I bought 2 bikes (1 running, 1 mainly for parts) to build a track bike. I had a proposed bet that I wouldnt be able to get the bike on track for less than a grand (net cost). The current cost of the bike is at $770, but I still have a ton of parts to sell, so after it's all done, ill recalculate the cost.

The list of parts currently on the bike/ will go on the bike are:

-04 ex250 running bike: 180
-02 r6 front end, 2 into 1 exhaust, and woodcraft rearsets: 55
-brembo front master: 60
-air pod: 41.34
-rejet kit: 83.90
-gsxr rear shock: 30
-fork seals (r6): 21.95
-fork oil (r6): 14
-steering head bearings (r6 to 250 adapt): 54.19
-shell rotella t6: 23.28
-oil filter: 6.25
-2010 250r complete rear: 200

current total: 769.91

____________________________________
Starting off, here are pics of the running 04 that was a little banged up and the 99 rolling chassis. I bought the 99 because it was pretty much a complete minus a gas tank. Salvaged the r6 front end with woodcraft clip ons, steel braided brake lines, wood craft rear sets, 2 into 1 exhaust from it. The third pic is with the r6 front removed.

I pressed tapered roller bearings into the steering stem after removing the stock 250 triple and front forks. you need to remove the races from inside the steering tube before you can put the new races in. We used a hammer and a metal rod to get them out. Then we used a socket that fit right into the steering tube (but large enough to not harm the race) and hammered the new ones in.

Sorry I didnt take pics of that process, but it is very straight forward. Pull em out, hammer the new ones in. I have pics of the front end on the bike though.

We also rejetted the carbs with the factory pro rejet kit. Also forgot to take pics at this point -.- set everything to the "mid" setting of what was in the kit.

Popped off the stock exhaust and bolted in the new 2 into 1. A friend left me the baffles from his R1 and we hammered that on as the new exhaust tip.

Almost forgot, the parts numbers for the ALL BALLS new tapered roller bearings are: 99-3515-5 and 99-3521-5. Thats top and bottom. You can go to their website to see what other steering tube diameters are the same.

A pic attached of what they look like.

Next we worked on getting the 2006 gsxr rear shock on to the 2010 250r complete rear. We had to grind down the interior of the lower section of the shock to get it to fit. We also drilled the shock in order to get the bolt through. Spacers were added to the dogbones in order for the shock to clear the dog bones. In order to fit the gsxr rear shock into the 04 frame, you will also need to modify the part that holds the battery tray/top of shock. We just cut that off. The pregens have a nut welded on the end, we took that off as well in order to feed the bolt from the gsxr shock through it. You will need some to shim the spacing inbetween b/c it will come up about 2mm too thin. The rest of the 2010 rear just matched right up.

All of this was done for adjustable rear suspension and for the use of adding rear spools. Also swapped out the old kickstand with the 2010 one.

Here is what we currently have done.

Still need to change the oil and filter, change out spark plugs, make a new battery tray/something to hold the battery, re route some wiring, get a new coolant reservoir and relocate it, swap out stock brake master for brembo brake master. and a few other things I dont remember cuz its 5am.

The r6 front gets in the way of the stock gas tank a bit, so I am currently waiting on one of the ninjette members for pics of their custom tank (so i can buy it :D).

Here are pics of the bike as of tonight. Ill update as I do more.

Feel free to ask any questions

Great thread!!!

ive been waiting for another thread like this !! awesome !!

ive been waiting for another thread like this !! awesome !!

I should be putting on the brembo front on wednesday. I will keep you guys updated with each part I add on.

:popcorn: :thumbup:

Finally got around to mounting the brembo front master.

Took the steel braided line off the front that was already on the old nissin front brake master/container and just tightened the banjo on to the new brembo. At I didnt have a mount for the reservoir so I fabbed one from spare parts and scrap that my friend had in his garage. Very basic swap.

One of my rider friends is a sales manager for fairings and cnc parts so he hooked me up with new adjustable rearsets. These took some figuring out because they didnt come with instructions and honestly were a bit of a pain in the ass to get fitted exactly where i wanted everything. The included steel braided line from the old rear was also a pain because I needed different angled banjos, but I just kept fiddling with it until it seated fine. I had to cut some of the rubber tubing from the reservoir to the rear master brake cylinder. Everything else was a straight bolt in.

Bled the rear and front cylinders. both grab really nicely, especially the brembo. The front lever feels very nice

At the moment, the kickstand gets in the way of the shifter. The old bolts were just a bit too fat, so I ground them away until they were enough to clear the shifter. The new kickstand also pokes out further than the old style. I am going to take the old kick stand, cut off the metal triangle that is on there for riders to use to put the kickstand down. Then I have to grind down the part that holds the spring in place and make a new groove, because that also gets in the way.

Will be getting new spark plugs and hope that fixes the current idle issue. If it doesnt, I will pull the carbs and readjust the jet settings. still waiting on the gas tank as well.

Great thead. Can't wait for the finished product.

The 2-1 R6 exhaust is a direct fit to the EX250J engine?

Great thead. Can't wait for the finished product.

The 2-1 R6 exhaust is a direct fit to the EX250J engine?

The exhaust actually is not off an R6. It came with the other frame I bought that had the r6 front. After some research, it appears to be a old 2 into 1 exhaust yoshimura made for the ninjas. It fit right into the old exhaust mounts.

something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/KAWASAKI-1988-2007-EX250-EX-250-NINJA-AFTERMARKET-YOSHIMURA-MUFFLER-EXHAUST-PIPE-/200995890232?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ecc49e438&vxp=mtr

but the previous owner did a nasty weld to have an old can on the headers/mid pipe. I simply cut off that section, hammered on the baffles from an r1 and then sawed off the end to make it smooth again.

The exhaust also gets in the way of oil filter changes. Every time I change the oil, I will have to drop the exhaust.

The exhaust also gets in the way of oil filter changes. Every time I change the oil, I will have to drop the exhaust.

i have a bike like that. i just put tin foil over the exhaust as a kind of funnel around it down into the drain pan. fold the sides up so it doesnt run off

i have a bike like that. i just put tin foil over the exhaust as a kind of funnel around it down into the drain pan. fold the sides up so it doesnt run off

Oops, sorry. let me clarify. The exhaust actually runs directly under the oil filter screw cap and blocks complete access to the filter. you cannot remove the filter at all unless the exhaust is dropped. seems counterproductive for an aftermarket exhaust :\

Any updates?

Any updates?

sorry, havent worked on the 250 in a while. my friend was out of town and I just crashed my 600rr at the snake yesterday.

Also still waiting for the guy with the gas tank to email me pics! As soon as I get the gas tank, I will make another post

sorry, havent worked on the 250 in a while. my friend was out of town and I just crashed my 600rr at the snake yesterday.

This isn't you (in the ditch at about 1:00) - is it?

yxudvk22w_4

This isn't you (in the ditch) - is it?

yxudvk22w_4

That is me in the ditch :| not sure what the tire pressure was. going to check that tonight. frosty the snowman got iced on that ride sigh.

That is me in the ditch :| not sure what the tire pressure was. going to check that tonight. frosty the snowman got iced on that ride sigh.
Bummer. Hopefully you weren't hurt.

Bummer. Hopefully you weren't hurt.

physically fine. financially in a hole :P

crap happens. glad i had the one piece suit on. best investment for riding ever

Just posting a quick update. Friend has been busy and so have I, sorting out bills and trying to sell parts to get more funding for this bike/ fixing the cbr.

I went over and put the stock gas tank back on. Same problem as before, but now I have pictures. The clip ons bump the tank, but not as badly as I initially thought. I put on the tank incorrectly the first time. I will look into using a new gen tank, since the front is more narrow. I hope the clip ons clear. I also noted that the right side hits the radiator hose up top.

One other issue is the rake may not be good for turn in or steering. Leaning through a corner should be fine though. I am going to find the right bolts so I can use the pre gen dog bones to raise the rear (5 inches vs 7.25in I believe from hole to hole). Then I will buy some better spacers for the dog bones as well.

Other than that, there were some idling issues the second time I started it, maybe due to the bike running rich? Swapped out the spark plugs, which were fouled and they were never changed.

As soon as it runs fine, I will post a vid of how it sounds and runs. Then onto fiberglassing the fairings. If I can find a cheap set of nsr250 fairings or rs125r fairings, i may use those. Too bad rc390 track fairings arent out on the market yet :|

Okay, I was able to head over and get a LOT of stuff done today. Sorry, but I forgot to take a lot of pictures during the process.

First off, the goal of today was to relocate the wiring harness components so they sat clean. After all, once you remove the airbox and the rear tire mud guard, many of the components are free floating. I was able to do this by using sheet metal (the thin kind for ducts/vents) and zip ties. Cut the sheet metal to desired size and use the existing bolt holes to mount the sheet metal. I used normal 10mm bolts and nuts to mount these. Btw, it is easier to punch holes with a metal hole punch than trying to use a sharp rod and hammer. the holes also come out a lot cleaner. I mounted much of the electronics UNDER the metal pan I made because the seat would sit flush otherwise. The only things on top of the sheet metal are the rectifier and one of the boxes.

After removing the airbox and having the gsxr shock mod, the battery really has no where to be mounted. So i used an aluminum tray (came from the other bike I bought) and a steel flat rod and fabricated/frankensteined a new battery holder. I used 2 L brackets to hold that in place. Simple drilling of holes and zip ties to hold it in place. Bolts for the heavy duty stuff of course. I mounted the battery to the two holes on both sides of the bike. All the wires are placed nicely and zip tied on to the frame so they arent in the way.

I also relocated the coolant reservoir up to the front, next to the radiator and engine. I will look into a smaller container so it sits more flush.

All of the relocating was done so it is easier to: adjust the rear shock at track and so the seat will lock in flush.

Tomorrow I will test fit a new gen gas tank on the bike and *fingers crossed* hope it fits well so I dont need to cut anything.

I will also try to remember to post a video up with how it sounds. I need to tweak it. Its running rich and the throttle isnt quite as responsive as Id like

Got a lot done today! I think the bike is getting close to being rideable on the street.

First thing we did today was take off my friend's new gen tank and try to fit it on the bike. I noticed that there are A LOT of alignment and fitment issues between the new gen and the pregen frame/tanks. The rubber grommets on the old gen seat lower, and the bracket that holds the tank in place is farther forward. The petcock gets in the way, but it might be possible to put on a different one for fitment. After a while, it seemed like this wouldnt be the best way to go.

Next, I tried rejetting the carbs because it kept dying when I blipped the throttle. pulled the needles and put the clip on 2nd position. Feeds better and great at high rpms. lower rpms still a little odd. idle mixture screws at 2.5 turns out.

After, I worked on the zip tie throttle mod. By adding a zip tie to the circumference of the throttle, it is supposed to make the turn to wide open throttle faster. I wont know the difference until i actually test ride the bike. First cut a 3 inch strip of zip tie (pic shows black, but I ended up using a white on because it was wider) and sand down the edges to angle them. Use super glue to hold it in place. Re attach the throttle cables and re assemble the unit.

The next thing we tried to address was the rake of the front forks. It looked a little too far out for a 250. So I figured, raise the rear and it should fix that issue. I crafted my own dog bones (which ended up not working -.-) by using 1/4 in steel bar. draw the shape, cut it down, use a grinding wheel to shape and a drill press to make the holes. Unfortunately, the gsxr shock proved too fat for such a mod, but I think these would work on stock shocks. It raises the rear by about 2inches. Instead of raising the rear, we dropped the front. Moved the clip ons above the triple and dropped the forks about 1/2 in down. This seemed to fix a multitude of problems. First, the rake was better than before. Best of all, the steering clearance issue with the gas tank got a lot better as well. It turns better than before by a long shot, but I am debating on dropping it another 1/4 in.

Lastly, I took the turn key ignition from the other bike I bought and mounted it on to the triple. seems to fit nicely, but I will have to make sure the gauges I put on clear this part.

made a list of all the costs/ money recouped on the project so far. it comes up to about 578. pending sale on more parts that may bring the cost down to 278.

this thread is downright inspirational, the fact that this can be done on such a tight budget means that I could do it on the same budget + an engine/engine rebuild.

Where did you end up buying the new gen rear end from? I'm in the LA area as well and I havent had any luck with CL lol.

this thread is downright inspirational, the fact that this can be done on such a tight budget means that I could do it on the same budget + an engine/engine rebuild.

It can definitely be done for cheap. You just have to find the right parts bikes and talk the price down. A lot of aftermarket parts I got happened to be off parts bikes. Then be patient and re sell what you arent using :)

Where did you end up buying the new gen rear end from? I'm in the LA area as well and I havent had any luck with CL lol.

Im near the 57/60 freeways and I had to travel up to palmdale to get it. Came across a listing with a parts 250 that was wrecked. I went up there and talked to the guy and helped him pull the entire thing apart. I had made an offer of 250 over the phone beforehand but he gave it to me for 200 after I helped him out

It can definitely be done for cheap. You just have to find the right parts bikes and talk the price down. A lot of aftermarket parts I got happened to be off parts bikes. Then be patient and re sell what you arent using :)

yea, the fact that it's reasonable means that I can rebuild my 250 for track use though the first step is still engine work which I still know entirely too little about though I have been learning bit by bit over the last few months tinkering with it (bottom end rebuild)

Getting suspension, front end, newgen rear end would be pretty easy and cheap with some stops to the right junkyards. Not to mention that after rebuilding an engine everything else would become incredibly easy.

I don't see myself doing any track days until june/july unless I get lucky so that leaves 5 months or so to get the bike prepped since I don't want to risk my 300 on a track where insurance doesn't cover me and I'd still have a year of payments on it if I were to crash. If I crash my 250 then oh well just rebuild it again.

yea, the fact that it's reasonable means that I can rebuild my 250 for track use though the first step is still engine work which I still know entirely too little about though I have been learning bit by bit over the last few months tinkering with it (bottom end rebuild)

Getting suspension, front end, newgen rear end would be pretty easy and cheap with some stops to the right junkyards. Not to mention that after rebuilding an engine everything else would become incredibly easy.

I don't see myself doing any track days until june/july unless I get lucky so that leaves 5 months or so to get the bike prepped since I don't want to risk my 300 on a track where insurance doesn't cover me and I'd still have a year of payments on it if I were to crash. If I crash my 250 then oh well just rebuild it again.

This has to be ready by March 29 for streets of willow. doing two days back to back.

Id also stick to craigslist because its the cheapest option. salvage yards and shops tend to be pricier, unless you know someone who works there ;D

and what insurance do you have? my friends got their bikes completely covered because it wasnt a timed event or a race. and they werent paid off either

This has to be ready by March 29 for streets of willow. doing two days back to back.

Id also stick to craigslist because its the cheapest option. salvage yards and shops tend to be pricier, unless you know someone who works there ;D

and what insurance do you have? my friends got their bikes completely covered because it wasnt a timed event or a race. and they werent paid off either

I have state farm which gives me by far the best street coverage that I can get (I am an insurance whore) but the tradeoff is that I'm not covered on a "racetrack" I may be able to abuse a loophole if the laps aren't timed but I want timed laps and I don't want to risk that. I know some insurance companies do cover track days. rider insurance does, and is cheaper but they max out at 250/500k for me while state farm gives me over $1mil in liability & underinsured.

Im near the 57/60 freeways and I had to travel up to palmdale to get it. Came across a listing with a parts 250 that was wrecked. I went up there and talked to the guy and helped him pull the entire thing apart. I had made an offer of 250 over the phone beforehand but he gave it to me for 200 after I helped him out

Ahh, so more waiting for me until I get desperate and eBay everything

SOOOO here's a little idea of what I will be trying to attach to the bike sometime in the next week or two. such a pain in the butt. Used a saws all to remove the muffler portion of the exhaust (which i got for free from one of my fellow riders yay). now im trying to figure out how i will attach it to the rest of the exhaust.. ideas welcome.

Today I readjusted jet settings and it runs a lot better. not lean anymore and throttle is giving better response. also no backfiring anymore.

heres a vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQlUyu5Xi70

Been a while since last update. Busy with new job etc etc.

Forgot to take pics of the process. This is what is done this time:
-hotbodies growler mgp exhaust
-cbr600rr rear race cowl on oem seat tray

used a stripped ninja 250 seat pan, lined up the cbr tail. drilled holes in the tray and rear cowl to bolt down. also used zip ties to hold it in place.

growler ehxaust was a pain to fit. i had to get copper piping to make up for the different sizes. since i cant weld copper to titanium (no tools), i drilled holes into the pipe/exhaust and used bolts to hold it in place. then i put on the slip on, tightened it down, made an exhaust bracket holder from scrap L bracket.

heres a vid on how it sounds: http://youtu.be/4uEHGM4zlcY

did it sound stock with the r1 baffle?

did it sound stock with the r1 baffle?

Heres how it sounded without the growler slip on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQlUyu5Xi70

neither vid really gives you a true idea of how loud the bike is though. definitely will hear it on track. the r1 baffle tip is more piercing whereas the slip on quiets it down

been a busy week with grad school apps and work.

track day is NEXT WEEKEND. so its really coming down to the wire. having some issues with the speedo bc now it shuts off once the bike starts up. but it was working properly before... dont know whats up.

i finally got a front fairing for the bike and did some spray painting yesterday/ today. still need to take off the carbs and adjust jet settings once more (ill do that today). then get foam seating/ tank grips for the bike as well. all this plus wiring UGH.

also included a running cost sheet. sorry this time wasnt more detailed with the process. sprayed the primer, taped up after a few coats of clear, then sprayed the secondary patterns, more clear coat. let it dry. drilled some holes for mounting etc. bolted all of it in. the front hole where the headlight goes is where my gopro mount will be :D

costs

That has got to be one of the most original looking pregens I have ever seen. How did your track day go? How does the bike run/feel?

That has got to be one of the most original looking pregens I have ever seen. How did your track day go? How does the bike run/feel?

track day will be this coming weekend at streets of willow. going with Los Angeles Motorcycle Riders (march 29/30). ill know how it handles once i get on SoW. front is 120 and rear is 140 so i hope the turn in is still sharp enough.

currently bike is lagging mid range for a hot second. going to tweak the jet settings one last time. got the speedo to work too :D

tweaked the idle mixture screws on the 250, runs better.

also, special gopro mounting area :D

track coming up this sat at Streets of Willow Springs.

just about have everything ready now. Finished painting everything, and just bought a ton of seat/tank foam from HTmoto. there minor things i need to add later. I will post a vid of the track day/ more photos in better lighting and details after track.

this time: blue loctited a few more bolts down. traced and cut the foam to the right sizes, peeled off the backing and stuck em on. for the seat i had to do the same but drill holes to zip tie it down and keep it in place. sorry for lack of progression pics, but i really needed this to be done before friday, which is when im taking off for track.

heres what it looks like as of right now

after riding this at streets of willow, i have made the decision to swap the front end from r6 to inverted gsxr forks. this means 2 calipers and rotors to my current 1 and also more tuning options for suspension.

already got the complete gsxr front. will be updating soon

looking forward to seeing the new front end.

or track video.

Here is the new gsxr 750 front end. need to readjust quite a few things. but at least it is mounted. i will edit some track vids and throw them up here when i get the chance

Seriously you are great. I have a naked two thousand two crash victim that has three thousand five hundred miles and love the idea of a bigger front end.
I cant wait to hear about how it rides or even see video. :cool: Thank you for the thread!

interesting, how much had to be changed between the R6 and GSXR front ends

Seriously you are great. I have a naked two thousand two crash victim that has three thousand five hundred miles and love the idea of a bigger front end.
I cant wait to hear about how it rides or even see video. :cool: Thank you for the thread!

my pleasure. so far there are minor tank clearance issues and the rake angle may or may not be off. i cant lower the front anymore otherwise the triple wont hold the forks in place. ill see if my friends have footage up of me (with teh r6 front)

interesting, how much had to be changed between the R6 and GSXR front ends

it is an entire front end swap. as in i bought a gsxr front with: triples, forks, clip ons, rim, rotors, calipers.

you can swap all hand controls tho: grips, clutch, brake, throttle etc

it is an entire front end swap. as in i bought a gsxr front with: triples, forks, clip ons, rim, rotors, calipers.

you can swap all hand controls tho: grips, clutch, brake, throttle etc

Yeah I just meant you had the R6 unit and now the GSXR unit and was curious if one required alot more work than the other :thumbup:

Yeah I just meant you had the R6 unit and now the GSXR unit and was curious if one required alot more work than the other :thumbup:

OH haha. It is the same process as installing the r6 front.

You will need to buy tapered bearings, remove the old race, drive in the new bearing. The just elevate the front end of the 250, slide out old front, slide in new front. adjust as desired. Its pretty straightforward/ not too difficult as long as you have the space.

Having the right tools (especially the bearing driver) will make this a 30 min - 1hour job vs a few days

~~~quick clip of the bike on the track (with the r6 front):

vNf6J_gKTt8

excuse my bad riding. i can come up with a multitude of excuses, except i know im just bad :P level 2, streets of willow, first time ccw

in terms of handling: i would say the r6 front is significantly stiffer than the 250 front and more stable. having the option to adjust settings is such a huge plus. the larger brake rotor/caliper and steel braided lines also gives better braking vs stock 250 brakes. turn in is just as sharp, the 120 wheel doesnt feel any bigger to me. the woodcraft clip ons are adjustable to height and angle, so you can make this as aggressive as you would like.

the mods to the airbox/exhaust were noticeable. even though the bike was not rejetted perfectly, i was able to pull up on other 250s (cbrs and ninjas) that had just slip ons or were stock. i also outweighed those ladies by a good 50-75 lbs. i guess it also helps that i removed a ton of stock weight from the bike

The rear suspension was definitely stiffer than normal. no sagging but absorbed all the bumps. also needs to be dialed in for my riding style and weight.

the biggest gripe i have is that the stock seat prevents me from scooting back from the tank. the banana style curves up about 3-4 inches closer than the cbr 250 or new gen 250 seats. so i bought a gsxr seat, might buy a nsr 250 rear race cowl, and will adjust that accordingly. Body positioning felt uncomfortable all day. this may not be an issue if youre shorter than 5'10'' but im not 100% sure.

Next plans are to either get new adjustable clip ons or use the stock gsxr ones. need to find a gas tank or do something so the steering clears the tank. adjust the seating. rejet the carbs to a bigger main and pilot and readjust needle height. its too finicky at the different elevations and im afraid it will crap out on me mid ride

I didn't think I would get to see a crash too. Looks like a lot of fun on the track. I will think about changing my seat. I don't plan on touring on this bike.

woah someone went and did the embedding for me, thanks haha!

I didn't think I would get to see a crash too. Looks like a lot of fun on the track. I will think about changing my seat. I don't plan on touring on this bike.

that crash was a pucker moment. came out of 3 and lowside in front of me.

i almost ate it in the skidpad when i was leaning off the bike. back end slid out because of a bump, but luckily the bike was light enough that my knee draggin a few inches sideways (unintentional -.-) allowed the rear to regain traction

woah someone went and did the embedding for me, thanks haha!

Yup - you caught me. ;) Hit quote on your post and you'll see how I did it; you just need to put the video ID within the youtube tags and it will work fine; you can't put the whole URL in there.

Yup - you caught me. ;) Hit quote on your post and you'll see how I did it; you just need to put the video ID within the youtube tags and it will work fine; you can't put the whole URL in there.

omg it all makes sense now lol. i was wondering why it wouldnt work before. thanks!!