ninjette.org

Go Back   ninjette.org > 2013 - 2017 Ninja 300 > 2013 - 2017 Ninja 300 General Discussion

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old January 16th, 2016, 12:44 PM   #1
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
300 Race bike build

Hey all, I don't post around here much but I thought I would show my build.













Me and a buddy on a 600 at Blackhawk Farms. Bike was about 1/2 done at this point, no race fairings yet.

Link to original page on YouTube.

K-Tech cartridges, fully adjustable - No skimping in the one place where I want the absolute best I can get. I was going to cheap out and get Racetech emulators, but decided against them due to their limited adjustments. These carts are an expensive option but well worth it. I also considered Bitubo and Traxxion cartridge kits. I don't have personal experience with these, so I listened to the experience of a few others and made a choice. There is literally nobody in the world who has tried 2 different sets of cartridges and offered a comparison, so I had to obtain individual reviews and read between the lines. This isn't like supersports where everyone knows what the good stuff is. Installed by Velocity Calibrations, located in St. Louis MO and servicing many Midwest racetracks. BTW, for those considering a DIY install of these carts, there is a machining operation on the fork lowers.

Ohlins KA841 rear shock - Riders Discount gave me a great price on this, and I liked the custom mounting included for the remote reservior that is made just for the 300. I had a GSXR 600 shock to use but opted for this Ohlins because I wanted a good, proven (and fresh) option with no cutting, machining and other hack jobs to make a shock fit that wasn't meant for the bike.

Springs - Both suspension options are sprung to my weight. I'm a big dude. 5'-11" and 210 lbs. My instructions to Velocity Calibrations in selecting my spring rate beyond my weight and the fact I am racing, was that I am a beast on the brakes. When I'm on the brakes, pretty much 100% of the weight is on my front wheel.

Galfer SST brake lines - Cheap and easy improvement in braking feel. And thankfully, I didn't have ABS on my bike. The Ninja's ABS doesn't work well at the track because of it's early interference, it's a pain to bleed, and braking feel suffers. So the Galfer line is a simple straight single line.

Vesrah VD 250 RJL pads - The highest friction option for the 300. The majority of pad options for the 300 are meant for commuters, not racers. The Vesrah come the closest to a racing pad in my opinion. Since I'm not doing a caliper/master upgrade, I need the best pad I can get for racing. OEM brakes are seriously weak. These help a lot. EBC Extreme Pro pads work great on my 675R, However their linear friction curve with low initial bite isn't what the Ninja 300 needs. And the 300 definitely doesn't need the plain HH pads, which are total crap. EBC GP pads would have been great, but not available for the 300.

Woodcraft clip-ons - They seem to be built better than some of the cheaper brands, so I didn't want to skimp here. These are needed to put me into more of a racing rider position and to allow easier access to the damping adjustments on the forks. I also needed the 10mm spacer kit to allow the bars to get into a more suitable angle. (rather than grind the top triple clamp) I zip tied the brake line out of the way and it just barely clears the instrument panel.

Yoshimura Rearset brackets - These relocate the factory footpegs about 2" back and 2" higher. The 300 Ninja has a serious lean angle limitation. Something has to be done. I liked the factory footpegs as they are legit sportbike pegs. (not like the rubber coated crap of the previous generation) I also wanted to retain the spring loaded folding of the factory pegs. I've seen too many rigid pegs start a bike rolling. (this is up for furious debate - I recognize some love rigid rearset footpegs) Note that my suspension is set up tall, which also helps with lean angle.

MotoFairings Inc race bodywork - These are about the same quality as Hotbodies. In other words, not that great and you need to be ready for some elbow grease to make them fit and work. They are less than half the price of Sharkskinz, a fair trade off. If you are the kind of person who has a fit if something doesn't bolt right up with no effort, these fairings are not for you.

Dunlop Unbeaten 02 tires - Best value in sticky race tires. 150/60 and 110/70 sizes. It was either these or Pirelli Supercorsas, but 150 and 110 Pirelli tires are always expensive and special order. I bought these Unbeatens just before the Alpha 13's came out.

Tune for VP fuels MR12 - This fuel is oxygenated. The single biggest performance boost. It's basically free horsepower, and on a racing 300 that's priceless. But damn, the stuff is $30 a gallon, and it's harsh to the fuel system. It has to be drained after running it. I will only run this stuff for race day and go back to 91 octane pump gas for track days.

Full floating rotor (EBC MD4166XC) - Stock rotor has a tendency of warping and is very heavy. The EBC is lighter and the German rolled SST alloy has a higher coefficient of friction.

Yoshimura full exhaust (SST version) - Best value for a full exhaust system, and Rider's discount once again set me up well. I could save maybe a pound with the carbon fiber version, but I want a system that doesn't shred when it touches asphalt. If I crash in a race, running a steel canister, there is a chance I can pick up my bike and keep going if nothing else is too damaged. I am being realistic about racing... I WILL crash, I have in the past and I will again, it's just a matter of when and how.

Power Commander - I hate these but for me it's a necessary evil. I would have preferred to use Flash-Tune and go without the Power Commander, but for some reason they got real expensive and limited. Last time I used them it was $100 for a flash and unlimited re-flashes. Now it's $250 for a single flash and it costs extra for a re-flash. Not to mention, while Flash-tune does good work for normal tunes with 91 octane gas, I don't really trust them to give me a proper flash with race fuel. And given the fact that most local tuners are completely clueless to direct ECU flashing and only know how to tune with a Power Commander, I guess that is the way I have to go. Not really happy about it. Direct flashing ECU's should be the future, and power commanders need to fade away. Oh, and I'll have 2 tunes, one for pump 91 octane and the other for race gas. With that I'll need a Power Commander anyway, since the OEM ECU can't store an alternative map.

The little stuff - Yoshimura exhaust bracket because the rear footpegs have the weight of a boat anchor. All Balls tapered steering head bearings since the OEM bearings went to hell within 1 day at the track. Switch added to flip maps for pump 91 octane to MR12. Lever protectors in case of a little bumpity bump in the corners. Race number decals from a local vinyl supplier. Evil eyes off ebay. Mirror block off plates, Motul RBF600 brake fluid, Swingarm spools, yadda yadda.

Possible Future work:

Dunlop Alpha 13's when my Unbeaten 02s are done - These are the spec tires for the MotoAmerica RC cup. The RC390 has the same size rims as the Ninja 300, and the 110/70 150/60 combo fits perfectly. Awesome race tires I hear.

High flow air filter - I think I have to maintain the factory airbox for one of the classes I may be racing in. So all I can do is put in the best filter I can. The K&N isn't enough of an improvement over stock, so I want a BMC race filter. I will have to do another dyno run though.

This bike is meant for CCS Ultralight Thunderbike, GT Ultralight, and 500SS here in the Midwest. ULTB and GTUL have a 300 cc cap, so no RC390s or R3s allowed. But it is relatively open to modifications. 500SS is a class made for the CBR500, but nobody races those because they are turds. Class is loaded with RC390s, Ninja 300s and maybe a couple R3s. It has supersport rules, and the key there is no modded airbox.

It was a tough decision for me to include 500SS in my race agenda, because of the airbox limitations. But if I only race ULTB and GTUL, then I can add pod filters and get 3-4 more horsepower. I may just decided to cut out 500SS yet but I am going to try a couple to see how it goes against RC390s.

When I bought it, the bike had a light downer on the left side which saved me a few hundred bucks, but it's still kind of a pricey build. Could have gotten a race prepped middleweight for the money I dumped into it, but that's not what I wanted. There is a certain amount of fun on this build that I don't get on my 675R. I feel like it's making me a better rider, and ultralight racing isn't quite the meat grinder that middleweight is. Still some of the guys racing ultralight are frigging serious, with builds well into the 5 digit price range. It will be a fun year, if I don't crash out and get all busted up like previous years on my 675. It hasn't been easy for me, I have a total of 3 titanium plates and 50 screws in me right now.

I think what I'm looking forward to most is not burning up a $400 set of Pirelli race tires in 2 days like I do on my 675. The 300 sips MR12 race gas lightly also. With that stuff, miles per gallon counts.

__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


2 out of 2 members found this post helpful.


Old January 16th, 2016, 01:05 PM   #2
Alex
ninjette.org dude
 
Alex's Avatar
 
Name: 1 guess :-)
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: Jun 2008

Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE, '15 CRF110F, '13 TT-R50E

Posts: Too much.
Blog Entries: 7
Looks fantastic!
__________________________________________________
Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org

ninjette.org Terms of Service

Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first.

The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)
Alex is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 16th, 2016, 05:20 PM   #3
supersport
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Lee
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: May 2014

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300

Posts: 97
Is the base line using that special fuel?
supersport is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 16th, 2016, 05:59 PM   #4
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
Quote:
Originally Posted by supersport View Post
Is the base line using that special fuel?
No, they are all 91 octane ethanol free pump gas except the top green line, which is MR12.
__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 02:10 AM   #5
Somchai
Freedom for Germany
 
Location: This World
Join Date: May 2011

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R-FI

Posts: A lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zaph42 View Post
I have a total of 3 titanium plates and 50 screws in me right now.
I wish you to heal up soon and complete.

May I ask you if you didn't know about Matt's fork-solution, @pattonme?
I think his one for the forks should be the best of all, since with them every single adjustment for each side is possible.
K-Tech is not different to Andreani (one leg controls rebound, the other compression damping).
Tell me that I'm wrong, but from my understanding the FGVE's have rebound plus compression for each single fork (I know the setup is not as easy as the other way and therefore it might be limited [also nearly everybody 'hates' them]).
Good luck for you
Somchai is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 06:17 AM   #6
pattonme
ninjette.org member
 
pattonme's Avatar
 
Name: Matt
Location: Northern VA
Join Date: Dec 2015

Motorcycle(s): Lots

Posts: 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zaph42 View Post
There is literally nobody in the world who has tried 2 different sets of cartridges and offered a comparison,
Well, that can be arranged...

So I see you're going to tangle with CapitalView on his R3. You're about the same weight and height so should be fun.

A 2-piston config for cartridges can absolutely work if it's done right, @Somchai. I just haven't seen a K-tech to tear it apart and evaluate.

best of luck in the upcoming season.
pattonme is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 06:32 AM   #7
Somchai
Freedom for Germany
 
Location: This World
Join Date: May 2011

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R-FI

Posts: A lot.
Thx Matt, yes I believe this because it wouldn't be sold if it didn't do.
I also did not want to say anything about it's not working.
Since English isn't my native language maybe sometimes i become misunderstood.
Somchai is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 09:03 AM   #8
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
Quote:
Originally Posted by Somchai View Post
I wish you to heal up soon and complete.

May I ask you if you didn't know about Matt's fork-solution,
Yeah, I learned about those from a guy on the other 300 forum. But I had already bought my cartridges though. I would have been all over that, sounds like a great solution. After a little use and a day of tweaking with the help of Velocity Calibrations, the K-tech's feel pretty good. Nowhere near the composure of my 675R, but I could hustle around corners without my sphincter clenching.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pattonme View Post
So I see you're going to tangle with CapitalView on his R3. You're about the same weight and height so should be fun.
Oh yeah, we both have our builds shown over at WiRiders.com. That is a nice looking R3. I will only see him (meaning the back of his bike, lol) if I get in 500SS though.

Hey, any of you guys ever hear of anyone who modified their wheels for lower weight? I think it's still SS legal if its the OEM wheels. I take my wheels off in the winter so my race tires don't freeze and I noticed the rear wheel of my '13 675R weighs a shocking 2 lbs less. The 300 wheels are heavy mofos! So I was looking at them, and that middle ridge meant for clip-on wheels weights could be milled off. Probably prohibitively expensive, but I was a little disappointed how heavy the 300's wheels were.
__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 09:16 AM   #9
choneofakind
ninjette.org certified postwhore
 
Name: .
Location: .
Join Date: Feb 2011

Motorcycle(s): .

Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Feb '13, Feb '14
You have access to a lathe and/or mill and/or machine shop? I'd bet there's some weight to be lost, but idk where would be the best spot to trim. Also, there may be surface hardening and/or heat treatment that may help, but that's a little beyond my experience. Any weight you take off will be banking on a decent safety factor in the OE design because that's what you'll be reducing when you trim material. Forged wheels that are designed to be light weight are really the best way to cut weight without losing strength. Those are pricey though!

Definitely interested in what you come up with! I like the build a lot so far.
choneofakind is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 10:20 AM   #10
pattonme
ninjette.org member
 
pattonme's Avatar
 
Name: Matt
Location: Northern VA
Join Date: Dec 2015

Motorcycle(s): Lots

Posts: 32
not only can you not mill the wheels where it will immediately show to anyone at Tech, that ridge is a rigidity element. You might be able to thin the wheel 'tub' on the inside where a mounted tire obviously conceals your "rule breaking".
pattonme is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 10:57 AM   #11
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
Oh, I wasn't sure if milling the OEM wheels stayed within SS rules. The CCS rule book says OEM wheels required, but doesn't say modifying them is not allowed. I just did some searching, and I saw a couple comments stating it was legal. In fact a couple of guys have removed the ridge.

The ridge didn't look structural to me, it looked like something put there to hold weight clips. It's a moot point anyway, I'm not likely to do that as the gains would be minimal.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg ninja_wheel.jpg (75.2 KB, 12 views)
__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 03:38 PM   #12
genosr1
ninjette.org member
 
Name: geno
Location: granite city
Join Date: Oct 2013

Motorcycle(s): gsxr 750, sv650, 250 ninja

Posts: 110
we removed the ridge and thinned the spokes, also enlarged the holes on hub, on our 250, only removed 1lb, no adverse affects on either wheel, to remove ridge for weights just use die grinder then smooth out with a sanding disc
genosr1 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 10:31 PM   #13
pattonme
ninjette.org member
 
pattonme's Avatar
 
Name: Matt
Location: Northern VA
Join Date: Dec 2015

Motorcycle(s): Lots

Posts: 32
Maybe I'm just being a safety nazi but had you done FEA on the wheel? I could see maybe eroding sections of the ridge well clear of the spoke intersections but the savings would be minimal.
pattonme is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 11:01 PM   #14
choneofakind
ninjette.org certified postwhore
 
Name: .
Location: .
Join Date: Feb 2011

Motorcycle(s): .

Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Feb '13, Feb '14
FEA is fine and dandy (and is really useful for designing/testing parts) but it's only valid if you have perfectly defined all forces involved, and I don't mean rough estimates of forces. If you want a meaningful FEA result, you need to know every force on that wheel that it will ever experience. Static loads, impulses from bumps, side loading from lean angle, everything. Miss one force or get one magnitude wrong and your margin of error is suddenly larger than your fudge factor for safety. On the other hand, you may have just required an insanely high safety factor that makes anchors out of your wheels.

You can do FEA until you're blue in the face, but if you aren't the master of what that wheel experiences, you're just pissing in the ocean. It's not like the computer magically spits out the right numbers.

Matt, I don't know your background. You seem to have a solid handle on racebike and suspension setup, but I have no idea what your experience with FEA is, so please pardon me if I'm out of line.
choneofakind is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 11:21 PM   #15
pattonme
ninjette.org member
 
pattonme's Avatar
 
Name: Matt
Location: Northern VA
Join Date: Dec 2015

Motorcycle(s): Lots

Posts: 32
well sure, my point was in contrast to the cavalier, "hey, i'll just grind these bits off because I don't know what purpose they serve and I just gotta save a few ounces".

And clearly I'll leave all such FEA matters up to you.

My intuition is that the ridge is there deliberately to spread load and act as a spine. without it you get heavy concentration of stress at the hoop/spoke interface. FWIW the automotive "standard" pothole (defined loosely) for wheel impacts is something like 3G up and 2-3G rearward.
pattonme is offline   Reply With Quote


1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.
Old January 17th, 2016, 11:22 PM   #16
Somchai
Freedom for Germany
 
Location: This World
Join Date: May 2011

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R-FI

Posts: A lot.
Before one starts with the suspension...
...the first steps should be, reduce as many weight as allowed.

Here are some thoughts about that:
Galespeed Rims ~ 2.0 kilograms (Magnesium = 4.0 kilograms)
All screws from aluminum ~ 2.0 - 2.5 kilograms
Rear subframe aluminum ~ 3.5 kilograms
Front fairing stay aluminum ~ 1.0 kilogram
Race fairings ~ 2.0 - 3.0 kilograms
Sprockets aluminum ~ 1.0 kilogram
Chain-Kit 418 ~ 1.0 kilogram
Engine covers from Carbon ~ 1.0 - 2.0 kilogram
Remove the balance shaft ~ 2.0 kilograms
and many more...
Suspension depends on weight, so start with it after the weight reduction...
The goal must be as less weight as possible (the Scuderia Platini reduced their Ninja 250SS by 28 kilograms).

PS: The above numbers show a round about weight reduction, not the weight of the components.
Somchai is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 17th, 2016, 11:29 PM   #17
pattonme
ninjette.org member
 
pattonme's Avatar
 
Name: Matt
Location: Northern VA
Join Date: Dec 2015

Motorcycle(s): Lots

Posts: 32
are those weight savings figures, or is it how much the components weigh and the delta to OE is yet to be undetermined?
pattonme is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 18th, 2016, 07:34 AM   #18
sharky nrk
Fighting Texas Aggie '05
 
sharky nrk's Avatar
 
Name: Neil
Location: Hutto, TX
Join Date: Feb 2009

Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track

Posts: A lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by choneofakind View Post
Miss one force or get one magnitude wrong and your margin of error is suddenly larger than your fudge factor for safety.It's not like the computer magically spits out the right numbers.
LOL, you just gave me some Pro/E Mechanica flashback tremors

While it may not be possible to accurately model the resulting stress changes due to the modification of the wheel, it is a valid point that there is certainly a large chunk of risk someone takes when making such a modification. The change may not be significant in terms of reliability but it is essentially untested and unproven until it is put through its paces. And should it choose to be significant, the results could be less than enjoyable.
__________________________________________________
Keep it rubber side down and enjoy the ride
Get healthy - Get Fit - Change Your Life
Click Here Or PM Me To Find More - Advocare
sharky nrk is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 18th, 2016, 07:37 AM   #19
sharky nrk
Fighting Texas Aggie '05
 
sharky nrk's Avatar
 
Name: Neil
Location: Hutto, TX
Join Date: Feb 2009

Motorcycle(s): '07 ZX6R, '08 Versys, '09 250R Track, '93 F2/F3 Track

Posts: A lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pattonme View Post
are those weight savings figures, or is it how much the components weigh and the delta to OE is yet to be undetermined?
I would imagine that list is accurate for neither of those but meant to be examples of potential weight savings.
__________________________________________________
Keep it rubber side down and enjoy the ride
Get healthy - Get Fit - Change Your Life
Click Here Or PM Me To Find More - Advocare
sharky nrk is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 18th, 2016, 12:21 PM   #20
choneofakind
ninjette.org certified postwhore
 
Name: .
Location: .
Join Date: Feb 2011

Motorcycle(s): .

Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Feb '13, Feb '14
Quote:
Originally Posted by pattonme View Post
My intuition is that the ridge is there deliberately to spread load and act as a spine. without it you get heavy concentration of stress at the hoop/spoke interface. FWIW the automotive "standard" pothole (defined loosely) for wheel impacts is something like 3G up and 2-3G rearward.
Hey, no joke. Can you link to a reference for that? Interested for some of my extracurriculars and that would be a good read.

Looking at how small that ridge is, my gut tells me that it's there mostly for spooning tires onto and off the rim, but I'm not qualified to make that statement with any amount of authority at all.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky nrk View Post
LOL, you just gave me some Pro/E Mechanica flashback tremors

While it may not be possible to accurately model the resulting stress changes due to the modification of the wheel, it is a valid point that there is certainly a large chunk of risk someone takes when making such a modification. The change may not be significant in terms of reliability but it is essentially untested and unproven until it is put through its paces. And should it choose to be significant, the results could be less than enjoyable.
I've used Solidworks and ANSYS for analysis on simple parts. I'm learning Creo (continuation of Pro E) and it's the same pain in the kiester. I wouldn't attempt to do optimization on a wheel because it's complicated and I don't know all the forces acting on it. I'm not qualified to tell anyone else where they can cut their wheels.

Just remember that before we used computers, race teams survived (or sometimes not) by modifying their parts and testing to failure. I'd bet there's a high enough safety factor on those wheels to trim the lip off... but I'm not going to bet someone else's life on it. Nor would I do it myself. If I'm going to mess with wheel weight, I'm probably going to do it with light weight tires or expensive aftermarket wheels or fitting wheels from another bike.
choneofakind is offline   Reply With Quote


1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.
Old January 18th, 2016, 06:33 PM   #21
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
Quote:
Originally Posted by Somchai View Post
Before one starts with the suspension...
...the first steps should be, reduce as many weight as allowed.

Here are some thoughts about that:
Galespeed Rims ~ 2.0 kilograms (Magnesium = 4.0 kilograms)
All screws from aluminum ~ 2.0 - 2.5 kilograms
Rear subframe aluminum ~ 3.5 kilograms
Front fairing stay aluminum ~ 1.0 kilogram
Race fairings ~ 2.0 - 3.0 kilograms
Sprockets aluminum ~ 1.0 kilogram
Chain-Kit 418 ~ 1.0 kilogram
Engine covers from Carbon ~ 1.0 - 2.0 kilogram
Remove the balance shaft ~ 2.0 kilograms
and many more...
You forgot the biggest one - my gut. Lol, I'm not exactly Dani Pedrosa. I'm working on that right now though. I'm 215 and 5'-11". My bike is sprung for that weight, and I think I could get down to 190-195 before I need to redo my springs again. My triathlon weight when I'm in training is 185.

No aftermarket wheels for me - I have to stay withing SS rules. All screws aluminum? Seems dangerous with the low shear strength, and making all screws titanium is a waste of money. Carbon engine covers on a bike with a heavy steel frame? Bahaha no thanks.

I'm thinking about a chain and sprocket kit, but that's low priority for the time being. As for modifying the frame, I need to make the decision that this will never be a road bike again. Not sure at this point and I have all the street plastics in a box in the basement. Of course after I crash it, I'll say "yup, this is going to stay a track bike." Hahah. But make no mistake, the ninja's heavy wheels and "heavy side down" front forks are total crap. Very high unsprung weight and there's real no fixing it while staying under supersport rules. About all we can do is improve it slightly. Bike is still fun as hell though.

I'm an engineer and I do have access to FEA as part of our AutoCAD design suite, but I wouldn't bother. If I did do some milling, I would just draw up good cross section of the rim and the spokes and make a judgement call. It's not rocket science. I only do track riding and therefor can rule out road hazards. The wheels won't fall apart on me unless I high side it or hit an off track obstacle.

A guy on the CCS forum machined the middle rib down on an SV650. It passed tech but it was less than a half pound. Probably not even worth it. I lost more weight than that with my EBC floating rotor. I guess the nice part is that I got the major components of the build done so now I can have fun thinking about the minor mods like trimming weight.
__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.
Old January 18th, 2016, 06:51 PM   #22
choneofakind
ninjette.org certified postwhore
 
Name: .
Location: .
Join Date: Feb 2011

Motorcycle(s): .

Posts: Too much.
MOTM - Feb '13, Feb '14
How about other directions.

Aluminum fairing stay? Minimalist wiring harness? Helium in the tires?
choneofakind is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 31st, 2016, 09:06 AM   #23
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
Quote:
Originally Posted by choneofakind View Post
How about other directions.

Aluminum fairing stay? Minimalist wiring harness? Helium in the tires?
Well I usually like to put a mix in my tires that includes 78% nitrogen. Has worked well so far.

I don't think the fairing stay needs upgrading though. The main benefit to changing out the fairing stay on some bikes is to get one that doesn't break in a crash. The 300's seems pretty durable and if it did get whacked out of line, a little tap with a rubber hammer in the pits would put it back. On some bikes, like my 675s, the front subframe is cast aluminum and it will break into 3 pieces if you breath on it wrong.

Lots of opportunity for lightening the bike at the point when I decide it will never go back to stock. (generally that happens after my first crash, hahah)
__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 31st, 2016, 01:09 PM   #24
Baron
Urban Legend
 
Baron's Avatar
 
Name: Baron
Location: Brampton, ON
Join Date: Apr 2014

Motorcycle(s): 09 Ninja 250R SE - Circe

Posts: 542
WANT!!!!

__________________________________________________
"Life is like riding - You can either tear the fastlane in half or stay in the slipstream trying to play catch up."
-Baron
Baron is offline   Reply With Quote


Old January 31st, 2016, 09:15 PM   #25
genosr1
ninjette.org member
 
Name: geno
Location: granite city
Join Date: Oct 2013

Motorcycle(s): gsxr 750, sv650, 250 ninja

Posts: 110
what gearing did you use at bhf and what times were you turning
genosr1 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 1st, 2016, 06:00 PM   #26
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
I only ran there once on a track day and the bike was only half done with factory gearing. My times there weren't very good, but I was spending most of the day working out my suspension and unlearning braking points from my 676R. My first lap I hit the brakes at the tower like I normally do on my 675R. 2 seconds later... "well that was dumb." Hahah Time will tell what my best will be.

The faster guys on 300's are in the 22's, at least not those running cheater big bore kits that never get post race inspections. (they will this year) 25's gets you mid pack and 29's get you last place, but still faster than the slowest SV650's.
__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 2nd, 2016, 09:24 PM   #27
supersport
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Lee
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: May 2014

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300

Posts: 97
I'm thinking of putting in a full k-tech set up. Sounds like our not completely satisfy with the fronts, what don't you like about them?
supersport is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 3rd, 2016, 08:01 PM   #28
Zaph42
ninjette.org sage
 
Zaph42's Avatar
 
Name: John
Location: Appleton, WI
Join Date: Apr 2015

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300 (race), Ninja 1000 (road)

Posts: 504
Oh I do like the front carts I have installed. But make no mistake, they don't compare to the solid and composed feeling my 675R has. The 300 just moves around a little more in turns, but I still feel in control. It's just the nature of a budget bike. I recognize that part of it is the chassis, and there's no real improving that.

I considered an all K-tech setup including the rear shock, but the Ohlins was about $250 cheaper, and from most of my research, people generally liked it. Feels good to me.
__________________________________________________
Ninja 300 - CCS Ultralight Thunderbike Racing
I want to "like" your post but I can't due to forum rules. Sorry.
Zaph42 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 4th, 2016, 10:57 AM   #29
bruce71198
ninjette.org sage
 
bruce71198's Avatar
 
Name: bruce
Location: northern illinois
Join Date: Jan 2012

Motorcycle(s): Race bikes:08 Ninja 250,11 R6,16 ZX6,SV650.3 HD-1947,2-2003,2010. 1946 Indian and a lot of dirt bikes.2

Posts: 999
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zaph42 View Post

The faster guys on 300's are in the 22's, at least not those running cheater big bore kits that never get post race inspections. (they will this year) 25's gets you mid pack and 29's get you last place, but still faster than the slowest SV650's.
Who has overbored a 300? The nikasil doesn't take well to boring and no pistons are available that I'm aware of.
bruce71198 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 5th, 2016, 06:53 PM   #30
snot
sammich maker
 
snot's Avatar
 
Name: snot
Location: West Ohio - in the kitchen
Join Date: Feb 2012

Motorcycle(s): 2013 white 300, 09 KLX 250 SF, 09 thunder blue 250(traded)

Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Apr '15
nlNice write up on the mods, actually answered questions I didn't think of. The bike is beautiful!
__________________________________________________
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=32634&stc=1&d=1412045508
https://www.brocksperformance.com/VZ...0035+C450.aspx
snot is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 10th, 2016, 01:27 PM   #31
APEmike
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Michael
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Join Date: Oct 2014

Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300

Posts: 160
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce71198 View Post
Who has overbored a 300? The nikasil doesn't take well to boring and no pistons are available that I'm aware of.
Its a different procedure entirely. The Nikasil is just a plating. Paper thin. It has to be bored, replated, and honed. My shop does this all the time, but with Hayabusas, GSXR1000s, CBR1000s, 600s, R1, R6, etc, etc, etc.... Havent done a 300 yet but thats not to say its impossible. The Wiseco and JE pistons for the 250 work for the 300 as well, though I believe there is a minor amount of spacing you may have to do but thats it.
__________________________________________________
I ride because therapy is too expensive, and less fun.
APEmike is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 10th, 2016, 03:11 PM   #32
bruce71198
ninjette.org sage
 
bruce71198's Avatar
 
Name: bruce
Location: northern illinois
Join Date: Jan 2012

Motorcycle(s): Race bikes:08 Ninja 250,11 R6,16 ZX6,SV650.3 HD-1947,2-2003,2010. 1946 Indian and a lot of dirt bikes.2

Posts: 999
Quote:
Originally Posted by APEmike View Post
Its a different procedure entirely. The Nikasil is just a plating. Paper thin. It has to be bored, replated, and honed. My shop does this all the time, but with Hayabusas, GSXR1000s, CBR1000s, 600s, R1, R6, etc, etc, etc.... Havent done a 300 yet but thats not to say its impossible. The Wiseco and JE pistons for the 250 work for the 300 as well, though I believe there is a minor amount of spacing you may have to do but thats it.
I'm pretty familiar with the proceedure. I was just feeling out Zaph to see whos messing with their bikes in our CCS region.
bruce71198 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 10th, 2016, 03:34 PM   #33
supersport
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Lee
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: May 2014

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300

Posts: 97
@Zaph42

i'm going to upgrade the suspension and i'm deciding between a full ktech cartridge/ ktech shock vs andreani cartridge/elka shock? Do you have any thoughts on the andreani or elka products?


@bruce71198

I think @sprinter got some customs pistons. https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=141856

Last futzed with by supersport; February 10th, 2016 at 06:17 PM.
supersport is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 10th, 2016, 05:31 PM   #34
APEmike
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Michael
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Join Date: Oct 2014

Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300

Posts: 160
Ahh, gotcha!
__________________________________________________
I ride because therapy is too expensive, and less fun.
APEmike is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 10th, 2016, 05:34 PM   #35
Swann
ninjette.org member
 
Swann's Avatar
 
Name: Jake
Location: Manila
Join Date: Apr 2014

Motorcycle(s): 250R

Posts: 135
Any of the JE pistons work with the 300? Will benefit be just a bump up in compression?

Quote:
Originally Posted by APEmike View Post
Its a different procedure entirely. The Nikasil is just a plating. Paper thin. It has to be bored, replated, and honed. My shop does this all the time, but with Hayabusas, GSXR1000s, CBR1000s, 600s, R1, R6, etc, etc, etc.... Havent done a 300 yet but thats not to say its impossible. The Wiseco and JE pistons for the 250 work for the 300 as well, though I believe there is a minor amount of spacing you may have to do but thats it.
Swann is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 10th, 2016, 06:18 PM   #36
jonuhhthinn
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Jon
Location: Southern California
Join Date: Dec 2014

Motorcycle(s): 77' yamaha xs650 / 01' R6 / 08' ninja 250

Posts: 31
im lovin the paint scheme
jonuhhthinn is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 10th, 2016, 07:52 PM   #37
mgentz
Board Member
 
Name: ...
Location: WI
Join Date: Dec 2011

Motorcycle(s): 250R (street), 250R (dirt)

Posts: A lot.
Nice work
mgentz is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 16th, 2016, 10:21 AM   #38
APEmike
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Michael
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Join Date: Oct 2014

Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300

Posts: 160
Quote:
Originally Posted by Swann View Post
Any of the JE pistons work with the 300? Will benefit be just a bump up in compression?
In theory they work, its just a matter of getting the right spacer under the cylinder block.
__________________________________________________
I ride because therapy is too expensive, and less fun.
APEmike is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 23rd, 2016, 08:39 PM   #39
Suprafreak13
ninjette.org member
 
Name: Shane
Location: Baltimore MD/York PA
Join Date: Feb 2016

Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250, (Ninja 300 replacing it soon)

Posts: 13
Very nice build.. I'll be doing a similar paint job but maybe different red accents. New bodywork is shipping this week...

I'm running the same CCS classes as you, but over in Mid Atlantic Region...

For the 500SS/ULTB dilemma, I'm considering using the airbox for 500SS, which races on Saturday, then switching out for pods for the ULTB race on Sunday... is your schedule setup like that so you could swap them Sat night?
Suprafreak13 is offline   Reply With Quote


Old February 23rd, 2016, 10:20 PM   #40
Sirref
Private Joker
 
Sirref's Avatar
 
Name: Ben
Location: Towson, MD
Join Date: Nov 2012

Motorcycle(s): '99/'01 Ninja 250 "sketchy", '13 Ninja 300 "yoshi", '03 GSXR 600 "merlin"

Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Mar '14
dem eyes

sweet build all around, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get your hands on a set of alpha 13s

personally I'm thinking of going to the bridgestone slicks, the ccs contingency would be nice to have and they seem to have crazy grip/longevity. Just need rain tires on an extra set of rims for it to be worth it
__________________________________________________
I see you over there seeing me, do you see the me I think you see?
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/signaturepics/sigpic12146_1.gif
Sirref is offline   Reply With Quote


Reply




Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
And a third Pregen Race Bike Build AchyGrappler Ninjettes At Speed 26 April 24th, 2016 08:30 AM
My 250 Track/Race bike build SLOWn60 2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Farkles 7 November 19th, 2015 09:21 PM
Race Bike Build Mark Cook 2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk 48 May 7th, 2014 07:47 PM
My 250R Race Bike Build icbm Pictures 5 August 16th, 2012 11:06 AM
Plum Crazy Purple Race Bike Build kogary Pictures 12 May 18th, 2011 02:59 PM


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


Motorcycle Safety Foundation

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:16 PM.


Website uptime monitoring Host-tracker.com
Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Except where otherwise noted, all site contents are © Copyright 2022 ninjette.org, All rights reserved.