2006 Yamaha R6 Trackie

[chubb]

Time to move on. Got new plans.

01/06 R6 trackie

Very competitive bike. Capable of 03s around broady and 05s at wakefield.

Power commander 3, Akra exhaust, forks and shock revavled and set up by shock treatment using racetech components. Braided lines. Racers Edge Farings. 520 chain conversion

... 8149kms at the moment. GB racing covers and fully lockwired ready to go. Very well maintained

You wont get wets with the bike but pirelli slicks about 50% Asking $6,000.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd451/chubb35/20130613_213909.jpg (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/chubb35/media/20130613_213909.jpg.html)http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd451/chubb35/20130613_213920.jpg (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/chubb35/media/20130613_213920.jpg.html)http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd451/chubb35/20130613_213931.jpg (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/chubb35/media/20130613_213931.jpg.html)http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd451/chubb35/20130613_213941.jpg (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/chubb35/media/20130613_213941.jpg.html)http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd451/chubb35/20130613_214001.jpg (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/chubb35/media/20130613_214001.jpg.html)

[Marshy]

Nice hero blobs!! ;)

So what are the new plans???

[chubb]

Of course.. just gonna concentrate on the other R6.

Thinking of cartridge kits for the front and proper shock for the rear.

Its always nice to have a backup bike but I hardly ride this one...

[Negrogrande]

how much did the racetech valves set you back if you don't mind me asking?

I am looking at getting either those or K-Tech valves in the front of the Gixxer

[chubb]

About 1200 installed from shock treatment

[Marshy]

I just kitted out the forks in my wet bike. Racetech gold valves for both compression and rebound (often people only do compression). Transformed them!! They are honestly easier and nicer to ride on than my full Ktech cartridges in my dry bike.

The valves were about US$160 each (comp and rebound) from the states, plus postage. So the cost was under $400 delivered for the valves and shims, and then I fitted them, which takes quite a while if you do it properly, cleaning everything and putting in new fork seals. Negro, if you like, I can do yours for around half the shock treatment price. I've got a fully equipped suspension workshop here now. :thumb:

[chubb]

Would you recommend carts on a dry bike???

K tech? Mupo? Or ohlins?

Whats the difference in feel?

[Stu23]

I love me ohlins carts and comp valving, but each to their own, cost feel, support, the final one being most important

[Marshy]

Depends on what you are wanting, your riding style, and your pace. And it greatly depends on the particular brand/model of cartridges and how they are set up.

Ohlins 30mm carts are rubbish. (Note that some people get them working pretty well after many trips to their suspension technician/tuner, but never did after several rebuilds and valve and spring changes). Also, their fundamental design is flawed - for reasons too complex to go into in text only - and doesn't allow oil to properly pass back around the piston on the return stroke, meaning they cavitate and get mushy as the race goes on.

The older 25mm Ohlins carts are a good thing, if you can still find them available.

I've been having nothing but trouble with my Ktech carts. They've been rebuild 3 or 4 times now, and I pulled them apart again last night to revalve them again. There's absolutely no doubt they are fast, but they are proving insanely difficult to get the shim stack and spring rate right. In addition, they need significant tuning changes between tracks (and sometimes between days at the same track), but this is the nature of the beast for all high-end carts. The faster you can make the bike, the more it has to be tuned for specific conditions. But I got the povo-pack 25mm open carts (very similar to the Mupo carts, and to the old 25mm Ohlins), rather than the Ktech 20mm closed, pressurised carts, which were literally twice the price. Partly this was price, and partly this was because I'm not a huge fan of the "comp-in-one-leg, rebound-in-the-other-leg" setup of the gas carts, but there's no doubt they do work. The Race Tech carts I had in the blade were this type, and I didn't love the feel of them, but they were fast!!

It also depends on what you are replacing. The OEM carts on the R6 are actually a pretty good unit; it's just that the valving is rubbish. Gold valves fix that, and you end up with a very, very nice feeling front end that doesn't need constant tuning (it's essentially set-and-forget). Unless you are sub-1:40 at the Creek, this will usually be a better setup for most riders that aren't experienced with suspension setup and tuning.

The whole "you must have top-of-the-line suspension to go faster" is a furphy perpetuated by vested interests to sell you very expensive 'solutions' to a non-existent problem. Most modern OEM suspension will happily outperform most riders in all situations, if properly maintained!! Many guys are riding around on 5 year old filthy fork oil, full of particles blocking valving and providing no proper damping control, and rear shocks where all the gas has bled through into the oil (which then looks like champagne) and likewise has no damping ability. When they then spend $4,000 on a full Ohlins setup or whatever, of course it feels better than the crappy unserviced shit that was on there, but they'd often be faster and happier with refreshed OEM stuff!! Recently refreshed OEM suspension feels tops! Ridden a new bike back to back with an old one? The massive difference in suspension feel is just down to the dirt and crap in the old oil!

You wouldn't run your engine for more than a few days on track without an oil change because it gets filthy, but people happily forget that exactly the same thing happens to fork and shock oil! You can extend the life of your fork oil significantly simply by wiping your lower fork tubes after each session - brake dust on the lower fork tube going past the seal is the major contributor to fork oil contamination (and a LOT of it gets in there!).

Whew! Rant over ;)

[CLIFFY]

So how often do you service your suspension?

[Stu23]

not as often as i should !! its over due......... once each year i think is reasonable

[Negrogrande]

I just kitted out the forks in my wet bike. Racetech gold valves for both compression and rebound (often people only do compression). Transformed them!! They are honestly easier and nicer to ride on than my full Ktech cartridges in my dry bike.

The valves were about US$160 each (comp and rebound) from the states, plus postage. So the cost was under $400 delivered for the valves and shims, and then I fitted them, which takes quite a while if you do it properly, cleaning everything and putting in new fork seals. Negro, if you like, I can do yours for around half the shock treatment price. I've got a fully equipped suspension workshop here now. :thumb:
sweet, will come see you before Phillip Island
I was looking at getting K-tech valves as they were highly commended on the Gixxer (squid) forum but hearing your advise I might just grab a set of Racetech valves from Hard racing instead

[Marshy]

once each year i think is reasonable

That would be fine. At the start of each season is ideal. Just don't do it less often if you are wanting good performance!!

[CLIFFY]

Mine will be done between next week and the July double header. Just dunno the intervals. Was told 40-50hrs.