Post by chinaracer1 on Sept 2, 2008 1:46:03 GMT -5
Ahh a spot where I can talk about this project bike I am building.
History -
Way back in the day I used to race on a Yamaha FZR-400cc. (Circa 1988)
These bikes were known for having a great frame. They were very fogiving and you could really push them in a corner. Problem was they were a 400cc. great handling but lacking any real power. I think stock they put out about 65 horse.
Then came the FZR-600. Great an uprgade, but Yamaha ditched the lightweight aluminum frame the 400cc had and went back to a steel frame.
So a lot of racers of course stuffed a 600 FZR engine in a 400 FZR frame and went racing with that.
Well that was about 20 odd years ago.
Present day project build details -
Other than the help of a few freinds I have been doing this project build on my own.
It started when inone day I found 2 FZR-400cc bikes in Suzhou. I bought them both for about 600USD. One was crap the other was running, but little more.
I did not care they were FZR-400's And I had been looking for one in China for nearly 3 years at that time. The only other one I had found was in a shanghai police impoound and hety cops wanted way to much for me to have it delivered out the back door.
I immediatly stripped down the two bikes and made them basket cases. I fugred between the two I could build one good one.
Long story short I got both of them up and running. A small miracle here is what the worst of the two looked like when I received it.
A real dimond in the ruff eh? What a piece of crap it was. Typical local rider who abandoned the bike when he could not afford to maintain it. It sat outside in the weather for a few years judging by the debris I pulled out of it.
After many hours of labor and a few hundred spent in shipping parts from the USA and the U.K. as well as lots of head banging against the wall trying to undo the local riderd "Fixes", I ended up with a bike I took to the rtack in last Septemebers Shanghai Speed Festival.
I ended up in nearly last place due to a lack of power adn just ridign a old worn out bike. My buddy told me jsut finishing on this bike was a victory, I had to agree.
So during the winter months I figured a total re-build was due. Well after nearly a year, I am still rebuilding it. This went from a fixer upper to an all out quest!
I will spair you all the saga of how I had to import a ton of parts, hand carry back everyother part by hand through the airport from the USA and other agrivating details. Here is what the state of the bike is in right now.
Frame - 1988 FZR-400 cleaned up and powder coated
Engine YZF-600 tore down by a USA builder - 5 angle valve job, port polish, lightened and balanced the crank, under cut the gears added a pro shift kit and a whole bunch of other little things to many to list here.
mikuni flat slide carbs (These were 700USD alone)
woods craft clip ons (Handle bars)
Dragon Gear Adjsutable rear sets
1995 TZ 250 body work some of which I had to alter to make fit adn got OYA Carbon to make me parts out of Carbon Fiber - thanks OYA Carbon!
replaced the original front end with a Yamaha R-1 1000cc upside down fork front end - gained a large wheel and better stability.
New swing arm off a european FZR which allows for a larger rear wheel and thus a fatter tire.
changed the rear wheel out for that of an Honda F-3 - massive alterations needed to make this work.
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Added a larger radiator off a Kawasaki 636 sport bike
Found an old race Fox twin clicker rear shock and had it rebuilt to factory spec
Hindle super lightweight header
TItanium slip on exhaust can
Made a custom aluminum fuel cell which gets the fuel lower in the frame so it lowers the center of Gravity. added anti slosh foam which helps with the corner handling due to the lack of fuel splashing around
Changed out the wiring to work with the YZF 600 engine
Changed the sprockets and chain to a 520 size.
Added accel coils for a bit more spark
Modified the front asembly to only house a tachometer and hold up the body work to lighten the overall weight.
Bought/got sponsored some brake tech oversized wavy rotors for the front end with some hard core racing pads
Right now she looks like this:
Waiting on the engine to get here from the usa to finish her up
History -
Way back in the day I used to race on a Yamaha FZR-400cc. (Circa 1988)
These bikes were known for having a great frame. They were very fogiving and you could really push them in a corner. Problem was they were a 400cc. great handling but lacking any real power. I think stock they put out about 65 horse.
Then came the FZR-600. Great an uprgade, but Yamaha ditched the lightweight aluminum frame the 400cc had and went back to a steel frame.
So a lot of racers of course stuffed a 600 FZR engine in a 400 FZR frame and went racing with that.
Well that was about 20 odd years ago.
Present day project build details -
Other than the help of a few freinds I have been doing this project build on my own.
It started when inone day I found 2 FZR-400cc bikes in Suzhou. I bought them both for about 600USD. One was crap the other was running, but little more.
I did not care they were FZR-400's And I had been looking for one in China for nearly 3 years at that time. The only other one I had found was in a shanghai police impoound and hety cops wanted way to much for me to have it delivered out the back door.
I immediatly stripped down the two bikes and made them basket cases. I fugred between the two I could build one good one.
Long story short I got both of them up and running. A small miracle here is what the worst of the two looked like when I received it.
A real dimond in the ruff eh? What a piece of crap it was. Typical local rider who abandoned the bike when he could not afford to maintain it. It sat outside in the weather for a few years judging by the debris I pulled out of it.
After many hours of labor and a few hundred spent in shipping parts from the USA and the U.K. as well as lots of head banging against the wall trying to undo the local riderd "Fixes", I ended up with a bike I took to the rtack in last Septemebers Shanghai Speed Festival.
I ended up in nearly last place due to a lack of power adn just ridign a old worn out bike. My buddy told me jsut finishing on this bike was a victory, I had to agree.
So during the winter months I figured a total re-build was due. Well after nearly a year, I am still rebuilding it. This went from a fixer upper to an all out quest!
I will spair you all the saga of how I had to import a ton of parts, hand carry back everyother part by hand through the airport from the USA and other agrivating details. Here is what the state of the bike is in right now.
Frame - 1988 FZR-400 cleaned up and powder coated
Engine YZF-600 tore down by a USA builder - 5 angle valve job, port polish, lightened and balanced the crank, under cut the gears added a pro shift kit and a whole bunch of other little things to many to list here.
mikuni flat slide carbs (These were 700USD alone)
woods craft clip ons (Handle bars)
Dragon Gear Adjsutable rear sets
1995 TZ 250 body work some of which I had to alter to make fit adn got OYA Carbon to make me parts out of Carbon Fiber - thanks OYA Carbon!
replaced the original front end with a Yamaha R-1 1000cc upside down fork front end - gained a large wheel and better stability.
New swing arm off a european FZR which allows for a larger rear wheel and thus a fatter tire.
changed the rear wheel out for that of an Honda F-3 - massive alterations needed to make this work.
Added a larger radiator off a Kawasaki 636 sport bike
Found an old race Fox twin clicker rear shock and had it rebuilt to factory spec
Hindle super lightweight header
TItanium slip on exhaust can
Made a custom aluminum fuel cell which gets the fuel lower in the frame so it lowers the center of Gravity. added anti slosh foam which helps with the corner handling due to the lack of fuel splashing around
Changed out the wiring to work with the YZF 600 engine
Changed the sprockets and chain to a 520 size.
Added accel coils for a bit more spark
Modified the front asembly to only house a tachometer and hold up the body work to lighten the overall weight.
Bought/got sponsored some brake tech oversized wavy rotors for the front end with some hard core racing pads
Right now she looks like this:
Waiting on the engine to get here from the usa to finish her up
