Purpose of track-specific mods

Erci

Erci

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If I get a street bike (any 600 or 650), what is the purpose/necessity of all the typical mods I see on track bikes?

Race plastics - is this just to save OEM stuff and drop a little weight (by getting rid of lights)?

Clip-ons - what's wrong with stock ones?

Rear-sets - what's wrong with stock ones?

Crash protection (engine guards, sliders) - this part makes obvious sense.

Then there's engine work, upgraded brakes (at the least, pads and lines), fuel management.. and the list goes on.

At my entry level, I'm looking for the following benefits, by getting a dedicated track bike:

Better riding position for the track (all 600 sport bikes feel better to me than FZ1, in stock form, for track riding)

No swapping parts/taping for track day (I pull the luggage off my FZ1, swap the screen, pull the mirrors and tape off all the lights). If the bike was dedicated to track, I could just leave the mirrors off and tape everything once.

Proper sport tires. Obviously I'll be running sport tires on whatever I get. Prefer to use sport touring on FZ1 to get reasonable mileage out of them.

Used track bike is without a doubt a cheaper way to go (especially if it has no title), but I'd like to know what experienced track riders think is actually on the necessary mod list for someone getting into track riding.
 
IF you dont mind the risk of trashing your bike then you can just tape up your lights, fold in your mirrors and ride on track.

I have a trackbike because I dont want to take that risk.

Race plastics - to save the OEM panels if you dump it.
Clip ons - most sportsbikes have them but I have more control with Renthals, even on track.
Rear sets - to get you leg position just right.
Crash protection - speaks for itself!
Position - A 600 will steer better, a litre bike will be better on the straights.
Tyres - Any decent sport road tyre will be good enough unless your a very good rider, then buy track tyres.

Cheapest way to race is to turn up and tape up (also the most expensive way if you crash).

If you get the bug then buy a track hack, add track bodywork, protection and just ride.
 
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I'm considering a track only bike as well. In my opinion, go with the lowest capital cost for a track bike. As long as the engine/drivetrain is tip top, I'm not going to worry about much else. Tires and safety are next. If it is a dedicated track bike then if you crash you just replace with track only parts as needed. The way I see it, I'm not good enough to notice all the fancy bits, so its not worth the extra cost initially. Therefore a bone stock R6, CBR, etc would be more than adequate for a beginner. :D
 
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Mattsplat said:
IF you dont mind the risk of trashing your bike then you can just tape up your lights, fold in your mirrors and ride on track.

I have a trackbike because I dont want to take that risk.

Race plastics - to save the OEM panels if you dump it.
Clip ons - most sportsbikes have them but I have more control with Renthals, even on track.
Rear sets - to get you leg position just right.
Crash protection - speaks for itself!
Position - A 600 will steer better, a litre bike will be better on the straights.
Tyres - Any decent sport road tyre will be good enough unless your a very good rider, then buy track tyres.

Cheapest way to race is to turn up and tape up (also the most expensive way if you crash).

If you get the bug then buy a track hack, add track bodywork, protection and just ride.
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I've done the "tape my own bike" thing. What I am asking is this: I am looking for a bike I will be using only on the track. If I start with a street bike (vs a read-to-go track bike), what are the *necessary* mods? Hence my list above :)
 
speeddemon2588 said:
The way I see it, I'm not good enough to notice all the fancy bits, so its not worth the extra cost initially. Therefore a bone stock R6, CBR, etc would be more than adequate for a beginner. :D
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That's exactly what I'm thinking too, but would like to hear from experienced track riders on this subject.
 
Dustin said:
If you're planning on a track bike, do you have a means of towing it? That'll make all the difference in how you prep
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Yup! I've got a trailer. I'm not questioning if I should "use my FZ1 vs get a track bike". I KNOW I want a track bike (have used FZ1 for 2 track days and while I know I can keep doing that, I'd rather have the right tool for the job and not beat on my FZ)
 
Erci said:
I've done the "tape my own bike" thing. What I am asking is this: I am looking for a bike I will be using only on the track. If I start with a street bike (vs a read-to-go track bike), what are the *necessary* mods? Hence my list above :)
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ah, I get you now..

No mods are necessary, it depends what you want to spend as its an expensive hobby.

As other have said, get an R6 or the like and ride.
 
Erci said:
Yup! I've got a trailer. I'm not questioning if I should "use my FZ1 vs get a track bike". I KNOW I want a track bike (have used FZ1 for 2 track days and while I know I can keep doing that, I'd rather have the right tool for the job and not beat on my FZ)
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Well I am not an experienced track rider, was only once in Laguna Seca but I am riding on the street for a long time. From your posts of the track day vids and your posts about your experience in the lowest group I would say you need no mods at all!

Sorry if that sounds rude but from your pictures and vids you need to get a lot faster to get even close to any limit of the stock components of any 600 bike. When I did my track day I was overtaking a lot of 1000cc and 600cc track bikes and I was by no means the fastest (slowest group in the top 4). It was really funny hearing most riders talk about what you need or what you have to improve on your bike. I even got funny looks because I was the only one on a not race bike which I drove there and did not trailer. Well at least in my group there were almost no faster riders than me.

Speed comes from skill and only if you can not improve your lap times any more I would think about changing the bike. First question do you get your knee down? I mean without hanging so much off the bike that it touches the ground even at 20 degree lean angle. If you can not do this, I would invest in riding training rather than in goodies which are mostly useless at the beginners level.

There are some exceptions, rearsets are really good to adjust the riding position and absolutely required if you are tall.

Then there is the other side, most people love modding their bikes so they add all the stuff so that they can do something on the bike. I would say more riding time is the better choice but everyone must decide this by himself.
 
Just buy someone else's prepped race bike for cheap. They're a dime a dozen here and always inexpensive and your country has ten times as many people so you probably have all the choice you could need
 
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Dreamdemon said:
Well I am not an experienced track rider, was only once in Laguna Seca but I am riding on the street for a long time. From your posts of the track day vids and your posts about your experience in the lowest group I would say you need no mods at all!

Sorry if that sounds rude but from your pictures and vids you need to get a lot faster to get even close to any limit of the stock components of any 600 bike. When I did my track day I was overtaking a lot of 1000cc and 600cc track bikes and I was by no means the fastest (slowest group in the top 4). It was really funny hearing most riders talk about what you need or what you have to improve on your bike. I even got funny looks because I was the only one on a not race bike which I drove there and did not trailer. Well at least in my group there were almost no faster riders than me.

Speed comes from skill and only if you can not improve your lap times any more I would think about changing the bike. First question do you get your knee down? I mean without hanging so much off the bike that it touches the ground even at 20 degree lean angle. If you can not do this, I would invest in riding training rather than in goodies which are mostly useless at the beginners level.

There are some exceptions, rearsets are really good to adjust the riding position and absolutely required if you are tall.

Then there is the other side, most people love modding their bikes so they add all the stuff so that they can do something on the bike. I would say more riding time is the better choice but everyone must decide this by himself.
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Not rude at all. I know I'm slow. Combination of starting on the track relatively late in life (39) and being a MSF RiderCoach (the whole safety first thing..), I know I'll never be fast and I'm OK with that :D

I am not at all looking to improve my times by modding my bike. I was more concerned with safety and minimal required setup of the bike. It sounds like bone stock bike is totally fine and chances are I'll never need to upgrade a single thing (besides tires).

Level 1 of CSS and 2 track days later, no.. I've not gotten my knee down. Maybe one day I will, but who knows.. my risk acceptance level is nowhere near where it used to be 20 years ago.
 
I am selling my track bike, a few members on the forum are familiar with it. Johnnyontherocks, YZFriderNY BIll, Earlzach Dave, and a few others. If you have any interest in a 2007 Triumph Daytona 675 set up great for the track shoot me a pm.
 
Don't buy a street bike. Buy a track bike that is already setup. It's cheaper all the way around. You will want frame sliders at the very least, and you can add other stuff later.
 
DieselFZ1 said:
Don't buy a street bike. Buy a track bike that is already setup. It's cheaper all the way around. You will want frame sliders at the very least, and you can add other stuff later.
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Am I wrong to feel a bit uneasy about buying a well-used, title-less track bike? Street bike with 15-20k miles is like new, when it comes to motor/trans (unless it was really abused). I can't imagine same holds true for track bike.

I fully get the *better deal* aspect of getting a track-built machine, but it seems I can do OK with basically a stock sport bike, with a barely broken-in motor and a clear title (for about the same price).
 
Erci said:
Am I wrong to feel a bit uneasy about buying a well-used, title-less track bike? Street bike with 15-20k miles is like new, when it comes to motor/trans (unless it was really abused). I can't imagine same holds true for track bike.

I fully get the *better deal* aspect of getting a track-built machine, but it seems I can do OK with basically a stock sport bike, with a barely broken-in motor and a clear title (for about the same price).
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Its dependent too you your skill level as a rider. Certainly a stock sportbike is fine for a beginner, but if you are more advanced you'll definitely want a set-up bike.
 
If you put money into anything going from stock to track.....suspension and tires. Hands down, no question, end of conversation!

With me at 245-250 the stock set up on a FZ1 (or any sportbike) just doesn't cut it.
 
In the hands of a very skilled rider with proper tires and a properly adjusted stock suspension an FZ1 will hang in with a lot of track bikes with an average rider. In the end the extra time comes down to rider skill. Anyone who wants to spend more time doing track days should take a good race school, like Keith Code's R.A.C.E. A couple of intense days, almost one on one instruction and you'll come back faster on a stock bike than spending a lot of money on a race bike. A bike like an FZ1 has tremendous capability with just a little tweaking, it's the pilot that is usually lacking. There is nothing wrong with a good race bike, but I'd start with proper training if I was going to start spending time at the track. Then you can start talking about a pure track bike.
 
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