Project Yamaha 3-Way - Part 2/2

Project One - The Stunt Bike

Baseline: 1999 Yamaha R6 / Budget $3,000

In the first installment of our project bike build, the 1999 Yamaha R6 resembled a cross between a streetfighter and an insurance claim. We started the project by adding all the necessary hardware under the bodywork such as a 12 o'clock bar from Powers Stuntworx, a Full Throttle handbrake kit, Racing 905's fairing stay and a few labor modifications like the kill switch and denting the tank.

Like sweeping dirt under the rug, the next step was to add our old race bodywork to cover up the years of track abuse on the former racebike. The bodywork left over from Zamora's old racing days was full of dust and scratches, but it was brought back to a solid color after applying an air hose, spray paint and a paint pen (the goal was to make the bike presentable from 50 feet away).

We next thumbed through the Lockhart Phillips catalog and the thousands of accessories that can aid in any project. During the years the bike was in storage in the back of a garage we had lost all of our mounting hardware, and LP's aluminum bolt kit kept us from having to dig through the can of miscellaneous bolts. The kit also added red accents to the black bodywork that give it a slight custom touch.

After the bodywork was installed, we bolted a Lockhart Phillips Speedscreen to the aftermarket skins. We chose a smoke-colored stock replacement screen for its extra durability and thickness, and mounted it easily with a Lockhart Phillips windscreen bolt kit (also anodized in red).

The addition of the Full Throttle hand brake created the dilemma of finding a place for the manual choke. Since the 1999 R6 was before the days of fuel injection, keeping the choke is essential for cold-morning starts. To solve the problem, Adrian Celiceo from Racing 905 cut a section of metal tubing to act as a bar end and then relocated the entire unit inside the fairing to retain the functionality.

Stuntbikes require a good steering stabilizer, and GPR supplied us with a new unit. It replaces the worn-out stabilizer that the R6 had, and not only looks better but will actually function.

Learning new tricks results in dropped bikes, and a broken case cover can bring a practice session to a screeching halt-so the addition of a crash cage is a requirement. A Racing 905 crash cage was installed after the bodywork was bolted in place, and holes were cut to accept the mounting hardware. Using the feedback received from customers and sponsored riders, the cage's new design features increased clearance for shins and plastic sliders for another level of bike protection.

Next Month: We add a huge 60-tooth Vortex sprocket, RK chain, custom vinyl graphics and more.

The Builder's Box
Adrian Celiceo
Racing 905
www.racing905.com
(619) 210-4777

Project Two - The Street Bike

Baseline: 2006 Yamaha R6 / Budget: $6,000

Our streetbike upgrades focus on bolt-on accessories that can be made with simple tools. In the last issue we concentrated on some basic modifications that could be easily fitted over the stock bodywork such as Powers Stuntworx Race Railz, a GPR steering stabilizer, Graves bar ends and Hotbodies Racing turn signals and windscreen.

This month we decided to dive a little deeper into the bike in an effort to clean up its appearance and functionality. Replacing the stock rear fender is one of the first modifications made to any newly purchased bike, and manufacturers have taken notice of this trend by making removal of the stock fender fairly basic. Competition Werkes was one of the original companies to pick up on this trend, and it began manufacturing fender eliminator kits.

After removing the stock unit, we were able to install the license plate mount and supplied turn signals without cutting any bodywork. The result is a clean and simple undertail that preserves the turn signals to prevent an easy ticket on the street.

The stock R6 pegs have enough room for some serious track clearance, but the addition of aftermarket adjustable rearsets allows even greater room for comfort and performance. Vortex Racing's rearsets offer more precise shifting and braking with a wide range of adjustability, and in the bad luck of a crash individual replacement parts are available to help reduce the cost of total replacement.

Graves engine covers not only protect better than the stock ones, but they also give the bike a factory-racebike look.

Next Month: We add high performance to our almost-ready street bike by mounting a full Graves exhaust system, Vortex sprocket and much more.

The Builder's Box
Michael Candreia and John Zamora, Shop Manager and Monkey with a Wrench
superstreetbike.com

Project Three - The Show Bike

Baseline: 2006 Yamaha R1 / Unlimited Budget

Building a custom bike from the ground up on a compressed schedule is like cooking Thanksgiving dinner in two hours-one misplaced move and you'll look like a real turkey. Careful planning is crucial to account for lead times or major frustrations can occur.

Our first segment began with major portions of the project such as disassembly from Sesto Custom Cycles, chroming from Sport Chrome, rear suspension by Bike Buddy Pro and a 12-inch extended C&S Custom swingarm. After the hardware returned from the chromer (shining like a rapper's grill), assembly began by re-routing the wiring and gauges and getting the motor put back in the frame. Thanks to careful tagging during disassembly, no bolts or hardware were misplaced.

To help break up the large amounts of chrome and accent the planned graphics in the paint, select pieces of hardware were delivered to Specialized Ceramic and Powdercoating in Huntington Beach, California, for a translucent powdercoat (powdercoat over a polished or chromed finish).

Our Vortex left case cover received blue powdercoat treatment with polished bolts to help break up the solid color, while the Vortex lowering links were also color treated, and they lowered the stock ride height by 2 inches.

The Hi-Low Rider adjustable suspension allows us to raise the bike up and down a total of 4 inches, and when used with the 2-inch-lower Vortex lowering links, it will allow us to either slam the tail to the tire or raise it up for riding. One major problem in lowering a bike is that the kickstand can no longer be used, but the Patrick's Performance adjustable kickstand we installed has five different positions and allows the bike to lean properly.

Graves Motorsports rearsets replace the bulky stock units, and they're the same ones that Graves uses on its AMA Superstock racebikes (though probably not in a high-gloss chrome).

Many of these modifications are adding pounds to the bike, and the addition of Graves Motorsports' velocity stacks adds up to four additional horsepower.

But power is nothing without control. Since our forks were already disassembled for powdercoating, it was the perfect time to upgrade the stock internals. The crew at Race Tech in Corona, California, offers expertise in custom-suspension setups, and they rebuilt the forks for Zamora's weight and the type of riding expected on this bike.

Next Month: The bike now has a solid base of style and function and is ready for the next phase including paint, wheels, seats and more.

The Builder's Box
Tony Sesto
Sesto Custom Cycles
www.sestocustomscycles.com
(714) 924-6600