redkow97

I did safety wire the castle nut before heading out. This bike hasn't seen the track, so the side stand kill switch is functional. I may jump it later though. You can't forget the side stand on a bike this heavy... I do find myself acting like I'm on the XR though. I get off the bike and THEN I put the side stand down. Weird habit that I'm sure will change. Also, the quick (and extremely conservative) math backs up my butt-dyno. Estimating 420 lbs and 50 horsepower for the EX500, that's 8.4 lbs. per hp. Estimating 550 lbs and 85 hp for the katana, that's only 6.4 lbs per hp. And I think the katana weighs less than 550 with all the parts I removed (at least 30 lbs worth), and does (or will) make more than 85hp with a better tune.

Well, the bike performed up to expectations A lot of people told me I would be disappointed in the katana because the EX500 was only marginally slower and a lot lighter. That was not my experience today at all. The acceleration was night and day better than the EX. Not 600RR territory, but better than expected from a bike of this heft, that isn't in a perfect state of tune. I didn't try to flick the Kat through any curved roads, and I know it will suffer there, but if highway ramps and city maneuvers were any indication, I can live with it! Oh, and my friend's 7 and 9 yr old neighbors think I am the coolest cat in the world.

Good looking out. I have inspected the brakes and chain thoroughly. Cleaned the bike up a lot over winter. Will check fluids before i roll. I do have a small oil leak. About a drop a month. Thinking I just need a new crush washer.

tire pressures are between 36 and 40 lbs. I re-installed the horn (had to remove it to use the steering-stem front stand...) brake/headlights are working I put fresh gas in the bike the only thing i'm technically "missing" is that i removed the cotter pin for the front axle nut. What else am I forgetting to check on a street bike I have never ridden? It looks like I will be getting wet, but oh well. It's not like I'm trying to qualify for an AMA grid...

what do these run? I'm trying to decide what color will look best on the big kat when I'm done painting it. Because I know you're all on the edge of your seats, it's "banner red" and flat black. I'm trying to use the flat black to minimize some of the "portly" proportions of the body work. Mostly the front fender and side pieces on the tail, but also the lower portion of the tank that the bodywork is intended to cover.

Sounds like if you found the parts, you should pick them up whether you decide to do the mod or not. Based on your initial post, they are only going to go up in value to other Bandit owners, even if they never go into your motor. That said, I am not sure I would install them. Mid-range is important on a street bike... you said 3 hour of labor though, so maybe swap it in, see if you like it, and swap it back out if you don't.

Original post says "black on black." Unless that's the type of porn he prefers, I would guess that's referring to the exterior/interior color And I don't think they came with anything other than a 6-speed automatic. **edit - there were 2 transmission options, but both were essentially automatics. The ratios are different, and there are paddle options http://cars.automotive.com/bmw/6-series/2007/packages-options/t3-12-2-1/

How much does NOS cost?

Depends on how hard you crash it

I'll sell her mine for half that. Fully safety wired.

I bet those 6 yr olds would kick my ass. They've probably got more experience, and they're definitely a lot lighter.

start-up costs really depend on how nice of a bike you want... Yes, you can start mid-season. Practice days are whenever you want to go and have $20 to spend. If you're looking Grom, that's $3k. If you're looking at beat-to-shit XR100's, mine was $450, plus the parts I threw at it. Other people spend double or triple that on their XR/CRF to get newer and nicer models. You can realistically get on track with a bone-stock XR100, a 16" XR80 front wheel, and moped tubes/tires (I have a set for sale if you want extra cheap tires...) If you have racing gear, that's a $0 start-up. Otherwise you should be able to find good leathers for $300 or less. gloves and boots in odd colors tend to be on closeout. All told, you'll have $500 or more invested in gear. Probably more. Fees are cheap compared to any other type of racing. With transponder rental and 2 classes (4 heat races) a weekend, I end up paying around $75, including gate fee.

According to some guy on the WERA board, I'm a moron for thinking the Grom won't beat an XR hands-down. I suppose on a much bigger track, the Grom's top-speed advantage could render it significantly quicker, but what else am I missing? I'm not trying to grom-bash. There's a reason Jeff keeps taking Russ's for joy-rides even though he has an XR of his own, but people seem to assume they are a ton faster than the XR, when that hasn't proven to be the case (yet?).

Do they have a stock XR100 class?

don't be practical! you're defeating the purpose of the exercise! The parameters were broad, but I think the intent was clear - what bike(s) would you buy with $10k? That's why I was asking for more 'rules.' Does it have to be spent on 1 bike? Does it have to be my only bike? I would buy five $2,000 bikes before one $10,000 bike (probably...), but it's hard to say without parameters.

what models are going to be available? I might be up for playing on a power-cruiser...

that is not at all a stupid idea - that is probably a ton of fun, and also about the furthest thing from your ZRX. In my book, that increases its stock as a second bike. Having 2 similar bikes makes less sense than having 2 very different bikes. Opens up your options. 200-400cc enduro style bikes are killer fun, and seem to be pretty indestructible. I'm really trying to convince my wife that I should buy one for her to ride, and then I can completely monopolize it.

You may want to pick up a smaller rear sprocket for PIRC. It is a faster track overall, and even at mid-season pace last year, I was holding the bike on the rev limiter in 5th gear from the chicane up to the next braking zone. I had 14/46 gearing at that point. If you're running 14/50, you will be way down on top-speed compared to some other people. The GPS verified that with 14/46 gearing and ML75's I hit 48.3 mph With the larger tires, I am thinking 50 might be possible.

With more time to shop, that would likely have been the plan. Next round is 3 weeks away, so I had to get spokes ASAP.

Had to replace some spokes and the hoop after Saturday's crash. Spent my lunch hour comparing prices, then decided my time was more valuable. My observations were as follows, but I would value inputs from other people as well: BikeBandit.com: easy to use, but spokes were $1.30 apiece more than other sites. Hoop was $8 more. RonAyers.com: cheapest prices, but worst site navigation for the parts fiche. HondaPartsHouse.com: almost as good of prices as Ron Ayers, with easier navigation. Where bike bandit was $8 more for my wheel hoop, this site was only $1 more than Ron Ayers. Spokes were $.13 more expensive. Shipping for everything was $8 total, which I feel is acceptable given the size (16") of the hoop. Could I have done better elsewhere?

Hooligan motor. Budget suspension. Great value. that's based on reading and watching multiple reviews online. Search YouTube. there are some good ones out there.

you'll be pinching a Q3 190 on the R6 rim. Opinions vary on how much that affects handling. I would not do it, but I know people have done worse (i.e. a 180 on a rim designed for a 160).

It's a thing. I have not done it. Friends in Chicago do. I believe people in Columbus have also ridden on buckeye lake.

Seriously? Please tell me both have their own fuse... I want to rent one for a day. Sign all the paperwork, then get my (scuffed to shit) leathers out of the car and put them on while it's warming up on the lot. Maybe try to record the rental staff's reactions.

I think Russ would race his if others showed up, but he may be waiting to race until he smokes that rear tire and mounts something better. The rolling burnout Saturday morning was the second time he has let Jeff smoke that tire. Second that I have witnessed anyway. May happen more often.