hanging up the fast road riding helmet

[crazymofo]

gday folks,

after a recent trackday, and the notice that im to lose my licence on the 15th of feb for 6months, ive decided to pernemently convert my GSXR 1000 into a track/race bike.....

im currently lapping QR in the 1:21's on M3's so feel that i have the pace enough to start racing in D GRADE in formula unlimited class.

i was building up to, too much speed on the road, so my wife tells me, and now she is relieved im taking this option.

so far ive bought a full set of raceglass for the gixxer, and i'll be making my own subframe, fairing support bracket and case savers. but will still require some slicks and tyre warmers.

i will return to the road riding scene when i get my licence back in 6 months albeit on a much slower paced bike....namely a early 80's GSX750, mainly for riding with my wife, and also for the social aspect. of course i'll be giving it some fighter style modding sessions ;)

but if anyone has any advice for me on the track/racebike set up, or starting out in racing, please throw some up, im keen to know more. also if folks have some old track gear (ie. parts that would suit the K6 gsxr 1000 or pit bay stuff) let me know via PM if you would like to get rid of it.

see yas trackside.

cheers.joe.

[RUSS M8]

hmm, sounds like you've thought about this a bit...

I have a similar story, I sold my Bandit 1200 because I could tell I was getting a little crazy on the street. I had already purchased a track bike, and that became my focus. Then, after 12-18 months of not owning my own rego'd bike, I bought a 250. It was great revving it out and not getting to dangerous speeds. I started to love road riding again. Not "scratching", just riding a motorbike around.
I then decided in 09 I would ride to Phillip Island for the first time. I bought an old VFR750. I did PI twice last year, lots of general road riding, and commuting. I am loving road riding again. I am really enjoying the social aspect, and the touring. I find touring is so rewarding now, the great scenery, the quaint little towns, all the people you meet, and the excitement of getting to your destination, and there is no rush. Sure, I take the tourist drives, and don't mind scraping the pegs, but that's not the reason for getting out of bed anymore.
I still race (D grade) my YZF600, and I have bought a Historic race bike too, but I can't ever imagine buying a really fast road bike again. Too many cops, to many idiots on the road.

As for your racing, just remember to have fun. Sure, it is more fun to be up the front, but it's less fun to be scraping the bike up. Remember that modern production bikes are so so good, you don't need 10 grands worth of suspension and engine work to go quick. Just spend the money on keeping good tyres on it, and fresh oil in it.
If you can't get it handling right, try thinking about it clearly and riding the bike really well, rather than frigging around with too many set up changes.

Well, that's my opinion. You may find it different. But I hope you have a ball! :)

[Tony OW31]

quote:Originally posted by crazymofo

gday folks,

after a recent trackday, and the notice that im to lose my licence on the 15th of feb for 6months, ive decided to pernemently convert my GSXR 1000 into a track/race bike.....

im currently lapping QR in the 1:21's on M3's so feel that i have the pace enough to start racing in D GRADE in formula unlimited class.

i was building up to, too much speed on the road, so my wife tells me, and now she is relieved im taking this option.


so far ive bought a full set of raceglass for the gixxer, and i'll be making my own subframe, fairing support bracket and case savers. but will still require some slicks and tyre warmers.

i will return to the road riding scene when i get my licence back in 6 months albeit on a much slower paced bike....namely a early 80's GSX750, mainly for riding with my wife, and also for the social aspect. of course i'll be giving it some fighter style modding sessions ;)

but if anyone has any advice for me on the track/racebike set up, or starting out in racing, please throw some up, im keen to know more. also if folks have some old track gear (ie. parts that would suit the K6 gsxr 1000 or pit bay stuff) let me know via PM if you would like to get rid of it.

see yas trackside.

cheers.joe.


Know what you mean Joe, I ride at a very sedate pace on the road these days, but still manage to lose my licence every couple of years:(
Regarding the racing aspect, just be prepared for everything, and I mean everything else in your life to take a back seat, once you start and the bug bites there's no going back. I think if you're not prepared for this to happen, don't start.
I am really yearning to get back out there, maybe a TZ350 in historic racing, don't know yet. Modern stuff does nothing for me really.
BTW Very nice work on the gladius.

[crazymofo]

got one of them in the shed tony (tz350) its in pieces, but complete, its not mine totally either (i have a share in it) however, if your interested in it, i can talk to the other owner if he wants to sell.

cheers.joe.

PS. thanks for the words on the gladius.... just waiting for the swingarm to arrive now ;)

[yoda]

tony is spot on there, everything else WILL take a back seat to racing, when the bug bites, the fucker hangs on!

Just have fun mate, im getting back into racing this season(first year on a roadbike, used to do mx and sx up till bout 4 or 5 years ago). Try to stay within your limits and keep the thing upright.

If you are planning to spend money on the bike, get the suspension sorted to your weight and abilities. Will make a big difference.

Best of luck!

[crazymofo]

Russ, you make some great points there. i dont think i'll have the pateince for a 250.... i hate revving shit just to get moving. but i can see the point of going for one, i was tossing up between a zx2r, or the GSX750, but seeing as im still to pilion my boys and my wife, i think the 750 is a better choice.

i have upgraded my suspension and brakes on the k6 1000 already to 09 gsxr 600 (showa) forks and 09 GSXR 1000 rear shock.... calipers are 07 R1 jobbies now teamed with HH pads, and HEL lines.... just at the recent trackday i had ZERO brake fade, tho a burst reserviour hose (supplied by AUSFR) meant i had ZERO front brakes coming into turn 4 at QR!!! so i'll be returning back to stock resiviour and its line now lol.

i'm still playing with the rear suspension, but i will look to getting it re-valved if i can get it right..... at the moment i just cant seem to get the power down hard... the rear just spins too much, could just be the M3 cant handle it tho, shall see once i fit slicks.

my first race is at the warrick cup challenge on the 13/14 of feb, cant wait.

cheers.joe.

[rod185651]

Good Luck for your first race, Joe

[DCRacing]

Hey Joe,
If i can get my shit together i will be there racing in the New Era, Look me up as i will ahve a spare set of tyre warmers and stands if you want to use them for the day.
I don't think there is much that i could tell you that you don't already know, just have fun...
:)

[crazymofo]

james, that would be fantastic, i would really appreciate the help...... i'll send you a PM with my phone number and just text me yours so i can get in contact with you.

i have someone who is willing to come on board with some basic sponsorship of cost price parts and he is willing to throw me some tyre warmers and a headlift stand but its looking like that wont happen before feb.

shall be painting the glass this weekend, already made some adaptor plates for some billet rearsets i had laying round, hopefully shall have a subframe and fairing/gauge bracket made up before the meet too. want to make a new exhaust and some catch tanks early next week, and some case savers by next weekend.... gots some shit to do in the next 14 days!!!

cheers.joe.

[fimpBIKES]

i'll be rooting for ya joe!
sounds like you've made a good choice

[The Mad One]

Good to see joe;) your approach to the road after "Racing" will be refreshing for you.Russ makes sensce of it but just do it.
The front forks on the 1000 are pretty good but I would suggest an 'Ohlins' or similar for the rear.If you change something Write it down in your race journal.You cant remember it all & note the tempreture.Talk to yourself & ask questions,no one can here you out there with a helmet on.There is enough members on here with experience so your in safe hands.Be warned [8D] you will become difficult to live & work with [8)] Why [?] "racing is everything,anything else.You are just waiting" :D

[WATEVR]

the mad one is right the best tool is a note pad and listing each and every adjustment you make in order to track where things are improving and a more importantly a trail incase things go pear shaped. i read that you have changes the forks, did you get them re valved and sprung also? and the rear would need the same also or if not an after market jobby. if you havent i would not do it until you have fitted the slicks, they will completely transform the bike and suspension needs to be set to them. the other item for slicks is a steering dampener.

good luck and have a blast!!

[crazymofo]

wow thanks for the comments so far, taking it all in...

the change of forks and rear shock have made massive amounts of improvement. its still not 100% yet as the front and rear dont feel matched yet, but it def feels better then when it was stock (adjusted and tuned BTW). the spring rates front and rear in these parts are near spot on, hence why i chose them, the 09 750 forks has 1kg springs, stockers were .91kg, i was a little to heavy and racetech recomended a .981kg spring set for it.... 1kg is good enough for my budget.

the rear, i needed a 9.7, the stocker was 8.7, its now fitted with a 10.1 that came with the 09 shock, Wich is a little stiff on paper, but preload is great and so is ride comfort/performance. the added bonus of hi/lo speed adjustment has come in handy too.

i dont have the budget to spring for a bling ohlins in the rear, but i will get my rear shock revalved in the near future for sure.

cheers.joe.

[The Mad One]

Joe as you have just explained to us there is so many changes that have been made.You can listen to the blokes selling you the product but YOU are riding the thing.Go out & talk to yourself on the thing.Is it packing,is it riding,is it pushing,is it running.Dont take this the wrong way the only person to make a difference is U;)[8D]

[crazymofo]

update on the gixxer..

finished laying down the base coats today, now to do a few touch ups and then the clear coats sometime this week.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j70/crazymofojoe/110110023640x480.jpg

the mad one, i hear what ya saying, i do usually like spending a whole track session on what the bikes doing anyways, im a bit of a gearhead, and love anylising and tweaking the machine.

im signing up to the warrick cup challenge this week coming so my first race is sunday the 14th of feb.... looking forward to it.

cheers.joe.

[sharky]

quote:my first race is sunday the 14th of feb
You romantic ol' bugger ;)

[jakam04]

I'll be thinking of you out there racing while I'm pissing it up at the cricket lol. I'd love to do the track day thing but I'm not even half the rider you are mate to be honest. Have fun with it and hope to come and watch you one day soon.

[robmac]

Crazy, you doing the track day on the 12th for practice?? I'll be heading out there for my 600's maiden track day along with a couple of others on TZ250's who are racing the following days. I'll keep an eye out for you.

[crazymofo]

yeah mate, should be out on the friday, as ive only ever done MP once on an sv650 NEAR 4 YEARS AGO!

plus MCSQ require me to run around the track for a bit to prove im not a loose cannon for the race proceedings on the following 2 says.

obviously just look for the cranky yellow gixxer ;)

cheers.joe.

[Vaughan Coburn]

quote:Originally posted by crazymofo

gday folks,

after a recent trackday, and the notice that im to lose my licence on the 15th of feb for 6months, ive decided to pernemently convert my GSXR 1000 into a track/race bike.....

im currently lapping QR in the 1:21's on M3's so feel that i have the pace enough to start racing in D GRADE in formula unlimited class.

i was building up to, too much speed on the road, so my wife tells me, and now she is relieved im taking this option.

so far ive bought a full set of raceglass for the gixxer, and i'll be making my own subframe, fairing support bracket and case savers. but will still require some slicks and tyre warmers.

i will return to the road riding scene when i get my licence back in 6 months albeit on a much slower paced bike....namely a early 80's GSX750, mainly for riding with my wife, and also for the social aspect. of course i'll be giving it some fighter style modding sessions ;)

but if anyone has any advice for me on the track/racebike set up, or starting out in racing, please throw some up, im keen to know more. also if folks have some old track gear (ie. parts that would suit the K6 gsxr 1000 or pit bay stuff) let me know via PM if you would like to get rid of it.

see yas trackside.

cheers.joe.


I am not really up to speed with the racing scene these days Joe. Do they still have 250 production racing? If so it is a great way to start and will save you heaps of cash (tyres, repairs etc).
The racing is close and if you are able to run at the pointy end in this class it will make the transition to more powerful bikes even easier. Vaughan:D

[RUSS M8]

quote:Originally posted by Vaughan Coburn


I am not really up to speed with the racing scene these days Joe. Do they still have 250 production racing? If so it is a great way to start and will save you heaps of cash (tyres, repairs etc).
The racing is close and if you are able to run at the pointy end in this class it will make the transition to more powerful bikes even easier. Vaughan:D

haha, no, in the early 2000's, they started running the 250 proddies with the 400cc 4 cylinders, because the proddy grid was shrinking. However, none of the local distributors will support a national 400cc championship - because all the 400's are gray imports, so that class is still only run @ club level.
So, at a national level, in 02 i think, MA introduced "600cc superstock". For very lightly modified 600cc machines. These bikes must run standard header pipes, standard forks and shocks ect. So, they are pretty cheap to set up, but compared to a 250 proddy they are very expensive. More expensive to buy, to run (chew through tyres and brakes compared to a proddy) and far far more expensive to crash...
And, lets face it, a modern 600cc machine is putting out 120+ hp in street trim, these are very fast racebikes to be putting 1st season novices on. You've only got to watch a few superstock races to realise most D graders and many C graders can't handle a bike that big, heavy and powerful - SO SO MANY CRASHES!!!
A bit sad really...

[The Mad One]

Good luck Joe;) get the bike sorted as much as you can[^] Mentally divide the track into sections[8D]join them all up once yor OK with them.Then SHRINK the track layout in your mind.;) Breaking indicators are on the side of yor head,not the front.eat well,good luck :D

[Vaughan Coburn]

quote:
So, at a national level, in 02 i think, MA introduced "600cc superstock". For very lightly modified 600cc machines. These bikes must run standard header pipes, standard forks and shocks ect. So, they are pretty cheap to set up, but compared to a 250 proddy they are very expensive.


MA (or in my day the ACU) were very backward in coming forward. Australia needs an affordable class for the young punter on wages.

[HubertOz]

Hi Joe,
what model / model year is your TZ, can you send some pictures and how much do you & your co-owner want for it ?
Cheers, Hubert




quote:Originally posted by crazymofo

got one of them in the shed tony (tz350) its in pieces, but complete, its not mine totally either (i have a share in it) however, if your interested in it, i can talk to the other owner if he wants to sell.

cheers.joe.

PS. thanks for the words on the gladius.... just waiting for the swingarm to arrive now ;)