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Track Bike

40K views 281 replies 27 participants last post by  budoka 
#1 ·
Well, it's official. As of now my RC51 is a dedicated track bike only. Never thought I`d see the day I'd become a track junkie but reckon I am. Two more sessions booked for August and September, and then I'm doing some corner training in October to help out the HardNox team at future race events. I'll post some pics of the bike in it's track prepped mode once I'm finished taking off the appropriate items.
 
#6 ·
Good one pal, never saw that coming at all hehehehehe

Man I love the RC51's,never rode one. A friend of mine had a TL1000r and it was a ripper, I guess that's as close as I'd get. Good luck with the track days. I did a few in Alabama ,Barber, and Talladega and Jennings in Florida on a ZX6R and I had a blast!!
The TL-r is actually a tad faster than the RC51 near as I know. My nephew had one until he totaled it. No where near the character or history though.

My goal with this is to leave it as easy to return to street ready as possible if I ever have to sell it when my second youth expires. Not going into the world of Ohlins, Marchesini or Sato either; not ruling out a PCII or V though. I always liked my MotoGP (reverse pattern) shifter on the road but it really shines on the track. Lots of the racers at CSBK were using them I noticed. Now if I can just get slimmed down enough to get back into my leathers (knee pucks...yeah baby!) Life will be grand; got 5 weeks to make that happen.
 
#5 ·
Well, the toys are there to be enjoyed. Look forward to the pictures....
:popcorn:
 
#9 ·
So the removal continues, the rear pegs were simple enough once I put my glasses on to see the ends of the cotter pins (really little cotter pins!). Signal lights are going to be a tad trickier than I first thought. Honda (magical tuck away artists that they are) makes the access to the wire harnesses and connector plugs just as frustrating as on a Wing. The license plate mount is all part of the tail/brake light system (one piece) and I want to retain the brake lights as I don't need someone running up my backside when I'm braking. Don't want to cannibalize any bodywork either so. Now I can't find my service manual (prolly put that in a real safe place) so that's no help and I can't access the online stuff from home, the tech nazi's at E-Biz won't allow my home PC access to the dealer site...
Anyway, I used a plastic (removable) coating to black out the headlights, got that tip from an RC pal out in the NW corner. Turned out pretty cool I think.
 

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#12 ·
After talking with an RC owner in the UK (transplant Ireland buddy) the darn wire harness connectors operate exactly the opposite of what I expected, Jeez Louise. The p/o had an alarm wired into the bike and the wiring is a rat's nest, dunno what I'm gonna do with that crap....
 
#13 ·
Most track day events want you to tape or remove and glass. safety wire your oil filter and drain plug. You put a big hose clamp around the filter and safety wire to something close by.Drill a hole through two of the drain plug flats and wire it to something close by. you'll want to unplug you front light and rear,you doesn't them lighting up when tape or other stuff is covering it. I zipped tied the wires out of the way and behind the bodywork,never cut the harness.
The bodywork was in great shape on my ZX6 so I went to ebay and bought some rashed up stuff and ran it. Keep your high dollar stuff at the house.
Bring plenty of gas you'll burn through it way faster then you think!!
I took lots of water and food.
 
#14 ·
In the "novice" class things are pretty loosey goosey. Long as the bike has engine ice or other non-glycol coolant and is in proper mechanical shape, it's good to go. Mirrors removed or folded back (lenses taped if folded as well as other glass parts taped) other than that no restrictions. Leather race suits are preferred but textile with armor are acceptable in novice; race leathers mandatory in 1 & 2 though. Class 1 & 2 are far more stringent, pretty much all dedicated race prepped bikes there and detailed inspections on race days, but not so much on recreational track outings. No lap timers on rec days either, but some guys have the electronic timers on their bikes. I'm a long ways from there (if ever). I just get the rush of being able to run my SP the way it was intended to be used.
 
#15 ·
So starting Wednesday evening I load the SP into the back of the hauler and put in the fuel cans, gen-set and compressor/tools paddock stand etc. Heading in to the track mid day Saturday and talk to the gang as well as get set up for Sunday's sessions. Weather forecast is a bit iffy but hopefully it turns out ok.
 
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#18 ·
After reading on how Accelerated Tech did the build up on the CSBK SP for Jodi Christie there's a lot left inside that stock SP left to be unleashed. Not so much for hp as much as the chassis but there's a bunch of ponies left unbridled in the engine too.
Is that the HRC colours model you're drooling over? They're just sick. There's a story about that one from the bike show a couple years back, but I won't share it here LOL. A good friend of mine at Honda Canada might not appreciate it.:surprise:
 
#17 ·
Best of luck RB, spent many a day sitting in the back of the trailer waiting on the raindrops to stop. Still had to go, could have been just cloudy.:wink2: Hopefully you will get the day in.
 
#21 ·
It's a sweet bike for a street model alright, lots of very tasty bits on it too. Ohlins shocks/forks, Brembo brakes, Corsa Diablo tires, slipper clutch, steering dampener Marchesini wheels....Even without the 200 hp engine she's a treat. I offered to load the bike into the transport trailerafter the show closed, never got a key handed to me....go figure:frown2:
 
#22 ·
So with my winnings from the article, I revamped my track gear with a new Alpinstars Motegi 1 piece racing suit. On sale through Parts Canada at half off. I figure if I never get over there to witness a MotoGP event, I can at least wear the leathers LOL. Anybody need a red, white and black Honda logo (size xl/ Euro 54) 2 piece leather sport suit? Got a heck of a deal on one...
 

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#23 ·
Was a great day yesterday all round. Met another dealer from Calgary, Ed from Bow Cycle North, great guy and awesome vintage bike. He runs in the intermediate class on his "little" 125cc 2 stroke (with the modern 600s and litre bikes) and does that sucker haul! Very nicely restored and the workmanship on it is exemplary.
 

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#24 ·
Some more action shots from yesterday. Sorry, can't burn your eyes with any shots of me, no track photogs on duty yesterday, Grrrrr.
In the last photo, the white bike with the cat's eye front fairing is a remarkably well built Ducati. Never got a solo shot of him as he was always in a group at my location. Hadn't the proper lens to take a close-up in the pit but the go fast and chassis bits he's put on this bike is utterly amazing (and no doubt very expensive).
To give you an idea what goes in to actually racing a track bike if you're not sponsored, the instructor I worked with took a year off to just race after selling his business and ran independent at as many races as he could here and around the US and Canada. He spent $28,000 in tires alone! Don't worry, that ain't happenin with me...:serious:
 

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#27 ·
Maybe I'll have to look into some Castrol or Repsol track plastics for BUSHI huh?:Dance02::fencing: and then the fight started...:budo: (Sepuku)
 

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#29 ·
Second childhood, great isn't it.:wink2::laugh2:
 
#30 ·
Oooh, that Castrol livery is very tasty!
If it's a track bike now I'd think track bodywork would be a really good idea, chances are pretty good it's going to see the pavement once or twice (maybe that's just me..) - save that nice stock stuff.

One easy cold tire low side and my fairing looked like this:


Lucky the rest of the fairing pretty well looks like that already :laugh2:
 
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