This is a bike I am waiting for. ( for parts)

[gregjet]

I am waiting for Tracer parts to become available. Particularly the swingarm to see if it fits on the std 07. I reckon it should fix a few of the things I don't like about the current bike ( particularly the rear weight bias).
 

[mossrider]

Be nice for racing too but I'd realy like that bigger tank for endurance racing, just sayin.

[gregjet]

The tank would be better.
On the race track would have to wait and see I reckon. Std 07 has a shorter wheelbase so turns better but that chassis has an unfortunate rear weight bias. It would be interesting to see which is a better track handler. I suspect the Tracer would be better on the road.
The tank is something that I will be speccing to see if it fits on the 07. It would also help the weight bias problem AND give decent range.

[faffi]

Will be interesting to follow this.

[blackout]

I am waiting for Tracer parts to become available. Particularly the swingarm to see if it fits on the std 07. I reckon it should fix a few of the things I don't like about the current bike ( particularly the rear weight bias).

How much weight is biased to the rear?  Have you measured it on a bike with a tail eliminator.  The rear tail/fender is quite heavy and extends quite far back. 
I too have thought about the longer swingarm on the Tracer.  Should bolt right up, but a FZ07 shock may need a different link length depending on what happens to the geometry....  I remember reading the Tracer has a longer shock, but maybe not, maybe just an assumption.

[copamundial]

How much weight is biased to the rear?  Have you measured it on a bike with a tail eliminator.  The rear tail/fender is quite heavy and extends quite far back.

Clip-ons make a big difference in front rear weight balance too, just by moving rider position.
 

[gregjet]

Yep clipons and even Renthal ultra lows do . It is also made worse by the soft rear suspension stock ( the bike droops at the back and shifts the weight rearwards). Still from the reports the tracer does feel more planted.
Yes I did measure the static wheel loads but lost them with all my original measurements for the Tony Folae chassis software when my SSD bricked itself ( yes I know it should have been on the data drive). Can't remember the figures but it as very noticeable.

[blackout]

Yep clipons and even Renthal ultra lows do . It is also made worse by the soft rear suspension stock ( the bike droops at the back and shifts the weight rearwards). Still from the reports the tracer does feel more planted. Yes I did measure the static wheel loads but lost them with all my original measurements for the Tony Folae chassis software when my SSD bricked itself ( yes I know it should have been on the data drive). Can't remember the figures but it as very noticeable.

 
If I get bored this summer I will put my bike on my automotive scales and measure bias.

[gregjet]

I should remeasure mine too, to redo the TFSDS profile for the 07 and input the Tracer swingarm parameters to see what it is going to do. I could model the tank as well if I can get enough stuff to estimate the CoG of it.
Blackout is that a pic of your 07 in the avatar? What's the fairing? Is there a pic on here of the bike?
 

[stickshift]

Standard weight distribution is 51.7% front, 48.3% rear:
 
http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/model_eval/2014_11FZ07.pdf
 
 
It's the geometry that makes the weight feel biased towards the rear. Yes, a tracer swingarm would probably be a positive improvement for the track.
 
I feel that yamaha absolutely nailed the front and rear bias on the 07 for the intended use and engine characteristics - track though is a different ball game!

[faffi]

A longer wheelbase will OTOH require a little more lean for any given cornering speed and slow down the ability to change directions. Not sure by how much. It will also allow harder acceleration before wheelying and harder stopping before the rear wheel leaves the ground. As with everything it's about finding the best compromise.

[blackout]

I should remeasure mine too, to redo the TFSDS profile for the 07 and input the Tracer swingarm parameters to see what it is going to do. I could model the tank as well if I can get enough stuff to estimate the CoG of it. Blackout is that a pic of your 07 in the avatar? What's the fairing? Is there a pic on here of the bike?

 
 
It's a carbon fiber fairing I made myself. Looks good from the side, but not so much from the front. But it does it's job quite well. The bike feels more stable at highway speeds and no more wind blast. I also mounted the dash forward and the fairing have room for a front mounted Ohlins steering damper.

 

[gregjet]

Any 3/4 and frontal pics possible? What screen did you use?
And the exhaust headers? I recognize the Tyga muffler anywhere. Nice job. Did you make them, if so do you have the exhaust cam angles? It looks a bit longer than a straightened Akra snail pipe'
 
Stickshift : That is almost the opposite way around to what I got ( with rider). I noticed that the bike turned more stable, when I test rode it, if you climbed forward and pushed the bars down like a motord style. A few others have mentioned the same thing. That's why I measured it in the first place. I really disagree about Yamaha getting it right. Even with all I have done, it has only reduced, not eliminated the vague front end feel ( though it is a lot better). The fact that the bike is so nimble helps to mask it ( like the Honda's CBR500r balance hides it's weight). I am hopeing that when I finally change to Michie PR4's most of the rest of the vagueness should go. The current BT23 aren't as bad as the original naughties BT23's ( ie horrendous), but they ain't up to Bridgies usual performace tyre standard and I think they contribute to the lack of front feel.

[faffi]

The only Bridgestone tyre I have liked was the BT001. When cold, I could easily slide it and feel in control, when warm it had far more grip than I had nerve so I cannot really say if well it would communicate at the limit. Generally, though, I am no fan of Bridgestones.
 
My bike has stock Michelin PR3 and they are OK, but rides what I would say to be harshly. And that is with 28/30 PSI. I cannot ride it with 32/36 because they feel iron hard. I'm 200 lb net, BTW. When they slide, they do it very slowly and utterly gently, just a hint of wandering. When cold, both can walk a hint at lean that will have my boots scrape, when warm only the front will do this at greater lean, very rarely and only on worn tarmac with lots of stone content. Some may be down to the suspension, some down to me not riding well, some of it down to the road surface. I ride quite gently and still have 1/8in of chicken strip on the front tyre. I liked the Pirelli Stradas better; softer ride by far and the front stuck while the rear could slide a little. Guess they have been replaced by Angels now?
 
 

[blackout]

Any 3/4 and frontal pics possible? What screen did you use? And the exhaust headers? I recognize the Tyga muffler anywhere. Nice job. Did you make them, if so do you have the exhaust cam angles? It looks a bit longer than a straightened Akra snail pipe'
 
Stickshift : That is almost the opposite way around to what I got ( with rider). I noticed that the bike turned more stable, when I test rode it, if you climbed forward and pushed the bars down like a motord style. A few others have mentioned the same thing. That's why I measured it in the first place. I really disagree about Yamaha getting it right. Even with all I have done, it has only reduced, not eliminated the vague front end feel ( though it is a lot better). The fact that the bike is so nimble helps to mask it ( like the Honda's CBR500r balance hides it's weight). I am hopeing that when I finally change to Michie PR4's most of the rest of the vagueness should go. The current BT23 aren't as bad as the original naughties BT23's ( ie horrendous), but they ain't up to Bridgies usual performace tyre standard and I think they contribute to the lack of front feel.

Here is my build thread.... 
https://www.fz07.org/thread/6969/craigs-track-bike-build-thread
 
I can take more pictures tomorrow of the front.  It looks a little better since I painted the carbon fiber flat black.  The carbon fiber did not match the bike too well.  I also moved the head lights back and up, and that looks a little better too.
 
I made no computations on exhaust pipe length.  The headers are stock.  I TIG welded the pipe myself.  It was a fun learning process for sure.  I wanted a different look, kinda old school look for the exhaust.  The exhaust tucks in nicely just under the right part of the seat.  You can not see it from a straight frontal view.  I ride on the balls of my feet, so that is why the pipe is angled the way it is.  I have seen issues with riding boots melting because they rested on the exhaust pipe.  Anyways, not including the cost of the welder, the exhaust cost me no more than $300.  Tyga mufflers are awesome quality for the price.  

[stickshift]

Stickshift : That is almost the opposite way around to what I got ( with rider). I noticed that the bike turned more stable, when I test rode it, if you climbed forward and pushed the bars down like a motord style. A few others have mentioned the same thing. That's why I measured it in the first place. I really disagree about Yamaha getting it right. Even with all I have done, it has only reduced, not eliminated the vague front end feel ( though it is a lot better).

I'm assuming the measurements moto news took were without rider, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the rear had more weight with the rider. 
I agree with that the front end feel is improved if you put more weight on the bars. The vague front end is my single biggest issue with this bike (for the price), I'm keen to put aftermarket cartridges in but probably won't get around to it until next summer.
 
I'm still on the original BT23s, I like some of their characteristics (good warm up, good in wet & cold) but there are better choices for improved feedback (I'm hoping!).
 

[rhb]

Wrong thread oops... deleted.
 

[gregjet]

faffi: Bridgestone has been making some really good tyres lately. The 003's were awesome. And the S21's. There are some newer ones that are brilliant. Tyres have made a qunatum leap in the last 3 years especially for Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli and Dunlop. That's why I have such trouble understanding why the BT23 is as "nothing" as it is.
If you haven't tried the PR4's you need to. I did some testing with the 07 and the tyres run best on the road a 32/34 for touring and 30/32 for hard chucking around for my weight( 188lbs).
I agree about Bridgie's ability to slide predictibly.
blackout: I will make furtur comments on your build thread, which somehow I completely missed????You ideas are VERY similar to mine but you execution is far finer.

[faffi]

Thanks, gregjet. My brother ran PR4s on his Trophy and they looked almost like new after 5000 miles / 8000 km, a lot of which were done on das Autobahn and through the Alps. Same tyres were fitted to his friend's S1000XR, doing similarly well. Both were very happy about grip under every condition.
 
I plan on fitting a set of TKC 70 Contis this fall because I am going to ride several days on gravel roads on a gathering in Sweden. Will be fun to ride the MT-07 along with KTM Adventure bikes and BMW GSs If it wasn't for that, I'd be fitting PR4s.

[fzob1]

Any news about Tracer coming to the US?

[gregjet]

Faffi, if you are going to do dirt roads ( interested to how you go. Not a lot of suspension travel.
If you haven't bought tyres yet , you might want to consider these. https://www.pirelli.com/tyres/en-ww/motorcycle/all-tyres/sheet/mt-60-rs#/description. The tkc 70 type tyre is better on the tar but not as good on any real dirt road I have found. My Husky TR650 had the metxler version and they might as well have been any road tyre once on actual dirt.

[faffi]

Thanks for the tip, Greg. I have considered TKC80 as well as the Pirellis, but then noticed that the TKC70s got pretty rave reviews. The route will not be dirt roads, more like I think you call fire roads? Like this
 

 
However, I have 600 miles of asphalt to ride in each direction getting there.
 

[gregjet]

I had the more dual sport type tyres on a DRZ400sm then changed to the mt60's. The difference on the dirt, between the Metzlers and the pirelli's was huge and the difference on the tar small. But the DRZ isn't a 07 and was much more forgiving, so the 60's may be not quite as good on the tar  for the 07. That is more like what we call a dirt road and was what I was riding them on. Fire roads here tend to be a bit more degenerate.
Is that a funduro BMW? Same motor as my TR650 Husky.
 

[faffi]

Sorry, I just stole the picture online. I think it is a Suzuki 650 Freewind.
 
The MT60RS is more of a motard tyre, I believe?

[gregjet]

No, I think the 60 is a big bike adventure tyre. Ignore the Pirelli blurb, I think they are refering to the big "supermoto" type road bikes rather than racing motards. Tyring to get a 180 sliding on the bitumen , I suspect would be a bit iffy.
Things like the big Ducatis and BMW's.
The sizes will actually fit on the oversize 07 rims. A side benefit is that you have some scope at that size to run lower pressures on the dirt roads.
 
Freewind, I saw that when I viewed it full size. Never heard of a "freewind". We may not of got them here. It does look very "euro"