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Trackbike Build - From Scratch


MVinOZ

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Yes, a thin coating of grease over the axle surfaces will save a lot of grief later on.

Of course, none on the threads. I used a bit of blue locktite on the 46mm nut, in addition to staking it in place at the indent on the axle.

(see the other thread about people's sprockets falling off, but not mine!)

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I am on the lookout for a shop press, I'll be able to do headstem bearings then, too.

No need for a press to do the steering head bearings. The lower one on the stem, just take the old race, put a slot in it so it doesn't get stuck on the shaft again, and use that and a piece of pipe to hammer the new one down in place. Just don't forget the rubber seal.

Good work on the rear axle.

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Yeah, but you got the 46mm nut removed ..

Quite true! I thought that would be the hard part...

After a bit of head scratching I got to work.

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 052.jpg

It was 33 degress Celsius here today & I'm Australian, so I was working in shorts, thongs & a singlet. I don't think I _actually_ caught on fire, but I came pretty close. (Ah, hang on... thong, no, not that sort, the other sort. Flip flops? Not sure what you guys call them...)

After about an hour or so of angle grinding, all those cutting discs & some upset neighbors, I had this:

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 053.jpg

I cut it down to about 600mm long, rounded off all the sharp edges & stuck it in this shop press I bought yesterday

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 054.jpg

Like so.

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 055.jpg

Using a shop press for the first time is a pretty nerve wracking experience, the first thing I did was press in a pitbike headstem I had lying around & then I played around pressing out some bearings. It's only a 6 ton press, but they sure let go with a bang!

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 057.jpg

Everything is lined up, I put a thin sheet of aluminium (or is that aluminum? :wink: ) between the axle & the block, just in case.

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 056.jpg

Movement at the station...

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 058.jpg

Bit of bang, & she's off.

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 059.jpg

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 060.jpg

Of course, when it let go, my L shaped pieces of steel also fell off the bench... & straight toward my thonged foot.

Now, oddly enough, (because I'm Australian, remember), I wasn't drunk at this point, so I was able to move my foot out of the way before it got sliced off, but it was a close call! Safety first kids...

This is why I'm glad I went to the effort:

attachicon.gifiPhone photos 061.jpg

None of the cush drive rubbers were connected, they look to be in OK shake though. I will replace anyway, plus the axle will be easier to remove next time.

Speaking of the axle, it appears to have rusted itself to the cush drive where the splines are & at the cush drive bearing:

attachicon.gifDSC_0422.jpg

I cleaned it up with the wire brush attachment on the bench grinder, there is a lot of pitting, but I think I can save it. (Pic is befor) The actual axle bearing surfaces are fine, no rust there. I'm curious to know how Kaldek treated it when he did the bearings so I can avoid this in the future. A good polish & plenty of grease should do the job, hopefully.

So the bearing had been replace before by Kaldek. Yeh I wonder how hard it was for him to remove .

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STROOTH MATE!!

Fark me Rome!!

That's the dictionary definition of stuck.

Bugger me with a fish fork......................

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When I changed the rear brake disc on my previous bike, I wound off the nut, put a block of wood over the end of the axle, gave it a few good hits with a hammer, and it all popped out. Maybe I was just lucky...

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you should port the throttle bodies while they are out. with the throttle bodies port matched to 38mm 2001 R6 velocity stacks, there is a considerable gain in top end power.

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you should port the throttle bodies while they are out. with the throttle bodies port matched to 38mm 2001 R6 velocity stacks, there is a considerable gain in top end power.

I guess I missed the thread where you posted more details an dyno results?

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When I changed the rear brake disc on my previous bike, I wound off the nut, put a block of wood over the end of the axle, gave it a few good hits with a hammer, and it all popped out. Maybe I was just lucky...

Maybe, I wasn't expecting this much trouble seeing as it had been rebuilt already. Anyway, done now!

No need for a press to do the steering head bearings. The lower one on the stem, just take the old race, put a slot in it so it doesn't get stuck on the shaft again, and use that and a piece of pipe to hammer the new one down in place. Just don't forget the rubber seal.

Good work on the rear axle.

Thanks mate, got there in the end. I've done bearings like that before, but now I've got the right tool.

So the bearing had been replace before by Kaldek. Yeh I wonder how hard it was for him to remove .

Yes, I'm interested too, & interested to know if he used grease when he put it back together! :laugh:

I kid, I knew there would be hurdles, I can't blame him for that.

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I just saw this thread.

If it's track only, and losing weight is important, i've done a couple things to my 5th gen that might help - if the the frame and swingarm are the same between 5th and 6th.

I've changed the side mount rads to a front mount from a TL1000R, it works a hell of a lot better, and mounts up under the head stock where the 5th gen oil cooler usually mounts. I moved the oil cooler down so it now sits between the engine and the headers. The rad and mods to get it to work probably cost about $250.

And I'm using a ducati 1098S forged alloy rear wheel that weighs abought 3.5kgs.

However, if the frame and swinger are different and this wont work, ignore me.

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I just saw this thread.

If it's track only, and losing weight is important, i've done a couple things to my 5th gen that might help - if the the frame and swingarm are the same between 5th and 6th.

I've changed the side mount rads to a front mount from a TL1000R, it works a hell of a lot better, and mounts up under the head stock where the 5th gen oil cooler usually mounts. I moved the oil cooler down so it now sits between the engine and the headers. The rad and mods to get it to work probably cost about $250.

And I'm using a ducati 1098S forged alloy rear wheel that weighs abought 3.5kgs.

However, if the frame and swinger are different and this wont work, ignore me.

Wouldn't the front tyre hit the radiator in the most severe braking conditions? The curve in the front valve cover is to stop the tyre from hitting it, so surely there isn't enough room for a front radiator (even if it's curved).

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I just saw this thread.

If it's track only, and losing weight is important, i've done a couple things to my 5th gen that might help - if the the frame and swingarm are the same between 5th and 6th.

I've changed the side mount rads to a front mount from a TL1000R, it works a hell of a lot better, and mounts up under the head stock where the 5th gen oil cooler usually mounts. I moved the oil cooler down so it now sits between the engine and the headers. The rad and mods to get it to work probably cost about $250.

And I'm using a ducati 1098S forged alloy rear wheel that weighs abought 3.5kgs.

However, if the frame and swinger are different and this wont work, ignore me.

Wouldn't the front tyre hit the radiator in the most severe braking conditions? The curve in the front valve cover is to stop the tyre from hitting it, so surely there isn't enough room for a front radiator (even if it's curved).

Nope, doesn't hit it. It's above the curve in the front valve cover. I've used almost all the suspension travel (I have a zip tie around one front fork, I have about 10mm of travel left). I have shorter 04/05 gsxr 600 USD forks, too.

There is room for a cheap and easy front mount.

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I just saw this thread.

If it's track only, and losing weight is important, i've done a couple things to my 5th gen that might help - if the the frame and swingarm are the same between 5th and 6th.

I've changed the side mount rads to a front mount from a TL1000R, it works a hell of a lot better, and mounts up under the head stock where the 5th gen oil cooler usually mounts. I moved the oil cooler down so it now sits between the engine and the headers. The rad and mods to get it to work probably cost about $250.

And I'm using a ducati 1098S forged alloy rear wheel that weighs abought 3.5kgs.

However, if the frame and swinger are different and this wont work, ignore me.

Wouldn't the front tyre hit the radiator in the most severe braking conditions? The curve in the front valve cover is to stop the tyre from hitting it, so surely there isn't enough room for a front radiator (even if it's curved).
Nope, doesn't hit it. It's above the curve in the front valve cover. I've used almost all the suspension travel (I have a zip tie around one front fork, I have about 10mm of travel left). I have shorter 04/05 gsxr 600 USD forks, too.

There is room for a cheap and easy front mount.

Hmmm... Interesting! It sounds like you need to post a thread with photos so we can all copy your work and cool our mid-summer boilers! :)

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you should port the throttle bodies while they are out. with the throttle bodies port matched to 38mm 2001 R6 velocity stacks, there is a considerable gain in top end power.

I guess I missed the thread where you posted more details an dyno results?

no, but i guess you missed the thread where i did 126 in the 1/4, in the summer. :wink:

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you should port the throttle bodies while they are out. with the throttle bodies port matched to 38mm 2001 R6 velocity stacks, there is a considerable gain in top end power.

I guess I missed the thread where you posted more details an dyno results?

no, but i guess you missed the thread where i did 126 in the 1/4, in the summer. :wink:

Seems like a lot of work for only a seat of the pants confirmation.

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I just don't get the whole drag race thing with a VFR. I get it with a bike like a ZX-14R. The VFR is a mile-munching, corner-slaying machine...not a drag racer.

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you should port the throttle bodies while they are out. with the throttle bodies port matched to 38mm 2001 R6 velocity stacks, there is a considerable gain in top end power.

I guess I missed the thread where you posted more details an dyno results?

no, but i guess you missed the thread where i did 126 in the 1/4, in the summer. :wink:

Seems like a lot of work for only a seat of the pants confirmation.

Please explain to me how a certified time slip is a seat of the pants confirmation?

I just don't get the whole drag race thing with a VFR. I get it with a bike like a ZX-14R. The VFR is a mile-munching, corner-slaying machine...not a drag racer.

okej

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Progress! No, not really... Work is pretty hectic, plus I'm trying to get a bunch of parts here in time for the christmas break, hopefully I can spend a day or two on this & knock over a heap little things. Plus, someone on the TRX forum put up a set of FCR41 flatslide carbs at a price I couldn't resist, just when I almost had myself convinced it was fine & it didn't need another 10HP. :goofy:

So that might set the VFR funds back a little :schla15:

Anyhow, before all that, I got this out, weighed it, scratched my head a little...

iPhone photos 062.jpg

Roughly 21 kgs, with the subframe being 8kg.

(The VFR SSSA without caliper comes in at around 11kg FWIW)

I got to thinking, between the heavy subframe, ditching the underseat exhaust & not running any tail lights, it's just going to be a huge pain in the arse to try & use this subframe in the short term. I was planning on ditching it long term, but it'll be easier to do it now. I figure pretty much any subframe is going to be a similar amount of work, I should find something pretty modern, commonly raced & commonly crashed...

:idea3: GSXR! Bingo. :laughing6-hehe:

Jumped on everyone's favourite parts store & found this:

GSXR sub.JPG

Should be here next week.

I had a spare hour or so, so I grabbed out the headers to see what I could do.

iPhone photos 064.jpg

Kinda looks like that crosseyed kid from school...

iPhone photos 063.jpg

iPhone photos 065.jpg

I applied some heat...

iPhone photos 067.jpg

Got a bit physical & ended up with this:

iPhone photos 075.jpg

Measuring the exhaust port on the engine, I may have gone a little too far.

iPhone photos 071.jpg

Better!

iPhone photos 069.jpg

There's still a dent, but no-where near as bad as it was

iPhone photos 070.jpg

Another local-ish member (Hi CatiePotatie!) has been in touch & given me some info on the car rear wheel swap, plus she has an appropriate spacer to make it work, so I bought that & I'll recommence trying to find a car wheel to suit. It would be nice to get it to rolling chassis stage.

Basically 3 months in now, I'd like to be done in another 3, but we're heading to the US at exactly that time, funds may be a little restricted before then.

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