help choosing the best track mods for me specifically

Got my first motorcycle this Feb 1 - a 2005 FZ6 with <3K miles on it. I've put on over 4K miles and have ridden four track days.

I plan to get in at least 6 more track days this year and a many as I can afford next year before I switch to a different bike. Naturally I want to mod it some for performance. I know there are lots of threads about specific mods, but they don't really tell me what would be nice to have vs what would make a substantial difference for ME specifically. All mod categories give diminishing returns and I can't tell where the sweet spot is for me. My hope is you guys can help me figure out what I should do.

The bike came with improved pipes, a power commander, and improved front brake. I think my focus should be to upgrade the suspension. Options I'm considering range from the kit to replace the springs in the front and back and increase the weight of the fork oil, which as you all know costs about $300 not including installation, to putting a Matris kit in the forks and Ohlins S46ER1 shock on the back, which would cost about $1150 not including installation. In regard to the options in between, it seems like if I'm going to spend the money to do a middle option I might as well spend a couple hundred more and go all the way. But the last thing I want to do is waste money. Is the $1150 option a waste because of my limited ability or the bike or both? On the other hand, people report loving the $300 kit but since it's just springs and oil will that make enough of a difference on the track? I have for example decelerating hard after a long straight in mind (the brakes are solid - it's the suspension that's underperforming and messing with my confidence, right?). What do you think? One thing I want to take into consideration is, if I go for the $1150 kit will I be able to sell those parts e.g. on ebay when I'm ready to sell the FZ6 and get more than 50% of the money back?

Please let me know if you would recommend any other modifications for me specifically. I'm 6'2". Do you think it's important that I do anything to make the body position more like that of a sport-specific bike?

Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it.

You're on the right path!
Make the suspension work for you! There are several on here with R6 forks and the kit to install them. Now if I were to rate the best mod on this bike; THAT IS IT! In stock trim the nose is out of control for my liking.
My total $250 w/fleebay 2004 R6 forks. Your situation is different as it sounds like you need the calipers too. R6 forks: http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/42817-best-investment-ever-r6-forks-rides-so-nice.html 08 FZ6 calipers fit early R6 forks (up to 09 R6S).

Rear shock on a budget: Needs a GOOD suspension guy! http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-...-alternatives-how-install-r1-shock-w-pic.html

This is a must!
FZ1 handle bars = $35 from ronayers.com

Another thread on making it handle.... http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/53102-final-motorcycle-update.html

If I had it to do over I'd likely go for forks with a high speed adjustment on them. As is, I'm very happy with the ride quality as it sticks like glue but can be harsh on rough terrain. :thumbup:

First let me say that i have never been on a track, but do most of my riding in a spirited fashion.

My bike is pretty heavily modded, and i plan on taking it to the track but haven't done so yet.

IMO the best mods you can do ergonomically is change the bars to FZ1 bars and put some aluminium pegs on, that will really make the bike feel a lot better.

Performance wise, i think the best thing you can do is play with the gearing. I started stock, went -1 in the front, loved it, went +2 in the back, loved it even more.

Now, having just done the suspension, i really think it is the best all around mod you can do to this bike, it really is the weakest link and upgrading it will change the bike for the best.
I did the full mod, first oil only, then fork springs, then completed the package with Racetech Emulators, and i have to say the full package is really worth the money.
To me, springs and oil are the bare minimum, emulators are definitely worth it.
The front feels great. Problem is it isn't really adjustable on the fly.

The stock shock is really worth changing to, personally i would not go mental on an Ohlin, i can't help but think it is overpriced, and not needed with my riding level, so i went with a cheaper option and am really happy with it.

Here are a couple threads detailing the progress of my setup:

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-performance-mods-section/51901-suspension-setup.html

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/53102-final-motorcycle-update.html


Like you i got the FZ6 thinking it would be my first bike, and i would sell it and move on, now that i have spent all this time modding it i honestly don't think i will ever sell it!
Once you sort out the weak points it's an amazing bike.

FinalImpact and Carlos840 - you both rock. I'm reading all of your posts now and you're making a very strong case to go for the $1150 combo. Thank you both so much for your help

___

Wanted to add that hours later I'm still reading your posts. Great stuff. Thanks again -

My opinion, having owned FZ6 for ~3 season, FZ1 for 3 seasons and this is my 1st year riding track on a track-only R6:

You can spend considerable coin making FZ6 into a better track bike, and it'll never be as good as an old R6. I don't mean to sound harsh.. just want you to think about it. Sounds like you're fully addicted.. I mean.. committed to spending as much time on the track as possible. FZ6 can be very fun there, but it will never feel like a full-on sport bike.

Some things about the 2005 R6 which make it that much better for the track, which I picked up for 3.2k (and only spent few more bucks bringing it up to good track condition):

Clip-ons,
367 pound dry weight in stock form (can be reduced for the track),
fully adjustable fork (preload, rebound, compression),
fully adjustable shock (pre, reb, comp),
rear sets in proper sport position (much higher up and further back),
significantly more top end.. it feels gutless till about 7k, but after that pulls very hard.. at ~12, it pulls as hard as my FZ1.. well.. almost .. and this is with stock gearing.
Having done few track days on my FZ1 (which is better than FZ6, suspension-wise.. fully adjustable fork and slightly better shock), I was blown away by how infinitely better R6 was on the track.

So.. if you *must* have a do-it-all bike, by all means proceed with FZ6 upgrades .. and yes, I would definitely do the R6 fork upgrade as my 1st track mod, but if you're all about the track.. or 95% about the track and want to occasionally ride the bike on the street, I would suggest selling the FZ6 and getting a full-on sport bike .. you may be able to do the swap for less money than it'll cost you to do the few upgrades you're thinking about.

P.S. Which track? Pocono only, or do you do NJMP too?

Thanks for your advice, Erci. I appreciate it. I'm also considering what you've suggested but it's hard. I love my FZ6. And I'm set on holding onto it at least through the winter to commute with. Dropping say $2K on the suspension and adjustable rearsets would be a big investment, but if I can sell the Ohlins and hopefully the fork kit separately when I sell the bike, it seems like a smart move. One more thing is, the bike has just 6.8K miles - over 4K from me. I probably wouldn't be able to find a proper sportbike for the resale value of the FZ6 plus $2K that doesn't have a lot of miles on it. That's my reasoning at least.

To answer your question, of the four track days, two were at NJMP - first day Thunderbolt, second day Lighting. NJMP is awesome.

One more thing - I know almost nothing about any of this really. Totally new to motorsports. Please keep that in mind when I say something stupid. It's bound to happen.

newsargent said:

Thanks for your advice, Erci. I appreciate it. I'm also considering what you've suggested but it's hard. I love my FZ6. And I'm set on holding onto it at least through the winter to commute with. Dropping say $2K on the suspension and adjustable rearsets would be a big investment, but if I can sell the Ohlins and hopefully the fork kit separately when I sell the bike, it seems like a smart move. One more thing is, the bike has just 6.8K miles - over 4K from me. I probably wouldn't be able to find a proper sportbike for the resale value of the FZ6 plus $2K that doesn't have a lot of miles on it. That's my reasoning at least.

To answer your question, of the four track days, two were at NJMP - first day Thunderbolt, second day Lighting. NJMP is awesome.

One more thing - I know almost nothing about any of this really. Totally new to motorsports. Please keep that in mind when I say something stupid. It's bound to happen.

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Gotcha. For what it's worth, the R6 I picked up had 8.5k miles on it.. practically new! Why so cheap? Because he tipped it over in his driveway and nobody wanted to buy it because it had a bit of rash on the fairing :rof:

But yeah.. you'll definitely be able to get much of your money back for any mods, if you don't mind doing the work (removing and putting stock back on).

Feel free to keep in touch about NJMP days. My next one is on 7/7 (I ride with ACE).

Erci said:

My opinion, having owned FZ6 for ~3 season, FZ1 for 3 seasons and this is my 1st year riding track on a track-only R6:

You can spend considerable coin making FZ6 into a better track bike, and it'll never be as good as an old R6. I don't mean to sound harsh.. just want you to think about it. Sounds like you're fully addicted.. I mean.. committed to spending as much time on the track as possible. FZ6 can be very fun there, but it will never feel like a full-on sport bike.

Some things about the 2005 R6 which make it that much better for the track, which I picked up for 3.2k (and only spent few more bucks bringing it up to good track condition):

Clip-ons,
367 pound dry weight in stock form (can be reduced for the track),
fully adjustable fork (preload, rebound, compression),
fully adjustable shock (pre, reb, comp),
rear sets in proper sport position (much higher up and further back),
significantly more top end.. it feels gutless till about 7k, but after that pulls very hard.. at ~12, it pulls as hard as my FZ1.. well.. almost .. and this is with stock gearing.
Having done few track days on my FZ1 (which is better than FZ6, suspension-wise.. fully adjustable fork and slightly better shock), I was blown away by how infinitely better R6 was on the track.

So.. if you *must* have a do-it-all bike, by all means proceed with FZ6 upgrades .. and yes, I would definitely do the R6 fork upgrade as my 1st track mod, but if you're all about the track.. or 95% about the track and want to occasionally ride the bike on the street, I would suggest selling the FZ6 and getting a full-on sport bike .. you may be able to do the swap for less money than it'll cost you to do the few upgrades you're thinking about.

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WOW!!! ^^^ A guys first post and you tell him to sell it! :spank::spank::spank: Blah J/K you know!

That is the turning point tho! What are your intentions?? If you do need to commute the Fizzer can do and it can run pretty well too. I know my aged spine would revolt if asked to commute on an R6 I know the Fizzer is no track bike. That's not to say it won't hang well as it does but everything has an intended purpose!

Rear shocks don't sell quick around here and some like the bike as is. Others will realize a great need for improving the handling make the bike suite their needs. All I can say is some minor tweaks and the bike brings on a whole new character which I love!

Grab the FZ1 bars and figure out what makes sense to you for the front. Start there and see where you land!
Enjoy and Don't Forget about GOOD GEAR!! Bikes are lost daily, SAVE THE RIDER!!!

If you're thinking of doing that many trackdays and using a bike for commuting i would save the mods on the fz6 and buy a dedicated track bike. That way you don't have to worry about recouping costs further down the line if you want to change your road bike.

hi i run my fz on the track...NJMP,NYST, and soon pocono

mods:
no headlight, only spare fairing w/ zip ties and gorilla tape
r6 front end w/ HH brake pads and .85k springs, 7.5w fork oil
ohlins rear shock w/ height adjustment n compression reservoir
fz1 bar...possibly thinkin of apex clip ons??
opened up air box
extra set of rim/tires
stomp grips
m4 slip on

im leaning toward eric's idea of getting a full on ss bike tho. my friend is having a baby soon so i might buy his zx6 off him n track it.

Honestly riding on the track has definitely killed my street riding. i used to ride up to bear mtn every week, now i feel like going to the track every week lol

Erci said:

Gotcha. For what it's worth, the R6 I picked up had 8.5k miles on it.. practically new! Why so cheap? Because he tipped it over in his driveway and nobody wanted to buy it because it had a bit of rash on the fairing :rof:

But yeah.. you'll definitely be able to get much of your money back for any mods, if you don't mind doing the work (removing and putting stock back on).

Feel free to keep in touch about NJMP days. My next one is on 7/7 (I ride with ACE).

Click to expand...

Erci's and nivag's comments led me to actually look at the sportbikes for sale on craigslist and now I'm really not sure about what to do. Erci is right - there are good options in what I think is the range of the resale value of the FZ6 plus an additional grand or two. I think I'm going to put my bike up for sale to see if I actually can sell it for a fair price.

One more question - I heard there's a guy in the NE - maybe Tony of Tony's Track Days? - who has an FZ6 track bike and is wickedly fast on it. Anyone know who I'm talking about and know what modifications he made to his bike? I've been fortunate to have two great coaches at the track. One of them points out whenever he works with me that I'm not on a sportbike, whereas the second one said only one thing about my bike ever - something like "That's a good bike. It can go very fast on the track. It's up to you." I have to say I like the idea of keeping the FZ6, making the right mods for me, and one day riding it as fast as the folks in my group on supersports.

add me to the "get a dedicated track bike" group. Even after all the upgrades you make to the FZ6, you will still find it has its limitations (assuming your skill level progresses). I know you're concerned about money and resale value of the FZ6 and I agree, you can sell the aftermarket parts and still maintain good value on the FZ...but what happens if/when you go down on the track? Now, if you get a used supersport, or even an already setup trackbike (which you can find all day long for $3k or less) not only will you have a better performer for less money than the FZ6, but you wont be crushed in a worst case scenario. Many setup track bikes crash very well (ask me how I know) and a crash wont impact their resale as much as a pristine streetbike. Plus you'll still have a bike to ride if you crash the other one!

Also, if money is your concern, stop doing trackdays immediately! It's just a bottomless money pit!...but totally worth it

QwickFliCk said:

hi i run my fz on the track...NJMP,NYST, and soon pocono

mods:
no headlight, only spare fairing w/ zip ties and gorilla tape
r6 front end w/ HH brake pads and .85k springs, 7.5w fork oil
ohlins rear shock w/ height adjustment n compression reservoir
fz1 bar...possibly thinkin of apex clip ons??
opened up air box
extra set of rim/tires
stomp grips
m4 slip on

im leaning toward eric's idea of getting a full on ss bike tho. my friend is having a baby soon so i might buy his zx6 off him n track it.

Honestly riding on the track has definitely killed my street riding. i used to ride up to bear mtn every week, now i feel like going to the track every week lol

Click to expand...

Thank you for adding your perspective. It's interesting that you are leaning toward E's suggestion. If you were me though, with my limited experience, would you still be leaning that way?

IMO it comes down to a couple things:

Skill, comfort and general use.

I am pretty sure that a good rider on an FZ6 is going to be able to ride faster than a bad rider on an R6.
Would you rather be a fast rider on a slow bike, or a slow rider on a fast bike.
Do you feel that you have reached the limits of the FZ6 and want more?

Comfort wise, it comes down to your personal use, if you only have your bike for transportation the FZ6 is a great compromise, it can do the streets great, and it can do the track decently.
The R6 on the other hand would probably be a nightmare to commute on daily.

Personally, i love the FZ6 and although i know that it is a great bike after being modded, it will never be as good as an R6, it's a compromise.

For me, having only one bike, the FZ6 makes more sens, if i was only riding on the track, i would buy an R6, in a perfect world, i would have both.

I agree with Erci here. I think you reach the point where you need to keep your FZ6 has is and drop some coins on a track bike. If you're not going to go top notch racing you can probably get a track ready bike with fairing and few spare parts, ready to go. Maybe just massaging spring rate for your weight and that's it.

I'm getting the 09 track ready too right now. But I'm looking at my first track day to kind of get a taste of it to see if this is something I want to do (only twisties in Florida) LOL

But if I get to the point where I want to pound 12 track day a year (Homestead, Palm Beach International and Jennings) I will get a dedicated track beast. (good old Gixxers 750???)

newsargent said:

Thank you for adding your perspective. It's interesting that you are leaning toward E's suggestion. If you were me though, with my limited experience, would you still be leaning that way?

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I've only done 5 track days. QF has done about as many.. so we all roughly have the same level of experience as you.

I didn't get a track bike thinking it'll make me go faster or ride better. It's just the right tool for the job and a better starting point. Of course an experienced track rider on FZ6 will kick my butt (while I'm on R6) on the track all day long.
I wanted proper race bike ergonomics, fully adjustable suspension and I didn't want to use my street bike on track anymore (it's my commuter and a teaching tool for MSF.. and a PIG).

newsargent said:

Thank you for adding your perspective. It's interesting that you are leaning toward E's suggestion. If you were me though, with my limited experience, would you still be leaning that way?

Click to expand...

Erci said:

I've only done 5 track days. QF has done about as many.. so we all roughly have the same level of experience as you.

I didn't get a track bike thinking it'll make me go faster or ride better. It's just the right tool for the job and a better starting point. Of course an experienced track rider on FZ6 will kick my butt (while I'm on R6) on the track all day long.
I wanted proper race bike ergonomics, fully adjustable suspension and I didn't want to use my street bike on track anymore (it's my commuter and a teaching tool for MSF.. and a PIG).

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+1 on everything that eric said

experience you'll learn w/ time. im in the same boat as you. But i would still lean toward the full on ss bike if you are serious about track days. the only difference is that im not selling my fz. im keeping it for the streets. i have a cruiser, but its not that fun lol. just be patient and look for the best deal. thats wat im doin lol:thumbup: plus i dont feel like changing my rims, taking off my headlight, and dumping my fz on the track and i dont feel like riding a ss on the street

I feel like I'd get an old ninja 250 for a track bike, or maybe a ninja 300, though the 300s are going to be pricey. (but I still wanna try one sooooo bad, I love small nimble bikes that give their all for you)

iviyth0s said:

I feel like I'd get an old ninja 250 for a track bike, or maybe a ninja 300, though the 300s are going to be pricey. (but I still wanna try one sooooo bad, I love small nimble bikes that give their all for you)

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I'd love to try a 300 on the track. I've demo'd it and it's a blast.
Ride it properly on the track and you'll be passing bigger bikes on every corner entry :rockon: