ZXR400 Racer with NG

There seems to be more and more members appearing that are racing the ZXR400 so i've created a special section just for you to show off results, discuss meets etc etc.

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tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

Hi All,

Very new to the group as I've just become the very happy new owner of a ZXR400 race bike :excited
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I'm halfway through my first race season with NG and I've been riding an NC29 so far, which I've enjoyed but they are a fairly small bike. My brother's been racing a ZXR for 4 years now and it seemed like the bike to have! Now i got a really good deal on this bike, its Roger Middleton tuned and has tones of goodies with it.

My first outing on it will be at Castle Combe on the 2nd of July! Cannot wait biggrin
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400y
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Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:32 am
My Bike: ZXR400H1 GSXR600

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by 400y »

Good luck with the racing. If its a RM tuned bike it will be a good 'un
tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

Cheers dude,

Yeah! my Cbr was standard so it think its going to be a bit of a shock.

Its got a Brembo master Cylinder as well so i should be alright to stop as well haha.
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jamesgoodfella
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My Bike: ZXR400 H1 + CB350K2
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Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by jamesgoodfella »

Not keen on after market fairings but damn girl :smt055
masterofinsanity wrote:or use a Duplo brick :smt002
tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

RMKD Fairings are the Bomb!
chaz34
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:21 pm
My Bike: vfr750fs /zxr400l1 zx7r
Location: laurencekirk

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by chaz34 »

nice looking bike youve got there like the rmkd bodywork thinking of getting a set for next year for my tuned bike .
tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

She's all sorted and ready to race after having a solid week of loving!

Changed the follow - Exhaust gaskets/Yolks/Clip-ons/Rear Sets/Exhaust/Fairing Bolts/Re-located the Shock Reservoir/Serviced the Brakes/Re-wired the loom(Tidied it up)/Re-located the coils, amongst a few other bits and gave her a bloody good clean!

Cannot wait to ride it this weekend at Castle Combe!

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tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

Castle Combe - 2nd/3rd July 2016

Saturday:
Turned up Friday evening as Combe's only a 30 minute drive from Bristol, help my brother put the awnings up and set about fiddling with my bike ready for racing. She flew through scrutineering and i was all ready to go with drys on. As our British summer always does, it let me down and started pissing down 20 minutes before the race. With limited experience changing wheels on the zxr it was a bit frantic. After morning practise i felt good on the bike so wasn't too fussed about it being wet, this would turn out to be my downfall haha. Got a good start, was running in about 6th place, came out the last slow chicane at Combe a little too keen on the throttle (The ZXR is miles faster than my CBR was) and up in the air i went. For a slow high-side it was fairly vicious. Fortunately i didn't hit my head but i landed pretty hard on my shoulder and slid down the middle of the track. I got up whilst still moving and ran off the track, turned around to see my bike being dodged by a few people and POP, my shoulder goes back into place, a place i didn't feel it come out of! The bike wasn't damaged too much as it was a fairly slow off so i was glad about that. A friend came and took the bike as i went to the medical centre to convince them i was OK to carry on.

The afternoon race i just wanted to complete and not total myself or the bike again, as it took a while to sort the few bits on it and get it passed again my the scrutineers i was late getting it noise tested and then didn't have time to put warmers on before the start of the F400 race so i just went out, did my best to warm the tyres up on the warm up lap and then starting from 38th i took a couple of laps just to get the feeling back and make sure my tyres were warm. After this i battled my way back up to 9th and did a 1.25.7.

My Newcomers race was meant to be a couple of races after the F400 race but unfortunately there was a big accident in the power bikes and the following races got cancelled and moved to Sunday.It absolutely sucks as Jer Thomas lost his life in that accident.

Sunday:
I went home and slept in my own bed after Saturdays races and woke up feeling incredibly stiff, on the way to the track i was feeling nervous as i knew i was the first race out. I managed to blag myself 2 laps practise and then set off for the Newcomers race. Now we were mixed with mini twins and 600/1000's. My plan was to get at least a comfortable 3rd. I got an absolutely amazing start, went round the outside of all the 400's i was racing against in class and pulled a fairly brave move on a number of the bigger bikes into the first corner knowing i couldn't get held up. Once the first lap was completed i settled into a really good rhythm, picking off a few mini twins and catching a few of the bigger bikes. It was only a short 5 lap races so i knew i had to nail it from the off. I came across the line in 1st after leading the whole race, i couldn't quite believe it after my luck the day before. When i came back in and went to collect my trophy i also found out i smashed the Newcomers lap record, which stood at a 1.25.7. I managed a 1.23.075 which was fastest of all the mini twins, and would have put me 9th with the 600's/1000's :grin: :grin:

The F400 qualifier was only 2 races after the Newcomers so i didn't really have time to celebrate, i went back out for that with confidence i could challenge for top 6. Again i got a solid start, went from 13th to 5th and was battling for 4th in the first lap when my visor flew off! some great luck again. i pulled into the pits not even completing a lap. I guess i saved some tyres and some fuel in the end haha. New visor fitted and a good rest over lunch i was charged up and ready to start from 43rd on the grid and make my way through the pack. There were a lot of slow bikes in front of me off the start so i had to be cautions and pick my way through well. I pointed my bike to the right as there was a gap i knew i could get to, got a solid start again and shot down the inside of quite a few people. Spent the first 2 laps making some pretty risky moves but it was proper fun racing through the pack. I pulled my way up to 5th and was riding comfortably. On the last lap coming into the 2nd chicane at combe, almost the end of the lap, i hit a false neutral and couldn't get it back into gear before the corner so had to run through the run off, i clicked it back into 3rd, got my head down but 6th place shoved it up the inside into the last corner, i didn't actually realise it was the last lap as i lined him up to pass down the straight only to see the chequered flag as i came out the last corner haha. unbelievably fun race and my uncle got some pretty good footage i believe.

More than happy with how things went after the crash, i'll learn my lesson and move onto Anglesey in 6 weeks to keep the Newcomers charge going and try to slot myself into the top 5 in the F400 Championship.

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U_h0rnet5
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Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by U_h0rnet5 »

Was just checking Twitter and saw a retweet from Neil Hodgson, I thought I saw that bike yesterday when I was looking through the forum lol

Nice one dude

Ciaran
tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

Cheers dude, Neil's always good for an RT ha.
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400y
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Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by 400y »

Great write up.

Nice to hear racing reports.
tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

As theres a good 6 weeks before my next race (Anglesey, can't wait!) i've got a bit of time to fix a few more bits on the bike, a few more bits than first thought after the crash haha.

Good bit of money spent on eBay and Cradley's website (Great service) and almost all the bits are here.
Over the next couple of weeks myself and my brother will be doing:
- Fork rebiuld on the spare set to swap over
- New exhaust stubs
- New brake pads
- New engine/Fork oil
- Little bit of fibreglassing/Touch up painting
- Spraying of the tank cover/Mudguard
- New quick action throttle
and a few other bits I've most definitely forgotten.

My brother kindly gave the my bike and his a good clean at work and managed to sort out my subframe so i can actually mount the tail unit and the tank properly! (All previous mounts/bolts were rounded off) now its just a case of spending a couple of week day evenings and weekends in the garage to sort all the bits and pieces out.

Clean bike :grin:
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Fixed subframe
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Oh and i managed to get into Performance Bikes on the old NC29 at Oulton Park, mid pack number 44 haha
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tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

Finally sorted the footage out from the final race of the weekend.

Going from 43rd to 6th, race would have looked more exciting if the camera was facing forwards but wanted to try something different, you can really see how bumpy in places it is and how hard you have to work the bike with it facing me.


https://youtu.be/5xvTwRIQfnA
tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

Anglesey NG Road Racing 12th - 14th August

Friday Test Day:
After a few beers and some cracking live music the night before at the Anglesey club house i was all sorted and ready to have a crack at the cracking circuit that is Anglesey. Started off nice and easy just settling back into riding the zxr making sure everything's working as it should etc. My pace got better throughout the day but most of the sessions were rammed and trying to learn the track whilst there was a lot of traffic wasn't quite helping so much but i did get a good few laps to myself to try and get up to race speed. I had a couple of issues as my shift rode pulled itself out the threads as i went across the curb so i had to cruise around in 3rd gear for a lap and then get it sorted, fairly easy job it had just been done badly previously. I gave the last session a miss as i was happy with my progression through out the day and wanted to save a bit of fuel for the next days racing.

Saturday:
Woke up nice and early after a cracking sleep in the back of the van, it was almost like a slightly uncomfortable bed! got settled back into things during morning practise, the bike ran faultlessly and i invested in a nice new seat pad so i was actually sitting nice on the zxr. My brother was having some terrible luck after 2 engine swaps and countless issues, one of the other 400 boys was kind enough to lend him his zxr for the weekend but he had to start from the back of the grid in the f400 qualifier. I was 5th on the grid, got a monstrous start and shot up to 2nd place straight away, i tried to go with leader Tim Bradley but he was way too quick for me. I had a fairly lonely race but keep cool and tried to race myself, braking later, taking faster lines etc. I came across the line in 2nd, not quite believing i had managed it! I know it was only a quali race but i was over the bloody moon.

Onto the afternoons F400 race i was 2nd on the grid and proper ready for the race, my brother was starting from the back again but i knew he'd be coming up fast. I got another flying start and almost got into first but held my own and settled into second place. We were mixed with Bandits again and 1 bloke was fairly quick. I started catching him a lap in and had a really good battled, we swapped places a few times, i made a few dodgy lunges but i was confident on the brakes and in my new tyres. As i was pulling along side the bandit down the back straight to go up the inside into the 6th to 2nd gear sharp left he out broke me and flying up the inside comes my brother on the borrowed zxr. I wasn't mad i knew it was coming so i followed his lines and managed to make myself faster. He got passed and cleared the Bandit within a lap, I wanted to follow him so i lunged him again and managed to make the move stick this time. I see the last lap flag buzzing knowing i only had 1 lap left and i had a massive gap to the next 400 in 4th i broke a little earlier into the 6th to 2nd sharp left at the top of the circuit as i had a few head shaking moments in the quali race there. I bang it down 3 gears go to click down into 2nd and it hits a false neutral, something it had done before, as i'm frantically scrambling to get it into gear the bike shuts off and i let the clutch out to try and bump it, she goes full lock and throws me right out the seat and i land on the tank! undeterred i kept trying to bump start it to no avail. I stopped, found neutral and hit the starter motor but she would go as zxr do when they're hot. I had never been so pissed off in my life, managed to break my visor in my rage as well! The Marshall's helped me to push the bike to one side and we still couldn't get it started! They brought the recover van around after the sound of thunder race, just as they open the doors i fire the bike up and ride back to pits :excited. I was in a bit of a rush as i knew the newcomers race was coming up soon, i got back and cleaned my tyres, checked the gear box was all good and Syked myself up for the newcomers race.

I started 28th of the grid and it was a little frightening seeing how many bikes would be going into the first corner. Again the trusty zxr got a fantastic start i tried picking my way through the 600's/100's up the inside but got blocked, I then swooped to the outside and got myself into 1st in class. From then i had a class race with all the mini twins/600's/1000's and managed to beat a fair few of them with some quite close calls during the race but it was all good fun. I came across the line 1st in class and won the race by 20 seconds! i was 1 second off the newcomers lap record but i knew i could go faster. After the disaster in the f400 race the win in the newcomers made up for it and the trophy was bloody huge! it fit 2 full cans of Carling in it, which i happily drank after the race!

Race footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz7awVEvyTE

Sunday:
After another tracking sleep all i was focused on was getting that F400 podium that was robbed from me. Warm up went well, bike felt solid, i then remembered that i was starting from the back of the grid for the F400 Quali race due to my DNF the day before. It sorta took the pressure off a little bit and starting last is sometimes quite fun. Once again a rocket start, got myself up to 7th place from 23rd! i then started hunting down the RVF in front of me (Glad he had changed his sparking knee slider!) i over took him just into the 2nd lap. Then i went on the charge ti hunt down my Pal Simon and Martin who i had handed 3rd place to the day before. It took me a good 2 laps to pull in the 4/5 second gap. I dropped it around the outside of Simon down the Anglesey corkscrew and then up the inside of Martin into the second corner, a 180 degree right hander. Barrelling down the back straight i thought i'd be safe for 3rd then Martin comes flying up the inside of me into the sharp left and gets it stopped, i did a little cutback into the sharp 180 degree right just after and got a good run to then see a red flag, race result! As it went back a lap i qualified 4th for the afternoon race and got my lap times down to mid 1.16's

A little nervous but incredibly pumped up we go out onto the grid for the afternoons F400 Race. A standard warm up lap but i was working on my clutch control as i believe that was half the cause of my false neutral the day before. Lights go on I Bang the revs to 10K feed the clutch and away we go, Completely focused on the first corner i was almost oblivious to my front wheel being in the air, something i didn't quite think it would be! the front drops and picks up a little again shaking the bars as i land. I dropped it into the first corner in 4th following my brother in as he goes round the outside into 2nd place. I knew i had to try and follow them so they'd pull me away from the chasing pack so I parked it up the inside of Martin to take 3rd place at the 2nd corner. Both flying down the back straight i knew he'd be good on the brakes so i was a late as possible but he still came up the inside, both our bikes going a bit sideways I drop it into the sharp left and just as i do he picks his bike up, we narrowly miss each other but i managed to cut up the inside of him and take 3rd. A bloke on a GP45 came past me but i wasn't bothered about him as i knew he was rapid. Now it was just me and the track, a time trial almost. I hammered in some good laps to try and pull away from Martin in 4th. Consistently doing 1.16's i managed to do that and on the last lap i had a quick look over my shoulder to see what gap i had, i didn't see anyone so the corner that caught me out the day before i went into bloody cautiously, I wasn't having the 3rd place taken from me again! I made my way through and took the rest of the lap super smooth. Coming out the last corner all myself and my brothers racing pals were on the pit wall going mad and i stuck 3rd place! To get a F400 Podium in my first season was something i didn't think would happen coming into the season and even this race but i was over the moon. I spent the cool down lap fist pumping and trying wheelies to no avail haha. Caught up with my brother around the lap who had come 2nd so we went a bit mad.

Race footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI8pG-RQRA0

All in all a bloody cracking weekend and to come home with 2 big trophies and 0 crashes was great :smt003 :smt003 :smt003

Mother got some good photos of myself and my brother. There should be some cracking action shots to come!

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tuckshop1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:14 am
My Bike: ZXR400 L/CBR 400 NC29

Re: ZXR400 Racer with NG

Post by tuckshop1 »

http://www.kerryrawson.com/motorbikes Kerry got some cracking shots of me doing some knee skids around the track.

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Onto the next race!
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