(Off)Track Day

Sunday was supposed to be my first track day. My friend invited me to a small course at Fuji speedway. I spent saturday refitting my cleaned carbs after chasing a fuel leak.

ready n waiting

We gathered at his place in the AM. He was on his Yamaha R6 and his friend came on his 400cc supermoto.

the gang before departure

The ride from Atsugi to Gotemba took less than an hour on the tollway. The rain hit us pretty hard, and we stopped at a convenience store for a bit.

taking cover from the rain

Unfortunately we were informed the track was closed for a private event, ack! The rain continued pretty hard, so his friend strapped my bike up in his van.

I got a glimpse of Fuji Speedway before heading back.

a wet and somber fuji

We grabbed a bite at O.M.G. Burgers in Sagamihara, good size and decent prices.

The van driver was nice enough to inform me that my mandatory insurance had expired last month. I asked him if I really needed a new one. He motioned with his hands being cuffed,  if the police saw my old sticker on my plate. I rushed to my insurance agent and got a shiny new one.

 So although I didn't get my track time I was eagerly anticipating, the day wasn't a total waste.

Testing RAM mount camera

Mounted my RAM mount on the CB400 and decided to try out the camera. Unfortunately it can only capture this perspective, hopefully the swivel one for the NSR will work out better.

DIY: Fuel overflow catch tank (Gas catch can)

I'm going to the circuit soon, and they require a catch tank for fuel. In the event that your bike goes down, you don't want it to spill fuel on the track. A fuel catch tank routes the overflow points to one place, preventing spillage. I did the following on my NSR (mc21) but you can follow similar steps for your bike.


Step 1. Find a container
Avoid plastic as gas can eat through it. I got a can of Pocari on a hot day, two birds with one stone!

Pocari Sweat: Tastes better than it sounds

Step 2. Remove gas tank and air box

Step 3. Remove carburetor breather hoses
These should not be connected to anything, as they vent atmospherically.

Step 4. Connect new hoses (3x)
To carburetor breather vents, and gas tank overflow.

New hoses (clear) leading to bottom left of radiator

new hose (clear) from gas tank overflow

Step 5. Drill holes in your catch can and mount. 
I drilled four:
-two for carb breathers
-one for gas tank overflow
-one for venting

mounted to the frame with elastic bands

Step 6. Insert lines 
Feed lines to the bottom of the can

Step 7. Replace airbox and fuel tank

done

COST: ¥980 

• Pocari Sweat ¥120
• Lines ¥400
• Clamps ¥180
• Elastic Band ¥280

It's a relatively simple and cheap job. We'll see how it holds up on the track. I'll post any edits/updates at the top if something could be improved.

NSR: Fixing Oil Leaks

My NSR is over 20 years old. That means that its parts have been through more than 20 cycles of being frozen (winter) and thawed (spring). This can cause havoc to rubber and plastic parts. It's important to keep an especially close eye on rubber hoses that might leak gas, oil, or coolant.

I found that my oil intake system was leaking a bit, visible cracks could e seen on the hose from 2t oil tank to the pump, as well as the T-coupling.

Parts replaced:
55105-KV3-830 Joint Oil Tube
55107-KV3-830 Joint Oil Strainer

the guilty T-coupling: 55105-KV3-830

cracks in the old hose

new hose: 55107-KV3-830

leak free... for now

I replaced the parts with oil still in the tank. It was messy but I kept the tank topped off so as to not let any bubbles in the system. Make sure to bleed the oil pump via the oil bleed screw on top of it for added safety. Letting air into the system could lead to seizing the engine.

NSR: Steering Head/Stem Bearing Replacement

My NSR's front end was feeling loose, and there was a clunking sound when depressing the front forks. My friend Uehara-san offered to help replace my steering head bearings. Since mechanics quoted me between ¥30,000-¥50,000, I gladly took him up on it. Here is a brief write-up.

Ordered parts:

91016KT8005 - Headpipe bearing

91051KT8005 - Headpipe bearing

53214371010 - Dust seal

53214KA4701 - Dust seal

Torque values can be found at http://www.dreamgate.ne.jp

At Uehara's house, changing some tires on his yamaha r6 for the track. His friend came with his r6 as well.

 Removed the top bridge

Jacked up the front via the right-side chamber

sorry chamber, your the best!

 Removed front wheel pinch bolts and axle shaft

 Removed front wheel

 Unbent tabs and removed steering head top collar

Removed steering stem

very naked, bordering on paraplegia

Removed top and bottom races

used a flathead and hammer to get em out

out with the old...

in with the new

We decided to leave the bottom race/dust seal on. It was relatively free of nicks and damage, and quite a pain to replace so we let it be.

Inserted new races and greased (bottom not pictured)

 Inserted new bearings and greased (bottom not pictured)

After install, we put the parts back on in the order we took them off and torqued to value.

Rode it back today. The steering feels much more solid and the clunking sound is gone. Really happy with it. And we made some plans to hit the circuit soon.

Total cost: ~¥4,000 + six-pack of Corona

Aprilia rs50: Happy Muffler-Day!

That is, if you love your bike. And my friend Marcus surely does. He has an Aprilia rs50 and the bike is in pretty decent condition. But the stock muffler is shot.

So I found a very nice Arrow chamber with carbon fiber silencer on Yahoo! auctions. It came from another 1995 rs50 (ZD4MMA), so would fit his bike fine. A few days later it came in the mail. Unfortunately I saw that the heat wrap was covering up the "as is" part of the sale, rust!

rust! 

The one point near the inlet would need fixing. Fortunately I was headed to Nagano for a welding course, so I decided to bring the chamber along with me.

cruising down the highway with this sticking out and getting strange looks

Our teacher cut off the end and welded it up like a pro, now it's very sturdy and airtight.

I threw on a layer of hi-temp paint, and gave it to Marcus yesterday. He was more than happy with the exhaust.

looking good

Love this suit!!

Got myself a christmas present while visiting the states a few months back. A brand new Dainese 1-piece full leather suit: Model Laguna Seca. Still puts a smile on my face when I see it hanging. Can't wait to ride with it on the track as it fits like a glove.