Engine Work

Awhile back I got a deal on a second ex650 engine.  I plan to balance and blueprint it, as well as do some other mods to increase power.

A couple of hours on Saturday and Sunday had it to this stage.  Just waiting to borrow (hopefully) an alternator puller prior to splitting the cases.

The pistons were pretty loaded with carbon -- I've already begun to clean them at this stage.

Apparently soaking them in simple green works wonders.  The piston skirts are in very good shape, so I will definitely be reusing these.

Vortex Kit and a Racetech Press Release

Here is the new Vortex V3 lever for the zx6rr... a nice, adjustable, and shorter option for sportbike riders.  Feels quite comfortable, and due to the lever length, less likely to get broken in a crash.  I also got two new 520 chains through my sponsorship agreement.
I have also dropped off the R6 rad and fittings for Cycleboyz to sort out for me.  Pics as soon as it is returned.





The following is a press release from Racetech:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SIX12/Race Tech at Mini O's

If you are an amateur motocrosser with aspiring goals to reach the next level, Thanksgiving to you means a lot more than just turkey and pumpkin pie; it signifies the annual stop to Gatorback Cycle Park in Gainsville, FL for the Mini O's. Race Tech is excited to be a part of this event for 2012 and to support our rapidly growing grass roots support team of amateur riders.

Providing support, setting up your bike, and doing repair and installation all week long will be Florida Race Tech Center SIX12 Suspension. Ronnie Monk from SIX12 is very familiar with the Florida terrain and will have the Race Tech booth setup helping riders transition their setups from Supercross early in the week to the Motocross portion at the end of the week.

Race Tech Center, SIX12 Suspension, will have technicians on-site offering free bike setups to all competitors. SIX12 will also be selling and installing Gold Valves, rebuilds, oil changes, seals, and more to keep your bike dialed at the event.

"The Mini O's is an extremely prestigious event. It's the one race during the year that tests riders on both Supercross and Motocross tracks, and along with different challenges for the riders; bike setup is also different for each condition. We are excited to have Ronnie at SIX12 with his vast knowledge of the Southeast terrain and racing scene on hand to help support all the Race Tech riders and scout new talent for the 2013 season. If you are at the event and have a question, stop by the Race Tech booth and let Ronnie help point you in the right direction. It is our goal to help you reach your goals!" said Race Tech's Director of Marketing Chris Riesenberg.

To set up an appointment ahead of time for the SIX12/Race Tech staff to dial in your suspension, please contact Ronnie Monk.

Ronnie Monk

Another New Sponsor

Things have been a bit quiet on the bike building front (at least with the ex650 -- check out my xs650 school project here:  http://www.tcskidscafe.blogspot.ca/).  The ram air intake from KMR Kawasaki appears to be a bust for my application.  However, I can now properly fit the radiator -- just looking for an excuse to stop by cycleboyz to 'splain what I want done.  I am sure they can modify the R6 rad the way I need it; I've already test-fitted the radiator and am sure it will work.  I did however hear from Nexx Helmets... and they sent me a sponsorship contract that certainly looks good at my end.  Nexx helmets are still relatively new to the North American market, but they have gained a decent foothold in Europe.  They came highly rated by British Bike Magazine MCN:

MCN reviewed the Nexx XR1R Carbon in July 2011, with writer Dan Aspel concluding that it was ‘The Best Road Helmet I’ve Worn’. In addition to being one of the lightest motorcycle helmets available, weighing just 1200g, Dan commented that the XR1R Carbon has one of the widest viewing ports he’s seen on any helmet, has fantastic venting and has low noise levels. 

Their USA website can be found here:  http://www.nexx-usa.com/  As always, my sponsor links will include them on the RHS of this page.  I plan on getting the "Cafe Racer" XR1R, in red.

The other supertwin news is that I am developing my own full-length bellypan that mimic the more aerodynamic shape seen on moto3 machines.  It will be a long process, starting out with a cardboard form, but it is coming along.  Hopefully it turns out OK, but I forsee a lot of sanding in my future!

Radiator Work

While I have been waiting for the ram air scoop to get here, I've done some work on the R6 radiator.  I really want to be sure and do it right, so the stock inlet and outlets have been removed, as they are too large to use with the stock or samco rad hoses.  Once I get things into position, I can figure out the angles each of these spigot needs to go.

I also mounted the cafe front number plate.  Simple and clean, and a lot easier to set up than some aftermarket bodywork from another bike.

Not bothering putting on the front fender, as I will just have to remove it when the forks get shipped off to Racetech.

Proper Kit

Some fortunate internet surfing has turned up some rare parts I have been looking for, for some time.

This is a z1000 gauge.  Similar to the 636 that is sometimes used, except this has the 11,000 redline that the 650 engine is spec'd at.  All the idiot lights work as well, but apparently the speedo is inaccurate... shouldn't be looking at the speed anyway!
I fabricated a custom mount which also includes a provision for the lap timer.

Not the clearest photo, but this is a proper thumb brake from gptech.  Bought it off a shop in Ontario, which used to prepare the Yamaha Superbikes for the Canadian National team from a few years ago.  Who knows, maybe Pascal Picotte used this at one time.  This one mounts to the clip on, not the fork tube, and works a heck of a lot better than the old one!

The ram air intake should be here shortly, so I will get to work figuring the radiator mounting system...

A bit o' Paint

New season, new paint job.  I guess there are more expensive habits than a couple of rattle cans of spray paint, some sandpaper, and some stickers...

 In other news, the lower triple clamp arrived.  Swapping it out, it appears it fixed the twisted fork problem of the final round.  The tubes themselves are straight, and upon closer inspection, the twist in the clamp was quite apparent.  I removed the 4 allen bolts from the old lower triple, and tossed it into the garbage.  Newspaper and masking tape to help the new seat pad mate with the tail section.

Lower belly pan.  Shortened in order to work with the new exhaust.  Race numbers will be put on this piece of bodywork, as the tail section is too small to fit numbers.

 New tank -- the original was looking pretty worse for wear.  Although this is not new itself -- 50 bucks off of ebay, with a few minor dents.

The tail section.  Less than perfect masking and striping gives it "character"!  You also can't see the wee bugs who committed suicide by landing in the wet clearcoat.  The joys of spraying yourself, outdoors.  The good old Devilbiss gun worked again.

Awaiting the ram air intake to begin to fit the oversize radiator.  Also, a new rear thumb brake, some z1000 gauges, and the front numberplate need to be fitted.  Eventually, the forks will go off to Racetech for the upgrade.

More Sponsorship News!!!

I am thrilled to announce that Piston Broke Racing is now sponsored by Race Tech Suspension!!!  Please click on the link at the right to access their webpage.  The timing could not have been better as I plan to get the forks rebuilt over the winter.  I will be getting the techs to service them, and install the following:

Cartridge Kit

G2-R 25mm FORK CARTRIDGE KIT
for ROAD RACE and STREET

G2-R 25mm Cartridge Kits replace the stock damper with a high-performance unit. Each kit is built to order and valved to the rider's application and ability.
Used to win the 2010 and 2011 AMA Vance & Hines XR1200 Road Race Series.
Features:

• G2-R Compression Gold Valves
• HFR Rebound Gold Valves
• Hi-Frequency Response Mid-Valve Technology
• Fork Caps with Compression, Rebound and Preload Adjustment (selected models)
• Length Adjustable (can be lengthened)
• Precision-machined aircraft billet aluminum
• Low-Friction Coatings and Surface Finishes
• Reactive Top-Out Spring Technology
• Elastomer Bottom-Out System
• Gold Valve Charts and extra Valving Shims
• Guaranteed Performance
• Technical Support
• Made in USA