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Trackbike Build - From Scratch


MVinOZ

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Turned out like this, I'll trim it down & seal up the end once I get the subframe mounts 100%

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Found some new bars, from an early GSXR (this is becoming a common theme...) that mount above the bar, had to drop the forks through 10/15mm, but that shouldn't be a problem.

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Clearance, Clarence.

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Oh yeah, I found this one eBay as well.

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& this. GSXR.

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Hope the move goes well, thanks for the update :fing02:

Cheers mate, it was well overdue! (how's your project going?)

The move will be huge pain in the arse, but we have a two week overlap & I get to set my shed up from scratch. On balance it will be ok

Checking the place out today, if the sheds good we're in, wife's already approved the house :laugh:

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  • 3 months later...

Wow, August, time flies! New shed is OK, but currently a dumping ground for house overflow, must reassert my dominance on that one! Going Zen, getting rid of all superfluous crap that's not Motorcycle or Music related. I guess the family can stay too, in a pinch...

:beer:

Anyway, where was I?

Scored a Ducati 900SS rear shock for $10, thought I'd give it a try, even though I thought the resovoir would foul the swingarm. Turns out I was right, hate it when that happens!

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Scored an S1000RR rear shock, there's a thread about that on here somewhere, anyway, the shock adaptor I planned on making was a wash out, not enough material to make it strong enough, but I figured out the bottom assembly will fit if I space each side out 1.6mm, currently fabbing up some spacers for that, stay tuned. Working on a metal brake (bender) to knock up a new top holder for the rear shock, needs to be 5mm thick steel & with the extra length of the standard shock +8mm built in, should work ok.

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These are the spacers for the bottom, could be done with washers probably, but oh well. There's no bushing on the bottom of the shock & obviously none on the linkage, not sure if this will be a problem yet...

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My new wiring harness has turned up, months ago in fact, but I haven't fitted it yet, that's the next big thing & hopefully I can have it running while I have some time off over Christmas. Oh, & the ECU that came with the wiring harness was actually for a CBR1000RR, 04 model I think, so that was pretty annoying! Seller wanted me to send back the ECU & harness for a full refund becuase he didn't have the right ECU, I just said I'd keep it & sell the CBR unit at some stage, should work for a HISS bypass over here if someone has lost their key.

I do have to drive 800kms or so (& then back) to pick up the entire plastics, front cowl, dash, headlights, front guard etc from another 6th Gen that I scored on eBay, a mate is storing it for me short term, but with all that, I have basically everything I would need to put this on the road if I wished... :happy:

Got in on the group buy for the Rapid Bike System, but I don't have the cash for the rest of the system yet... I have been in touch with a local guru who can make a Nitrous system pretty easily also, that's a very tempting idea. :goofy: Be nice on the front straight of Phillip Island!

Stole an idea from The Toad on the OzVFR forum & did this:

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Superglue to hold the fabric in place

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Then fibreglass resin over the top

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& then some expanding foam filler to make up the space, not sure if this stuff will work, but I'll know tomorrow. It's very soft once set, you can cut it with a bread knife. Once it's shaped, I'll either cover it with body filler or fibreglass over the top, not sure which way to go yet.

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  • 1 month later...
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Pics!

I'll go you one better & get a video, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow :goofy:

Wait your across the IDL, aren't you... so tomorrow for you is today to us? No wait, that's wrong, your ahead of me by like 17 hrs...

So, when I read this your already almost tomorrow for me and since you wrote this ~8 hrs ago your tomorrow should be my now?

It was -16° C this morning... I'm confused and need a MC fix... video me, Man!!!

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Must be at the track !

I said I got it running, still a long way away from finished! :happy: But this was the big hurdle, great feeling to actually hear it run!

I've had some time off & done a lot in the shed, apart from clean it up, so don't mind the mess.

Long story short, I swapped over the complete wiring harness to a 2002 US spec model, along with my US spec ECU, still nothing, same problem as before, fuel pump not firing. I swapped out the front wiring loom that I had hacked up for the 2006 US spec one that came with the bike, same fault... Traced it out & found the +12 volt input was in a different place, swapped that one wire over & fuel pump fired up. Started second try.

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Must be at the track !

I said I got it running, still a long way away from finished! :happy: But this was the big hurdle, great feeling to actually hear it run!

I've had some time off & done a lot in the shed, apart from clean it up, so don't mind the mess.

Long story short, I swapped over the complete wiring harness to a 2002 US spec model, along with my US spec ECU, still nothing, same problem as before, fuel pump not firing. I swapped out the front wiring loom that I had hacked up for the 2006 US spec one that came with the bike, same fault... Traced it out & found the +12 volt input was in a different place, swapped that one wire over & fuel pump fired up. Started second try.

Nice!!!

I know it is such a great feeling to hear it rumble to life... you must have been PUMPED!!!

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Yes, relieved as much as excited, it's been over a year to get to this point, there was few time where I imagined it could easily have been a huge waste of time,effort & money!

Happy now though, I can move forward as time & budget dictates, it has given me new enthusiasm for the project.

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Geezus, you turn you back for a moment and THIS happens!

Seriously mate, I'm super proud and I'm also sorry for any hassles you had with the parts. That rear axle looked super frozen; you can see why I had to cut the swingarm pivot to get it off!

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Geezus, you turn you back for a moment and THIS happens!

Seriously mate, I'm super proud and I'm also sorry for any hassles you had with the parts. That rear axle looked super frozen; you can see why I had to cut the swingarm pivot to get it off!

A moment? More like 15 months :goofy:

Cheers mate, I was hoping you'd pop in & see the progress & seriously, no need to feel sorry, these are the trials of a project bike.

Did another Partzilla order, should have all the bits to secure the rear subframe in a few days, then I can take it for a test ride :)

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Did another Partzilla order, should have all the bits to secure the rear subframe in a few days, then I can take it for a test ride :)

I hope all the stuff you had to buy hasn't made it an expensive bike. I have a habit of buying projects that end up costing me money.

Like this year, for example. I bought this (without the bike - that's a recent pic from last week):

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It's a twin turbo AWD V6 wagon imported from Japan - a Mitsubishi Legnum VR4 to be exact. Sorta like a DSM 3000GT VR4 mechanically. You yanks will tell me it's a Galant wagon, which is true. It is in fact a Galant, just a fast one that they only ever sold in Japan.

It was cheap - only $6,000!

Then I discovered the clutch was shagged. $700 in parts

Then I discovered it needed the 60,000 mile service. $700 in parts.

Then I had it custom tuned, but it turned out the last owner stuffed the fuel pump. Tune took more dyno time, needed new fuel pump. $1,000 all up.

Then the freaking timing belt tensioner bolt snapped. Amazingly, didn't skip teeth but it still took 9 hours of my mechanic's labour and new parts. $1,200.

Yeah. It's been a fun year. Still, the car is a whole bunch of fun to drive: 0-60mph in about 5 seconds, plus it's a wagon and I can put stuff in it!

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Did another Partzilla order, should have all the bits to secure the rear subframe in a few days, then I can take it for a test ride :)

I hope all the stuff you had to buy hasn't made it an expensive bike. I have a habit of buying projects that end up costing me money.

Like this year, for example. I bought this (without the bike - that's a recent pic from last week):

attachicon.gif1907932_10152596980213461_3620287681212496475_n.jpg

It's a twin turbo AWD V6 wagon imported from Japan - a Mitsubishi Legnum VR4 to be exact. Sorta like a DSM 3000GT VR4 mechanically. You yanks will tell me it's a Galant wagon, which is true. It is in fact a Galant, just a fast one that they only ever sold in Japan.

It was cheap - only $6,000!

Then I discovered the clutch was shagged. $700 in parts

Then I discovered it needed the 60,000 mile service. $700 in parts.

Then I had it custom tuned, but it turned out the last owner stuffed the fuel pump. Tune took more dyno time, needed new fuel pump. $1,000 all up.

Then the freaking timing belt tensioner bolt snapped. Amazingly, didn't skip teeth but it still took 9 hours of my mechanic's labour and new parts. $1,200.

Yeah. It's been a fun year. Still, the car is a whole bunch of fun to drive: 0-60mph in about 5 seconds, plus it's a wagon and I can put stuff in it!

Me like

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Did another Partzilla order, should have all the bits to secure the rear subframe in a few days, then I can take it for a test ride :)

I hope all the stuff you had to buy hasn't made it an expensive bike. I have a habit of buying projects that end up costing me money.

Like this year, for example. I bought this (without the bike - that's a recent pic from last week):

attachicon.gif1907932_10152596980213461_3620287681212496475_n.jpg

It's a twin turbo AWD V6 wagon imported from Japan - a Mitsubishi Legnum VR4 to be exact. Sorta like a DSM 3000GT VR4 mechanically. You yanks will tell me it's a Galant wagon, which is true. It is in fact a Galant, just a fast one that they only ever sold in Japan.

It was cheap - only $6,000!

Then I discovered the clutch was shagged. $700 in parts

Then I discovered it needed the 60,000 mile service. $700 in parts.

Then I had it custom tuned, but it turned out the last owner stuffed the fuel pump. Tune took more dyno time, needed new fuel pump. $1,000 all up.

Then the freaking timing belt tensioner bolt snapped. Amazingly, didn't skip teeth but it still took 9 hours of my mechanic's labour and new parts. $1,200.

Yeah. It's been a fun year. Still, the car is a whole bunch of fun to drive: 0-60mph in about 5 seconds, plus it's a wagon and I can put stuff in it!

Very nice, a 5 second car for $6000 $8000 under $10,000 is not too bad, specially for a wagon.

I'm up to a bit over $3000 at the moment I think, inc the purchase price. Haven't updated the spreadsheet lately, but there's only little things now, apart from another $800 or so for the Rapid Bike race unit... That might have to wait a little longer. Oh, then tyres, chain & sprockets... They'd be filed under 'consumables' rather than the build itself though ;)

But, $1250 of that was the R1 front end & Brembo M/C, apart from that, it's just a heap of little things, $50 here, $100 & $200 there, but it all adds up. Could have been done cheaper, but I also wanted it to turn & stop, as well as go!

We just picked up a 2005 Ducati Monster 800 S2R, for the wife, I hope that doesn't turn into an expensive project, or the VFR is really going to be on the backburner! It's a one owner, full service history bike, but I've seen some of the service bills :wacko: Gunna have to learn how to do the Desmo valves really soon, or get a payrise.

Nothing much to report on the VFR front, just playing with the rear brakes, I've had to go back & tighten all the fittings on the rear lines as they were leaking slightly, just not done up tight enough.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Well, the Ducati is in the shed with an exploded clutch & I've had several phone calls to the spare parts people. :pissed:

Pound for pound, I'm pretty sure Ducati parts are more expensive than gold, going to have weigh them & check :laughing6-hehe:

The offending article100_4979.JPG

It will be replaced with a Monster 696 unit, same APTC slipper clutch & same plates, but no cush drive. Anyway, enough of that rubbish.

Played around with some vinyl wrap, definitely liking this!

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That's the tailpiece from my TRX, just wanted to play around with a fairly flat piece & see how it went, pretty easy really, but you do need some patience. It's actually close to the VFR metallic black colour, might go very well with a clear coat over the top, will play around with it some more.

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Found a suitable 200mm 316 stainless bolt to hold the subframe on & got two more VFR engine mount spacers that I cut down to around 25mm for the subframe spacers, that's it all fitted up. Going to trim down the VFR subframe piece that's left at the line, just past where the tank sits when it's propped up & weld in a cap. I'll build a battery box under the seat to hold the battery (& Rapid Bike unit when I can afford it), just need to find some 3mm aloominum & finish (start) building my metal break.

Re-tightened all the rear brake lines & got rid of the leaks, also replaced the front Bluespot calipers with the later model Goldspots which I also run on my TRX - basically the same, but the Bluespot pistons are steel & prone to rust/sticking, the Goldspots pistons are coated alloy, lighter & better, no sticking problems. They also look better I think.

Probably going to chuck the BMW rear shock, no bushing on the bottom worries me, plus it binds slightly on the lower mounting plates at the extremities... I'll try adapting a late model R1 linkage, if that doesn't work, I also bought the matching shock! It's got eyelets top & bottom, like the VFR, & hi/lo speed damping which I want. Might be a little short, but I plan on making a custom top mount anyway, I can deal with the extra length needed there.

Rolled it out of the shed, to get some perspective, excuse the bad backlit photos!

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The body work is just held on with tape, so not lined up at all, but you get the idea. The rear if the bike is missing about 30/40mm of rear shock height, so the stance will be a bit more aggesive when I sort that out. With the subframe bolted on I can finally sit on it, the rearsets will work perfectly, knees are sitting perfectly in the tank cutouts, very comfy. Engine all seems fine, ran it up to temp, revs freely, sounds mean :goofy:

That pipe is going, I'll replace it with a Danmoto GP style exhaust when the budget allows. Not sure what that one is, something mid/hi rise for a 5th gen, but it doesn't work with the tail & sits too close to the tyre.

Still need to remove the headers & give them another bend, not quite lining up, but easy enough to fix.

It's at the point now where it's almost ready to ride, barring cosmetics! Going to get a mate around & we'll go through front to back & torque all the bolts to spec, then it's just tidy up a few things, make a few mounts/brackets & finish the cosmetics.

Pretty exciting. :beer:

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  • 2 months later...

Long time, no updates, but I've been chipping away at it. Gave up on the $1 eBay headers when a set of Delkevics came up for the right price, BNIB for the 5th Gen, should be here next week.

One rainy sunday a few weeks ago, I got sick of the lack of progress, so I wandered down to the local hardware store to see what sheet aluminium they had, found some in 3mm thickness, but unfortunately it was checkerplate, which I'm not a big fan of... Anyway, it was cheap enough, it was sunday & if I wanted to make some progress, that's what it had to be. :unsure2:

Half an hour or so later & I had this

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A few cuts...

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Shop press comes in handy again, I have to build a metal break at some point, but I keep finding alternative techniques :goofy:

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A couple of bends

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A few holes, some rivets & a lot of angle grinding

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Good enough for now, & probably forever... Just need to work out a way to hold the battery in, shouldn't be too hard. There's room in front for the Rapid Bike unit when funds allow.

Sold a few bits on eBay & ordered a few bits as I went

New chain

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Apparently the 530 version only uses a rivet master link, so I had to buy a riveting tool, but the chain was cheap enough that I came out ahead. I'm using DID chains on our other bikes, inc a 520 conversion on my TRX & the DID has lasted the longest of any chain I've had so far, as well as being the cheapest. Not sure how that works, but I'm not complaining.

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I thought I ordered a gold one, didn't check the eBay listing until after I had fitted it, just assumed the price was too good to be true for a gold one ($130 AU inc shipping) & I misread the details. Nope, it was for a gold one :angry: Too late by that point, chalk that one up to experience.

Got one of these from China, $43 inc freight, auction said to expect it in 3-4 weeks, turned up 3 days later, turns out they sent if with Toll Air. Must have accrued some good karma from the chain incident :)

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Found the proper GSXR seat latch & cable for it, I can open it when needed, eventually it might be a good space to store a little blue bottle of some type... Just an idea at this point.

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I've been chipping away at this, fill, sand, repeat...

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Fill, sand, repeat.

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Fill, sand, repeat...

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A test ride has been organised, with a mate & a trailer & a secret private test road. I won't say where or when or how, for obvious reasons, but I will report back my findings.

I decided the BMW shock wasn't a great choice due to a lack of bushing on the bottom of the shock, but I had a fair idea a late model R1 shock would be a good choice so I organised this:

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1100 odd miles, 2013 model. Hi & low speed compression damping, rebound & preload adjustment all be screw, pretty nifty! Hopefully it works... This is the second one I ordered, the first was less than 700 miles old, but there was some... complications... with eBay's Global Shipping Program. Let's not get into that. I had a friend in the states buy this one & ship it over, bit more expensive, but I actually got it, unlike last time, so that's a start. Need to source some 5mm steel strip to make a top shock mount & some 5mm x 50mm x 50mm or so angle aluminium to redo the bottom rear subframe mounts.

Ordered some M4 stainless bolts for the fuel cap (sorry, gas cap)

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Started at the front of the bike, torquing & loctiting everything as required, also did the rearsets

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Got this one from the UK

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& when the exhaust gets here, it'll be ready for testing.

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...

Started at the front of the bike, torquing & loctiting everything as required, also did the rearsets

attachicon.gif100_5045.JPG

...

What DanMoto rearsets fit the 6th gen rear cushion? I don't see any listed on their website for the VFR800. Please provide info or model number. Thanks...

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