Purpose of track-specific mods

Erci

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If I get a street bike (any 600 or 650), what is the purpose/necessity of all the typical mods I see on track bikes?

Race plastics - is this just to save OEM stuff and drop a little weight (by getting rid of lights)?

Clip-ons - what's wrong with stock ones?

Rear-sets - what's wrong with stock ones?

Crash protection (engine guards, sliders) - this part makes obvious sense.

Then there's engine work, upgraded brakes (at the least, pads and lines), fuel management.. and the list goes on.

At my entry level, I'm looking for the following benefits, by getting a dedicated track bike:

Better riding position for the track (all 600 sport bikes feel better to me than FZ1, in stock form, for track riding)

No swapping parts/taping for track day (I pull the luggage off my FZ1, swap the screen, pull the mirrors and tape off all the lights). If the bike was dedicated to track, I could just leave the mirrors off and tape everything once.

Proper sport tires. Obviously I'll be running sport tires on whatever I get. Prefer to use sport touring on FZ1 to get reasonable mileage out of them.

Used track bike is without a doubt a cheaper way to go (especially if it has no title), but I'd like to know what experienced track riders think is actually on the necessary mod list for someone getting into track riding.
 

OneCheekRider

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Race plastics are cheap (compared to stock), easily repairable, and are easily removable for accessing parts of the bike. They also have a catch pan so you don't spill fluids all over the track in the event something happens with your bike (unlikely but good to have -don't want to be "that guy")

Clip-ons - Easily replaceable. Aftermarket clipons are cheap and go on quick. Also highly adjustable.

Rear sets - made to withstand a crash and pegs/parts are easily replaceable. Highly adjustable.

crash protection - IMO, if you're not racing, protective case covers aren't that necessary and can probably be replaced if you ever damage the stock ones. Sliders are good, but get small ones bolted directly to the frame...I use woodcraft.
 
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greg

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Race plastics - is this just to save OEM stuff and drop a little weight (by getting rid of lights)?
i guess so, also crashes better, at the high end you get carb fibre ones, but they don't actually crash very well

Clip-ons - what's wrong with stock ones?
you can get ones with different (adjustable) angles and positions, they also have weak spots engineered in so they break cleanly. One trick is to have them tight enough to stay on the bike, but loose enough that they can move in a crash

Rear-sets - what's wrong with stock ones?
increasing ground clearance, enabling race shift, comfort, and they can be made to break in a specific place

Crash protection (engine guards, sliders) - this part makes obvious sense.
they can cause problems, like if they catch in the mud they can cause the bike to flip. 95% of the time they are a good idea though

from the top of my head

In terms of mods that are good for the casual trackdayer:
- Wets on wheels (almost essential in the UK given the weather)
- Upgraded suspension, makes the bike feel better and can be fully adjusted, springs set up for the right rider weight
- steering damper, nice to have as a safety net
- decent brake pads, stopping is just as important as going!
- head stock paddock stand and tyre warmers

Nice to have:
- captive wheel spacers. cheap and make tyre changes a lot easier
- spare clip-ons, rearsets, and other spares
- power commander + free flowing exhaust
- selection of sprockets for different sized tracks (more advanced riders)
 
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OneCheekRider

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Used track bike is without a doubt a cheaper way to go (especially if it has no title), but I'd like to know what experienced track riders think is actually on the necessary mod list for someone getting into track riding.

Honestly, all you really need is suspension setup for your weight and riding style on track, stainless steel brakelines with good pads, tires, and lots of instruction.

I've suggested getting the best pre-setup trackbike in your budget. There's a lot of money you can throw into a track bike but the key thing is to get out there and focus on your riding. Lots of parts I use aren't necessarily what others prefer - just gotta get out there and start trying them out to find what fits you.
 

Erci

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More awesome advice, as always! Thanks!!

Am I wrong to feel a bit uneasy about buying a well-used, title-less track bike? Street bike with 15-20k miles is like new, when it comes to motor/trans (unless it was really abused). I can't imagine same holds true for track bike.

I fully get the *better deal* aspect of getting a track-built machine, but it seems I can do OK with basically a stock sport bike, with a barely broken-in motor and a clear title (for about the same price).
 

greg

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tbh a road bike can easily have been abused too

i'm a bit sceptical of the "I changed the oil every other trackday" bikes, that's nice and all, but what about the valve clearances, or the rest of the maintenance?

i was pretty lucky with the bike I bought, it had had all the valves checked just before I bought it, and was owned buy a trackday instructor.
 

OneCheekRider

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More awesome advice, as always! Thanks!!

Am I wrong to feel a bit uneasy about buying a well-used, title-less track bike? Street bike with 15-20k miles is like new, when it comes to motor/trans (unless it was really abused). I can't imagine same holds true for track bike.

A lot of people feel that way. You can get built track bikes with a title - most people do for the peace of mind.

I fully get the *better deal* aspect of getting a track-built machine, but it seems I can do OK with basically a stock sport bike, with a barely broken-in motor and a clear title (for about the same price).

No problems going this route either...but if this track thing really bites you hard, you'll just pay more down the line. I'd just get whatever gets you excited to get out on the track. Mods and such wont be a big factor til you get some track time under your belt.

If you want a titled street bike, I have an 08 R6s I will be putting up for sale.
 

Erci

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A lot of people feel that way. You can get built track bikes with a title - most people do for the peace of mind.



No problems going this route either...but if this track thing really bites you hard, you'll just pay more down the line. I'd just get whatever gets you excited to get out on the track. Mods and such wont be a big factor til you get some track time under your belt.

If you want a titled street bike, I have an 08 R6s I will be putting up for sale.

That's the answer I was looking for :thumbup:

Yup, R6S is at the top of my list, but I'll probably be going with something a bit older. I've got a line on a 05 with scratched fairing. Go ahead and send me a quote for yours though! :D
 

greg

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did just think of something else useful, engine guards/covers. These fit over the top of the clutch and stator cases, and protect them from being worn through.
 

Erci

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You quicken the steering with clip-ons. You push your hand forward less to get the same amount of angular displacement.

As well as the things others have mentioned.

No no, Zoidberg! The bikes I'm talking about already HAVE clip-ons (R6, GSXR, etc). I was asking why people were swapping about stock clip-ons for aftermarket ones, on track bikes.
 

why_not_Zoidberg?

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No no, Zoidberg! The bikes I'm talking about already HAVE clip-ons (R6, GSXR, etc). I was asking why people were swapping about stock clip-ons for aftermarket ones, on track bikes.

Oh I misunderstood you, I thought you were wondering about switching from full bars to clip-ons.


My guess would be ergos/preference.
 

Erci

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oh, slipper clutches are a nice bit of bling too :thumbup:

Yeah, I initially thought to make it a "must", but have decided it's almost cheating. I'm quite used to blipping the throttle on downshifts, while braking. I've no doubt that downshifts would be more controlled with slipper clutch, but I'm not after faster lap times.. I can just begin slowing down a bit earlier (at least for now) to make sure I can downshift smoothly without chirping the rear tire.

Having said that, if all else about the bike is right and it does have a slipper clutch, I'll take it :D
 

MattR302

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When I bought my old 2000 ZX6R, it was from a trackday instructor who used it as his street/track bike, it had around 28k on it. At first I was a little leary about it being higher mileage with a lot of track miles, but a co-worker who was a former racer told me that guys who are regularly trusting their bikes at triple-digit speeds on the track tend to take better care of their bikes than the average street rider.
 
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