Posts tagged as “track bike”

A Second Chance – 2007 Suzuki SV1000S Build

Published February 26, 2023 by Norman

2007 Suzuki SV1000S Build

We all know the girl. You went to high school with her. You had a non-zero chance considering you both occupied a mid-tier social strata but you were scared of getting hit by the pitch. She looked phenomenal at the reunion…and married. Oh well. Hindsight is 20/20, right? Who cares. One thing I think is true is that you don’t look backwards while riding a motorcycle. Today, I’m giving you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. You overlooked her back then. Don’t overlook her again.

In a world where bigger is better, the SV1000S has actually lived in the shadow of its younger sibling in the SV650. People have generally gravitated to the smaller format SV due to its approachability and lack of competition at the time. The SV1000 came into play at a time when people were clamoring over the standard 4 cyl sport bikes so it never really made sense in the space if you were looking for outright performance. However, that doesn’t change the value proposition of the vtwin.

The steward of this SV definitely understood the potential of the vtwin and the SV platform and undoubtedly wanted to explore how far he could take it. See below for the mod list from the listing:

Custom built Balanced and blueprinted fully forged SV1000 race motor – race gas compression bump (will still accept 91 pump) with custom tune $7500

OZ Racing (Braking) Gloss black Forged lightweight wheels $2200

OZ Racing (Braking) 2 piece ultralight Superbike brake rotors front and rear (matched to the wheel design) $1100

Suzuki GSXR-1000 Superbike front brakes fully rebuilt, fresh powdercoat, new internals pads and fluid less than 1000 mi $750

Suzuki GSXR-1000 full front end – triple adjustable Superbike inverted suspension, triple trees, clipons $1000

Vortex Adjustable Rearsets $250

Shogun carbon frame sliders

Michelin pilot sport 3 (2CT) matching less than 5k mi $350

Yoshimura 2 into 1 single side exit lightweight race exhaust pipes $425

Rear end triple adjustable Penske shock $350

Rear end Custom Yamaha R1 Superbike brake setup $300

Led high output low draw headlights

The built engine is absolutely the most interesting part of this build. You don’t often see folks messing with the motors on these. A dyno sheet or shop receipt would be very interesting (or almost necessary) to see prior to purchase. Outside of the motor, most of the mods seem like they would work cohesively and positively impact the dynamics of the motorcycle. I would actually be very interested to take this build for a spin on the right road and see how capable it is with the upgrades. The OZ racing wheels are calling my name but that’s offset by the color choice on the calipers. It reminds me of my middle school basketball shoes.

By no means is this bike a show piece. The listing claims it has been used quite extensively for canyon and light track use. At 16 years of age it’s showing some signs of wear. A great rider’s bike for sure.

The seller states there is over $18K in the bike and that’s a significantly higher amount than the list price of $8.5K. Value is always tough to assess on builds especially when the seller has an emotional connection. $8K for an SV is just a bit hard to stomach but I think the seller will end up settling for a much more modest offer. A link the listing can be found here.

Thanks for reading!

Norm

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Track Day Thursday – 2000 Honda SuperHawk

Published December 2, 2022 by Norman

2000 Honda SuperHawk Track Bike Conversion

I’ll admit that writing about a small niche can sometimes become a bit difficult in the sense that there are only so many angles to approach some of thee bikes we come across. Every once in a while you will get something super unique and eye-catching which is not only great for us but also our audience. I think it’s fair to say this find checks those boxes. This 2000 SuperHawk that started as a stock bike has undergone quite the cosmetic and mechanical conversion in order to make into a track weapon. It’s hard for us to determine how sharp this knife is from where we sit but I think everyone at the track would be at the pitwall as you roll down the straight. Regardless of what other people think, we live in a world where one can identify as whoever they want so if a SuperHawk identifies as MotoGP bike, who are you to say no?

Hard to say this things looks bad. The color scheme, stickers, and windscreen are all pretty damn cool. Some people who take this route try a bit too hard and completely over do it while trying to be different but I don’t think that’s the case here.

Does the tasteful approach to the cosmetic surgery cross over to the mechanical side? Let’s see what we can gather from seller’s mechanical mods

Chassis: Custom subframe & subframe brace, Penske rear shock, 04′ CBR1KRR front end, MotoGP brake and clutch master cylinder from 2000 MotoGP bike

Electrical – Coil on plug upgrade, battery relo

Powertrain – Custom 2-1 exhaust

That wasn’t an exhaustive list of the modifications but there are some other pretty cool things the seller has done. Definitely check out the listing for an exhaustive list. A positive here is that nothing seems to have been done to the motor and nothing is terminal outside of the custom subframe since the seller has retained the original parts. That being said, any time you buy a custom bike the quality of work is a concern but it looks like the seller hasn’t gone full Allen Millyard on us and has kept the technical complexity relatively low. I’ve successfully pasted on a front end before and if you watch me turn a wrench you might be tempted to grab the wrench and hit me with it.

From the seller:

“…The bodywork fits so nicely, the upper and lower carefully matched right up to stock mounting points. The bike is 99% complete, just needs a minor bit of buttoning up and then taken to the track.

Also comes with a huge pile of stock parts, complete front end, alternate dual exhausts, lights, etc etc.

Title is clean, Florida title not yet reassigned to me. If you want it registerable in your state, please add $350 for paperwork fees. This 996cc v twin engine is perfect for the occasional track day warrior, and bike now qualifies for vintage series. Way cheaper for parts than a Ducati, RC51, or Aprilia, but same amazing torque band and rideability. “

The Japanese have blessed us with a few two cylinder track bikes in the past; Think RC, TL, and SV. Furthermore the Italians have been doing it forever. The formula works. I think the question here is if the whole is really greater than the sum of it’s parts? Does adding a MotoGP master cylinder really mean anything? It’s certainly a conversation piece. As much as I would like to answer that for our audience, I’m broke. If only one of the readers would be so kind.

The listing has been up for two days with zero action and a starting bid of $3k. At the least check out the listing and let us know what you think in the comments about your experience with SuperHawks. Good luck!

Thanks for reading!

Norm

6 Responses.

Extreme Bravery Required – 2014 EBR 1190RX Race Bike

Published November 7, 2022 by Mike

Brought to our attention by long time collector, reader and contributor to the site, this EBR is perfect for another Track Day Tuesday outing (even though it is a day early). Claimed to be derived directly from a WSBK team as we beg for more details, the pictures show a EBR 1190 modified for track usage but little in the way of provenance. We know that EBR did indeed go racing in 2014 through part of the 2015 season, with riders such as Larry Pegram and Niccolò Canepa, so there must be at least some of these bikes still around. There were still other areas in which the 1190 competed as a customer race bike for privateers, making the pool of available bikes somewhat larger; perhaps less prestigious than a full factory effort, but still quite capable. Let’s look through some pictures:

2014 EBR 1190RX Race Bike for sale on eBay

From the seller:
This is an 2014 EBR (Buell) 1190RX that came from the WSBK team. Suter clutch, reverse shifting. some unknown engine work with RS parts. Bike vin is xxxxxxracexxxx. This bike is very fast and not for street or highway use. Race Bike only frame as from the factory. I have a bunch of parts to go with bike. Just serviced. Lithium battery New Tires front and back. Fresh oil and fresh coolant. Bike is race ready. IM for more info. 8500.00 picked up. Motorcycle is in New Rochelle NY. 10801

Erik Buell enjoyed a tumultuous time in the motorcycle industry; from red-headed step child of The Harley-Davidson Motor Company to breaking out on his own with Erik Buell Racing (EBR) in 2009. India-based Hero Motor Corp purchased a share in EBR in 2013, but by mid-2015 the EBR party was over; receivership was the only way out and the dream of an American sport bike was gone. Today’s Track Day Tuesday offering is an EBR that deserves to be out on the tarmac, thundering out of corners and bringing a grin to whomever is lucky enough to ride it. I would love to know more about the history of this particular bike, but that mystery – and discovery – awaits the next owner willing to pony up the $8,500 asking price. Check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

4 Responses.

Track Day Tuesday – 1982 Honda FT500 Ascot Racer!

Published October 11, 2022 by Mike

Break out those leathers. Dust off your knee sliders. It’s time for another Track Day Tuesday on RSBFS! And today’s find looks like a whole lot of fun. No longer the weak and basic entry-level commuter as Honda intended back in the early 1980s, this FT500 Ascot has been transformed into what looks like a track day beast. There is much to love about embracing simplicity with a bunch of cool upgrades, and the overall effect is, well, check it out for yourself.

1982 Honda FT500 Ascot Racer for sale on eBay

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From the seller:
1982 Honda FT500 Ascot Frame XR500 Engine Vintage Road Racing Bike (AHMRA, CMRA, WERA)

This bike is unlike anything you have ever ridden. The ’82 Ascot is renowned for being a balanced good handling bike. Great sound from the big single “thumper” with it’s dual exhaust ports. Light, quick, precise steering and surprising power. Nothing is stock on this bike. Most everything was re-engineered. Lots of love and development went into its building and racing.

Frame: 1982 FT500 Ascot frame. All excess metal cut off. The “back bone” boxed & reinforced.

Rear Suspension: 1992 Honda CBR600F2 custom modified swingarm with Penske triple adjust rear mono shock, 4.5 inch width F3 wheel and Nissin performance rear disc brake, new master cylinder.

Front Suspension: 1998 CBR600F3 (ex HRC Ben Bostrom factory bike) front end and Showa forks, F3 front wheel, dual Nissin performance front disc brakes, new Nissin radial master cylinder, stainless braided lines, Renthal grips, external racing steering dampener, clip-on bars, ‘glass lightweight F3 fender.

More from the seller:
Engine: 1980 XR500 single, bored and sleeved to 568cc, Wiseco 12.5 to 1 comp piston, valve to piston clearance and decked for maximum performance. Cylinder head fitted with Kibblewhite Black Diamond 1mm over intake and exhaust valves with seats, ported and polished chamber & runners for max flow, Mega Cycle roller cam, Mega Cycle race springs and keepers, titanium valve spring caps. Eral’s remote oil cooler with steel braided lines and aluminum compression fittings. Nology high performance coil, magneto driven (no battery). Kill switch (required). Fresh Motul 300V 15W50 (only the best!).

Carb: 39mm Keihin flat slide with hand-made aluminum velocity stack for smooth acceleration. Jetted to run strong on 110 Octane leaded race fuel.

Exhaust: Custom built Stainless steel 2 into 1 header with a Termignoni carbon fiber can off a 1099 Ducati cut down for sound and performance. Custom aluminum bracket.

Driveline: Stock transmission, chain gearing uses oversize front / undersize new rear custom sprockets (Sprocket Specialists), new CCI 520 XRing racing chain. Custom rear-sets.

Tires: Fresh Shinko 008 Race slicks (tire warmers recommended) 120/60R17 & 150/60R17 sizes

Fresh tank and side cover paint to match original (Ferrari red), race decals, lots of attitude. Aircraft style quick release fasteners. Hand formed aluminum catch pan.

More from the seller:
Bike comes with a custom built “Flat Track” style electric starter with battery (see pic). Way better than even more expensive electric roller starters.

Lots of spares: 1- XR500 and 1- FT500 engine (both disassembled), 2 CBR600F2 swingarms, engine and transmission internals,, drive sprockets, & misc. hardware in large plastic totes with lids. Race stand included.

It’s a blast to ride and will make more modern 600cc bikes look bad on the track. This is a great vintage “track tool” that is ready to go…. Or just put it into your collection.

Own a unique, “one of a kind” historic racing motorcycle.

Track day bikes can be as basic and stock as taping up the headlight(s), taillight and turn signals. Some folks take that a step further and remove some of the street pieces entirely. But to create a race bike is one step further committed, from safety wiring brakes and drainplugs to engine and chassis upgrades specifically for competition. This FT500 Ascot can trace its roots back to the lowly commuter bike of yore, but looks stunning and menacing it its present form. The best part? You could not build this for what is on offer. Opening bid starts at a lowly $4k, and the Buy It Now is $6k. This has already gone a round or so on eBay without selling, but interest will surely come. Fancy a little circuit training the RSBFS way? Check out all the details on this sweet build of a racer, and Good Luck!!

6 Responses.

Track Bike Tuesday: Yamaha Powered Spondon

Published August 2, 2022 by William

Spondon has been providing frames to some of the most lust worth motorcycles for decades. They have built everything from championship winning race bikes to wild turbocharged street fighters for the road. As with many small batch British manufactures, the company has a storied history and has gone through many ups and downs. While never a common thing to see on the market, it is more likely to find one in Europe than on this side of the pond. There is little chance it would be cost effective to build a motorcycle like this on your own.

As with the old Lotus adage of “Simplify and add lightness” these Spondon race bikes with a simple Yamaha single offer a refreshing change of pace to the multiple cylinder monsters that normally dominate the track day paddock. Claimed 70 horsepower are more than capable of pushing the 275 pounds of motorcycle. With something light and simple the cost would be kept down because the bike will not require tires and brakes at the rate of a larger bike. This translates to only more fun, but more time learning, training and pushing on track.

From The Seller’s eBay Listing:

Yamaha powered Spondon chassis, former Slipstream British championship bike.

It was featured in Performance bike, topping out at 148mph Silverstone.

-Championship-winning bike, ridden by Colin Sturgeon in the British, isle of man and world S.O.S series.

-Never run here in the states.

-Xt600 powered has been stored since then.

-I did refresh it back in 2008 (thinking I wanted to ride it )

Engine: Yamaha XT 600. Carillo rod. Fresh, top end, Webcam (214 grinds, 107/109

cam lobes). Falicon Stage 2 crank. Arias high compression piston, 12.5:1.

Ported head. New undercut tranny. Yamaha D

series cases. New valve guides. New clutch basket, plates,

springs. Twin Keihin Cr’s smoothbores

Chassis: Spondon twin spar frame with adjustable yokes, Tz front end, brakes, wheels, Ohlins.

275lbs (125kg) ,71bhp

It is not very often that a chance to buy a championship winning bike comes along, even less so with a Buy It Now price of $11,000. Appears to have say in a large collection for quite a few years so a refresh would be in order if the new owner wanted to use the bike on track in anger. But the process should be worthwhile and not only offering excitement on track, but also unique conversations off track. These bikes should have a great cost to uniqueness ratio. The Yamaha single should be easy to keep going and the Spondon frame should out handle almost any converted street bike.

4 Responses.

Track Day Tuesday – 1976 Moto Guzzi 890 Racer!

Published May 10, 2022 by Mike

If you are thinking about a track day bike – and you most certainly SHOULD think about that – you could either go the route of a bashed, rashed and crashed universal 600 or 1000 from [insert your favorite Japanese street bike here], or forgo all of the street deletions and go straight to a real race bike. Think of the benefits – you get a bike already built for the purpose of riding on tracks (usually already sorted) and you look positively bad-ass compared to the generic GSNinjaR1-X crowd. And nothing can prove that point more than this awesome looking 890cc Guzzi vintage racer.

1976 Moto Guzzi 890 Racer for sale on eBay

From the seller:
1976 Moto Guzzi – Stan and Pearl’s 890CC Middleweight Superbike

You are bidding on an iconic race machine built by my good friend, the late Stan Friduss and his wife Pearl. When Stan passed I acquired the bike from Pearl. She put her heart and soul into this bike with Stan’s tutelage. The result was a machine that competed successfully in AHRMA’s Middleweight Superbike class for several years in the hands of several top racers. It has earned many race wins and I believe a championship or two. One of Pearl’s proudest moments was when it took 2nd place in New Jersey on it’s maiden voyage to the track!

More from the seller:
Now, I am offering it up for auction as I realize it is just too much machine for me at 65, so would like to see someone get it who appreciates it for what it is and continues to use it as intended or displays it for all to enjoy. The bike is “garage fresh” and has not been run in a few years. Knowledge from years of building race Guzzi’s, Stan threw everything he knew at this bike. NOTE: The engine turns over with good compression but I have not fired it. I am sure the carbs will need cleaning and a general going over before it is ready to run. Some spares as well.

Bill of Sale only – no title. (i chose salvage just to get past the title type requirement). I believe the Tonti frame is from a mid 70’s 850T or similar. It does NOT have a LeMans serial number. The bike is located at my garage in Melbourne Florida. Buyer is responsible for shipping or may pick up locally. Thank you for bidding.

Track Day Tuesday has quickly become one of my favorite days of the week thanks to some different finds that would not normally fit on the pages of RSBFS. But seriously, how could you not look at this thing and see yourself motoring through the pits at your next track day? Imagine the stares as you boom your way out onto the track and thunder down the main straight. Glorious! The best part is that owning this wonderful motoring piece of history won’t set you back much by comparison: The Buy It Now price is set at a reasonable $7,500, and the seller is open to offers. Check out all of the details here before the checkered flag waves at this one. Good Luck!!

3 Responses.

Track Bike Tuesday – 2006 Triumph Daytona 675

Published February 22, 2022 by Donn

Here’s a first year Daytona 675 that was converted to track use but turned only 1,738 miles. A past “learning experience” is indicated here and there, but the bodywork is fresh and ready for a new decal set.

2006 Triumph Daytona 675 Track Bike for sale on eBay

The 675 was Hinckley’s third try at the middleweight formula, this time with a torquey three cylinder engine. The triple provides some unique sounds and 123 hp at a relatively low 12,500 rpm. Multipoint fuel injection and an all stainless exhaust help make that performance a long term affair. Triumph’s rock solid alloy chassis might not be the lightest, but provide a stable platform for the increased spring and damping rates on the track. Brakes are thoroughly modern with 308 mm rotors and four puck calipers with radial mountings. The light-less fairings are a great dub of the factory bodywork and dispense with the pillion.

Presented by the auction side of a Chicago Triumph dealer, this 675 shows nicely, seeming almost unused with a GPR steering damper, Marvic wheels and CF rearsets. An Öhlins shock and prepared forks are worthwhile upgrades. A few chips, scratches and scrapes are all part of a track bike’s life, but it still looks quite tidy. Guessing the factory bodywork is long gone ( how many track bike projects get started ). Comments from the eBay auction:

Daytona 675 track bike, street legal title, very nice, 1,738 miles. This bike hasn’t seen the track for a while so it might need some freshening up but it is nicely set up and has only 1,738 miles on it ! It has an Ohlins rear shock, Marvic cast wheels, GPR steering stabilizer, CFM rearsets, and Woodcraft frame sliders. It has a clean, street legal title, so it could also be converted back to street use. It runs and rides well. It is set up with GP shifting, which is the opposite of the normal shifting pattern. It is 1 up, 5 down, instead of 1 down, 5 up. The shifter linkage is a bit stiff so shifting gears requires a little more force than normal, and finding neutral is a bit tricky.

Beside a snatchy gearbox, there weren’t many negative comments on the 675, and it was as the best of Triumph’s mid-size efforts. Not exactly a featherweight, Daytona’s are at least built tough. This one might be one of the most under-used track bikes seen here, and though there might be a little work left to bring it back from storage, there’s still time.

-donn

5 Responses.

Track Bike Tuesday: Special Framed Harris Single Cylinder

Published January 25, 2022 by William

Any casual reader of RSBFS will know that must of us here are always very excited to see a special framed bike. There is just something about the pure focus of them that stirs the emotions. Many will be aware of Rickman, Egli, Bimota and maybe even Seeley. Those of you over in the UK will undoubtable know of Spondon and Harris. Here in the USA these British framed bikes are much less common, and that makes this Yamaha SRX powered Harris even more appealing.

This bike offers and amazing package for someone that is looking for something out of the ordinary to enjoy on track. The Yamaha engine will offer low service costs and plenty of power. There is still plenty of support for this engine, and Wiseco makes affordable pistons. The less is more ethos means there are less components to wear, or need replacing over time, thus leaving more funds left over for track fees and slicks. Seller states that much of the suspension is TZ250 so spares are available. A factory service manual should help the new owner learn the ins and outs of the engine, another plus of having a race bike with a special frame, but standard based engine.

From The Seller’s Listing:

In 1993 and 1994, Harris Yamaha’s (SRX engine) won the British Singles Championship (Steve Ruth 1993; Dave Rawlins 1994). 1994, Jim Moodie won the inaugural Single Cylinder TT on a Harris SRX. This Harris SRX is frame No. HPF1206. I’ve owned and raced it, occaisionally, in AHRMA (SOS2), AMA (Mid-Ohio) and WERA (Clubman) since 2007. The frame, wheels, suspension (Ohlins shock) and brakes are TZ250 spec. The engine is built with +1 mm Arias 10.5:1 pistons, Megacycle cam, valves and springs, and oil cooler. Twin Mikuni flat slide carbs. 54 RWHP on MSP Cycle dyno. It weighs nothing, has God’s own brakes, handles like a GP bike, is sized like a GP bike (it does not fit me at 6′-2″ and 200 lbs, and arthritis and multiple crashes no longer allow me to fold myself into the bike). It is a FUN bike to race. The bike comes with gearing and some spares (footpegs, levers, clip-ons, brake pads, fork seals, belly pan for use without fairing) and the side stand shown.
$7,995 in Talking Rock, GA.

As with many of these types of bikes, pricing is difficult at best. The $8k asking price feels inline with other options in the class. With the rise in prices of 90s street bikes one would be unlikely to be able to track a stock framed bike for much less. The only optional downside is that these GP style bikes normally demand a jockey sized rider. There are ways people have adjusted foot and hand controls to accommodate a full sized rider though.

4 Responses.