newb with a racebike.

[feef]

Hehyo..

When I say "newb" I mean to the forums

Was directed here by Geo after talking with him about my FZR400 3EN2 based racebike which I'm currently building.

More info and pics here:
http://www.kickingtyres.com/gallery/main.php/v/racing/

I've got 2 3EN2 bikes, one's complete as can be seen in the pics, the other is my "development testbed" so to speak which will bear the brunt of my work between now and March.

Work done on the complete bike so far is:

Custom 3EN2 raced bodywork, modified from the 3TJ moulds by BBPlastics: http://www.bbplastics.co.uk/
Modified R6 exhaust headers and link pipe from MHP Exhausts: http://200mhp.co.uk/default.aspx (Simon Allen of MHP has been VERY helpful)
Race prep, including lock-wiring, sharkfin etc by SDC: http://www.fasterbikes.com/
Modified Gilles adjustable rearsets, taken off my Thunderace and modified to fit.
Rejetted and running with minimal filtration in the airbox.

Work planned for the next few months:
R6 front end: I've got a near-complete front end from a 2004 R6 which I'll be grafting on, to give me a bit more suspension adjustability up front. Also means I can benefit from the R6's fantastic brakes.
Engine strip,blueprint and rebuild.

Some advice is required, however, regarding the back end.

The 3EN2's 18" rear wheel is somewhat frustrating in terms of choice of rubber.
I have a 3TJ swingarm and wheel lying there, which I was planning on fitting instead, to take advantage of the TJ's 17" wheel, but I've also got an R6 rear wheel going spare which I acquired when I got the front wheel for the R6 forks, so I'm wondering about how feasible it is to fit the R6 swingarm. I've heard the R6 arm is longer, which wouldn't really help handling much on a racebike, and it's also a reasonable bit wider than the FZR swingarm at the pivot.. So, is it worth the hassle in terms of work, especially if it's going to potentially ruin the handling?

Also looking for suggestions as to alternative race-fairings, as I don't fancy the idea of having to replace one-off fairings every time I have an off.

a

[R3TARD]

i have seen folks use R6 race fairings

[remegio731]

ived done mine completely on the rear. fzr frame is longer than the r6, if you will swap the swingarm the rear wheelbase will go by far to the rear and it will suffer the handling especially on the corner. but if you are tall enough you can adjust the bracket on the rear spring as high as possible to obtain a shorter wheelbase.

[feef]

ived done mine completely on the rear. fzr frame is longer than the r6, if you will swap the swingarm the rear wheelbase will go by far to the rear and it will suffer the handling especially on the corner. but if you are tall enough you can adjust the bracket on the rear spring as high as possible to obtain a shorter wheelbase.

?
I'm not tall enough to try that.. I think the R6 swingarm is out the question.

I was considering the fact that, with the R6 front end, and an R6 front wheel, the front tyre would be a different profile from that of an FZR400, and so was intending to "match" the front and rear tyre profiles by keeping the wheel sizes the same.

Would a TJ rear wheel/tyre and R6 frontwheel/tyre have a detrimental effect on the handling?

a

[ragedigital]

I see Cadwell Park in those pics - how was it?

[feef]

Love it.. I go there every year with a group of friends and hire the track for 2 days. Lapping at just under 2 minutes. Only other track I've ridden was at Jurby.

a

[feef]

Bump with a progress update.

Spent the weekend getting the lathe sorted and generally organising the workshop a bit more. The lathe wasn't running, and I couldn't work out why, but tracked it down to a microswitch that was working opposite to how I was expecting. Tracking this down wasn't helped by a multimeter that had a near-flat battery, so when the good connection was sensed, it wasn't going "beep". DOH! Final task is to drill a hole in the coolant tray and fit the coolant drain pipe, then it'll be good to go. Other workshop related tasks were two sets of new strip-lights so I can see what I'm doing, and installing the new TIG welder in it's home. Just have to find a decent, local, Argon supplier now.

Modified the exhaust hanger to accept the slightly higher positioning of the can, due to the new exhaust, and the existing, complete bike is good to go again (and sounds awesome). However, the end-can I've got on there sounds a little too loud. I think it needs repacking. Just as well I've recently added a compressor driven riveter to the tool box.

Shuffled the other bikes around on the drive to give me access to the "spare" bike on which much of the work is going to be done. Frustratingly I found I had two chains on it, not just the one I knew about, and I can't find the key for it anywhere. Not to worry, the chain goes through the backwheel and over the seat, and since one of the first tasks is to remove the subframe, that's not a big deal.

Got to work on the spare bike to get as much done as possible in the fading light, and removed the subframe, disconnected much of the wiring and coolant system. Disconnected and removed the footpegs and gear linkage, and started on the engine mountings. The plan is to get this down to a rolling frame and move it into the workshop where I can get to work on it, rather than relying on a few snatched minutes of fading light on the driveway. Looks like the carbs are a bit knackered, since there was absolutely no movement on them, but I'm not too worried as I have a spare set on the shelf in good working order, lacking only a small spring that goes between bodies, and I'm intending on changing the carbs in the future anyway.

As an aside, I'm probably going to be junking a lot of the original 3EN2 hardware, so if anyone wants/needs some parts, let me know what you're after and I'll see if it appears in the "bin". That being said, sending out parts of bike is going to be pretty far down my to-do list so don't rely on it if it's something you need asap.

[yamaha_george]

ived done mine completely on the rear. fzr frame is longer than the r6, if you will swap the swingarm the rear wheelbase will go by far to the rear and it will suffer the handling especially on the corner. but if you are tall enough you can adjust the bracket on the rear spring as high as possible to obtain a shorter wheelbase.

?
I'm not tall enough to try that.. I think the R6 swingarm is out the question.

I was considering the fact that, with the R6 front end, and an R6 front wheel, the front tyre would be a different profile from that of an FZR400, and so was intending to "match" the front and rear tyre profiles by keeping the wheel sizes the same.

Would a TJ rear wheel/tyre and R6 frontwheel/tyre have a detrimental effect on the handling?

a

A,
I have heard over the last 3 years or so no complaints of 3TJ riders with R6 front ends, so I figure no adverse publicity is therefor good publicity.

Good to hear your workshop is coming along well.

[feef]

it's all progress... although I think I might have to get some tripod-mounted flood lights and a patio heater, as it's bloody cold and dark by the time I get home now

It'll be better once I can get the rolling frame into the workshop

a

[yamaha_george]

it's all progress... although I think I might have to get some tripod-mounted flood lights and a patio heater, as it's bloody cold and dark by the time I get home now

It'll be better once I can get the rolling frame into the workshop

a

A
when working in the cold for the last couple of evenings I have been using my BambooClothing.co.uk long sleeve T and long Johns under my Jeans & sweatshirt with considerable success

[feef]

My problem isn't my body/core temperature. My fingers get so cold they become useless. Not helped by a rather mangled right wrist from a crash in 2002, which does get very achey and painful when it gets cold like that. I've tried various different types of gloves, and I just can't get on with them.

It's going to have to be a heater I think.

I need to also get the gates and carport sorted, as that should help. As it is, my drive is like a funnel, and seems to channel all the wind from the street.

a

[yamaha_george]

My problem isn't my body/core temperature. My fingers get so cold they become useless. Not helped by a rather mangled right wrist from a crash in 2002, which does get very achey and painful when it gets cold like that. I've tried various different types of gloves, and I just can't get on with them.

It's going to have to be a heater I think.

I need to also get the gates and carport sorted, as that should help. As it is, my drive is like a funnel, and seems to channel all the wind from the street.

a

A,
bit like where I live there are two big parks behind where we live and the wind blows across those only to hit the row of houses and set of warehouses and two converted office hi-rises to funnel round our place. PITA for sure not it is fall all park leaves end up near us.