in the corners on 10x10 wheels. I thought they would work great to with those big solid knobs. I lost a few races because of those rears. I've still got them if someone wants them.

[yamahauler/350x]

hey x where ya at in michigan and how much ya lookin to get for em

[x.system]

hey x where ya at in michigan and how much ya lookin to get for em

48846 between Lansing and Grand Rapids, the Cheng Shins $140 shipped but if you can come pick them up and save me shipping them $100. I'll throw in a leftover box of 5/8" new kold kutters, enuff to do a front tire or two.

The banshee tires, free, if you take the shins.