RSV 1000 R Track Bike

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

As I mentioned in the Winter Projects thread, I'm going to convert my 2002 Aprilia RSVR for track duties. I bought the bike in November 2008 and loved it. After owning it for a while the riding position started to grate and i used it less. However, my love for it was rekindled when i took it on track, as it's awesome there. After those trackdays I rode it even less on the road, as the only time it was comfortable and 'fun' to ride was when I was giving it the berries, and I didn't want to lose my licence!

Here's how I bought it:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/n660357060_1551843_2894.jpg

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/n660357060_1551841_2380.jpg

I purchased some track fairings but the rear seat unit never fit over the numberplate bracket on the undertray and the double seat subframe.

Cadwell 2009:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/6408_111070147060_660357060_2730823_1955418_n.jpg

NEW for 2010! BLACK GAFFER TAPE! (Donington)
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1019.jpg

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1034.jpg

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1038.jpg

Cadwell 2010:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/l55.jpg

I enjoy this bike so much on track i figured I'd just put the track fairings on and give it a good spruce up, as I used it on the roads once this year Laughing

I already bought a spare single seat subframe (so the tail piece can fit over), undertray and petrol tank. I need to do the following:

Replace double seat subframe with single seat subframe
Chop the numberplate brackets off the spare undertray and fit to single seat subframe
Buy some front fairing and wheel spindle crash bungs
Repair all the fairings (some have big splits in them and have cracked the paintwork)
Paint orange Mr. Green

Give it a service - valves need checking, oil & coolant change etc.
Then give it a bit of a tidy - clean the engine and replace some rusty clips.

Now, I actually started this a couple of weeks ago but never got around to posting this thread. I also filled up a memory card (only 64mb) and took a few pics of me fitting the new subframe on the camera's internal memory, but I now can't find the cable for it! I'll try and dig the cable out at the weekend and edit this post with pics of the subframe fitting.

So...

I took the rear plastics off the double seat unit
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1042.jpg

Took the ECU box and battery out
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1043.jpg

You have probably noticed I have an alarm on the bike. I was going to chop it out, but then thought that i don't mind it having an alarm really. I'll keep it but will pack the area it sits in with foam for when it's at a trackday - I put it into service mode at trackdays so if I fall off and a marshal turns it off by the key the alarm won't arm.

Double seat subframe out!
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1051.jpg

You can also see I removed the rear hugger. This actually took 3 hours to get the four bolts out as they'd all seized into the swing arm Sad

Had to impact driver two of them out by cutting a slot in them, and got one out by hammering a torx head into it:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1052.jpg

**** New pictures

I put the undertray in the new subframe, but the seat unit doesn't go on because it can't get past the numberplate brackets:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1062.jpg

So I chopped 'em off!
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1064.jpg

The undertray then fits in the seat unit
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1065.jpg
Undertray is a bit grotty, so may give it all a sanding to see if it'll get rid of the crap. hopefully the burn mark is just on the surface.

View from the top
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1066.jpg

Comparison of double and single seat units:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1063.jpg

**** End of new pictures

I tried to mount the reg/rec with cable ties but it stopped me being able to put the seat unit on. I ended up screwing it to the side of the subframe with just one bolt.
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1056.jpg

Then I fitted the seat unit!
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1053.jpg

Underneath. Can just about make out where I chopped the numberplate brackets off.
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1054.jpg
Unfortunately there are a few cracks like this one:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1055.jpg

So I set about with the fibreglass repair kit. Before:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1059.jpg

After:
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1060.jpg

And finally, a picture of the spare tank I have.
https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1061.jpg
The fuel pump inside it works (tested it last night) which is good.

Had to get the lock picked on it Very Happy

It's a plastic tank. Has anyone ever sprayed a tank like this before? Would I need a plasticiser?

That's currently where I'm at. Hopefully in the next few days I'm going to sand and body filler the seat unit. I'll also wheel the bike out and take some better pics of it.

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

New pictures added (managed to get the undertray ones off the camera). The start and end of them is marked out in bold in the above post. Also the seat unit is pretty much repaired, just need to sand a few body filler'd parts then I'll have pics of that too.

L4Isoside · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Mar 2010 Karma :

Nice one.

I maybe on the look out for a trackbike next year, but converting one your self looks like a lot of fun as well!

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

Yeah I do enjoy tinkering with track bikes it seems. Making one out of a road bike definitely isn't a cheap way to get a track bike though. The reason i've done it with my RSV is that they can be had cheap (for what they are) now, and for the sake of saving a few hundred quid I can have a bike where I know it's mechanically sound.

L4Isoside · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Mar 2010 Karma :

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

Bought some R&G bungs the other day, fitted them tonight.

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1099.jpg

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1100.jpg

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1101.jpg

Fairings were already cut for crash bungs so this was a nice quick job. Should hopefully be finishing off the bodywork this week.

Syris the Indomitable · Crazy Courier Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Karma :

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AngelGrinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Karma :

Update this now Wink

Your track fairings seems better in some ways than mine, and worse in others. My belly pan still allows me to screw it into the plastic guard around the back of the exhaust, making it a little stronger.

The rear seat unit on mine is all one peice, with foam seat, but doesn't have as nice a shape as yours, and makes the seat alittle higher, but fits over the numberplate bracket no problem. Although it also has been made a bit weak and tatty from the stretching to get the damn thing over the subframe, especially with the alarm on one side of the subframe aswell. And your fairings also seem to include parts for the air ducts, whereas I have had to keep my standard ones Sad

Nice little project though, let me know how she goes!
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

This was going to get updated Wednesday-ish Very Happy

I "finished" (got them to an OK standard then got fed up with them) preparing the fairings, bought the paint and then made a right cock up of spraying the primer. It came out all watery, but was still thick inside the gun and clogged it all up. They're currently at the painters now and should be done on Tuesday hopefully, will post some pics then.

The air ducts are just another set of standard air ducts, definitely not race items. I'd actually forgotten how bad a condition these were in until I looked at these pics - they're not perfect now, but at least look presentable Very Happy

DrDonnyBrago · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Jan 2010 Karma :

Are all the cracks, damage, scratches and what not on the track fairings from crashes or just from wear and tear (wind, vibration etc) on a bike high speed?

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

Everything except the air ducts is just from wind pressure and vibration. The glass fibre was quite thin in a few places and obviously the stress of it moving made it crack. The air ducts however seem to have been on a bike that's been crashed due to the damage. After I sanded them down you could see that this fairing kit had been made up from different pieces.

It's made up of:
One green side panel
One blue side panel
An orange nose cone and belly pan
A green tail unit
One silver air duct
One black air duct
One black petrol tank (which I bought)

Painters haven't phoned me yet so I'll give them a ring if I get a spare minute at work today.

steven_191 · Nearly there... Joined: 31 May 2009 Karma :

you might need to be careful if your strengthening stuff with fibreglass.

i have some mito race fairings and they weigh twice as much as the standard ones. completely pointless.

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

It's made no difference, they're still half the weight of the standard plastics. The point of these is so I don't mess up road fairings anyway, not weight.

Painters called me an hour ago to say they're painted Thumbs Up

Pussy Magnet · Scooby Slapper Joined: 20 Oct 2009 Karma :

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

I know orange isn't to everyone's taste but I like it. The painters did a really good job and at least I won't be one of the many black or red bikes in the trackday pictures Very Happy

Shreddie · Spanner Monkey Joined: 20 Nov 2009 Karma :

I hate orange... But it looks kinda tidy as an orange/white combo!

Nice work!

AngelGrinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Karma :

Looks good, that paint looks really smooth...must have taken forever to get it prepped that well! Liking it Thumbs Up

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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

Gazdaman · I did a trackday!!! Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :

I love it, looks awesome.

Gaz

AL- · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Karma :

MarkJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Karma :

Thanks for the kind words Thumbs Up

I seem to be going backwards now Laughing

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1174640x480.jpg

The suspension linkage bearings on the bottom of the swingarm had seized (common problem with RSVs) and if left like this for a while can eventually disintegrate and sometimes snap the linkage plate, so I took the swingarm off and took it to my local bike shop for the new bearings pressing in.

The shock is quite awkward to clean as the swingarm is quite tall so now was a good opportunity to clean the whole area.

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1175640x480.jpg

20 minutes of scrubbing with a rag and white spirit later:

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1176640x480.jpg

https://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/markjackson13/DSCF1177640x480.jpg

Picking swingarm up tomorrow, fitting that and the fairings & tank properly at the weekend then should be all finished Thumbs Up

Stav · Nova Slayer Joined: 11 Mar 2007 Karma :

Absolutely cracking! Love it! Orange/white combo looks really cool! Thumbs Up

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Present> 03 Tuono RSV1000 - Past > 02 Honda NSR125RR > 02 Triumph TT600
Cage> 03 Audi TT