Panici's R6 x2 - Street & Track

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May 31, 2014

Pulled the wheels off, had the slicks mounted and balanced. Reinstalled the wheels afterwards.







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Jump Forward Another Year - June 12, 2015

I got in a whopping one trackday last year on July 5th, 2014.

Slicks stuck like glue.
Unfortunately I'm very slow from having ridden so little in the past years. I went from top of intermediate group to mid-pack beginner group.
I guess riding the bike literally once in a couple of years will do that.

I was so slow I couldn't keep heat in the front tyre.
I hope to get at least 2 trackdays in this summer, but my '87 BMW E30 restoration/restomod seems to be taking all of my time!
Tires are REALLY blue having sat all winter. Hopefully they still have some oil left in them for a couple of TDs this year.












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One More Year Ahead - December 29, 2016

I ended up not riding at all during 2015.
That E30 restoration I mentioned took all of my spare time. If you are interested, I have a build thread for it at http://e30.panici.ca

Unfortunately my set of slick tires need to be replaced before I ride again, as they've sat in the garage and heat cycled (relatively near a space heater) for over two years. Only did a single track day with them.

After taking my E30 to the track a few times (to learn it's limits), I've again got the track bug. Therefore i've turned some attention back to the R6.

I picked up a replacement fuel tank in better condition then the one on the bike. I couldn't find a mint one, as parts seem to be drying up for the 2nd gen R6.
I also grabbed an (almost new) Two Brothers High-Mount Exhaust in Carbon Fibre for a fantastic price. Will probably save this one for the street, it's in great shape!
I have a set of black Danmoto 6065T6 Billet Aluminum Rearsets waiting to install. Hoping these will fix my toe scraping issues.

On top of some new tires (going with street rubber again until I get faster), I will also need to buy a new helmet.
My Shoei X-11 is now far too old to provide adequate protection.

Not sure if I will get back to the track this summer with my R6. It will again come down to time.
I'm finally finishing my Electrical Engineering degree this April, and (fingers crossed) will be starting a full-time job right after graduation.


I'm also toying with the idea of riding my R6 on the street again. I think it would be a good idea to get my feet wet, since I haven't ridden in so long.
The bike will need to be returned to street spec in order to pass a safety inspection (for plate stickers).


I will still be giving the R6 some TLC this year, even if I don't get back to the track.
Stay tuned for pictures and updates!


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Pictures from December 2016

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• Newer fuel tank, has some paint damage and slight dents at the rear of the tank.
• Damage to existing fuel tank, Hindle exhaust, side fairing, case cover (and bolts), and tail section.
• Very dead battery which has been connected and sitting since the bike was last ridden.
• Old fuel drained from old tank (Was Shell 91, ethanol free, with stabil)
• Fuel pump removed from old tank.

I've been cycling my battery on-and-off the charger for a few days, and it's now holding 11.7 volts.
Not sure if I'll be able to save it, but I'm going to try.

































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Pictures from 2018

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• I finally graduated from University, and moved into a rented house with my fiancée.
• Brought the R6 to the new place in June.
• Converted back to stock/street spec, had to have a Safety inspection done to put the bike on the road.
• New tires (Dunlop Sportmax Q3+)
• Rode the bike around, quickly discovered there are zero twisty roads in this area.
• Two Brothers Carbon High-Mount Exhaust, Heat Wrapped
• Garaged for the winter against the inside wall.

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May-June 2019

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• Bought a new lid to replace my aging X-11. Went with a Shoei RF-1200 Parameter TC-8
• Added some blue pinstripe tape to tie the helmet colours in with the bike.
• Decided that the bike belongs on the track, removed all street kit.
• Put a new plywood floor in the trailer.
• Went to Grand Bend Raceway for the first time!
  

I can hardly believe it's been five (5) years since my last trackday.
It would be an understatement to say I am rusty.

Participated in Beginner group at Grand Bend Raceway. This was my first time at this track. We ran the Technical layout.

I'm pleased with my riding, all things considered!
This was my quickest lap from the day, 1m25s.





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June 2019 – TMP Trackday & Crash

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• Tried my hand at a new design on the track bodywork with pinstripe tape.
• Installed Danmoto 6065T6 Billet Aluminum Rearsets (Black).
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• Went to Toronto Motorsports Park (Cayuga) on June 15th.
  • Cold & Wet day, lowsided in Turn 9. Three other riders lowsided in the same corner that day.
  • Will need to repair fiberglass bodywork, replace RHS brake lever + grip, replace rearset hardware.
  • Ran a 1:39 later in the day after patching up the bike in the pits.
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• Ordered some replacement, maintenance & upgrade parts:
  • Danmoto footpeg & rear brake.
  • Driven Evo-Spec 520 Superlight Steel Chain Kit. 15T front sprocket, 48T rear sprocket. DID ERV3 Gold chain.
  • Woodcraft replacement frame slider puck.
  • TechSpec Snake Skin Tank Pads.
  • Renthal Hard grips.
  • Woodcraft Ignition Trigger Cover.
  • Spiegler Front & Rear Brake lines.

Despite the crash, I had a good time at the track.
I can't wait to get the bike back in track-worthy shape!

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2019-2020 Update

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• Did some quick and dirty fiberglass repair to all the fairings. Patched both sides and sprayed on some paint.
  • Looks good from 6ft away!
• Replaced grips, bar ends, levers, footpegs as required.
• Installed a set of TechSpec Snake Skin Tank Pads.
• Finally put on a set of Woodcraft case covers with replaceable sliders.
  
  
• Trackday @ Grand Bend Raceway on Sept. 20, 2019
  • Ran some consistent 1m25s times.
• Loaded up the bike and the MANY car parts, and moved houses!

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2022 Update

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• Unfortunately the R6 has now been sitting since late 2019. I've had some major life changes and also some car projects keeping me busy! Going to need a new set of tires purely from age at this point.
  
  
• I've got some new parts waiting to go on when the moods strikes:
  • New DID ERV3 520 gold chain.
  • New Steel sprocket set. (15T Front, 48T Rear)
  • New Spiegler Front/Rear brake lines.
    
• I don't plan to sell the R6, will get back out there eventually!

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2023 Update!

Have some big news for 2023.

After not riding for three years, I'm dying to get on a motorcycle again.
Going to put my '05 back to street mode, and have been gathering some parts to put things right on it.
Stay tuned for those updates.

Historically, every time I put the bike on the road I am itching to get back to the track by the end of the season. As you know it's quite a chore to switch from track to street and vice versa for every single trackday.
Usually this means I keep it in track mode, and get very rusty between the times I get to ride.
On top of that, if i'm going to pay a premium to insure a supersport for the street, I want to actually ride it regularly!

I picked up the solution today in the form of a 2003 R6 that comes race-prepped! I'm told it has won a few local racing series in the past. Front wheel punched through my trailer floor on the way back, but it doesn't look like any damage was done.

Bike is well equipped with an Ohlins rear shock, Yoshi exhaust, PC5 & Quickshifter, Vortex case guards, Yoyodyne slipper clutch, two year old Q3+ tires, a second set of wheels, multiple sets of track bodywork (in various states of disrepair), and spare gas tank w/pump. Box of spare parts too which are always good for a track rat.

I've got about a month left of work to do on my car before I can go full bore on the bikes, but expect to see lots of action in this thread soon!

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Took stock of the spare bodywork.
One set is decent enough to use, but there are two sections which could use some fiberglass reinforcement for strength (one on the upper and one on the lower).

The tail is definitely an Armorbodies Superbike, but I'm not familier with the brand of the upper & lower.
I spent a few minutes pealing off the old seat foam and racing numbers.




There is also a new tail which could be used, however the design isn't my favourite.
The other two sets of uppers and lowers are pretty rough. Could be saved with some serious fiberglass work, which is probably why they were kept as spares.

Two week update. Not much progress on the bikes, have been working on the car as promised. That is going well and I'll push to have it back on the ground this weekend.

Picked up a set of old and crusty stands to get both bikes up in the air for tire swaps. I'd like a set of quality pitbulls, but these will do for now.

I have been ordering parts and building a healthy to-be-installed pile. Mostly goodies for the street '05 but a few items for the track '03 as well.

I got in touch with some of the previous owners of the bike, and found out that the engine has indeed been rebuilt. Was told it was a "comprehensive" rebuild so that is good news.

Did some research regarding tires:
(Slick Tire Sizes vs Street Tires)

Right now I'm thinking about a set of Bridgestone RS-11 tires in 120/70ZR17 and 190/55ZR17 for the trackbike, and a set of Dunlop Q5S tires in 120/70ZR17 and 180/55ZR17 for the streetbike.
That may change depending on price and availability, as I'm going to wait a bit before ordering tires.

For now I'm going to transfer over the existing set of Dunlop Q3+ tires (which are only a few years old, two trackdays on them) to the streetbike. Unfortunately the front is a 120/60ZR17 which is 25mm shorter OD then the 120/70ZR17 that is on there now.
I'll have to raise the front end of the bike to compensate, and will then need to mount the Renthal clipons below the triple. Not ideal ergonomics for the street but I want to use up this new-ish set of Q3+ tires. I can always get a set of Woodcraft 3" riser clipons if I hate the riding position.


I did change out the levers that came on the '03 for a set of black eBay shorties.
Glad I ordered two different styles, because I found the front brake master cyl isn't stock.
It's a Brembo radial unit and takes the same style lever as my '05. However I don't know if it's an identical internal size to the '05.

First weekend of R6 work. Focus is getting the '05 street bike ready for the season.

Moved the hoist away from the wall and unbolted the front wheel clamp.

Removed the blue Armor Bodies Superbike track bodywork.
Installed a set of Spiegler brake lines front & rear. Needed to use my powerbleeder to get the front bled properly.
Changed the oil & filter.

Installed a white front fender and an OEM rear hugger.

Swapped wheels between the bikes to get the new-ish set of Q3+ on the street bike. Had to swap the rotors and sprockets as well. Cut the old chain off.

Raised the front end to make up the difference in the shorter front tire (60 aspect ratio).
Drained the old gas out of the tanks.
Made a quick attempt of painting a spare tank, but it didn't turn out (cold paint on a cold day, old multiple layers of paint on the tank already).

Also, refinished and installed a kickstand (was a blue eBay special) on the trackbike, and painted my yellow set of front/rear stands black.

I had a chance to putt around on the '03 trackbike yesterday on private land.
When I bought it there was snow on the ground, so this was my first test ride.

It was a quick session, but I got the general feel of the bike at low speeds. It's obviously similar to my '05 and felt natural.


Two big takeaways were:
1. Suspension is STIFF for my weight, just a few sharp bumps were felt immediately through my back. Felt like there was no sag at all.
Already knew I needed the suspension set up, and I'm betting it will need to be re-sprung front & rear.

2. Motion Pro quick turn throttle is aggressive. You have to be absolutely sure you aren't putting any weight on your hands.
It's got a 50mm yellow cam wheel inside, which from what I can tell is the largest/quickest of the bunch.


Overall the bike is running well and that carbon Yoshi exhaust sounds sweet! 😃

Two weeks of wrenching and the street bike is almost ready to hit the road!

Installed a new Gold D.I.D. 520 ERV3 Chain with Rivet master link. Bent my first (cheap) chain tool in half, so ordered another one to finish the job.

Installed a set of 520 Driven Racing sprockets. Evo-Spec Steel Rear (48T) and Steel Front (15T) for (-1, +0) gearing. Speedohealer v4 installed to correct the speedometer.

Filled the bike up with real coolant for the first time in years. Rewired the Clear Alternatives taillight.

Threw on a set of eBay White ABS Bodywork + Solo Cowl. Don't worry, the original street bodywork is fine. I moved it from the garage attic to the shed for safe keeping.

Installed the Two Brothers Carbon High-Mount Exhaust (Heat Wrapped), mirrors, chain guard (modified to fit), and original windshield.

Also installed a set of Woodcraft rear axle sliders, as the rear spool sliders like to sheer off the tiny 6mm stud whenever they hit the ground. Have already replaced one swingarm in the past due to crash damage.

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Not to be left out, the track bike got a set of safety-wired Woodcraft Front Axle Sliders, and a Red 45mm quick-turn throttle cam (after a parts run to one of the bike's previous owners).

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Took the bike for a test ride yesterday morning. First time riding in 4 years.
It was pretty cold (near freezing), had a hoodie over my leathers. Hands went numb pretty quick. Couldn't get helmet to unfog unless it was cracked open.

Bit of a coolant leak on the hose coming out of the water pump. And front rotor making some noise when I got back.

Pulled off each caliper from the rotor and spun the wheel. Both rotors were not spinning true.
These wheels are off the trackbike, and I transferred my larger '05 rotors over.

Left front rotor wasn't sitting perfectly flat due to a bit of orange paint. I prepped the surfaces and now its fine. Right front rotor inner & outer sections weren't concentric.
I think when the front forks fell off my crappy front stand the rotor outer got knocked off center. A few small hits with the deadblow and it's sitting significantly better.

Wheel spins more evenly now and sound is gone. Update: Test ride the following day showed problem is solved.

And trimmed a bit off the suspect coolant hose. Will work for now but I should probably replace all the coolant hoses next winter.

Wish I had moved the bike further from the car to work on it, had lots of room on the other side.
I am feeling very sore today from contorting around taking off the fairings and messing with the coolant.

Had some unseasonably warm days last week so I rode the bike to work twice!

Issues discovered:

• Turn signal controls are sticking a bit, could use some clean/lube.
• The right shoulder pad in my Suomy 1-piece suit is disintegrating. I ordered some CE Level 2 pads which I can hopefully modify to work.
• Heel still hits the high-mount exhaust pipe even with the rearsets adjusted forward. Throws off my foot positioning on the right side.

I've bought some exhaust tubing and will be modifying the pipe for clearance. Already have some stainless steel wire on-hand for my MIG welder from car exhaust work.
I put on the chrome Hindle so I can still ride the bike in the interim.

Took the lower fairing off the track bike and discovered that the Yoshimura exhaust is a full system with a 4-2-1 header. Unfortunately the outlet diameter is different so I will need to make an adapter to use other slipons with this header (or even to use the carbon yoshi can on a stock header).

Ideally I want to have the carbon Termi pipe mounted on the two brothers high-mount pipe, but it's a different pipe diameter again. 🙄

Replaced the right footpeg with a spare purely for cosmetic reasons.
Replaced the wood floor in my trailer (3/4" marine-grade plywood), and added a waterproof stain as well. Just have to install the d-rings to make it ready for hauling the trackbike!

Want to make a special mention of the legends at Motion Pro. They sent me some old stock throttle reels FOR FREE after I reached out to them about my older Revolver quick throttle. They sent along a black 35mm, blue 40mm, and red 45mm.

Only got out on the bike once this week, as it's been quite cold (snowed one day!).
Oldschool Hindle can sounds as good as ever, and I'll admit to spending a couple minutes polishing the top of it. I bet the rest would come up nicely with some elbow grease.

I did replace the right side Renthal clipon tube with a spare, and spent a little time adjusting my bars.
Rotated them forward and dropped the levers a bit.

Also played with the exhaust some more. Reduced the size of the Termi can entrance for fitment on the two brothers high-mount piping.

In other news, bought a straight-but-poorly-painted gas tank today. This makes three spare tanks, but only one with good paint. Should be good for a couple crashes now. 😅