Project Sparta - 300 Track Build - Page 2

gogoKawi · March 22nd, 2015, 09:04 PM

Finally! I was able to take the 300 out on the track for 2 days of great weather at NC Bike. There were about 4 or 5 other ninjettes there, which is a lot for a TPM track day. This is all in preparation for the GPMoto races that TPM is holding, with a class specifically for the 250/300. I really didn't think there would be that much interest.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to play on the track much. But I did get to play with the bigger bikes. And the 300 was up to the task! I am really surprised with the power difference between my 250 and 300. Take-off, overall pull, and top-end are very noticeable. It's amazing what 50cc can do.

I do have a few gripes. Kawasaki still hasn't fixed the false neutral issues with gears 4 and 5. It happens on the 250 a lot. And now on the 300. I swore something was wrong with my 250. But I rode around the problem. Now this is happening on the 300. And one of the guys on the track had the exact same issue. Just cruising, no problem. WOT near redline, the gears sometimes have a problem.

The other thing that is killing me is what I call, the wobble. For me, this happens when I make a quick transition or flick the bike into at turn. The bike does a wobble. The 250 did that stock. But I expected that to be removed with the upgraded suspension on the 300. No such luck this weekend. I'm going to change the settings again when I go to the track in a couple of weeks. But I don't think it's a suspension issue. I'm pretty sure it's the bike.

Other than that, I'm enjoying myself on the bike. I'm not sure which bike I like more between the 250 and 300. On the 250, I love the high redline and lighter weight. And on the 300, I love the engine pull, looks, and top end. Next thing to sort out is tires.

Sirref · March 22nd, 2015, 09:09 PM

I freaking hate that false neutral, I swear I get it so often and it annoys the hell out of me. Gears 4 and 5 for me as well.

Will you be riding at NJMP with TPM on the 18,19,20? I'm signing up sometime this week for that weekend

gogoKawi · March 23rd, 2015, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirref

I freaking hate that false neutral, I swear I get it so often and it annoys the hell out of me. Gears 4 and 5 for me as well.

Will you be riding at NJMP with TPM on the 18,19,20? I'm signing up sometime this week for that weekend

The first 250/300 race is on April 18th at NCBike. I will be doing that, then going to Shenny the following weekend. By the way, there is a sale for all Shenandoah days with TPM for $100. Sale goes through Tuesday.

Sirref · March 23rd, 2015, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

The first 250/300 race is on April 18th at NCBike. I will be doing that, then going to Shenny the following weekend. By the way, there is a sale for all Shenandoah days with TPM for $100. Sale goes through Tuesday.

OOOHHHH that sounds like a hell of a lot of fun right there, that's the perfect training/fun track

that's crazy that they are running at two different tracks on the same day

edit: Just signed up for 9 track days with TPM, I'll be signing up for more later on in the season but I couldn't pass up the ridiculous deal that is $100 track days at my favorite track. I'll be seeing you on the 25th at shenny, not sure which bike I'll be riding just yet though. I want to spend as much time as possible on the gsxr but tire cost may make me bring the 250 or 300 out.

gogoKawi · March 24th, 2015, 10:41 AM

Despite my crappy first paint job, the bike looks decent in pics. That's all I care about.

Sirref · March 24th, 2015, 12:20 PM

Looks good

I'm going to be painting my gsx-r tomorrow after finishing up the fiberglass repair and sanding today. I hope mine looks half as good in photos (going for a fade into black from yellow theme. So yellow(front) - orange(mid) - black(back) with a little black around the front plate for "character"

walk_n_wind · March 24th, 2015, 01:15 PM

Quote:

The other thing that is killing me is what I call, the wobble. For me, this happens when I make a quick transition or flick the bike into at turn. The bike does a wobble. The 250 did that stock. But I expected that to be removed with the upgraded suspension on the 300. No such luck this weekend. I'm going to change the settings again when I go to the track in a couple of weeks. But I don't think it's a suspension issue. I'm pretty sure it's the bike.

Do you have a steering damper? I assume the wobble you're talking about is what others call a headshake -- I believe a steering damper is supposed to minimize this. I experience it as well, worst between turns 3a and 3b at NJMP Thunderbolt.

Ah, I looked back through the thread and see you do have a damper. I went the gsxr + fork clamp route and I can feel significant resistance from my damper (not sure how tough it should be) -- do you feel like your damper adds resistance you can feel?

gogoKawi · March 24th, 2015, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walk_n_wind

Do you have a steering damper? I assume the wobble you're talking about is what others call a headshake -- I believe a steering damper is supposed to minimize this. I experience it as well, worst between turns 3a and 3b at NJMP Thunderbolt.

Ah, I looked back through the thread and see you do have a damper. I went the gsxr + fork clamp route and I can feel significant resistance from my damper (not sure how tough it should be) -- do you feel like your damper adds resistance you can feel?

No steering damper yet. But I know that it's not the front that's giving the wobble sensation. Since the upgraded spring, the front feel great. No head-shake so far. It's definitely the rear of the bike. I'm just not sure if it's the shock or something inherent in the bike.

Braden07 · March 24th, 2015, 09:51 PM

Paint job and rider both look great!

Sirena · March 25th, 2015, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

This is my second set of Driven clip-ons. Though installing Woodcraft is easier, I like the angle adjustment on these. And their grips feel great too.

I'm taking notes on your build! Thank you for the pics too.

How did you route your front brake line? (Did you have any issues?) I have the Driven clip-ons too and my cables are having obstruction on the cluster

gogoKawi · March 25th, 2015, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirenSong

I'm taking notes on your build! Thank you for the pics too.

How did you route your front brake line? (Did you have any issues?) I have the Driven clip-ons too and my cables are having obstruction on the cluster

I am running stock brake lines right now. I'm curious how you have the clip-ons setup. I didn't have to reroute the brake line.

Somchai · March 25th, 2015, 07:32 PM

@gogoKawi when you get the Riser Spacer Kit from Woodcraft you're able to adjust the angle also.
Please look here: https://www.woodcraft-cfm.com/cgi-bi...&key=12-SPACER

Sirena · March 25th, 2015, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

I am running stock brake lines right now. I'm curious how you have the clip-ons setup. I didn't have to reroute the brake line.

I posted a question in tech so as not to jack your thread

Front Brake Cable issue w/ Driven Clip-ons

gogoKawi · March 25th, 2015, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Somchai

@gogoKawi when you get the Riser Spacer Kit from Woodcraft you're able to adjust the angle also.
Please look here: https://www.woodcraft-cfm.com/cgi-bi...&key=12-SPACER

Thanks Somchai. Unfortunately, you can't adjust the angle on those like you can with Driven's. My perfect set of clip-ons would have Driven's bar angle adjustment with the Woodcraft's 2 piece fork clamp. I guess no one wants to infringe on other companies' designs. Makes sense. The alignment marks on the Driven's are great too.

gogoKawi · March 25th, 2015, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirenSong

I posted a question in tech so as not to jack your thread

Front Brake Cable issue w/ Driven Clip-ons

No worries. I'll take a picture of mine and post it tomorrow.

Somchai · March 25th, 2015, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

Unfortunately, you can't adjust the angle on those like you can with Driven's.

Are you really sure?

I've got them and they are adjustable to whatever position you want, only limited by the Ninja itself.

gogoKawi · March 25th, 2015, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Somchai

Are you really sure?

I've got them and they are adjustable to whatever position you want, only limited by the Ninja itself.

I see what you are saying. The Woodcraft spacers look like they allow for more adjustment forward and back. Basically, moving the clip-ons around the fork tube. I do like that a lot. I may need to look into this for my N1K. The Drivens allow you to adjust the angle of the bars. I don't like the bars in the flat position. It kills my wrists. I like them to be angled down some. It's only a couple of degrees movement, but on the track, it's significant to me.

Somchai · March 25th, 2015, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

I see what you are saying. The Woodcraft spacers look like they allow for more adjustment forward and back. Basically, moving the clip-ons around the fork tube. I do like that a lot. I may need to look into this for my N1K. The Drivens allow you to adjust the angle of the bars. I don't like the bars in the flat position. It kills my wrists. I like them to be angled down some. It's only a couple of degrees movement, but on the track, it's significant to me.

Just as information about what I did with my clip-ons.
They are, compared to stock, 25 mm more to the inside, 50 mm deeper and 30 mm more forward and the angle backwards is 25 degrees.
I hope the pictures can show what I talk about.

gogoKawi · April 25th, 2015, 07:35 PM

With every build, there is usually some issue that crops up. Well, my issue is a bit of a doozy.

I stated that I had a bit of a wobble when transitioning. The funny thing is that the wobble only happened when I turned left. Leaning to the right, no wobble. Very strange. I also started to feel the tire spinning when cranked over on the left side. I really thought it was my tires, so I swapped to the Dunlop Unbeatens. Same thing. For those that have gone to NCBike, you know that turn 5 is a left curve that goes on forever. In that turn, I could not get on the gas. I could only go about half the speed I wanted to. Very frustrating...

But I finally found the issue. There crack right where the swingarm connects to the frame. It's a small crack. But it cause the bike to ride like crap when giving it some gas. I'm sure the crack was due to the damage already on the bike. My guess is that stressed it enough at the track to finally cause the crack to be exposed.

So, what does this mean? Unfortunately, it's a frame swap! I don't feel comfortable having that area welded with the damage that's already there. And i have been thinking about swapping the frame anyway because you can see where the frame was tweaked. I just wasn't expecting to do this until the off season.

So here is my plan... First, I'm going to pour through the service manual, because I don't know the first thing about tearing down a bike to the frame, removing an engine, rewiring, and so-forth. Secondly, I'm sure I need a few more tools. I have no idea what I'm getting into. But I want to be as prepared as possible. Thirdly, I need to figure out how I am going to film this debacle. One camera or multiple. I don't know. I'm just worried that 80% of the footage will be of me cursing, crying, and staring at the ceiling. And lastly, I'm going to be asking you all lots of stupid questions. So feel free to laugh at me, as long as you are laughing with me at the end. I'm sure this is going to be a spectacle.

The replacement frame gets here in 2 weeks. Until then, I'll planning things out. Let the games begin!

GregS · April 26th, 2015, 08:06 AM

Post a picture of that crack if you can

Thanks

Somchai · April 26th, 2015, 07:00 PM

@gogoKawi, may I ask you if you'd report this to Kwaki?
Since a broken frame is really uncommon but at least a very serious problem I think it would be important to report this because it also could be a failure in the production or anything like this.
When I remember it well then Suzuki had a problem like this some years ago and they had to recall some of their bikes.

sharky nrk · April 27th, 2015, 07:32 AM

^^ for what its worth, I frame swapped my 250 track bike because the steering head was tweaked badly enough that a used frame was an easier/more affordable option do the the shipment and whatnot of getting the frame to and from a shop I trusted to do the work.

It is really quite easy to do on this bike, much much easier than on say a I4 600. Go for it.

gogoKawi · April 27th, 2015, 02:45 PM

I'm going to take pics of the crack once the frame is stripped. Just by looking at it, you can't tell. It's only when you move it or bounce on the bike can you see the slight separation. Just by looking, you would never know.

Just to be clear, the crack isn't due to a manufacturing defect. The frame was damaged when I bought it (see earlier posts).

The exciting news is that the new frame came in today. For $250 with free shipping, it looks damn good, with all major bolts included. One area has a scratch on it. Other than that, it looks like it is ready to go. I may be starting this project sooner than I thought.

I'm stressing out about how best to take the engine out and hold up the frame while I swap everything over. I'm thinking 2 ladders, a long piece of wood, and some ratchet straps to hold up the front of both frames while swap the frontend. Any suggestions?

Sirref · April 27th, 2015, 03:02 PM

I've done the 2 ladders method, it feels sketchy but works. So long as the back is on the ground or on a rearstand when you do the front swap you should be good. Just make sure you aren't using cheap ladders

sharky nrk · April 28th, 2015, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

I'm going to take pics of the crack once the frame is stripped. Just by looking at it, you can't tell. It's only when you move it or bounce on the bike can you see the slight separation. Just by looking, you would never know.

Just to be clear, the crack isn't due to a manufacturing defect. The frame was damaged when I bought it (see earlier posts).

The exciting news is that the new frame came in today. For $250 with free shipping, it looks damn good, with all major bolts included. One area has a scratch on it. Other than that, it looks like it is ready to go. I may be starting this project sooner than I thought.

I'm stressing out about how best to take the engine out and hold up the frame while I swap everything over. I'm thinking 2 ladders, a long piece of wood, and some ratchet straps to hold up the front of both frames while swap the frontend. Any suggestions?

I stripped the bike down, set the thing on the ground, and picked the frame up off of the engine. Then put the new frame back on the the engine and picked the thing back up. This bike is light enough as just the engine and frame for me to get away with that.

If you can't just jerk the thing up, no sweat there either, just hoist it to the ground, swap the frame, and hoist it back up. I recommend jack stands under the foot pegs and a triple tree stand to disassemble and reassemble.

gogoKawi · April 30th, 2015, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

I stripped the bike down, set the thing on the ground, and picked the frame up off of the engine. Then put the new frame back on the the engine and picked the thing back up. This bike is light enough as just the engine and frame for me to get away with that.

If you can't just jerk the thing up, no sweat there either, just hoist it to the ground, swap the frame, and hoist it back up. I recommend jack stands under the foot pegs and a triple tree stand to disassemble and reassemble.

This is money!

I started getting everything ready to do the swap. Yanking the frame off the engine while it's on the ground makes life a lot easier. I plan to use my jack stands and the triple stand. I'm just waiting for a couple of tools to come in and then it's game on.

GregS · May 3rd, 2015, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

I'm going to take pics of the crack once the frame is stripped. Just by looking at it, you can't tell. It's only when you move it or bounce on the bike can you see the slight separation. Just by looking, you would never know.

Just to be clear, the crack isn't due to a manufacturing defect. The frame was damaged when I bought it (see earlier posts).

I'm interested in the damage because my bike was a salvage title as well.

Many thanks.

Sirref · May 7th, 2015, 06:05 PM

Hey dre, are you planning on running the TPM endurance race on the 31st at ncbike?

I'm interested in running but need a teammate, we can use whatever bike you want. I don't mind if my 250 gets flipped but it can be difficult to ride even when you know it's ins and outs. paging @Old Lemon in case you're interested

I also take it you won't have your bike good to go again by monday for njmp, frame swaps can take time

Old Lemon · May 7th, 2015, 08:53 PM

@Sirref

have a link to this shindig? tpms website says its just a trackday on the 31st.

Sirref · May 7th, 2015, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Lemon

@Sirref

have a link to this shindig? tpms website says its just a trackday on the 31st.

it's on their facebook page

"NCBike May 31st is changing. The new format will be OPeN TrAcK. We won't be able to accommodate new to the track riders this day. 9am to 3pm open (limited for quality) then we shall race the Ninja 250/300's. 3pm to 5pm, 2-Hour endurance race, min 2, up to 4 riders. Day rate set at regular rates (that's right yes)-post in effect 10 days prior.
Racing $100. Payout --> $300-$250-$200-$150-$100-$75-$50-$25. Any questions? No you can't just race we gotta pay Sam. Come... Have some fun."-TPM facebook group

on the site it says that the day is booked (because it's an open day rather than groups) but I believe it wouldn't be hard to get them to let another team practice across the day with one rider on the track at a time

gogoKawi · May 11th, 2015, 08:48 AM

I haven't even started on the bike. I had to get the ZX6 ready. It's so weird riding that bike again. Anyways... Work will start over the weekend. I will only have about 5 days to get it done before CCS race weekend on the 23rd. Nope, not stressed at all.

I've decided to not take a bunch of pics. They will slow me down. Plus, the service manual is freaking awesome. Everything needed to tear down the bike and put it back together is in there.

Ben, I'm going to try to do the TPM race at the end of the month. It all depends on funds. I'm not sure what kind of play reserves will be available after memorial day weekend.

Sirref · May 11th, 2015, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

I haven't even started on the bike. I had to get the ZX6 ready. It's so weird riding that bike again. Anyways... Work will start over the weekend. I will only have about 5 days to get it done before CCS race weekend on the 23rd. Nope, not stressed at all.

I've decided to not take a bunch of pics. They will slow me down. Plus, the service manual is freaking awesome. Everything needed to tear down the bike and put it back together is in there.

Ben, I'm going to try to do the TPM race at the end of the month. It all depends on funds. I'm not sure what kind of play reserves will be available after memorial day weekend.

Yeah, I've got you. I'm in a similar spot, my gsx-r's water pump is taking forever to get in through the mail so I don't know if I'll be able to ride it soon or not (Ideally I'd ride it at the CCS races on the 23rd) and I need a welder for my 250's exhaust. I'm half considering just getting a newgen 250 track/race bike and running that instead of the pregen (I'd have to change the wheels and do a good deal of other mods for it to be competitive anyway so the cost is similar)

Best of luck on the re-build

gogoKawi · May 26th, 2015, 10:10 AM

The last 5 days has been a roller coaster with a bit of everything. Sweat, tears, frustration, joy, blood, parts, stripped bolts, and more. But after about 24 hours of working on the bike in a 2.5 day span, I got her together and ready for the CCS races.

I'll try to make this not too long. Stripping a 300 is not a difficult task. Putting it together is not a difficult task. It's all of the unexpected stuff that makes things hard and adds hours to a task that should take minutes. For example, why in the world would Kawasaki put non-enclosed open ball bearings on the steering head? Me, being an ultra newb at this, thought I could just swap the front in to my new frame with no fuss. NOPE! Little did I know that about 30 little balls would come pouring out, spilling everywhere on the ground. Or how about the radiator that doesn't want to line up properly. Or lifting an engine by yourself with a little car jack and 5 ratchet straps. All of these things added about 8 hours to my journey. As frustrating as it was, it was awesome!

Bike was together the day before race practice this Friday. It felt great! No issues at all. The Unbeatens are excellent tires. The Elka shock did it's job. I'm just not sure if the Sonic springs are up to the task up-front. Maybe they are a bit too stiff. But something isn't quite right there, but it was still workable.

Saturday, I did a 25 minute race and 2 sprints. Came in third place in the ultra-light, though I should have had 2nd. That's another story.

It was an awesome weekend with the 300.

I'll post the pics of the damage on my old frame once I get them off my phone.

sharky nrk · May 26th, 2015, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

The last 5 days has been a roller coaster with a bit of everything. Sweat, tears, frustration, joy, blood, parts, stripped bolts, and more. But after about 24 hours of working on the bike in a 2.5 day span, I got her together and ready for the CCS races.

I'll try to make this not too long. Stripping a 300 is not a difficult task. Putting it together is not a difficult task. It's all of the unexpected stuff that makes things hard and adds hours to a task that should take minutes. For example, why in the world would Kawasaki put non-enclosed open ball bearings on the steering head? Me, being an ultra newb at this, thought I could just swap the front in to my new frame with no fuss. NOPE! Little did I know that about 30 little balls would come pouring out, spilling everywhere on the ground. Or how about the radiator that doesn't want to line up properly. Or lifting an engine by yourself with a little car jack and 5 ratchet straps. All of these things added about 8 hours to my journey. As frustrating as it was, it was awesome!

Bike was together the day before race practice this Friday. It felt great! No issues at all. The Unbeatens are excellent tires. The Elka shock did it's job. I'm just not sure if the Sonic springs are up to the task up-front. Maybe they are a bit too stiff. But something isn't quite right there, but it was still workable.

Saturday, I did a 25 minute race and 2 sprints. Came in third place in the ultra-light, though I should have had 2nd. That's another story.

It was an awesome weekend with the 300.

I'll post the pics of the damage on my old frame once I get them off my phone.

great to hear it came together, those open ball bearings are pretty standard fare on bikes but they are cheap and do suck to deal with when servicing . I replace with taper roller bearings just to not have to screw with them lol.

gogoKawi · May 26th, 2015, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

great to hear it came together, those open ball bearings are pretty standard fare on bikes but they are cheap and do suck to deal with when servicing . I replace with taper roller bearings just to not have to screw with them lol.

I did the same. With the new frame, I figured I had to replace the races. I ordered a set of all balls bearings, just in case the races in the replacement frame were bad. My intention was to just swap the bearings to the new frame. But after it started raining ball bearings all over the place, the all balls were put on.

gogoKawi · May 26th, 2015, 08:32 PM

Welp... Here's the old frame. Sorry for the crappy pics. But the damage is pretty noticeable. The crack? Not so much. In pic 2, the rust is where the crack is located. Unless you bounce on the bike, you can barely see the separation.

gogoKawi · June 16th, 2015, 07:27 PM

Quick update.

I freaking love this bike! It feels so good that I'm scared it's too good to be true.

I raced at VIR last weekend with TPM and CCS. I did pretty good for my first time racing that bike on that track. I even harassed some bigger bikes. Here's proof

Link to original page on YouTube.

Also, I switched to the Pirelli SC1, front and rear. Those tires are awesome! The Dunlops were great. But for me, the SC1 fit my style a little more. Cost is high though. So I may give the Alpha 13s a try after the Pirellis are cooked.

I'm really debating on giving up the 600 now. The bike feels that good.

GregS · June 17th, 2015, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

Quick update.

I freaking love this bike! It feels so good that I'm scared it's too good to be true.

I'm really debating on giving up the 600 now. The bike feels that good.

Great to hear that you are loving the 300 that much, they can be addictive little critters. I must say I'm loving mine a lot more now that it doesn't pop out of gear.

gogoKawi · June 17th, 2015, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregS

Great to hear that you are loving the 300 that much, they can be addictive little critters. I must say I'm loving mine a lot more now that it doesn't pop out of gear.

Mine still pops out. It happened during the races a few times. Very annoying... What did you do to fix it?

GregS · June 18th, 2015, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

Mine still pops out. It happened during the races a few times. Very annoying... What did you do to fix it?

I installed the Factory Pro shift kit. I've only had it at the track once since I installed it, but I ran it pretty hard and it never downshifted or popped out of gear once the whole day. If it will ever quit raining, I'll be out again this Sunday to give it another try

March 22nd, 2015, 09:09 PM	#42
Sirref Private Joker 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	I freaking hate that false neutral, I swear I get it so often and it annoys the hell out of me. Gears 4 and 5 for me as well. Will you be riding at NJMP with TPM on the 18,19,20? I'm signing up sometime this week for that weekend __________________________________________________ I see you over there seeing me, do you see the me I think you see?

March 24th, 2015, 10:41 AM	#45
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	Despite my crappy first paint job, the bike looks decent in pics. That's all I care about.
	1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.

March 24th, 2015, 12:20 PM	#46
Sirref Private Joker 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	Looks good I'm going to be painting my gsx-r tomorrow after finishing up the fiberglass repair and sanding today. I hope mine looks half as good in photos (going for a fade into black from yellow theme. So yellow(front) - orange(mid) - black(back) with a little black around the front plate for "character" __________________________________________________ I see you over there seeing me, do you see the me I think you see?

April 27th, 2015, 07:32 AM	#62
sharky nrk Fighting Texas Aggie '05 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.	^^ for what its worth, I frame swapped my 250 track bike because the steering head was tweaked badly enough that a used frame was an easier/more affordable option do the the shipment and whatnot of getting the frame to and from a shop I trusted to do the work. It is really quite easy to do on this bike, much much easier than on say a I4 600. Go for it. __________________________________________________ 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

April 27th, 2015, 03:02 PM	#64
Sirref Private Joker 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	I've done the 2 ladders method, it feels sketchy but works. So long as the back is on the ground or on a rearstand when you do the front swap you should be good. Just make sure you aren't using cheap ladders __________________________________________________ I see you over there seeing me, do you see the me I think you see?

March 22nd, 2015, 09:04 PM	#41
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	Finally! I was able to take the 300 out on the track for 2 days of great weather at NC Bike. There were about 4 or 5 other ninjettes there, which is a lot for a TPM track day. This is all in preparation for the GPMoto races that TPM is holding, with a class specifically for the 250/300. I really didn't think there would be that much interest. Unfortunately, we didn't get to play on the track much. But I did get to play with the bigger bikes. And the 300 was up to the task! I am really surprised with the power difference between my 250 and 300. Take-off, overall pull, and top-end are very noticeable. It's amazing what 50cc can do. I do have a few gripes. Kawasaki still hasn't fixed the false neutral issues with gears 4 and 5. It happens on the 250 a lot. And now on the 300. I swore something was wrong with my 250. But I rode around the problem. Now this is happening on the 300. And one of the guys on the track had the exact same issue. Just cruising, no problem. WOT near redline, the gears sometimes have a problem. The other thing that is killing me is what I call, the wobble. For me, this happens when I make a quick transition or flick the bike into at turn. The bike does a wobble. The 250 did that stock. But I expected that to be removed with the upgraded suspension on the 300. No such luck this weekend. I'm going to change the settings again when I go to the track in a couple of weeks. But I don't think it's a suspension issue. I'm pretty sure it's the bike. Other than that, I'm enjoying myself on the bike. I'm not sure which bike I like more between the 250 and 300. On the 250, I love the high redline and lighter weight. And on the 300, I love the engine pull, looks, and top end. Next thing to sort out is tires.

March 24th, 2015, 09:51 PM	#49
Braden07 Wannabe racer Name: Brady Location: SLC, UT Join Date: Aug 2014 Motorcycle(s): 2010 ninja 250 race prepped, 2009 Zx6R Posts: 96	Paint job and rider both look great!

March 25th, 2015, 07:32 PM	#52
Somchai Freedom for Germany Location: This World Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R-FI Posts: A lot.	@gogoKawi when you get the Riser Spacer Kit from Woodcraft you're able to adjust the angle also. Please look here: https://www.woodcraft-cfm.com/cgi-bi...&key=12-SPACER

April 25th, 2015, 07:35 PM	#59
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	With every build, there is usually some issue that crops up. Well, my issue is a bit of a doozy. I stated that I had a bit of a wobble when transitioning. The funny thing is that the wobble only happened when I turned left. Leaning to the right, no wobble. Very strange. I also started to feel the tire spinning when cranked over on the left side. I really thought it was my tires, so I swapped to the Dunlop Unbeatens. Same thing. For those that have gone to NCBike, you know that turn 5 is a left curve that goes on forever. In that turn, I could not get on the gas. I could only go about half the speed I wanted to. Very frustrating... But I finally found the issue. There crack right where the swingarm connects to the frame. It's a small crack. But it cause the bike to ride like crap when giving it some gas. I'm sure the crack was due to the damage already on the bike. My guess is that stressed it enough at the track to finally cause the crack to be exposed. So, what does this mean? Unfortunately, it's a frame swap! I don't feel comfortable having that area welded with the damage that's already there. And i have been thinking about swapping the frame anyway because you can see where the frame was tweaked. I just wasn't expecting to do this until the off season. So here is my plan... First, I'm going to pour through the service manual, because I don't know the first thing about tearing down a bike to the frame, removing an engine, rewiring, and so-forth. Secondly, I'm sure I need a few more tools. I have no idea what I'm getting into. But I want to be as prepared as possible. Thirdly, I need to figure out how I am going to film this debacle. One camera or multiple. I don't know. I'm just worried that 80% of the footage will be of me cursing, crying, and staring at the ceiling. And lastly, I'm going to be asking you all lots of stupid questions. So feel free to laugh at me, as long as you are laughing with me at the end. I'm sure this is going to be a spectacle. The replacement frame gets here in 2 weeks. Until then, I'll planning things out. Let the games begin!

April 26th, 2015, 08:06 AM	#60
GregS ninjette.org member Name: Greg Location: San Antonio Join Date: Dec 2014 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300, GSXR-750, Ducati M1100 Posts: 185	Post a picture of that crack if you can Thanks

April 26th, 2015, 07:00 PM	#61
Somchai Freedom for Germany Location: This World Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R-FI Posts: A lot.	@gogoKawi, may I ask you if you'd report this to Kwaki? Since a broken frame is really uncommon but at least a very serious problem I think it would be important to report this because it also could be a failure in the production or anything like this. When I remember it well then Suzuki had a problem like this some years ago and they had to recall some of their bikes.

April 27th, 2015, 02:45 PM	#63
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	I'm going to take pics of the crack once the frame is stripped. Just by looking at it, you can't tell. It's only when you move it or bounce on the bike can you see the slight separation. Just by looking, you would never know. Just to be clear, the crack isn't due to a manufacturing defect. The frame was damaged when I bought it (see earlier posts). The exciting news is that the new frame came in today. For $250 with free shipping, it looks damn good, with all major bolts included. One area has a scratch on it. Other than that, it looks like it is ready to go. I may be starting this project sooner than I thought. I'm stressing out about how best to take the engine out and hold up the frame while I swap everything over. I'm thinking 2 ladders, a long piece of wood, and some ratchet straps to hold up the front of both frames while swap the frontend. Any suggestions?

May 7th, 2015, 06:05 PM	#68
Sirref Private Joker 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	Hey dre, are you planning on running the TPM endurance race on the 31st at ncbike? I'm interested in running but need a teammate, we can use whatever bike you want. I don't mind if my 250 gets flipped but it can be difficult to ride even when you know it's ins and outs. paging @Old Lemon in case you're interested I also take it you won't have your bike good to go again by monday for njmp, frame swaps can take time __________________________________________________ I see you over there seeing me, do you see the me I think you see?

May 7th, 2015, 08:53 PM	#69
Old Lemon Lays er down Name: Michael Location: Maryland Join Date: Apr 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Lime green Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	@Sirref have a link to this shindig? tpms website says its just a trackday on the 31st.

May 11th, 2015, 08:48 AM	#71
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	I haven't even started on the bike. I had to get the ZX6 ready. It's so weird riding that bike again. Anyways... Work will start over the weekend. I will only have about 5 days to get it done before CCS race weekend on the 23rd. Nope, not stressed at all. I've decided to not take a bunch of pics. They will slow me down. Plus, the service manual is freaking awesome. Everything needed to tear down the bike and put it back together is in there. Ben, I'm going to try to do the TPM race at the end of the month. It all depends on funds. I'm not sure what kind of play reserves will be available after memorial day weekend.

May 26th, 2015, 10:10 AM	#73
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	The last 5 days has been a roller coaster with a bit of everything. Sweat, tears, frustration, joy, blood, parts, stripped bolts, and more. But after about 24 hours of working on the bike in a 2.5 day span, I got her together and ready for the CCS races. I'll try to make this not too long. Stripping a 300 is not a difficult task. Putting it together is not a difficult task. It's all of the unexpected stuff that makes things hard and adds hours to a task that should take minutes. For example, why in the world would Kawasaki put non-enclosed open ball bearings on the steering head? Me, being an ultra newb at this, thought I could just swap the front in to my new frame with no fuss. NOPE! Little did I know that about 30 little balls would come pouring out, spilling everywhere on the ground. Or how about the radiator that doesn't want to line up properly. Or lifting an engine by yourself with a little car jack and 5 ratchet straps. All of these things added about 8 hours to my journey. As frustrating as it was, it was awesome! Bike was together the day before race practice this Friday. It felt great! No issues at all. The Unbeatens are excellent tires. The Elka shock did it's job. I'm just not sure if the Sonic springs are up to the task up-front. Maybe they are a bit too stiff. But something isn't quite right there, but it was still workable. Saturday, I did a 25 minute race and 2 sprints. Came in third place in the ultra-light, though I should have had 2nd. That's another story. It was an awesome weekend with the 300. I'll post the pics of the damage on my old frame once I get them off my phone.

May 26th, 2015, 08:32 PM	#76
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	Welp... Here's the old frame. Sorry for the crappy pics. But the damage is pretty noticeable. The crack? Not so much. In pic 2, the rust is where the crack is located. Unless you bounce on the bike, you can barely see the separation.

June 16th, 2015, 07:27 PM	#77
gogoKawi ninjette.org sage Name: Dre Location: DMV Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300, 2008 ZX6, 2011 Ninja 1000 Posts: 622	Quick update. I freaking love this bike! It feels so good that I'm scared it's too good to be true. I raced at VIR last weekend with TPM and CCS. I did pretty good for my first time racing that bike on that track. I even harassed some bigger bikes. Here's proof Link to original page on YouTube. Also, I switched to the Pirelli SC1, front and rear. Those tires are awesome! The Dunlops were great. But for me, the SC1 fit my style a little more. Cost is high though. So I may give the Alpha 13s a try after the Pirellis are cooked. I'm really debating on giving up the 600 now. The bike feels that good.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Track Day - Budget Build	Artie	1986 - 2007 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	19	September 3rd, 2015 01:28 PM
08 r6 Track/Race Build	csmith12	Pictures	48	May 3rd, 2015 08:34 PM
Need help with Track build	jmk420	Ninjettes At Speed	35	June 24th, 2014 05:59 PM
99 Ex 250 project Cafe/streetfighter, The build thread.	cerberusrex25	1986 - 2007 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	260	June 14th, 2014 04:27 PM
[RideApart] - Craigslist Project Bike: How Should We Build It?	Ninjette Newsbot	Motorcycling News	0	May 21st, 2014 10:30 AM