Off-Season wrenching.. getting started (woo)

[a13x]

Got started working on the raceHawk tonight. Lots of things being changed, added, or upgraded from last year. Felt great to be getting greasy again.

Tonight I swapped rear wheels and put on this cutie. A VFR750 5-spoke 5" wheel. Ah yea. Also pulled the Ohlins shock out of my 'Dirtyhawk' (nother one I have) and it will soon be replacing the Fox RC that's in my racebike. Dropping the Ohlins off to Erik Madsen to have it sprung correctly and rebuilt. BUTTAH.


How's everyone else's Off-Season Projects coming along?

[brewmaster]

Haven't really started yet. I am getting the garage set up first (almost done) and gathering parts/info. Being that it will be my first season I have lOTS to learn and do!

[OreoGaborio]

Dude, i gotta try that centerstand mod, thats killer

ONCE I GET MY RACE BIKE (hint hint, John), i'll just go over the whole thing, put the bike on as much of a diet as reasonably possible & see what kinda wear items need replacing, nothin major (can't really do anything major w/ the production twins rules)

[McBiggity]

haven't done much. still need to repair some plastics and prep them for new paint. that's about all that needs to be done.
may replace the works shock w/ a penske if I can find one for the right price.

[Awesome]

This weekend and next week I'll be repairing plastics, measuring and drafting the parts that I'm having fabbed up, maybe disasemble and clean her up for her trip down to GMD.

[Nazo]

Originally posted by hessogood
This weekend and next week I'll be repairing plastics, measuring and drafting the parts that I'm having fabbed up, maybe disasemble and clean her up for her trip down to GMD.

HA! We've said this every weekend since October, but then start drinking and people end up coming over.....No but this weekend we're really gonna work on the bikes right?

I just gotta prep my fairings to be painted and throw on some new rubber.

[Paul_E_D]

My race motor is packed in my suitcase. I'll be bringing it to FL with me this weekend to drop off at the top secret Zambrana tuning center.



I have been blueprinting a motor for my car ('77 mini) this fall/winter. The shortblock is assembled and cam timed in. I'm waiting for hi-lift roller rockers to arrive.

Meanwhile, I'm rebuilding the transmission. Waiting on a shift fork...

I rebuilt the differential last weekend.

I've been plenty greasy!

BTW, Alex, that rear wheel looks too big! I hope the bike still turns. If you do get it leaned over, you have no excuse for not getting it wide open by the apex with that fat tire.

[Nikon]

ask highsider how far he's got on my bike.?.

[a13x]

Originally posted by Paul_E_D
My race motor is packed in my suitcase. I'll be bringing it to FL with me this weekend to drop off at the top secret Zambrana tuning center.

BTW, Alex, that rear wheel looks too big! I hope the bike still turns. If you do get it leaned over, you have no excuse for not getting it wide open by the apex with that fat tire.

Paul: Couldn't you fit your entire bike in a carry-on bag? Talk about a quick exit from the Terminal

My rear wheel isn't that big! You are just used to looking at those bicycle tires on your pocketbike. Heh. Actually that's only a 170 rear tire on a 5" rim (later VFR's went to 5.5"). I was running a 160 on the Hawk 4.5" rim, the de facto racing Hawk tire size. Apparently the guy I bought my bike off, the Expert dude, used to run a 180 on that 4.5" rim. IMO that's just too much and not needed. I'm banking on the 170 not being *that* much slower than the 160 on the turn-ins, and the fact I'm getting my bike set-up properly this season (ride height, suspension, springs, all that shit) will help counteract the 'slow fat tire' syndrome. Also removing some rotating weight, along with 15-20lbs total from the bike... so.. HOPEFULLY it will still turn rather quick. We'll see. Most of the top Hawk guys in the past went to larger than stock wheels (either VFR rims or larger) Check this National Championship Hawk with 6" Machesini's. Drool.

I wasn't exactly spinning the rear up anyhow with my earth-shattering 70hp.

[SVRACER01]

pfft.... mines fast enough

[R7]

I sold everything so I have nothing to wench on
Unless you can count the 600+ ice screws I just put in the tires of my dirtbike.... and I get to test them out this Friday after work

[Paul_E_D]

Originally posted by a13x
Paul: Couldn't you fit your entire bike in a carry-on bag? Talk about a quick exit from the Terminal

My rear wheel isn't that big! You are just used to looking at those bicycle tires on your pocketbike. Heh. Actually that's only a 170 rear tire on a 5" rim (later VFR's went to 5.5"). Check this National Championship Hawk with 6" Machesini's. Drool.

I wasn't exactly spinning the rear up anyhow with my earth-shattering 70hp.

It's not THAT small... hmmm... that doesn't sound good

The motor fits PERFECTLY in a standard carry on bag. Barely need to pad it.

I don't know, that bike looks over tired to me. If you're not spinning it up, what could you possibly gain by going fatter?

How about some nice flatslide Keihins?

[a13x]

Originally posted by Paul_E_D
It's not THAT small... hmmm... that doesn't sound good

The motor fits PERFECTLY in a standard carry on bag. Barely need to pad it.

I don't know, that bike looks over tired to me. If you're not spinning it up, what could you possibly gain by going fatter?

How about some nice flatslide Keihins?

ahahhaah. Freudian Slip? I can't believe the motor fits in a bag so nicely. Definately try to get some pics of that shit.

Hey man, all the cool Hawk kids lust over a VFR wheel... I'm just being vain. Well.. that and the streetHawk I bought this summer just so happened to have the VFR wheel on it (along with the Ohlins and M4 exhaust). If it sucks ass I'll switch back to stock.

One of my 'Things to Work On' next year is getting on the gas sooner coming out of the corners. Not harder, just sooner (and still smooth). I know I definately have some ground to be made up there. We'll see.

Flatslides would be nice.. I tried to get some off some other Hawk guys that were parting out bikes but got beat to the punch. Motors getting 'freshened up' anyhow so it'll run stronger in 06 than in 05 just based on that. She is a old bird.

Mark: You are screwing in all 600 screws yourself? That's NUTS.

[Paul_E_D]

If you got it, try it. Like you sad, you can alway go back to the limp 4.5 incher

[a13x]

Update: Went and worked on the bike more last night. It went from looking like it did in the last pic.. to this! Stripped that baby right down.

The bikes are so sweet looking once you get down to it, and very very easy to work on. More like a purpose built racebike than a converted streetbike in ways. You can really see the RC30 heritage shine thru.

Other than strip it down we didn't really do to much. Just cataloged all the parts and chucked some useless shit. Still trying to turn this Hawk into a sano machine form the Basketcase it was when I bought it last year...

Also noted... I raced all season with one clipon higher than the other, and the fork tubes were also at different levels. Well setup!

Paul: I did lots of research on 5" rear wheels. Apparently SV's come stock with 4.5" wheels and the hot ticket is to switch to a 5" F3 wheel. I thought I'd have to try and run a larger tire than a 160... but from reading up on the SV pages, I guess the 160 tires (especially the Pirelli's I read) work BETTER on the 5" wheel. Again... we'll see.

[Paul_E_D]

Pupose built race bike? Close but no cigar It does look pretty open for a streetbike though.

I wouldn't have any parts to catalog at that point. Just a rear axle and 4 bolts for the tail section. I have the motor out and it's still just a handful of bolts!

You could get close with your hawk though. Quick release (tooless) bodywork and gas tank are the main thing.

[a13x]

Originally posted by Paul_E_D
Pupose built race bike? Close but no cigar It does look pretty open for a streetbike though.

Hah! I knew you were going to bite on that one Sides.. I said 'in ways'.

[Paul_E_D]

Yeah, it actually looks like a spindly copy of the 125 chasis. The straight frame rails (which are back in style), and the upper shock mount are very familiar.

The SSS looks awfully heavy and potentially flexy though.

[Onedwn5up]

I am going to try to fimd someone heading to Homestead for the Feb 12 races so I guess I better get a move on setting things up. Front end needs to come off for some greas in them bearings and the forks needs revalving along with a shock service.

It'll be time to start racing again before i know it!

[a13x]

Originally posted by Paul_E_D
The SSS looks awfully heavy and potentially flexy though.

SSS is designed by Elf of France. Don't know about the weigh thing, but I'm guessing flex isn't a issue. I say that because stock this bike has 45hp (oooo bigdeal). Well the top Hawk guys back in the day pumped them up to 90-95hp. Think about that... over DOUBLE stock hp (try that with your 600 I-4). Either way, none of those 'super Hawks' ran anything but the stock swingarm. Including Kevin Erion's uberHawk that won a few AMA Championships (along with JD Hords', Kiyo Watanabe's, etc) These guys certainly had the $$, resources, and skills to change the swingarm out, but never did.

Good enough for them, good enough of me

Did get my rear rotor back today. Looks snazzy.
Stock - 2lbs 5.6oz
Lightened - 1lb 6.9oz

[OreoGaborio]

[brewmaster]

Nice piece! I see you lighten'd up the Redbull by 8 oz. also.

[a13x]

Yea brewmaster, I wrenched on that can!

Well bike is no longer a bike, it is now a pile of parts. Tonight we dropped the motor out of the frame (can see it on framestand in background) and took everything else apart. The GSXR front end wasn't a direct swap, I need to replace the upper race and bearings, attempt that next week. Mounted up the GSXR rotors, tire, and wheel however and did some weight comparisons.

That VFR wheel didn't last long... got a Technomagnesio rear wheel coming in the mail. At least 5lbs lighter than stock. uNF! I can't wait to fuggin' ride this thing next season, it's going to handle like a dream.

Weight Comparisons:
F2 wheel, rotors, Pirelli 120 Supercorsa - 27.0 lbs
GSXR wheel, wave rotors, Pirelli 120 Supercorsa - 24.0 lbs

Flywheel and charging magnet - 6.5 lbs

Combined with the rear rotor, already dropped 10 lbs off the bike. Not including mag rear wheel...

[OreoGaborio]

that right there's some good bike porn

[HBerry]

Let's see what I have I done to my bike this off-season:

I changed the oil

I drained the rusty old water and put in Anti-free

In a few weeks I'm going to change the oil again and I'm also going to drain the anti-free and put in water

I might even re-attach the plastics with my handy dandy zip ties