Hi guys
I was after some advice on a track bike.

Im riding at a level where I feel I could push my bike harder on the
track but am unwilling to as it is my primary mode of transport and the
risk outweighs the reward.

I have been thinking about getting a second bike that I could thrash
around the track once or twice a month and if I throw it into the kitty
litter, Im not left without transport and Im not left cash strapped as I
can repair it at my own leisure.

To this end, I have been contemplating an r6 for the following reasons:

* theres high market availability so less perfect ones are reasonably
well priced
* lots of wogs smash them up so wreckers have an abundance of spares
* reasonably track focussed bike

Ideally I'd be looking for a 2nd hand r6 with no mechanical/structural
problems but damaged fairings to reduce price (id replace with
fibreglass straight away anyhow)

I dont know heaps about the r6 variations other than that they have
released new models in 99,00,01 and 03.

An 03 is out of the question as Im not willing to spend that much. An 02
is a waste of extra $$ as it is just a newer 01.

Im really after the most forgiving model (to compensate for my lack of
skillz ;p). Is there much difference between the year models in terms of
how forgiving the bike is?

So do I want a 99, 00 or 01 model? As I have mentioned, price is
probably the foremost issue although if an 00 is more forgiving than a
99, id be prepared to pay more...

can anyone help me out with some advice?

Thanks in advance

jeff

Are you in Melbourne?

If so, send me an email as I may be able to help you out.

Jules


"Jeff Peters" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi guys
> I was after some advice on a track bike.
>
> Im riding at a level where I feel I could push my bike harder on the
> track but am unwilling to as it is my primary mode of transport and the
> risk outweighs the reward.
>
> I have been thinking about getting a second bike that I could thrash
> around the track once or twice a month and if I throw it into the kitty
> litter, Im not left without transport and Im not left cash strapped as I
> can repair it at my own leisure.
>
> To this end, I have been contemplating an r6 for the following reasons:
>
> * theres high market availability so less perfect ones are reasonably
> well priced
> * lots of wogs smash them up so wreckers have an abundance of spares
> * reasonably track focussed bike
>
> Ideally I'd be looking for a 2nd hand r6 with no mechanical/structural
> problems but damaged fairings to reduce price (id replace with
> fibreglass straight away anyhow)
>
> I dont know heaps about the r6 variations other than that they have
> released new models in 99,00,01 and 03.
>
> An 03 is out of the question as Im not willing to spend that much. An 02
> is a waste of extra $$ as it is just a newer 01.
>
> Im really after the most forgiving model (to compensate for my lack of
> skillz ;p). Is there much difference between the year models in terms of
> how forgiving the bike is?
>
> So do I want a 99, 00 or 01 model? As I have mentioned, price is
> probably the foremost issue although if an 00 is more forgiving than a
> 99, id be prepared to pay more...
>
> can anyone help me out with some advice?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> jeff
>

> You must be mistaken... no self-respecting Wog would be seen dead on a
> 600...

you must be mistaken if you think lots of wogs have self respect.
i know lots of wogs with 600s. probably too busy paying off the loan on
their mr2/bmw3ser/skyline/wankmobile that they couldnt afford the r1.


> Yeah, I suppose someone might've made a passing mention of World Supersport
> racing at one of the early project planning meetings... pray tell, what
> would be a "firmly track-focussed bike" on your planet?

I meant as far as production bikes go. I was using the term "fairly
track focussed" as opposed to a race bike like the rs250.
Sorry my wording was not quite up to your standards.


> Isn't this statement a little bit at odds with what you opened the post
> with...

No. I dont think so. I said that I COULD push my bike harder. My bike is
my primary mode of transport and theres a limit to where I feel
comfortable pushing it and feeling confident that Ill be able to ride
home from the track. I dont for a second have the misconception that im
a competitive racer. I know that if i wasnt so worried about decking it,
ive got an extra 5 seconds in me without too much extra pushing.


> Wtf's a "forgiving" bike supposed to be? Something you jump on, nail
> the throttle, and_don't_end up in the weeds?


Im not sure forgiving was the best word for what I was trying to
describe. I recall reading reviews where a lot of the instability and
twitchiness of a previous years model was reportedly toned down a lot.
I think this would be more preferable for me. This was really what I was
trying to convey.


> 2. Go out and ride an R6 to see if it suits your style. They're far from
> bikes you can just jump on and ride; plenty of people have test ridden them,
> then used "toey" and "nervous" to describe them before they scampered off to
> the soothing confines of their '98 FireBlades... you could say they're not
> "forgiving", if you will.

I appreciate that but then plenty of people have reviewed them and
called them exemplary machines with *a1* everything, it just depends on
what publication.


> 3. Go out and ride a ZX-6R, a GSX-R600, and a CBR600, see if any of them
> like you any more than the R6.
ive ridden a zzr6, cbr6f4i and an r6 before. The r6 is the only one I
havent taken for a decent run where I could get a good feel of how it
handled...so i couldnt really get a great feel of whether it liked me or
not. The zzr6 was a bit clunky but the f4i was a bike i would call quite
forgiving. it held nice lines and felt quite stable and solid at all
times once id made the rear quite hard and reduced the rebound.



> 4. Crashed R6's can be a cat in a bag. Because they're so tightly packed,
> and because Yamaha achieved a lot of the R6's lightness by using
> revolutionary aluminium-cheese alloys, they don't stack well... welds on the
> subframe pop, bottom triple clamps can crack, and engine sidecovers
> desintegrate, which can lead to all sorts of crap ending up rattling around
> inside the cases.

thanks for the heads up. its something ill definitely make sure to check
out if i look at a damaged bike.


Jeff

No. In sydney.

But id still love to hear what you've got to say.
You want I should send that email anyway?

Jeff

Jules wrote:
> Are you in Melbourne?
>
> If so, send me an email as I may be able to help you out.
>
> Jules

"Intact Kneeslider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bgkhtl$pnquk$(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Jeff Peters" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > Hi guys
> > I was after some advice on a track bike.
...snip
> > * reasonably track focussed bike
>
> Yeah, I suppose someone might've made a passing mention of World Supersport
> racing at one of the early project planning meetings... pray tell, what
> would be a "firmly track-focussed bike" on your planet?
...snip
> > Im really after the most forgiving model
> > (to compensate for my lack of skillz ;p).
>
> Isn't this statement a little bit at odds with what you opened the post
> with...
>
> > Im riding at a level where I feel I could push my bike
> > harder on the track but am unwilling to as it is my primary
> > mode of transport and the risk outweighs the reward.
>
> Wtf's a "forgiving" bike supposed to be? Something you jump on, nail the
> throttle, and_don't_end up in the weeds? If you're looking for the bike to
> soak up your ham-fisted control inputs and compensate for your ignoring the
> feedback from the tyres and the suspension, aren't you coming at the whole
> thing completely arse-about? Isn't the whole name of the game to read what
> the bike's doing under you, reconcile that with where and how fast you want
> the bike to go and work the controls to suit...?
>

I see harsh week isn't over yet....

JL
(put down that keyboard and turn around slowly IK and no one'll get hurt...)

nah I was just gonna try to sell you mine ;-)
It's a 2000 R6, registered and roadworthy, some cracks in the original
fairings and comes with raceglass.. I only half-assedly want to sell it so
am not really planning on advertising it anywhere. Looks a little like
this: http://jules.com.au/gallery/winton

Jules

"Jeff Peters" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> No. In sydney.
>
> But id still love to hear what you've got to say.
> You want I should send that email anyway?
>
> Jeff
>
> Jules wrote:
> > Are you in Melbourne?
> >
> > If so, send me an email as I may be able to help you out.
> >
> > Jules
>

"Intact Kneeslider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bgktcf$olaen$(E-Mail Removed)...
> "John Littler" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >
> > "Intact Kneeslider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >
> > > <snip-me constructively condescending the abrasive newbie>
> >
> > I see harsh week isn't over yet....
>
> Hell, at the rate we're going, Harsh Week will outlast the war on terror and
> cops' picking on loud pipes up the Old Rd...

THAT long ? Oh dear ! We'd better rename it "harsh century" then ?

Besides I could have sworn I saw a wave of caring sharing group hugs come over
this group momentarily the other day...

JL
(or was that merely a pipe dream Kubla Khan* ?)

>I got a lot of coffe and donuts in me, don't push me!

*Obscure literary allusion to make up for the fact I've no idea what that
obviously American quote was out of (Simpsons ? Some obscure Yankee cop movie ?)

John Littler wrote in message ...
>"Intact Kneeslider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:bgkugr$pjbib$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Although, there_was_some group hugging going on IRC yesterday evening, I
>> believe... :-)
>
>Errrm, I must get around to dropping in on the IRC.Come to think of it,
I've
>never been real sure about the etiquette on IRC - oh well I'm sure you guys
will
>resoundingly tell me to eff off regardless :-)
>
>JL
>(not expecting the group hugs to last :-)
>
I'd like to find aus.karate and get in for my chop.
Clem

> I got a lot of coffe and donuts in me, don't push me!
>
> (a tub of hommous to whoever places_that_quote!)


Fear of a Black Hat!

God I love that movie.

"Jules" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> > I got a lot of coffe and donuts in me, don't push me!
> >
> > (a tub of hommous to whoever places_that_quote!)
>
> Fear of a Black Hat!
>
> God I love that movie.

:-)

Will that be strips of pita bread or just plain old boring Schkippie
crackers with that tub of hommous, Jules?

"See, I even gotta brudda over here drawin' the stuff, courtroom-style..."