H1 Track Bike(?)

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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Chazzman_bm
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:43 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Scotland

H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Chazzman_bm »

What's up folks.

I have had an H1 ZXr400 project for over 10 years. In all that time, it has been stripped down, every bearing has been replaced and anything that could be powedercoated to keep it from going to toad has been done.

For a while, I thought I'd like to restore it to OEM but that's not really lighting my fire anymore so I want to turn it into a track only bike for me to have fun on and improve my riding skill.

I have no race parts yet (except for a full stainless Scorpion system I bought years ago) and I have never done a race project before so I am looking for advice from you guys. What parts should I change or upgrade from stock to make it fun and reliable ...and fast(ish).

Usually, the question of budget comes up at this point. Because I have never done this sort of thing before, I don't really have one. I guess I'll have to take the leap down the rabbit hole and see where it takes me.

Thanks for the advice gents.
Chazz.
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R P Corse
CBT slow
CBT slow
Posts: 522
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:15 am
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Surrey

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by R P Corse »

get the engine running right and sort out your suspension and brakes - out of the box these are weapons!

leave engine stock for now - unless you want a bit more out of it, just leave it! make sure carbs are set up properly.

fresh fork fluid and set it up to your weight, this will help MASSIVELY, if you can get a decent rear shock in it like a Nitron/Maxton/Ohlins then do it, if not a decent upgrade is from a stock GSXR 600/750/1000 rear shock, thats basically the handling sorted

as for the brakes, stick some braided lines on the front (and rear if your that way inclined) new seals in the calipers as well, also fresh fluid

decent pads - SBS is my personal choice, wouldnt use EBC even if you paid me - again that is my personal choice, i have never had a good experience with EBC pads

decent set of tyres, everyone has preferences, mine are Avon or Dunlop, a lot of people go for Pirelli, choice is yours really...

thats your basics, its a weapon as it is, just make sure you are on top of the maintenance!
Chazzman_bm
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:43 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Scotland

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Chazzman_bm »

Thanks Big B. I like the sound of your suggestions. I was a bit concerned that I would have to swap out lots of OEM parts for race spec or upgraded items and basically re-engineer the bike.

Time to get back in the garage!

Thanks again.
Murray1992
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:04 am
My Bike: Zxr400/DD750

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Murray1992 »

hi chaz, im going through this at the moment, bike is 97% built :D
i have put this togther out of parts which is my first project bike, heres a few things i did.

cbr600rr stick coils
ram air box
rmkd fairing front, ams rear
modified the loom (thanks the banner, what a chap)
quick action throttle
chopped rear sub frame
japanese exhaust system (forget the name)
bell mounts for carbs
refreshed all brake callipers (will be building the rear brake bracket and getting rid of the torque bar)
zx6r radiator
oil cooler bypass (using the longer pipe from the oil cooler to make the bypass)
blocked off air correctors on carbs and set up for ram air box

im nearly finsihed just a few cosmetics to sort out like making a dash surround but the bike is running good. in the future ill look into engine upgrades but at the moment these bikes are light and easy to use. good luck
Chazzman_bm
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:43 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Scotland

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Chazzman_bm »

Murray,

Thanks for the info. It probably comes as no surprise that a lot of the things on your list are on mine as well with a few exceptions, which raises a few questions for me.

1) Why the swap to cbr600rr stick coils? --- Are the stock coils inferior or do the CBR ones provide better performance and/or reliability?
2) modified the loom (thanks the banner, what a chap) --- I assume the bike is purely for track use and you have stripped out the stuff you don't need for road use. Is that correct?
3) zx6r radiator --- I am planning to swap the small H1 radiator for the larger L model rad to improve cooling. Why did you go for the ZX6R rad?
4) oil cooler bypass (using the longer pipe from the oil cooler to make the bypass) --- Why bypass the oil cooler? Wouldn't you want to retain the cooler to keep temps down?
5) blocked off air correctors on carbs and set up for ram air box --- Are you using stock carburetors? I was thinking about swapping them for flatslides as I have heard they offer better performance.
6) building the rear brake bracket and getting rid of the torque bar --- I have been considering this as well because I think it will increase brake feel and be more efficient. I am just not sure what the reality of my assumption is. Is that why you are doing this?

Right now, I am rebuilding all the calipers and concentrating on the brakes. After that, I'll move on to getting the suspension set up properly for me.

Good luck with your project as well.
Murray1992
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:04 am
My Bike: Zxr400/DD750

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Murray1992 »

Hi Chazzman,

Here’s a few of the answers.

1. Stick coil mod is suggested to be better on performance and better starting, it gains a lot of space which is very limited under the tank. Ram air wouldn’t fit unless I put originals on the outside or behind the clocks, this would be a bit of hassle and easier to do the mod.

2. Pure track so all of road gear has been removed even the fuse box.

3. The ram air tube takes a bit of space which some usually cut the stock radiator in order for this to fit, I didn’t like the idea of cutting a radiator so the zx6r was the better option.

4. Due to it being a track bike it’s not going to be on track for a lengthy bit of time, there are a few things to weight up here. It saves weight which is the main objective, most of the racers in here have removed the oil cooler and had no issues which is brilliant.

5. Yes using stock carbs, yes flat sides are a option as it’s extra hp from the get go, there are a few issues however. Lengthy time on dynos to get right, flooding them if full throttle straight away, it needs to be progressive.

6.theres a few reasons as to why, it gets rid of the torque bar which saves weight, quicker wheel changes. Iv got the ali sheets just a matter of welding them up and putting it on (on the lengthy list of things to do).

Good luck with your build, every bike is different and many go about things different ways. It’s what works for you :)

Im making a tank cover mold as we speak, going to make up a Ali tank which will be smaller and easier to work with. Hopefully going to be making my first carbon piece which will be a tank cover. Fingers crossed.
Chazzman_bm
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:43 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Scotland

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Chazzman_bm »

Thanks Murray and good luck with your build. I intend to keep mine road legal for now but capable on the track. Because I have never done any track day riding, I am not sure if I want to go full race yet so I will keep it simple.

I did a little reading on the flatslides and will be giving them a miss, primarily due to cost to buy and to set up.

Thanks again for the info.
schnecks
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2019 7:23 pm
My Bike: zxr400

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by schnecks »

Hey,
good luck with your build! I just wanted to chime with a small thing. The tracks I go to have nasty curbs with a rippled surface for the car tires. Unfortunately the ZXR has the gear rod sticking out and that thing can break an engine case if you are unlucky.

I ended up using after marked rear sets from china and a custom adapter plate.You have to engineer around the flaws a bit but due to the "quality" they bend and break just beautifully when you go down. Takes some force of the impact...

Here on my stripple
Image
Chazzman_bm
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:43 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Scotland

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Chazzman_bm »

Thanks for the tip Schnecks. I'll put that on my list of must-haves.
Chazzman_bm
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:43 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Scotland

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Chazzman_bm »

So the work on the H1 continues.

Right now, I am working on getting it started and running well. I've got a few issues but working through them slowly. The first problem of no fuel to the carbs has been sorted with a brand new fuel pump relay.

The bike has had electrical gremlins from the time I acquired it so I am making improvements as i troubleshoot issues. I decided to get rid of the two coil set up in favour for the stick coil mod so I bought a set of CBR600RR coils and harness and will get them wired in tomorrow. Fingers crossed, that will help. If not, I will slowly make my way through the wiring system and fix things as I go.
davidr1963
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2019 12:48 pm

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by davidr1963 »

I’ve got a cut down rear sub frame that’s just sat in the garage. If it’s any use your you, drop me your address by pm and I’ll post it to you. It seems a common mid for race/track bikes.
Chazzman_bm
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:43 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 H1
Location: Scotland

Re: H1 Track Bike(?)

Post by Chazzman_bm »

Thanks David. PM sent.
ErickCurry
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 2:41 pm
My Bike: tomos moped

H1 Track Bike

Post by ErickCurry »

Are you ready boots?

Tomorrow is the big day. Make sure your bike is ready, your gear is ready, that you’ve got some snacks and beverages, fuel, your gadget batteries charged up, and anything else you usually take to the track.

The weather outlook is clear skies all the way so the track should quite nice by tomorrow afternoon.
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