TRX 2 - The tuned 850 one!

[dandywarhol]

I don't remember Kenny Roberts running traction control on a TZ250 with 130 horsepower and a power band between 7500 and 10750

I ran TZ700 piston port engine in a sidecar - 140 bhp and a band of 8000 - 10750. Bowaaaaaa, zinggg - FAACK!
Traction control was my passenger weighting the rear wheel

[coxylaad]

Truth be told I am looking at fitting the same system to Bill's R1, and thats got 150bhp.

I know there is limited benefit from the employing TC on the TRX.

However, what it did give me rightly or wrongly was confidence in the bike. I was not the fastest guy at the track and I am still not, however a huge hurdle for me was having the confidence to trust the grip of the bike. so I was just a bit slower through the corners as I didnt trust what was going to happen if I increased the speed.

So I got traction control, and reasoned in my head that if I up the pace a small amount I wont ever be very far away from the place I was where I had grip, and should it start to slide the TC is there to help out.

The reality was I was and still am riding well within the limits of the tyres however the fact that I have a system in place as a safety measure it gives me the confidence to slowly push the boundaries where previously I was stuck.

Who knows one day I might actually need the traction control haha

[dandywarhol]

Truth be told I am looking at fitting the same system to Bill's R1, and thats got 150bhp.

I know there is limited benefit from the employing TC on the TRX.

However, what it did give me rightly or wrongly was confidence in the bike. I was not the fastest guy at the track and I am still not, however a huge hurdle for me was having the confidence to trust the grip of the bike. so I was just a bit slower through the corners as I didnt trust what was going to happen if I increased the speed.

So I got traction control, and reasoned in my head that if I up the pace a small amount I wont ever be very far away from the place I was where I had grip, and should it start to slide the TC is there to help out.

The reality was I was and still am riding well within the limits of the tyres however the fact that I have a system in place as a safety measure it gives me the confidence to slowly push the boundaries where previously I was stuck.

Who knows one day I might actually need the traction control haha

At the end of it, you use whatever suits YOU. It's like race lines - there's the ideal line and there's the line that suits you - and that's the one that is best. It took me a while to realise that when utilising the heady 30/35 bhp of a 125 2 stroke - when I saw others taking what seemed to be the "wrong" line I'd to find out why. The answer was simple enough, the power band was so narrow, even a close ratio 6 speed 'box wasn't enough so you would take a different line to keep the tyre on a different radius and keep the revs up - as you picked the bike up from the "wrong" line and the tyre worked on it's maximum diameter you could feel the bike get faster but the revs stayed the same - kinda like a CVT scooter. It felt weird but uphill from Donington's old Hairpin is a good example of this.

Go ferrit Coxxxxxy - I look forward to your reports

[coxylaad]

small bit of progress last night.

attacked the frame with a hole cutter


to put this in:


which will be the lower mounting point for the subframe.



The seat unit sits in the correct place now.

top mounts to do now. I need to get a bit creative with this one.

[coxylaad]

Some more progress.

rear subframe mounts now welded up:









Thats the structural part done. on to the next bit - front end transplant.

[coxylaad]

Small update on this.

so just to confirm my dad decided that if he was building the bike he wanted some nice kit on it, and the most cost effective way to do this was to break the mille and take all the trick bits of that, then sell the rest of the bike on in bits. It was a shame in that it was an immaculate bike but it hasnt died for nothing.

some pics:

Race fairing added to the front:



We decided to transplant the ohlins front end complete with the Brembo brakes and the OZ wheels, and the rear swing arm, complete with brake and wheel. the beauty of doing this is that he already has a set of wets on wheels for it.

Modifications to the swingarm and yokes done and we can see what its going to look like:






That was the mock up, its now getting pulled to bits for paint.

going to fit an electric fuel pump for reliability and then its mechanically ready to go.

[coxylaad]

update:

My dad has been busy.

[coxylaad]

progress update, starting to look really nice!











we have an electric fuel pump to install, and then we are waiting for the bodywork to come back.

track day booked for 21st April - we need to get cracking!

[Mincehead]

I DO like the Aprilia kit, quality stuff. What`s the seat off?

[dandywarhol]

Cracking job as usual. What I would give for a lighted, heated workshop. .........

I still can't get my head around using the TRX motor over that stonking Aprilia 1000 twin But there again, maybe it's cos you can

[Mincehead]

Aye me too Dandy, nae heat nor light, apart from a 24v light system that runs from 2 x 12 v batteries in series and topped up from a solar panel, WHEN the sun shines!

[coxylaad]

Cracking job as usual. What I would give for a lighted, heated workshop. .........

I still can't get my head around using the TRX motor over that stonking Aprilia 1000 twin But there again, maybe it's cos you can

have you ever ridden a mille? compared to the trx they are big brute of a bike. I struggled to get on with mine, it felt top heavy and never instilled the confidence in me to push.

My fastest laptime at Croft on the trx is faster than my fastest on the Mille.

Nothing wrong with the engine though, and I have not actually given it any thought to fitting the mille engine into the TRX chassis. I dare say its too big.
We have one on the floor in the garage I might take some measurements from...

[coxylaad]

I DO like the Aprilia kit, quality stuff. What`s the seat off?

its a 2012 fireblade subframe and race seat unit.
It came as a spare with my fireblade track bike, I thought it would be rude not to use it.

[dandywarhol]

Only ridden a Tuono and a Falcon, agreed, they're a wee bit top heavy but jeez, they were stable!
And that stonking motor - pulls yer arms off up to 7000rpm, then does it all over again to 10500! Love it!

[coxylaad]

If you think they are quick you should try a modern superbike.

The point of the red as a track one is you get the satisfaction of getting somewhere near the most out of the bike. That's never going to happen for me on the blade.