Paulie's FZ-07 SP: MotoGP Edition

[gregjet]

After replying to your post I went out on the 07 to see what would make me stick my upper knee out. Here is what I found makes me do it. It may not be the same for you ( esp in leathers).
If I TWIST my body to get my head over the inside bar line, my upper leg seems to go up. If I slide my backside so the outside cheek is on the inside side of the seat,and resist twisting my body ( ie keep it inline with the bike), my upper leg sticks to the upper tank. Might not be the same for you but be worth a look.

[pgeldz]

I'll have a look and concentrate on that next time at the track. Thanks @gregjet !
 

 
- Paulie

[pgeldz]

Nothing like a friendly battle on the track!
 
Had a nice run with a buddy of mine on his track prepped MV Agusta F3 a few weeks ago at Spring Mountain. He's always about 3-6 seconds faster than me, but this time I was able to stay with him for a couple of laps until I ran off the track trying to keep up, lol.
 
Just when I think I'm making progress and getting closer to his times, he rolls up his sleeves and sets his personal best lap, showing me I still have a lot to learn
 
I do have to say thank you to him though for the tow...I was 3 seconds faster when following him and set my personal best time!
 
 
[video src=https://youtu.be/AJ-3yM8a8_g]
 
 

 
- Paulie

[blackout]

Nice! Thanks for sharing!

[variant90]

What benefit does upsizing the sprocket give??

[pgeldz]

What benefit does upsizing the sprocket give??

In general, faster acceleration. 

 
- Paulie

[variant90]

What benefit does upsizing the sprocket give??

In general, faster acceleration. 

 
- Paulie

 
 
Thanks bud .. Looking to get my bike track ready for this summer, yet still not sure if I should just keep my fz07 as my street bike and maybe pick up a used r6 strictly for the track

[pgeldz]

In general, faster acceleration. 

 
- Paulie

Thanks bud .. Looking to get my bike track ready for this summer, yet still not sure if I should just keep my fz07 as my street bike and maybe pick up a used r6 strictly for the track

I go back and forth with that all the time, lol.  Although, I was thinking of actually downsizing for a dedicated track bike...probably an R3.  I heard they are a hoot on track when properly set up, and the investment is minimal compared to other bikes.  Tires last a whole lot longer too, lol. 
If you do take your FZ-07 on track and go +2 in the rear, it'll be wheelie prone first because of the gear ratio itself, and second because the +2 will make your wheelbase shorter.  
 
The way around it is to add a link in your chain.  That will move your wheelbase towards the end of the adjustment range and you get the best o both worlds...more acceleration without being wheelie-prone.  And if you do get a new chain, I'd go to a 520 instead of the stock 525 and save a little weight in the process.
 

 
- Paulie

[variant90]

Thanks for the info !!

[pgeldz]

Thanks for the info !!

Any time! 

 
 
 

[gregjet]

Paulie,
If you are gonna downsize, what about a KTMRC390R? Lighter than an r3 and much easier on tyres.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3RnWfWWLeI
 

[pgeldz]

Paulie, If you are gonna downsize, what about a KTMRC390R? Lighter than an r3 and much easier on tyres.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3RnWfWWLeI

I originally wanted the KTM RC390, but they just too many issues from the info I've gathered around the paddock.  They run hot, overheat, have issues with head gaskets, etc, as well as just sub par build quality overall.  In my environment of extremely hot weather, I just don't want to take the chance.  Again, this is my impression after talking with folks in the paddock who race them. 
I like the look of it way better than the R3, but still not 100% I'd want to own one.  Also, the power band is similar to the FZ-07 with a lot of low and mid range, so I think I'd want something different and maybe the higher rpm powerband of the R3 would be just the thing.
 
I go back and forth all the time on this, so who knows...I'm still having a ton of fun on the FZ-07
 
- Paulie

[gregjet]

Have you been on a KTM ( 390) forum to check it out. May be a fix already. They have a class racing them in Europe.
Besides the FZ/MT07 isn't exactly quality made and we have made it work. The 390 is made in India ( designed in Austria though) so some iffy quality control is expected. I have not heard of the naked one overheating , even in North Queensland, so the problem may be fairing air flow which could be fixeable. If it is for the track removing the lights and directing at least some of the flow through the radiator could help as well.
Also the KTM's run ridiculously lean stock so a simple reflash MAY fix that and improve the throttle at the same time. I also think the Cat has to go, but that will mean a serious reflash.
http://www.ktmforums.com/forums/rc390/68129-fuel-mapping-2.html . This is a good forum for the other Dukes but the 390 seems a little thin. May be something there to reignite interest. He is using a power commander, but I suspect that isn't the way, as if it is the same as a 690, the ECU has both an open and closed loop system and learns it's way around the PCV.
 

[pgeldz]

Yep, I heard the same thing about the tuning for the RC390. I dunno what I'm gonna do. Right now I'm going to get another set of stock wheels for my FZ-07 so I can mount up my street tires and switch back and forth between the two when I'm not at the track. There have been way too many nice weekends where my bike sits on the stands with tape still on the lights because it's still on race rubber. It's just too fun of a bike not to street ride also
 
I'm still thinking of a dedicated track bike, but aside from the R3, and the R1, there's just not much out right now that I'm interested in (new anyway). Maybe if the 2017 R6 comes out and the rumors it's a triple are true, I'll entertain that but time will tell
 
I had a great track weekend this past weekend but I've been so busy I haven't even had time to post about it, lol. I did beat my best time tho from last month by about .75 of a second, so I'm still improving, but that gains are harder to come by now, LoL.
 

 
- Paulie
 
 

[sorkyah]

Yep, I heard the same thing about the tuning for the RC390. I dunno what I'm gonna do. Right now I'm going to get another set of stock wheels for my FZ-07 so I can mount up my street tires and switch back and forth between the two when I'm not at the track. There have been way too many nice weekends where my bike sits on the stands with tape still on the lights because it's still on race rubber. It's just too fun of a bike not to street ride also  
I'm still thinking of a dedicated track bike, but aside from the R3, and the R1, there's just not much out right now that I'm interested in (new anyway). Maybe if the 2017 R6 comes out and the rumors it's a triple are true, I'll entertain that but time will tell
 
I had a great track weekend this past weekend but I've been so busy I haven't even had time to post about it, lol. I did beat my best time tho from last month by about .75 of a second, so I'm still improving, but that gains are harder to come by now, LoL.
 

 
- Paulie
 

What about something like they striple r or the daytona r for a tracker

[pgeldz]

Yep, I heard the same thing about the tuning for the RC390. I dunno what I'm gonna do. Right now I'm going to get another set of stock wheels for my FZ-07 so I can mount up my street tires and switch back and forth between the two when I'm not at the track. There have been way too many nice weekends where my bike sits on the stands with tape still on the lights because it's still on race rubber. It's just too fun of a bike not to street ride also  
I'm still thinking of a dedicated track bike, but aside from the R3, and the R1, there's just not much out right now that I'm interested in (new anyway). Maybe if the 2017 R6 comes out and the rumors it's a triple are true, I'll entertain that but time will tell
 
I had a great track weekend this past weekend but I've been so busy I haven't even had time to post about it, lol. I did beat my best time tho from last month by about .75 of a second, so I'm still improving, but that gains are harder to come by now, LoL.
 

 
- Paulie
 

What about something like they striple r or the daytona r for a tracker

The STR is supposed to be an 800 cc version in the near future, so that could be an option as I do like the nakeds, LoL, but even at that (and the Daytona R), I wonder about Triumph support, etc. 
I think sticking to the mainstream manufactures make it easier to get replacement parts etc since they are widely raced and parts are readily available.
 
We'll see.  I'm not in a rush as I'm still having a blast with my FZ
 
- Paulie

[sorkyah]

What about something like they striple r or the daytona r for a tracker

The STR is supposed to be an 800 cc version in the near future, so that could be an option as I do like the nakeds, LoL, but even at that (and the Daytona R), I wonder about Triumph support, etc. 
I think sticking to the mainstream manufactures make it easier to get replacement parts etc since they are widely raced and parts are readily available.
 
We'll see.  I'm not in a rush as I'm still having a blast with my FZ
 
- Paulie

 
 
Maybe @phicurious86 will sell you his str and get himself another daytona
 

[phicurious86]

The STR is supposed to be an 800 cc version in the near future, so that could be an option as I do like the nakeds, LoL, but even at that (and the Daytona R), I wonder about Triumph support, etc. 
I think sticking to the mainstream manufactures make it easier to get replacement parts etc since they are widely raced and parts are readily available.
 
We'll see.  I'm not in a rush as I'm still having a blast with my FZ
 
- Paulie

Maybe @phicurious86 will sell you his str and get himself another daytona

I couldn't handle that much sexy.
 
That's probably smart thinking Paulie. Triumph looks to be getting out of the racing side of things altogether.
 

[pgeldz]

Track Day:  ChuckWalla 6/4 and 6/5
 
Got the chance to do some learning this past weekend at Chuckwalla!  They were having an advanced riders course so I decided to check it out.  I was also there because I wanted to test a different rear tire and new lightweight lithium battery.
 
As for the class, it was awesome.  The two instructors showed us the ins and outs of Chuckwalla's layout and accelerated the time it took to get up to speed, although, we didn't go fast at all during the sessions.  I put my lap timer on and I was 5 seconds slower than my personal best, so I came to the understanding that this was strictly a learning day.
 
We covered a bunch of topics, body positioning, braking, etc, but focused mostly on the racing line, and how to make the most of the available tarmac. 
 
Probably best, because it was hot...and when I say hot, I mean 117 degrees hot.  We started at 7am and my sessions were on the hour every hour until 2pm.
 
The class made it to all the sessions including the 11am one, but then we all decided to sit out the next 2 to recharge.
 
 
 
 
Which brings me to the tire testing.  I've been using the stock size of 180/55, but wanted to try a 180/60 because it's available in a softer compound and I wanted the softer compound for this winter when it gets colder out.
 
Well, the byproduct of the 60 series tire is that it's taller, a bunch taller than the 55 series.  I thought I'd have to lower my rear shock to compensate, but after talking with Andy at AP Motoarts (builder of the awesome FZ-07R racebike), I decided to leave my shock as is and here's why...
 
The racebikes Andy's built using the stock fork and triple clamp (not the ones with the custom triple clamp and R6 front end) run the rear shock at 318mm eye to eye (stock is 310mm).  He's also using his rear link which make the back a little taller as well, AND he's using the taller 60 series tire.
 
My rear shock is at 314mm, and I'm using the stock rear link with the 60 series tire so I'm still not as tall in the rear as Andy's bikes.
 
He told me to just swap tires and go, so that's exactly what I did, or tried to do.
 
I put on a brand new set of front and rear tires (60 series rear) during our break from the heat and planned to go out on the last session to see how the bike handled while we were still going in the same counter clockwise direction (Sun was going to be clockwise).
 
Turns out they cancelled the last session because of the heat - it was a recorded 117 degrees outside.  While I didn't get to test the tire that day, I can report that the FZ-07 never overheated, or ran abnormally hot during the extreme heat.  My brain on the other hand, started to suffer, LoL!
 
 
 
Sunday came and this time there was no advanced riders class, just the normal sessions...but in the clockwise direction (my least favorite).  Looking at the record times at this track against all classes, it looks as though the clockwise direction is about .5 - 1.0 seconds slower than counter clockwise on average.  My personal best lap times reflect that too - my best in counter clockwise is a 2:06.94, clockwise is 2:08.57.
 
So here's what I found out in using the 60 series (taller) rear tire.  It's AWESOME!  The bike turns in with slightly less effort, and the one thing I really noticed is that during fast side to side transitions over "The Slide" (a fast chicane style complex over a crest), the front end was much more stable, no doubt do to the rear being taller and putting more weight on the front.  Before, I used to get a shimmy of the front end, like a mini tank slapper, but it was all but gone now.  The other benefit of the taller rear is more ground clearance at full lean angles.
 
So, with all that said, I do have tangible proof that the 60 series is quicker, but more on that in a sec.
 
 
 
 
The other thing I tested was the EarthX lithium battery.  It's the lightest "Drop-In" replacement battery I could find for the OEM Yuasa YTZ-10S at 2.2 lbs (stock is like 9lbs).
 
There are lighter batteries, but they are smaller and require adding foam to secure them in place.  I wanted a direct drop in replacement.  The OEM battery puts out 190 cold cranking amps.  The EarthX puts out 230.  It also doesn't require a special lithium battery charger because all the circuitry is built into the battery allowing you to use a standard charger instead.
 
The install was a snap - plug and play.  As for the effects of the weight savings I can't really answer because the previous session I had zero fuel, and after I installed the battery, I had to gas up, so that probably negated the weight savings as far as back to back testing went.  However, in theory, the weight bias should shift forward and lower since the battery sits up high right in the middle of the bike.
 
 
 
Ok, back to testing...the last session.  i had a full fuel load, the taller 60 series rear, and the lightweight battery.  I took the first part of the session to get up to speed, and then went for some hot laps.  Remember, this was in my slower direction of clockwise where my personal best is a 2:08.57, and that was in good conditions, decent outside temp, etc.
 
My first hot lap bested my previous best and netted a 2:08.38!  I had great drive out of the last corner and was on a real flyer for my next hot lap.  I had my lap timer on predictive +/- mode and about 3/4th of this next lap I briefly look at my lap timer and it reads -1.54!!!  I was about to go a second and a half faster, until I came up on some literbike parking it in the last corner and had to abort the lap.  Still though, I was astounded, not only because I beat my previous best in this direction and almost beat my time in the opposite direction, but because I did it in 115 degree heat!  It didn't really feel like I was pushing too hard to get there and considering how hot it was and my brain melting I still managed to pull some good times.  That's when I knew the changes to the bike worked.
 
Also, the taller rear tire had an effect on gearing and top speed.  In theory, it should make the bike accelerate slower, be less wheelie prone, and have a higher top speed.  I didn't notice any acceleration difference, but my GPS Lap Timer did show an average top speed of 2 mph higher than the 55 series tire, for what it's worth
 
 
 
It was so hot I didn't even get any pics or video this time out, just this one pic right before I went to bed awaiting the weekends activities...
 
Just me and my bike, and the desert sky lit up like a planetarium - tailgating at its finest
 

 
 
 

 
- Paulie
 
 
 
 
 

[howlinhoss]

Nice write up Paulie. An advance course is something I have been looking at. Probably going to do California Super Bike School or Yamaha Racing School.
 
Also good info on raising the rear. I am on the fence about the AP link but I think I will go forward with it to raise the rear.
 
What screen are you using these days?
 

[pgeldz]

Nice write up Paulie. An advance course is something I have been looking at. Probably going to do California Super Bike School or Yamaha Racing School.  
Also good info on raising the rear. I am on the fence about the AP link but I think I will go forward with it to raise the rear.
 
What screen are you using these days?

 
I think I'm going to do Andy's link also, as well as ceramic wheel bearings now that I have a second set of wheels/tires dedicated for the track.
 
I'm also contemplating a quickshifter too.  I had my eye on the Healtech Quickshifter easy for quite some time now so we'll see.  
 
AS far as screens go, I'm still naked.  I still haven't found any I like.  Well, I take that back, I like a few of them, but I guess I just like this bike naked better.
 

 
- Paulie

[panchobullet]

That was an awesome reading for me! So tires speaking, I was thinking to move to a 190/60 when I have a chance but have not been able to find any reviews about it.. What do you think? Keep up the good work, comments and reviews bro!
 
- Pancho

[pgeldz]

That was an awesome reading for me! So tires speaking, I was thinking to move to a 190/60 when I have a chance but have not been able to find any reviews about it.. What do you think? Keep up the good work, comments and reviews bro! 
- Pancho

I wouldn't do a 190.  It's too wide for our 5.5 inch wheel.   
The 180/60 is perfect, and has the added benefit of being taller, which in my recent experience is a welcome change
 
- Paulie

[panchobullet]

Thanks for the quick response bud! I'd take a look to see what option I have in the market for 180/60 tires. Which ones were you on btw?
 
- Pancho

[pgeldz]

Thanks for the quick response bud! I'd take a look to see what option I have in the market for 180/60 tires. Which ones were you on btw? 
- Pancho

 
I'm using Pirelli SuperCorsa SC2's for the track.  It's a DOT approved race tire
 
- Paulie