www.zxrworld.co.uk

Hi all,

Just bought the wife a new bike, so I have stole her old L2 ZXR400 for my track bike (much to her disgust ),
and I would like to go racing at some point just for a bit of fun,I'm going to do some track days to set the bike up, get used to it and so forth (I've got a van as well and the bike will not be used on the road at all).

Basically I'm going to use this year to get it setup, take it nice and slowly as a project, not sure what series to go for, but does anyone have any basic recommendations for general mods to do that will be allowed in most clubs, I've read the BMCRC Formula 400 2009 technical specifications, it seems the frame, swinging arm must all stay standard, but I can change brakes and so forth?

i.e tyre sizes, brake and suspension mods, general things to remove, what catch tanks would i need and so forth etc...

What I've got planned so far is to get race body work, remove any unwanted electrical parts and remove the wiring from the loom and remove any unwanted
bits and pieces, junk all the clocks and stuff.

I've looked though every page in the racing section here, and get a general feel for things, but still non the wiser for where to start,
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Mark

Mark,
i'm just doing exactly the same thing so anything that comes your way please let me know and i'll do the same. I'm starting at Darley Moor and see how it goes from there.
I have stripped the bike and rebuilt it but without any engine mods, removed all the crap thats not needed, wired up the sump plug and manufactured an oil catchment tank as per the ACU regs.
I'm fitting a spare set of fairings that will come from Barry (Falloffslowly) and paint them myself. Standard brakes to start but with HEL lines all round.
Not a hope in hell of winning but thats not the point

PaulJ

If you want to trackday the bike then - no mods are required - just turn up and pay. However - if you want to race it then that is a different story.

My overwhelming advise would be to sell the L2 and to buy an already prepared race bike - it will cost less in the long run. I started preppng a road bike last July (for racing) and got it into race trim for racing in October (just). I then had a load of additional work to do to get it reasonably competitive.

The list is:-
Race Forks (stiffer springs + oil)
Race tyres (and wets)
Race electrical loom
Ram air kit (and all the mods to make it fit - move coils/ cut radiator etc)
Upgraded brakes (discs, calipers, hoses and m/c)
Race plastics (fairing/ seat and DB screen)
Rear fully adjustable (and very stiff) shock
Quick throttle
New sprockets and chain (depends on where you are thinking of racing)
New wheel bearings

This is before you even start on the engine/ carbs etc

A couple of days ago a fully prepped RMKD engined race bike went on e-bay for slightly over 2k which when compared to the cost of getting it to that level of preparedness is a bit of a "steal".

On the other hand - if you want to fully understand the bike, be able to fix most things that go wrong at the track and generally spend a lot of time in your garage over the winter then prepping a road bike is the way to go - however, if you want to get out on the track racing this year then sell the L2 and buy a track bike

Just noticed how many things i have missed of my list which just goes to show how the "list" tends to grow

rear sets
crash bungs
paddock stands (front/ back)
lock wiring (sump plug/ oil filter/ oil filler cap)
steering damper (not essential in my view but depends on track)

engine mods is where the cost really starts to rack up!!!!

Wheatever you do - good luck - and enjoy

Davw wrote:Just noticed how many things i have missed of my list which just goes to show how the "list" tends to grow

You better believe it.....................................

As I sat on thr grid for the very first time on a borrowed bike a mate saw me and realised that it was my first ever race.............he walked over and said "what are you doing?"

"Hey" says I "I've started racing now "

"Dont do it" says my mate " go now and park that bike"........................................"once you start .................You'll never have money again"


He was right and I dont give a SH1T

i completely agree with davw, buy one thats already done!!
and i completely agree with cargo, you'll spend every penny you have (and don't have), on racing, its adictive.
if you're going to track day it, you'll need a lot less than if you race, as davw says, you don't need to do anything to it at all, but if you wanted to make it nicer handling and stop better, get some good suspension, £400-600 for a rear shock, i swear by ohlins but rode a bike with a hyperpro unit on and it was fantastic, , and £300 or so for different internals and oil in the forks k-tech, kais, maxton are good people, stick a race body work on it, some pirelli super corsa 120sc1 front and 160sc2 rear, some braided brake lines, some ebc hh brake pads (or equivelent) and bobs your uncle. you might want to get some wets on wheels so's not to waste a rainy day, i found bridgestone wets to be the best.
if your going to race it you'll need all of what davw mentioned plus:
a generator
tyre warmers
a fire extiguisher (acu regulation)
2 jerry cans
spare bodywork (and as many other spares as you can get your hands on)
then budget around 2500 for a full engine tune and refresh cos as much as you say you'll be happy been midfield, you'll want to beat the person in front of you and you'll keep doing this until there is no one else in front of you.
i used to budget around £450 for a race meeting:
£120 to do a trackday before a meeting
£120-150 race entry fees
£30-50 for diesel to get to the track
£40 petrol for bike and generator
£20 food and drink
and on average £100 tyres (rear every other meeting and front every 3rd meeting).

as for catch tanks, i used a babies bottle cable tied to the subframe and put the engine breather into that and the radiator over flow i left the standard one on as its light and neat,removing stuff off the zxr is easy as everything you don't want just unbolts and is all very apparent when you start stripping it.

the best thing is you'll never regret one penny of it and you'll meet some of the best people and charectors you'll ever meet in your life.
they'll be other things to add to the list which i'm sure others will add as the thread goes on, but whatever you do enjoy and good luck.

It's certainly true that you get to meet the very best people.........................
Those of us who race are a rare bunch in the grand scheme of things theres not that many of us...............................
In my time racing I've meet people who will be friends for life..........................My credit card is maxed out I've blown thousands including a redundancy package from work. Stuff buying heating oil or paying the household bills..................................... I've got a race tomorrow ......................not one single second of it do I regret even falling off is a laugh eventually....................... I'm nearly 49 now and plans are laid for next year already I'm not quitting just yet................got a nice pension to pick up on my 50th.................guess what I planning to blow that on too...............................faster faster faster


You live more in 5 minutes flat out on a motorcycle than most people do in a whole lifetime

cargo wrote:
You live more in 5 minutes flat out on a motorcycle than most people do in a whole lifetime

Couldn't agree more... so true!!

Hi all,

Sorry for the late reply, been really busy at work the past week.

At the moment, I think I'll just go down the track day preparation route, pretty much all the stuff that zxrjohn14 and davw mentioned,
I've taken mine on a track day and it way bloody good fun, but it is also my main transport (apart from the wife's old CB125 in the shed ),
hence using the ZXR; prepping it for the tack day's is really just going to be a bit of fun stuff and if I get into it , then will defiantly look
at buying a purpose built race bike, then sell the house to fund it .

Once again thanks for all the help and advise.

Mark