FZR 400 for P89 and USCRA

[eforer]

Hi Guys,

Next season I'm thinking I might enjoy having an additional bike on the LRRS weekends and be able to run some vintage with my friend who does that. I'm thinking seriously about an FZR-400. I'm very jealous of the TT2 replica racers, but it's really not in the budget, I'm wondering if the FZR will fit the bill I'm looking for which is effectively a very small nimble bike that is sort of GP bike size and weight (obviously the FZR is a little heaver in race trim than a TZ) but with a less fussy power plant.

My questions are:

Does the FZR fit my above stated intentions? My cursory research indicates yes.
Are there good classes in USCRA for the bike?
Is it popular in P89 (granted new class, but does it seem to be a good move there)
In general, what are people's opinions on it?

Thanks!
-Ed

[freezinvt]

I still have mine, which was my first race bike, that I’ve been slowly bringing back to life. It has a few goodies on it like an R6 front end (legal in p89 this year but probably not next) and a PM 17” rear wheel as well as some other stuff. My hope was to resurrect it and run it in the P89 class this year but time isn’t on my side. I currently run an SV650 and although my memory is a little foggy and I was slow with the FZR I remember it handling much nicer then my SV. If it’ll fit the vintage classes you’re looking at I’d say go for it, especially if you can run 17” wheels and fit modern rubber on it. At LRRS you could also run LWSB with it, it would be a little out gunned but it would still be fun.

[Kurlon]

The US FZRs are ULSB legal even with crazy motor work, LWSB legal with crazier motor work, P89 legal as long as you ignore the urge to go BIIIIG bore. I believe you're fine for the USCRA's Period 4 Formula 3 class as well and will have no problems putting up a good fight in stock trim. You should be able to get it competitive in P89 without spending huge money or making it fragile, only real PITA is converting the rear to a 17" setup if you don't like the dwindling tire options for the 18" stocker.

[DynoTune]

how about an rvf400?

[Kurlon]

how about an rvf400?

Too new for P89 or P4F3.

[csmutty]

Just an fyi...USCRA now has sound testing as part of tech and has a 100db limit.

[Pigman]

There is a guy who races one thats Bored out and has R6 skins on it.....quite the machine....very sexy

[Kurlon]

There is a guy who races one thats Bored out and has R6 skins on it.....quite the machine....very sexy

It's more of a stroker actually, dunno if he went spacer plate like the 560s of old or tracked down some european FZ6s rods to make the task slightly easier? I'm looking forward to seeing his machine in person next year.

On the USCRA and noise testing, it's always been the rule (Track imposed, their agreement with Loudon only lets them be noisy so many days a year) they're just getting more agressive on testing as they've noted more and more bikes are WAY over the limit. I think technically LRRS is under the same restriction as I don't think NHMS has as many noisy days as there are LRRS weekends...

[freezinvt]

I haven’t spoken directly with him but I believe his is a “Jason Clay” style 560. That style build doesn’t use the plate but instead uses parts from 3 different engines (FZR400, FZR600, YZF600 I think), but is still supposed to be CCS legal. Not sure what he did for rods though.

[Kurlon]

Interesting, hadn't see that configuration. No spacer plate required, gotta bush the YZF600 rods though. It's essentially a 'sleeved down' YZF600R instead of a stroker 400 motor. Damn there are a TON of different mongrel 400 setups out there. Who's going to bring a 700cc build into HWSB? (Yes, it exists, and yes I have the details.)

[freezinvt]

Sshhhh… it’s not a “sleeved down” anything cause that wouldn’t be legal, though given the parts you use you’re basically right. When I was researching them a few years ago the spacer plate style was the one used by Army of Darkness and was effective but seemed unreliable. The configuration using parts from different engines was supposed to be reliable enough that you didn’t have to worry about blowing things up. It’s a cool idea but I cheaped out and bought an SV.

700cc, that would be a wild ride.

Kurlon, is the one you’re building for ULSB or LWSB. What build approach did you take?

Sorry to the OP for the slight thread jack. They are cool bikes though with a lot of possibilities.

[Kurlon]

Sshhhh… it’s not a “sleeved down” anything cause that wouldn’t be legal, though given the parts you use you’re basically right. When I was researching them a few years ago the spacer plate style was the one used by Army of Darkness and was effective but seemed unreliable. The configuration using parts from different engines was supposed to be reliable enough that you didn’t have to worry about blowing things up. It’s a cool idea but I cheaped out and bought an SV.

700cc, that would be a wild ride.

Kurlon, is the one you’re building for ULSB or LWSB. What build approach did you take?

Sorry to the OP for the slight thread jack. They are cool bikes though with a lot of possibilities.

Heh, I know it's not sleeved down, just saying that's what it will perform like. I went with a different approach, 489cc for ULSB.

[SVRACER01]

just get TWF to bore out SV400 motor to 500 and run that in ULSB

[Kurlon]

I have to reread the rules, but I think if you started with an actual production SV400, and then slapped SV650 jugs and heads on you'd be legal...

[Doc]

Or you could get a Hawk... or an ugly EX500.

[KB]

I have an FZR complete bike with a cracked cylinder that runs and a rolling chassis that I will let go for 1000 dollars. It has 3 sets of race plastics it's 2 bikes, 1 has a motor one doesn't. Come get this shit out of my garage!

KB

[eforer]

I ended up deciding to go with my original (and much more expensive) plan of building a pantah race replica.

[nt650hawk]

I have an FZR complete bike with a cracked cylinder that runs and a rolling chassis that I will let go for 1000 dollars. It has 3 sets of race plastics it's 2 bikes, 1 has a motor one doesn't. Come get this shit out of my garage!

KB

cylinder is not cracked it is the case. Lil JB weld and you are good to go