620 into 3/4 trackbike 1/4 streetbike

[29649]

I know...it's been covered and yes I have read other threads.

So we are thinking of turning G's bike into a much more extreme bike in terms of ergonomics but keep it "street legal' (cough).

Her requirements: no harder to ride and she has to still see the motor, ie: no full fairings and don't screw with the clutch or gearing (14t and yoyodyne slave on it now...it's soooo fun in traffic). not much taller if at all. no third bike.

But she says extremely low clipons are fine.

So my thought:

clipons.
oil cooler
new suspension (or reworked...haven't thought of details yet). setup will be a compromise because we'll both ride it.
rearsets
high pipes
small fairing (reworked ss race bodywork?)
put small projector headlight in fairing and ditch monster light
some sort of very small turn signals
easily removable and small mirrors
change or modify seat? (can be single seater)
add shift light
levers?
brakes? (it's got the goldlines)

So not a full bodywork racebike, but not looking like a monster either. something in between.

If we do track days together I'll ride my RS. If I go without her I'll take the 620 creation.

thoughts?
suggestions?
prioritizing?

[toolfan]

What is the honest usage going to be?

75% track, 25% street? Or 95% street, 5 or 6 track days a year?


Either way, I'd start with suspension and dial it. I don't think either of you are going to be happy with a compromise suspension.
Rearsets would probably be next, something modular that you can replace piecewise (just in case)
A set of sliders and a spare (pre-dented) tank would be next up on my list.
Clip-ons after that.

I wouldn't put any bodywork on it if I were you. Unless the track day org requires a belly pan, but not very many do. Maybe fab up an old skool nose fairing that bolts in place of the head light if you want something to tuck behind.
Label the wires for the lighting so you can just take everything off. Make a tail kit that the turnsignals and the brake light mount to and make it attach with 2 or 3 bolts.


Just my opinion of course.

[Speeddog]

I'm seein' it.

Ohlins rear shock with hydraulic preload adjuster.
Fully adjustable forks, valved and sprung.
Suspension is going to be a bit of an issue if your weight difference is significant.

Old school SS half-fairing and seat.

If it's got the dual discs up front, you could keep the coffin master, or upgrade to a goldline or a radial.
CRG levers, but only get 'em after you've settled on what master(s) work when tracking it.

The rest of it like you said.

[29649]

Thanks guys.

G likes the track more than the street. Some of that will go away over time, but some of it is that she likes the idea of riding a little more than the riding itself...at least in traffic.

It's really likely to be 50/50 track/street but that's because of the little amount of street use. I'm thinking of trailering the bikes a few hours west of here for few days in the hills/skyline drive because I think she'll enjoy a bed and breakfast vacation with some riding that doesn't include the beltway to get somewhere nice for riding.

It's a practical project to make it more fun on the track, but an impractical one because it's just for fun and to do something cool too. She has a 'my first bike' bond to her monster that makes it not possible to trade it for an 800ss, an admitedly better starting point for the type of bike we're thinking of creating.

but it could be a mean little bitch of a 620 couldn't it?

[kc4ag]

I'm not sure how removable they are, but the bar end mirrors I have on my Monster are great. I get a good view of something other than my elbows. [laugh]

If you don't find a half fairing that you like, just get cheap full track plastics and zip tie them on the frame. You can always clip it off at the end of the day. You don't need a trailer queen for the track.

Don't forget to swap antifreeze for water + WW. Please safetywire as well.

+1 on getting a pre loved tank. You can pick them up for cheap.

[29649]

I think G and I are the same about the track...fun and great for learning, but neither of us are competive except with ourselves.

So we'd rather ride something fun and interesting than something that is by definition faster.


I'm loving Nick's idea of modifying it so we can put an old 750ss race half fairing on it with a small projector endurance racing headlight off center.

Gwendy is absolute...motor must be out in open. I can surprise her with some of it (paint...belts exposed except for the little rizoma covers at the ends, etc.).

[29649]

Originally Posted by Emily

+1 on getting a pre loved tank. You can pick them up for cheap.

So I have a nice tank sitting in my shed? Isn't it easier to use what we have and then pick up a cheap tank if we toast this one? We're not thinking of a track rat, just a lot more track friendly than it is now. If one of us bins it we'll fix it/modify it some more.

This is only a budget project compared to binning my bike or buying something exotic.

[spidey]

Originally Posted by Emily

Don't forget to swap antifreeze for water + WW. Please safetywire as well.

Please don't swap out your antifreeze on the 620, Statler. You'll blow your flux capacitor.

I think it sounds like a fun--though not entirely economically sensible--project. Rearsets, clip-ons, and a lot of suspension work (you MUST get adjustable forks on it). Having a pre-dented track tank for use at the track isn't a bad idea either. I'd hold off on doing anything with the brakes. A CRG brake lever might be nice--just for feel--and you might eventually want a new master cylinder (again for feel). But those Brembos are great track brakes and the stock rotors will work just fine. Spend $ on brake pads. You'll likely want different pads for the street than the track. The really good track pads just don't work well for me on the street. They're made for super high temp and hard, hard braking.

Some sort of a fairing up front would make it more fun. And it'll leave you/her less tired from windblast at the end of a trackday. Triple digits out in the open gets tiring pretty quickly.

Edit: I basically said the same thing Speeddog did. I shoulda just said +1. ;D

[ducpainter]

I like the idea of a half fairing, but whatever you do avoid the air-tech stuff.

There has to be a better alternative if you go with a vintage style.

[29649]

sharkskinz has identical pieces. I have no experience with either company's products.