Beers are on me- got few questions about my new purchases

[will#224]

i've just bought two race bikes ready for my f400 venture next year. Got a H model as a wet bike and an L model for the dry.

Both trick and got everything needed to do the racing i plan next year including almost a spare bike for parts.

Are the H/L wheels interchangeable? I think i read the disks are a different size? Is it possible to change things so the 9 wheels i have will go on any bike i choose. If so what do i need to change?

Also i think the harris or new motrax paddock stands look like the best options. Whats the distance between the bobbins on the rear swingarm and what size pin would i require on the stand to lift the the head stock.

Cheers folks. Cant wait to get out on the track again!!

Bank holiday monday and i'm buying the virtual beers, fill your boots!!

[zimm]

you get the bikes off anteater ?

H2 and L rear wheels are interchangeable ..
H1's have a smaller rear wheel spindle, and a different cushdrive.. it can be done by swapping the bearings (OD is the same), but you'd need to ream out the swingarm to take the bigger spindle, and i've a suspicion the caliper hangers an stuff differ a bit

fronts will swap, but you need to shave a couple of mill off the spacer to get an L wheel in H forks, havent tried the other way (H wheel into L forks), but a set of custom spacers (ditching the speedo drive**) to centre the discs would be the way forward. The offset on the fork bottoms being one issue, also the spacer (which is the same across the range) sits deeper into the H wheel.

** re speedo drive, if you attack it with a hacksaw you can get the steel spacer out and bin the rest, lighter, easier to fit and wont spurt grease on your disc.

H discs are 300mm, L discs are 310mm, the discs need to match the forks as calipers (which are interchangeable, but apparently H's have slightly bigger pistons and a bit more bite) will rub the discs if L discs are used with H forks. Going the other way, H discs on an L, you wont get full contact from the pads on the discs.

i like the motrax ally paddock stands .. havent bought them yet, so cant help with dimensions..

careful with headstock stands, in my experience with using them on zxr's you need the nosecone off so as to not crack it.. = faff

if you've got ramair you wont be able to use one anyway.

[will#224]

yep they are anteaters bikes, i used to race supermoto with him so we did a good deal

I guess as there are a spare set of wheels for each bike its easier just to leave it at that.

One has ramair so i guess ill just get the spigot type front fork stand. I used the cup style stand before and found it less stable.

I guess you race too Zimm? Thanks for your info, its great that there are such knowledgable folks here.

[will#224]

Are the spacers captive or do they fall out whilst trying to fit?

Might need to mod them if they aren't, it drives me insane when they fall out.

[zimm]

im in the same position as you mate, prepping the bikes, gathering bits and getting ready for my first race ..

hopefully out for oulton park 20th sept.

i've been arsing about with ZXR400's for about 10 years, so they seemed a logical choice when i decided to start racing, mine's an H1 so i can do the pre 1990 classes if i feel like it, its not going to be anything particularly trick, I may go with ramair, havent decided ,. it'll be down to setup time more than anything as im a 4 hour drive from a competent dyno operator.. trying to get an L loom and uk cdi on it currently to give me a slightly higher rev limit (14,900 compared to 14,500) and that'll probably be it, along with a decent exhaust n all the standard fare ..

the rear wheel stuff is only an issue until you notice that L wheels are £££ and H1's arent

is your wet bike an H1 or H2 ? i cant remember, H1's have the braced swingarm.


the bikes look nice mate .. i almost contacted him about them, but couldnt be arsed with fetching them from scotland. The HC-racetech kit is quality too, mate had their stuff on his k1 gsxr 750 race bike and it survived 3 highsides (pissing wet cadwell park)in one weekend and didnt even crack !

[zimm]

Are the spacers captive or do they fall out whilst trying to fit?

Might need to mod them if they aren't, it drives me insane when they fall out.

spacers are not captive.. fresh outer seals will (should) hold them in, I was thinking about getting some made with a small lip so they would catch inside the seal, but havent bothered.

the fronts a piece of piss anyway .. (you need calipers off to remove/fit the wheel btw)

for the back, if you put the spindle in from the sprocket side its easier as you arent juggling wheel/spacer/caliper bracket/caliper-disc-pad clearance etc all at the same time then.

tbh, there's a knack to it, I can swap back wheels with a stock setup in about 3 minutes .. but it can be a sweary fiddley Camel of a job.

[will#224]

It'll be next year before i'm riding or racing at all due to some broken bones, i've never ridden a bike on the road but have done 3 years worth of supermoto and already have acu licence, my racing style could be interesting though.

Pretty sure the wet bike is a H1 so like you can do pre 90s.

I like tinkering and will be attempting to strip as much weight from them as poss. Got access to milling, lathe and welding equipment at work so will probably get carried away.

Best thing i ever bought in last 3 years racing was a caravan, gotta be worth a few seconds a lap. Good nights kip, decent food and your own toilet is ace!

Zimm if you need tyre warmers i might be able to sort a bulk buy cheap.

[zimm]

my racing style could be interesting though

lol, mine too, learnt on dirt bikes then spent years as a despatch rider, cant get my head round the head down/hanging off/knee down thing at all..

Got access to milling, lathe and welding equipment at work so will probably get carried away.

git ! i make do with what i've got at home, seriously considering buying a milling/grinding machine though .. reckon it'd pay for itself after a while seeing as getting stuff made to spec costs a fortune

Zimm if you need tyre warmers i might be able to sort a bulk buy cheap.

PM me the details, they're on my shopping list.

[jake]

good one dude, they looked like good solid bikes.
i think the rear caliper hanger is a different size on the h1. It might be easier for wheels being interchangeable if you get a h2 swinger for the h1? they come up well cheap on ebay.
I too have probs with the time and hassle it takes changing the rear on the zxr. It would be good if one of us can find a way to get or make captive spacers! someone told me you can get em from somewhere..
Ive made it a bit easier on myself by taking the plastic cover off the bottom of the rear caliper. throw that away with those spring things if there still on it. now you can hold the pads apart from underneith as you wrestle the wheel in.
I also now take the rear caliper off its hanger, then slip the wheel in, then bolt the caliper back on. works a bit better for me.
where you planning racing then?

let us know about the warmers too!

[will#224]

No idea about which race series but i have approx £800 a month in the racing budget so reckon i can maybe do 2 weekends a month if i go steady and keep it right way up.

Been to darley moor a few times and looks like a fun circuit so will include that, i've raced at cadwell a few times and been round croft a few times and they are local so will include them. Will probably join a few clubs and pick and choose as petrol seems to be the biggest cost lately. I'm tempted to join auto 66 but most of the circuits are the same as i ran on supermoto and i wasn't that impressed.

Im not that quick though, certainly not on a supermoto, slicks and dirt = lots of scary moments and in my recent experience a bone poking out through my wrist and a foot i cant use for 3 months due to lots of broken bits. i'm hoping i can avoid the dirt this next year.

I'll post up a price on the tyre warmers later this week.

I'll look at making up some captive spacers as my mate has a lathe at home. I'm gonna look at getting some plastic engine case covers too, something that just glues on. My mate has his own plastic engineering company and can whip up something like that no probs. If they were cheap enough it wouldn't matter if it was destroyed in a crash so long as it saved the cases. Just glue another on for next race.