im not having alot of luck selling any of my bikes to buy a race bike , so i think to get my feet wet , i ll run my ol kz till i sell something , at 1 st just some track days, then maybe a race later in the year, so a few questions, i know i need hard covers but they seem to be hard to find for this bike , could i build a guard instead? also would it be better to covert to newer wheels and brakes?( i understand this would most likely take it out of vinatge and run sportsman which is fine with me) or should leave it be? thanks for your time
prepping my kz650 for vintage
- Thread starter fonzy
- Start date
yak
Well-Known Member
Steve
I'll give your questions a go.
1. Yes you can build engine guards. Juan is working on clarifying what will be acceptable so I'd recommend posting up your design before starting to work on it.
2. At this point you would be the only Vintage bike racer so modifications wouldn't improve your finishing position. I personally wouldn't put a lot of money into race prepping a temporary race bike especially an older one since it would be more cost effective to start with a newer bike.
Starting with some track days makes a lot of sense to me.
Good luck,
Todd
I'll give your questions a go.
1. Yes you can build engine guards. Juan is working on clarifying what will be acceptable so I'd recommend posting up your design before starting to work on it.
2. At this point you would be the only Vintage bike racer so modifications wouldn't improve your finishing position. I personally wouldn't put a lot of money into race prepping a temporary race bike especially an older one since it would be more cost effective to start with a newer bike.
Starting with some track days makes a lot of sense to me.
Good luck,
Todd
YZF1000jon
Well-Known Member
You were running quick enough times on the duc that you wouldn't be left for dead in the sportsman race (if that's where we'd stick you). Remember, you'd still have to complete 4 novice races to get going anyway, why not jump in with both feet? I overheard someone at round 1 say the novice races are for bike prep, safety, and track awareness, racing against someone shouldn't be the priority. That's what intermediate racing is for. I have to agree, those first 4 races should be just a more intense version of a track day.
And if you've already got the NSR, why would you bring the KZ?
And if you've already got the NSR, why would you bring the KZ?
Streethawk
Member
Engine guards
What is this about engine guards? I've been rebuilding an old two smoker I am planning on vintage racing and hadn't heard anything about needing engine guards. Please enlighten me...
Cheers
What is this about engine guards? I've been rebuilding an old two smoker I am planning on vintage racing and hadn't heard anything about needing engine guards. Please enlighten me...
Cheers
You need engine gaurds.
Streethawk
Member
So what exactly do i need to do? I see nothing on the website regarding guidelines for this.
Streethawk
Member
That answer was more what i was looking for, thanks 
. Hopefully I can get away with some frame sliders doing the job. Wouldn't want to ruin the looks of the engine cases I polished up.
. Hopefully I can get away with some frame sliders doing the job. Wouldn't want to ruin the looks of the engine cases I polished up.That answer was more what i was looking for, thanks
If aftermarket engine casings can be found for your bike you WILL have to run them or you will be sitting out with tears in your eyes. Sliders aren't a simple answer, pretty much everyone had sliders before this rule came into effect. Good luck.
Streethawk
Member
Aftermarket engine cases for a '70 Suzuki T250... I really doubt it, but I will look into it. thx
yak
Well-Known Member
Streethawk
In my opinion it is likely that your bike is an exception to the rule. The purpose of the rule is to avoid putting oil down on the track. I'm not familiar with your specific bike but on the surface a 2 stroke engine is unlikely to be at risk of losing a measurable volume of oil out of the crankcase. It is also unlikely that your transmission fluid is at risk of being released in a crash, but this would need to be evaluated. Drop Juan a note and see if he buys in to this. A couple of pictures may help your case.
On a related note: if you are still using the oil injection system you'll want to ensure that it won't dump oil on the track in the event of a tip over.
Regards,
Todd
In my opinion it is likely that your bike is an exception to the rule. The purpose of the rule is to avoid putting oil down on the track. I'm not familiar with your specific bike but on the surface a 2 stroke engine is unlikely to be at risk of losing a measurable volume of oil out of the crankcase. It is also unlikely that your transmission fluid is at risk of being released in a crash, but this would need to be evaluated. Drop Juan a note and see if he buys in to this. A couple of pictures may help your case.
On a related note: if you are still using the oil injection system you'll want to ensure that it won't dump oil on the track in the event of a tip over.
Regards,
Todd
Streethawk
Member
Thanks Yak, that seems to make sense.
I'm mixing my oil and gas, so I'm not using the old oil injection system. I'll send Juan a pic and get his input when the bike is done (hopefully 2-3 weeks)
I'm mixing my oil and gas, so I'm not using the old oil injection system. I'll send Juan a pic and get his input when the bike is done (hopefully 2-3 weeks)