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My track bike conundrum.


Tonik

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3 hours ago, Isaac's Papa said:

Plus, if you upgrade that rear shock, you'll find the ground is a little harder to rub pegs against. 

Yea, the front actually isnt too bad, they made it for skinny peeps like me.

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1 minute ago, Tonik said:

Yea, the front actually isnt too bad, they made it for skinny peeps like me.

If you get some measurements on the shock you may find a shock from another model that will fit. You might find that the R6 or R1 may fit, if so there are tons of used ones out there.

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There are days I contemplate picking up an SV650 track bike @Tonik

  • Cheap to run.
  • Cheap to crash.
  • Parts everywhere.
  • Knowledge everywhere.
  • Handle extremely well.
  • Slow in the straights but for fast riders some still find their way around my 1k.
  • Corner speed, corner speed, corner speed.

Edit: Did I mention they are cheap?

Edited by TimTheAzn
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10 minutes ago, Jester_ said:

I followed paash on one for a lap or so on a fz10. Think he was running around a 1:58 at pirc. 

 

But im not sure how much he was pushing. 

Probably not very much.  He was in the 1:46's on his 600...

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18 hours ago, Isaac's Papa said:

Orly? Well, I will remove my panniers and raise my exhaust. Bring it on, squid. 

I suggest you leave it alone so you got an excuse. Last guy I dusted blamed it on his tires.

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3 hours ago, TimTheAzn said:

There are days I contemplate picking up an SV650 track bike @Tonik

  • Cheap to run.
  • Cheap to crash.
  • Parts everywhere.
  • Knowledge everywhere.
  • Handle extremely well.
  • Slow in the straights but for fast riders some still find their way around my 1k.
  • Corner speed, corner speed, corner speed.

Edit: Did I mention they are cheap?

This.  Fz6 along with sv650 type bike is the way to go.  If you upgrade parts on the bike you will def find it an enjoyable bike out there.  From what ive seen from the one track day I saw you at it is a body position thing not a bike thing.  Make the bike do less of the work by assisting it through corners.  Yes you may get a little slide action coming out of corners but who doesn't.

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22 hours ago, Tonik said:

So, I am hooked and it is decision time. Rider coach took me aside yesterday and said 'Don't push that bike any more, you are pushing the suspension as far as you can. The rear is working too hard, I can see it when I follow you' This was after he watched me slide it sideways through 8. I rolled on too soon and too hard. Now, as I get better and smoother I might be able to squeeze a bit more out of it but he is right, few more track days and I will be going as quick as I can on this bike.

I should also add, my street riding of a sport/sporty bike is going to be very limited. Even the FZ6 is killing my body, specifically my neck from having it angled up like you have to. I injured it pretty good when I was young, arthritis is setting in. I have no problems at the track with it, 20 minutes on and 40 off more or less and it can handle that, zero pain.  But a whole day on the street is killing me. So as we ponder this, street riding is of little to no concern.

Option 1.  Convert the FZ6. Rear set. clip ons, really good rear shock is available and decent front forks for about a grand. So I would have 3800 total in the bike and upgrades. (Not counting trailer, lap timer, gopro, gps, tire warmers, generator and an umbrella babe as those costs will come with any bike).

I figure in the spring I can flip the FZ6 for 3K.

Option 2.  Flip the FZ6 and grab a 600 SS in the 4K range.

Option 3. Flip the FZ6 and grab a liter bike in the 4k range.

Lets debate the three options as they are, then we can start a 'which best bike for option 2 or 3' later. I am pretty sure what I am going to do, but am curious what the masses here think.

 

Get a 300.  You will be totally safe from the rear end sliding problem & can work on breaking the front loose & bringing it back up with the knee pressure.

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I'll still think for the same money you are investing, you could easily pick up an R6 for the track.  You're essentially trying to turn the FZ6 into an R6 with all these upgrades.   Adding clip-ons and rear sets will give you the R6 feel anyway so it's not a comfort thing anymore.  
I'm not saying you are at the limits of the FZ6 and we all have a lot to learn at the track, but having a bike that's far more capable for the same amount of money seems like a no-brainer to me.  
As you improve, the r6 will have more growth opportunity as you turn yourself into Valentino Rossi. 

Just my .02 

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My opinion would be to buy an already built track only R6 as well. Check out the WERA forum; there are always tons of really nice R6's and other bikes already built for $3-5k. Almost impossible to build one for that price. 

http://forums.13x.com/index.php?forums/bikes-for-sale.48/

 

Shoot, look at this one: $4500 for an 2008 with everything you could want! I'm temped to go buy it myself... 

http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/2008-yamaha-r6-race-bike.346075/

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2 hours ago, Limitedslip7 said:

My opinion would be to buy an already built track only R6 as well. Check out the WERA forum; there are always tons of really nice R6's and other bikes already built for $3-5k. Almost impossible to build one for that price. 

http://forums.13x.com/index.php?forums/bikes-for-sale.48/

 

Shoot, look at this one: $4500 for an 2008 with everything you could want! I'm temped to go buy it myself... 

http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/2008-yamaha-r6-race-bike.346075/

Shhhhhh I was looking at that r6

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I know I'm in the minority here, but I did not like the way the R6 felt from behind the bars.  Maybe it's something I could get used to, but I did not like riding "on" the bike rather than "in" the bike. 

GSXRs and ZX6s feel much more natural for me.  My Honda (the 600RR, not the XR100) felt comfortable as well, but they're known as "forgiving,"  which is the nice way of saying that it handles like a turd, and doesn't have the grunt to make up for it in the straights.

If you can live with the ergonomics of a supersport, that will obviously be more suited to track riding.  I wouldn't change the bars on an FZ6 unless it was to make it crash better.  Lower rearsets may be a lot more comfortable, and if you never drag the stock set, i don't see a reason to buy anything else...

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20 minutes ago, redkow97 said:

I know I'm in the minority here, but I did not like the way the R6 felt from behind the bars.  Maybe it's something I could get used to, but I did not like riding "on" the bike rather than "in" the bike. 

GSXRs and ZX6s feel much more natural for me.  My Honda (the 600RR, not the XR100) felt comfortable as well, but they're known as "forgiving,"  which is the nice way of saying that it handles like a turd, and doesn't have the grunt to make up for it in the straights.

If you can live with the ergonomics of a supersport, that will obviously be more suited to track riding.  I wouldn't change the bars on an FZ6 unless it was to make it crash better.  Lower rearsets may be a lot more comfortable, and if you never drag the stock set, i don't see a reason to buy anything else...

I guess my intention was moving to a super sport rather than trying to convert the sport touring bike into one.  I know Jim test rode the new R6 at Iron Pony demo day and he said he liked it, but if a ZX6R, CBR600RR, or G S X R 600 is more comfortable, I would recommend those as well before trying to convert the FZ6 for the same money. 

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