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2) Put a crash cage on the R6S and track the hell out of it. Its got a much better setup for track days anyhow.
That would save you a lot of money and you could put those funds toward the FZ6, for street mods
It just seems like you have one bike that is the perfect street bike and another that is the perfect track ready bike....and you are taking the street bike and tracking it out (at great expense) while keeping the better track bike on the street?
Hey guys, I'm going to take my 4Runner and slam it, remove the top and 4wd system, and put in some racing seats for the track. Keeping the Rx7 with really stiff suspension and no cargo space for the street.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DefyInertia
"Ideal" - is there a championship at stake? It's a 2004 fuel injected sub-500lb work of art......what were people riding/racing at the track 15 years ago??? Should they have just waited until better bikes came around. There are better options, yes, but can he exploit them at this point...probably not.
Poutanen, do you have ANY first hand knowledge of how the FZ6 performs on the track? Do you have ANY first hand knowledge of how exactly an R6S performs at the track? And no, parking lots and magazine articles don't count.
I think he's just having fun with it kinda like Random said. I personally am keeping the mods on my FZ6 limited to suspension, brakes, body position, and lean angle, but that is just me....I also spend thousands on track days.
Going fast on a tracked out FZ6 is []D [] []V[] []D
I don't think I need track experience to know the difference that the weight and suspension would make. I think you might be taking my comments as a slight against the FZ6, which they are not.
My point is that it seems the intended goal, and intended use of the bike, are two different things. The FZ6 does not need fairings, tail mods, fancy rotors, etc to be a decent track bike. And I think you (among others) have proven that in stock form it is quite good for track days, including the number of days the original poster plans to do every year.
Cosmetically upgrading a bike, and creating a "track bike" are two different things, and that was my point.
Hell I've got a car that I'd love to turn into a track car (a lexus SC400) but I know that despite the fact that it shares many parts with the supra, not matter how much I do to it, no matter how much money I throw into it, it will never perform as well as a supra could for much less money. I have thrown $15+k into an MR2 Supercharged to use it as a track car, and in the end I pretty much lost everything. I was just trying to let my experience help the OP not sink money into something with diminishing returns.
To the OP: Despite what anyone says in this forum, in the end it's your bike, your money, and your ideas, and I hope you do what you want with them all!
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Poutanen, point taken. My main point is, it takes a very skilled rider to go faster on an R6S than on a lightly-modified FZ6...for most it won't make much of a difference at all and the cost will be about the same. Cars are a different story.
I think its a cool idea, not practical, but cool. I don't see it as a waste of money, I see it as evolution of an idea. Some things may not work, but the mods that do work everyone will be drooling over, especially the R1 tail section. Just have fun with it! Just don't go putting R1 stickers on it I knew a guy with a 6 cyl mustang that had all of the cobra badging and body work on it
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You guys are being rough. Sometimes it is neat to have your own style at the track. No matter how much money he is putting into this, it is still better than going out and buying a Harley for 16K. He is starting from a bike that doesn't cost him anything and making it unique. I understand the mentality.
Now if he goes and paints Rossi Repli graphics on it, then he deserves the bashing.
I think it's an awesome idea and I wish you luck. Once my FZ is paid off I am going to start modding it, and continue taking it to the track until I move to a different bike. I just can never dedicate it to the track cause I need to ride more often than just a few track days.
There is a rider on Team Pro Motion, who taught my ART basic class, who never rides on the street, and his track bike is an FZ6. He says it takes more skill to ride the FZ6 on the track since it's original design was not meant for it, and he loves doing it because he when he passes people on the R6 he laughs. So I think you will gain a lot of knowledge using the FZ as your track bike, then one day if you change to a supersport you will take that knowledge with you.
If you are looking to seriously get into track riding and starting from scratch I don't think you need a supersport to do it. It seems like all these arguments are "you won't go as fast on an FZ6", but I don't think that is his ultimate goal right now.
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2005 Yamaha FZ6 - Galaxy Blue - Fender Eliminator - Drilled out stock exhaust - PUIG windscreen - red and blue LED headlight accents - Pirelli Diablo tires - 2 track days and counting...
The purpose of this project bike is to build on the FZ6's race lineage and make it a more competent track bike. I already know it's a great touring/street bike, I'm just wanting more track fun from it now.
I think if you read these lines you'll understand I have little aspirations of becoming an expert bike builder like Kenny Roberts Sr. or of building the next Championship AMA Supersport Bike or developing myself into the next MotoGP Champ.
For me, this project is about FUN. Fun building the bike. Fun on the track. Fun in the canyons. Fun on SBN talking this project. FUN.
I appreciate that you guys feel a sense of responsibility to warn me about the financial impracticalities, the mechanical impracticalities, etc. I know I've done the same to others. But I also appreciate the encouragement guys like ped, Randomchaos, DefyInertia, mbodell have given me. I appreciate the thinking out of the box that brought us FAZR6's FE kit, FAZR6's R6 Fork Mod, superman89's/wavex's/steelbilly's/Nor_Cal_Tuna's naked conversions, WTVa's/FAZter's headlight mod, kissajew's/WTVa's R6 project headlight mod, and even that abomination that is the 3-wheeler FZ6 that shows up every now and then. Ok...so my mod is little bit different. There's a good chance I won't succeed or will run out of money or I'll give up on it before I'm completely done installing everything.
What good is a really great track bike if I'm not able to use it properly? I'm not looking to hop up a bike and expecting it to make me a faster rider. I am hoping to become a better rider while making a better track bike out of my FZ6. That's all.
Let see, you can spend a whole bunch of money modding a street bike to "LOOK" like a track bike or you could spend a whole bunch of money on track time with a perfectly capable bike that you already have (FZ or R6). Which method would make you a better rider? I vote for track time.
How much is your FZ worth with the R6 fork mod, probably $4000? Add in the money that you spent or will spend on mods and you could have $5000, that's a whole year of track time twice a month, or a Keith Code Superbike School day every 2 months with their Ninja, use your own bike and you can do it once a month, or you could probably pay off the R6 with that and do the 2 or 3 track days you originally planned for with no extra expense.
No matter how much money you spend on that FZ, it will always be a track turd in comparison to your R6. It will never become as capable of a trackbike as the R6 is out of the box. You would have to get an adjustable rear shock which is probably $500 for your FZ to even come remotely close to the caliber of suspension on your R6. Suspension on a bike is probably the most important component in a track bike since you only have two wheels holding you up, and you're spending money on body work. You can polish a turd all you want, but it will never become a diamond.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oso2k
I'm sure you're able to pass your friend in RX7 because you're a better driver than he is and you better understand how your RX7 operates than he does about his Mustang. I'm trying to be just like you extract the most track fun that "I" can out out my FZ6.
The only mods to my RX7 are brake and suspension, that's all you ever need for the track, you don't need wings, body kits (for cars) or fairings (for bikes) add-on turbos or 19" Chip Foose rims. Yeah it looks cool, but it serves no purpose on a bike or car like yours and mine at the track. Experience counts, and even with a 2:1 power to weight ratio disadvantage, I can lap faster than some people. Experience counts first, equipment second. See track time mentioned above.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oso2k
Suggesting I go get better a track bike is doing what your friend is doing; buying a better tool yet I haven't learned to fully utilize this class of tools.
Not necessarily, you're probably already in over your head with the FZ as a track bike. The FZ is a very fast bike in a straight line. The performance difference with the R6 is probably not that much higher than the FZ at your skill level. The R6 will probably turn quicker, hold a line better, and brake better than the FZ because of it's design. Being able to brake and turn more efficiently on a bike at the track is probably really important.
I understand that you don't want to trash your R6, it's a great streetbike and it looks really nice. That's why I mentioned a SV earlier or using the sale money from your FZ to fund track days on someone elses bike. There are a few quotes I've heard and subscribe to as it pertains to track vehicles:
"Don't ever take a car that you can't walk away from to the the track."
"Tighten the loose nut behind the steering wheel before you add that turbo."
It's your money, and sometimes despite all the best advise given, you need to pay for your education....
Have you considered a radial mount brake lever like on the current R6? My understanding is that it increases the leverage you have. The less force required the smoother your braking inputs can be etc.
Breese, your still missing the point. Its called FUN, not maximizing his potential. He wants to have fun trying to make something work. He wants to have fun on a bike that is completely different than 90% of the other bikes on the track.
Im personally really anxious to see if he can get the R6 race plastics and R1 race tail to fit. Would give us the option of some decent track plastics.
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Everybodies idea of fun is different. Some people like to spend tons of time and money with the aspirations of making it to the track with a frankenstein vehicle, others like to just go. I'm in the second group.
Adding body work and a tail section under the premis of "More track worthy" is poseurish to me. Although a R1 tail-section would be a cool street mod, but it doesn't make the bike any more track worthy than a stock tail section.
Breese, your still missing the point. Its called FUN, not maximizing his potential. He wants to have fun trying to make something work. He wants to have fun on a bike that is completely different than 90% of the other bikes on the track.
Im personally really anxious to see if he can get the R6 race plastics and R1 race tail to fit. Would give us the option of some decent track plastics.
+1 Whats the fun in just buying a bike that thousands of other people have. Messing with the FZ6 and going as far away from stock as he can get is half of the fun! Sure it probably still won't be as good of a trackbike as his R6 but it will for sure be more unique.
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I knew a guy with a 6 cyl mustang that had all of the cobra badging and body work on it 
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