Can a 5th Gen become a decent (or ok) bike for track days?

Recently had my first outing on a track on my much loved 5th Gen (at Cadwell Park, UK) as part of a road safety course. I was suprised at how much I enjoyed it, and was very much limited by my own abilities rather than that of the bike (and I know red isn't the fastest colour either!), but it made me wonder whether the 5th Gen can be made into a good bike for the occasional trackday? A few times in fast corners it felt, well, a bit unsettled. I know it will never keep up with pure sports bikes - but it would be great if it could hold its own in the intermediate group - if not the fast group! Or is it too heavy / not enough clearance....? Any advice or feedback welcomed!

 

A VFR is quite heavy and the weight is high, so if you want a "real" track bike then hunt down an unloved 600. Even a 2003 has more HP and weighs 100 lbs. less.

If you just want to learn how to ride your VFR really well, then slap on a set of Dunlop Q3's, upgrade your brake lines to braided, put on wave rotors with new EBC Hawk pads and have at it. The Q3's are a true-blue track tire that just happens to work great on the street and the improvement in your brakes will be welcome all around.


Had a chance to think about it more. I meant the double H pads, not hawk.

Jose

 

In the June 2000 Sport Rider magazine, Kent Kunitsugu, the editor, talks about being at Las Vegas International Speedway testing a CBR929. He noticed a red bike keeping up with the 929. This turned out to be Freddie Spencer riding a 5th gen VFR. You can have fun on any bike at a track day provided it has decent tires, rear shock, and decent mechanical condition. Most riders aty a track day are limited by their own abilities, not the ability of the bike.

 

Racimg champs Reg Pridmore and son Jason rode VFRs at their track riding school and Reg gave rides to mostly-amazed passengers, then circulated through different sessions, offering clues to better riding, lines, braking, etc.

VFR as a trackday ride ?? You'd be a be a better street rider for sure, but..... For me my Hawk 650 seemed the best choice after many laps of steady improvement in the Pridmore school (Firebird center) course, while i wouldn't have been quicker anywhere on a VFR and wrestling the extra mass wouldn't have been as much fun. Horses for courses, eh ?

 

I tracked my vfr back in June and was running the quicker pace in C group thru the corners, but got blown away in the straights. It was quite fun, and with a few tweaks, should prove to be fairly capable, but will never hang with the gixxers or cbrs in higher groups...

 

Freshen the suspension, raise the rear and loose a few pounds and you can hang with the 600 pack pretty well. Oh and get some sticky tires!





That said, if I was to start doing track days again it would probably be on a 2006ish CBR600 or old gixxer 750 because they are cheap and plentiful.

 

Freddie too at his old track school, originally on a 5G then a 6G.

 

I think so, I'm in the process of building out my '01 to be my "play/track" bike. The two primary things that need to be addressed, suspension and weight. I've done the former and will be shedding a few pounds when I put on the 2 Bros high mount exhaust. I'll also be adding a Power Commander V and a Dyno tune so I can get the maximum HP out of her.

So far with just the suspension changes and the pure sport tires mounted, she performs like a top! Once I get the exhaust and the Power Commander installed I'll be looking at doing some track days with her. Right now I'm enjoying riding her in the Canyons here in So Cal!

 

What's a track day? And what do they cost?

Seriously.

 

If you do, might want to invest in some racing rear sets. I ripped off the right foot peg feeler bolt thing today while scrubbing away the chicken strips on my fifth gen.

 

It is where you get to use the race track as your own personal "play ground", well so to speak. Most track days are organized by a group of experienced riders and usually cost a couple hundred dollars. This ranges of course on the organization and the track that they rent for use. Although you get to use the track, there are rules that are laid out and that you need to follow in order to be on the track.

 

Cool, thanks OOTV.

Do you have to pass a tech inspection? Are there paramedics/ambulances on site? Is it all day or just a block of hours.

 

Short answer is yes. It is all dependent on the organization and the track. However all will have a tech inspection of some sort, as well as a rider inspection. Many groups require leathers, whether it be one piece suits or a two piece with a full circumference zipper that ties the top/bottoms together. Most tracks also will have some sort of medical tech on site, but this is something you may want to verify.

As far as time on the track, it is usually all day but broken down into blocks of time for A/B/C groups, this so the experienced riders can ride with experienced riders and not have to ride with novices or intermiate riders and vice versa. Each group will be allowed to ride there time block and then leave the track for the next group. Some times there's a free time where anyone is allowed to ride but with strict rules about passing and what not.